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THE DAILY ASTORIAN • MONDAY, AUGUST 1, 2016
Corgis: Event benefi ted the Oregon Humane Society
Continued from Page 1A
“They’re lovable,” said Jenni-
fer Robinson, the organizer of the
Portland Corgi Meetup Group who
hosts the yearly event. “It’s hard to
look at a corgi and not smile.”
Famous Instagram accounts like
@corgnelius, @aquacorg, @corgin-
stagram and @ralphthecorgi, range
from 80,000 followers up to nearly
700,000. There’s no doubt that cor-
gis have stolen the heart of many.
“It’s the fact that they’re so happy
with their people,” said Donna
Newton, the breed rescue contact
for the Columbia River Pembroke
Welsh Corgi Club. “They’re smil-
ing all the time. I think that’s why
they appeal to people.”
The interest shown on social
media has translated well in reality.
Started in 2007, the Portland-based
corgi meetup group has grown from
30 members to more than 500. This
year the group cordially hosted an
estimated 700-plus people, dou-
bling last year’s attendance.
Even though it was a corgi beach
day, all breeds could participate.
With more than 700 people sign-
ing in at Cannon Beach, the Oregon
Humane Society estimated at least
350 corgis attended.
“Everyone I’ve seen has had one
or two or three,” said Christy Bla-
hutka, who worked at the Oregon
Humane Society booth, in regards
to the number of corgis people
brought with them.
On Facebook, there were more
than 2,000 people “interested” in
the event and another 1,000-plus
RSVP’d as “going” to the event.
As the event grew larger each
year, the group decided to reach
out to the Oregon Humane Society.
This is the second year the event has
benefi ted the Oregon Humane Soci-
ety. Last year’s event raised $1,500.
“As our event started growing we
wanted to do something to help the
community as well,” Robinson said.
Combining a love for corgis
with a dedication to giving back,
the group also participates in events
like Dogtoberfest, Walk in the
Pearl, Doggie Street Fest and Strut
Your Mutt.
See photos from OPB at http://
bit.ly/2au0IQJ and from people at
the event at http://bit.ly/2aq8jBL.
Photos by Danny Miller/The Daily Astorian
Corgis and their owners walk up and down the beach during the Oregon Corgi Beach Day benefiting the Oregon Humane Society on Sat-
urday at Cannon Beach. The event included a costume competition, raffle and other activities. More photos online at http://bit.ly/2aHkvis
Justin Moore, dressed as a corgi, kneels beside his dog Baron during
the Oregon Corgi Beach Day on Saturday benefiting the Oregon Hu-
mane Society at Cannon Beach. Corgi is Welsh for “dwarf dog.”
Maverick Harper throws a football as corgis chase it during the
Oregon Corgi Beach Day benefiting the Oregon Humane Soci-
ety on Saturday at Cannon Beach.
Corgis and their owners walk up and down the beach during the Oregon
Corgi Beach Day in Cannon Beach. The event included a costume
competition, raffle and other activities.
Tweedie: ‘Any success is the Lord’s. I’m a shepherd. I just sustain and feed the sheep.”
Continued from Page 1A
The family calling
His father, uncle and grand-
father were Presbyterian min-
isters in his native California,
but Tweedie insists he did not
plan to emulate them.
Armed with humanities
degrees from San Francisco
State University, and consid-
ering a college teaching career,
he worked in a public library
for six years fueled by his love
of literature. A rejection letter
from the University of Califor-
nia Berkeley graduate school
led to gloomy refl ection.
“I was devastated. I spent
one Christmas vacation try-
ing to settle my life down,” he
recalled. “At the end of that
week, I ‘surrendered.’ I said,
‘OK, God. You are going to
work on me until I’m done.’”
He trained for the ministry,
married the day after graduat-
ing from seminary (his wife,
Jeanine is a nurse educator),
and embarked on a one-year
fellowship in Edinburgh where
he worked as a Scottish hospi-
tal chaplain.
He returned to serve a
church in Logan, Utah, and
neighboring Preston, Idaho.
There Tweedie pioneered a
hospice program and forged
links with the Mormon com-
munity. A year in which he
exchanged jobs with a pas-
tor in Adelaide, Australia, was
another highlight.
Eight years in Weed, Cal-
ifornia , at the foot of Mount
Shasta, was followed by 17
years in Mililani, Hawaii. The
church, outside of Honolulu
on Hawaii’s most populous
island, Oahu, was Tweedie’s
longest assignment. It offered
a settled base while he and
Jeanine raised three daughters.
“It was one of the most
amazing congregations ever,”
he said. “It’s the melting pot
of the Pacifi c. We had 14 to
16 different language groups
in the congregation — that
meant great potluck suppers!”
Asian and Polynesian cul-
tures were well represented.
“It was a pretty cool place.
I thrived on cross-cultural
communication.”
He enjoyed working with
other Christian faiths, Buddhist
groups, Jewish and Islamic
leaders and others. “I t was
mind-numbingly exhilarating.”
Long Beach was a perfect
fi nal posting, said Tweedie,
who just turned 65. “It has
been a very welcoming com-
munity for an outsider — an
instant embrace, and that’s not
always true. We are glad to be
retiring and staying here.”
Tweedie is proud of incor-
porating music into worship
— including pieces he writes
himself.
Bringing the
young along
His church attracts young
Christians from other con-
gregations. “I have enjoyed
working with the members of
the church and building a sig-
nifi cant youth ministry, even
though the congregation itself
is older,” he said.
Youth mission trips have
included the impoverished
Yakama Indian Reservation,
helping the homeless in Seat-
tle, Portland and Spokane,
and a visit to Puerto Rico.
“We also try to have them
experience different universi-
ties, especially Christian uni-
versities, and inspire them to
higher education in a Chris-
tian environment.
“We set goals high and
inspire them with the good
news of God’s saving love
through Jesus Christ,” he
said, delighting in the phrase.
“That’s a good saying and
what I’m all about.
As well as meeting spir-
itual needs, Tweedie high-
lights the church’s practical
role as a safety net for the less
fortunate. He will continue as
board president for His Sup-
per Table, a church-inspired
community group which
feeds the needy and operates
a thrift store.
He has provided leadership
for Food4Kids Backpack food
program for Long Beach Ele-
mentary School and for Over-
night Winter Lodging, which
serves homeless people.
Tweedie is busy as a writer,
having just published a book
of p eninsula stories. A cou-
ple of his plays have been per-
formed by Peninsula Players,
with whom he has acted and
directed, and another, “You
Never Know,” will be per-
formed in August. His pho-
tography is displayed at the
Bay Avenue Gallery in Ocean
Park.
In retirement, he antici-
pates more writing and music
composition, plus family
activities. The Tweedies have
two grandchildren.
The search is on
The church’s clerk of
the session, Ardell McPhail,
recruited Tweedie and has
begun another search. She said
Sunday speakers likely will
fi ll in during August until an
interim minister can be hired.
A committee will hire a perma-
nent replacement.
McPhail
commended
Tweedie for his contribution.
“He has worked in the com-
munity to get our congregation
to expand out,” she said, not-
ing his successes in helping the
homeless.
“He has brought in a lot of
new people, and he has brought
a lot of music to the church, his
own and also inspiring others,”
she said.
Tweedie passes on the credit.
“I don’t know if I have been
successful,” he said. “Any suc-
cess is the Lord’s. I’m a shep-
herd. I just sustain and feed the
sheep.”
— Patrick Webb