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April 23, 2026 |
With the traditional ringing of the bell we bring this meeting to order!
Club member's attendance is recorded by logging in.
YOUR donation for making up with us helps fund our service projects!
Visitors are always welcome to browse and register without obligation.
Our club offers the flexibility of ROTARY ON YOUR TIME!
and an opportunity to remain connected with Rotary!
Welcome to this week’s meeting of the eClub of the State of Jefferson.
Hello, eClub Members! Welcome to our weekly meeting.
My apologies for not keeping up with all that has been going on these past six months. I have been traveling a lot from late September until the end of November 2025.
It all started when my son moved to Texas, and since I didn’t have any close relatives near me, I decided to box up all my belongings and put them in storage. I then hired a rental agency to rent and manage my house while I was gone.
I then flew to (my hometown) Bend, OR to visit all my friends there, and while there looked around at houses for sale. YIKES, not at those prices! After almost three weeks, I then flew down to San Antonio, TX to visit family for two weeks, and then flew to Las Vegas to visit my sister Lea and her husband (PDG) John for a visit. My friend Alan joined me there and we all celebrated my birthday down at the strip. Lea and I decided to ride that old rickety roller coaster, something I will never do again! I then flew to Santa Barbara, CA to visit my other sister, and after three weeks, I flew down to Mazatlán, Mexico. Alan joined me there, and we spent a wonderful four months, and I’m now back in the Santa Barbara area. It’s been so nice to belong to an e-club, where it doesn’t matter where you live if you have Internet.
A lot has been going on with our eClub these past six months, especially with our ongoing projects: Uganda Literacy Project, Flood Relief in Pakistan, and the Chinle Planting Hope Bookmobile. With your help, our eClub Foundation was able to give a substantial amount of donations to each of these projects. Thank you club members for your support!
We are now in the process of writing a new District Grant application in hopes that they will help provide new sewing machines in Pakistan and solar lights to our ongoing Navajo Solar Lights Project.
I'm currently in Southern California, and planning to stay here for the next couple of months to work on my 2025 taxes (after placing an extension) and scheduling annual medical appointments.
In the meantime, enjoy today’s program and tech support, and don’t forget about attending our Coffee Chats every Tuesday at noon (Pacific Time).
Yours in Rotary,
Jackie
Jackie Oakley
2025-2026 Club President
The Four-Way Test
The Four-Way Test is a nonpartisan and nonsectarian ethical guide for Rotarians to use for their personal and professional relationships.
The test has been translated into more than 100 languages, and Rotarians recite it at club meetings:
Of the things we think, say or do
- Is it the TRUTH?
- Is it FAIR to all concerned?
- Will it build GOODWILL and BETTER FRIENDSHIPS?
- Will it be BENEFICIAL to all concerned?
email president@StateOfJeffersonRotary.org
District Conference – Early Registration Is Now Open!
Registration is officially open for our District Conference, in Eugene at the Valley River Inn, May 15–17 — and this is one weekend you won’t want to miss.
This year’s theme, “Rotary, Take a Look. We’re More Than You Think,” invites us to rediscover the depth, creativity, and impact of Rotary. From inspiring keynote speakers to meaningful conversations and fresh ideas, the conference is designed to energize you and strengthen the connections that make our district thrive.
Early registration runs through March 31. Secure your spot now and help us build a vibrant, dynamic weekend.
Register Here (register as a guest if you don’t remember your DACdb login information.)
Weekly eClub "Coffee Chat" Zoom meetings
Tuesday at 12:00 PM PDT
These “fellowship” meetings are informal opportunities to get acquainted with each other. If it fits your schedule, we look forward to “seeing” you at the meetings. Enjoy talking about "stuff" like water witching/dowsing, green flashes at sunset, Christmas in Pakistan, and much much more.
April is Maternal & Child Health Month
Rotary celebrates Maternal and Child Health Month. It is an opportunity to reflect on the current status of maternal and child health around the globe, how Rotary members contribute to addressing issues at the community level, and further take the steps to analyze our collective impacts on health systems.
According to the WHO, poor women in remote areas are the least likely to receive adequate health care. This trend holds true in both developed and developing countries. Low numbers of skilled healthcare professionals in these regions are major contributing factors to limited access to care. Human resources for healthcare remain a challenge, worsening since the COVID-19 pandemic. The data suggest that 99% of births are attended by a trained midwife, doctor, or nurse in most high-income and upper-middle-income countries. This figure drops to 78% in lower-middle-income countries and even further down to 68% in low-income countries where almost 95% of all maternal deaths occur.
Many Rotary members have been developing projects that support local health authorities in increasing the capacity of existing healthcare workers, task shifting by upskilling midwives, training and equipping community health workers and integrating traditional birth attendants, where possible, and providing graduate-level scholarships to support vocations in health care.
eClub Rotarian and PDG Bill Grile reported that he will escort the R.I. Representative John Chase, COO Zone 26/27, who will give the keynote address at the Club Learning Assembly in Cottage Grove
(photo left John Chase)
eClub Rotarian and PDG Bill Grile and about 90 Rotarians from D5110 attended the Club Learning Assembly in Cottage Grove. RI Director-Elect John Chases's message to attendees stressed the importance of focusing on the Rotary experience and not "the numbers.” When clubs do this, membership attraction happens "organically" and then what follows is better member engagement and giving to The Rotary Foundation, which in turn results in more funding for projects and Rotary impact.
The last few scenes from the movie Animal House featured a parade down the main street in Cottage Grove with the Deathmobile wreaking all kinds of havoc. I had been telling RI Director-Elect John and Elizabeth about this and then, after the Friday night reception in Cottage Grove, I drove around the corner from the restaurant and traveled back in time to 1978. Voila, there it was on a trailer, the Deathmobile from the 1978 National Lampoons cult classic movie Animal House.
The Deathmobile has nothing to do with Rotary other than that I was a member of BTTE at Carroll College in Waukesha, Wisconsin and we were almost as rowdy as the fellas were in National Lampoons 1978 cult classic movie, filmed of course in Eugene, Cottage Grove and nearby Dorena Lake.
World Immunization Week is fast approaching on 24-30 April. This is a critical time to raise awareness about the importance of immunization and the safety and effectiveness of vaccines.
Why do we believe so strongly in this? Rotary made a promise to the children of the world with the launch of the PolioPlus program in 1985 that we would eradicate polio from the world. Thanks to vaccines and the incredible support of Rotary members like you, polio cases have been reduced by 99.9%.
But we aren’t done yet.
As we continue our work to eradicate polio worldwide, we need to remain vigilant so that we don’t lose the progress we’ve made. No child should suffer from diseases like polio that a vaccine can prevent. Polio eradication is Rotary’s top humanitarian project, and we need your help to educate your communities about the benefits of vaccination and tell the story of Rotary’s efforts.
As of early 2026, Oregon kindergartners' full vaccination coverage is approximately 86%, with non-medical exemptions hitting a record high of 9.7%. Vaccination rates have declined for three consecutive years, with nearly 43% of schools falling below the 92% coverage target. Vaccination rates vary across the state, with some areas having lower rates.
One of the most dangerous issues at this time is misinformation and hesitancy to vaccinate. Rotarians have a vital role to play in getting accurate information out to our club members, friends, and families.
Please check out the excellent Rotary materials below and attached and encourage your clubs and contacts to get the word out. At DisCon this year we have a keynote speaker who will talk about the importance of vaccinations.
- Visit the Brand Center to access all our End Polio Now materials, including social media graphics, videos, letter-to-the-editor templates, and more!
- Have a club meeting focused on talking with members about Rotary’s polio eradication efforts.
- Host an event to raise awareness of and funds for PolioPlus.
- Start an online fundraiser using Raise for Rotary and share it with your network.
Thank you for your continuing dedication to ENDING POLIO and ensuring children are safe from preventable diseases!
Jane Falls
District 5110 Polio Plus Chair https://www.endpolio.org/
Rotary Club of Springfield, Member, President 2018-19
District 5110 Assistant Governor 2021-24
541-517-3412
jafalls@comcast.net
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