February 12, 2019: Our club learned about the commissioning of the USS Charleston Littoral Combat Ship 18, from Patrick ‘Pat’ Keaveny. Pat has been in the Defense Contracting industry for the past 15+ years, all in the Charleston, SC area. In addition to serving as the Chairperson of the USS 
CHARLESTON (LCS 18) Commissioning Committee, Pat presently serves as President, Charleston Council, Navy League of the United States. As a Naval Officer, he served for 30 years in innumerable assignments with notable reserve mobilization tours as Chief Staff Officer to Naval Surface Group Mediterranean, as Counter-Drug Liaison to JIATF-East/USSOUTHCOM, and as Force Protection Director for the Surface Reserve Force following the attacks of 11 September 2001. He retired in 2002 at the rank of Captain.
There are five major stages in the life of the fleet in the Navy: Naming, Keel Laying, Launching, Christening, and Commissioning.
The littoral combat ship (LCS) is a set of two classes of relatively small surface vessels designed for operations near shore by the United States Navy. It was envisioned to be an agile, stealthy surface combatant capable of defeating anti-access and asymmetric threats in the shallow areas of the ocean, or littorals. There are two types of LCS ships, and one is built in Wisconsin and the other in Alabama. The USS Charleston was built in Alabama.
Every Littoral Combat Ship is named after a community of significance. Charleston was selected after strong advocacy on the part of community members. To date there have been 5 ships named Charleston:
- 1798 – a Galley
- 1889 – A Protected Cruiser – the C-2
- 1905 – A Protected Cruiser – the C-22
- 1936 – A Protected Gunboat PG51 that served well in combat in the Pacific during WWII
- 1968 – An Amphibious Cargo Ship
Charleston has a rich history in commissioning ships. In recent years, the State Port Authority has partnered with the US Navy to allow community members to participate in this event.
The LCS18 has leading edge technology, and a crew of only 74, as its primary mission is transport. The USS Charleston is a very wide ship, with a large hanger area to accommodate specialized equipment. Despite its width, the ship can go very fast, up to 44 knots.
Charlotte Riley is the sponsor of the ship. Commander Christopher Brusca is the Captain.
The commissioning takes place on March 2, 2019. The ship’s home port will be San Diego, California. For more information:
Lisa Van Bergen, Keyway Committee
IN OTHER MEETING NEWS
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- Kay Minson gave the Invocation and led us in the pledge.
- Charlton Wieters introduced Visiting Rotarians and guests.
- President Alex Dallis presented Health and Happiness.
- Skip Fink introduced our keynote speaker, Pat Keaveny, who discussed the USS Charleston and it’s commissioning on March 2.
MORE IN THIS WEEK’S KEYWAY
February 19, 2019 | Issue 4920 | President: Alex Dallis
COMING EVENTS
- February 19 – No Meeting
- February 19 – Red Badge Social @ Fatty’s
- February 26 – Mark Sloan, art exhibit
- March 5 – Nick Wackym, warfighter
- March 12 – Off-site meeting @ American College of Building Arts
- March 19 – Dan Curia, Charleston Fire Department
NEWS BRIEFS
James Simons Entrepreneurship Class Visits LS3P
On Friday, February 1st, the James Simons Middle School Entrepreneurship class was given the opportunity to visit the workplace of Principal Architect and Rotarian David Burt as his guests at LS3P in downtown Charleston. A group of 6 from the class, chaperoned by their teachers, Ms. Savage and Ms. Cooney, and Rotarian Tim Donnellon were able to spend the morning and lunchtime touring the business.
As part of the expansion of the “shark tank” curriculum, the students are visiting different types of businesses in the community to gain a better understanding of the types of careers they may wish to pursue in the future.
The students learned the various job functions within the field of architecture as employees took turns explaining their roles within the company. They learned about building from concept to detailed plans, as well as interior design, landscape design, architectural drawing as well as 3D printing and were able to experience virtual reality modeling of a building design. The students learned about the educational needs for pursuing a career in the field. They also received help from the LS3P creative team in designing logos for the businesses they are working on.
Thanks to David Burt and the staff at LS3P – Ben Anderson, Caty Cain, Jasmaine Jarvis and Kameron King for their time and effort in putting this memorable day together.
Red Badge Social on Tuesday
Since we don’t have a meeting this Tuesday, a Red Badge Social is scheduled for that evening at Fatty’s Beer Works, 1436 Meeting Street. This is a great chance for fun and fellowship with fellow members outside of Rotary and we encourage all members to attend. As a reminder, Red Badgers, you are required to attend one of these events as one of your new member requirements and, Blue Badgers, we would love for you to join us and get to know our new members. Also, feel free to bring a prospective member! Make-up credits will be given to all those in attendance. Everyone will be on their own for food and drink. Fatty’s has a wonderful food menu with lots options, so we hope you will make an evening of it. An evite with details was sent out to all members, please be sure to RSVP so we can let Fatty’s know how many to expect. If you didn’t get the EVITE, please let Heidi know.
Off-Site Meeting at American College of Building Arts on March 12
Our weekly meeting on Tuesday, March 12th will be held at the American College of Building Arts, 649 Meeting Street. Lt. General Colby Broadwater, President of the college, will be giving a talk during lunch and a tour following. Swig N Swine will cater a barbeque lunch. Please respond to the EVITE by March 5, as we need to have a head count for catering purposes. Members can either park in the small lot right in front of the school or we have been granted permission to use the old SCE&G lot across the street at the corner of Meeting & Cool Blow (beside Meeting Street Academy) at no charge.
RCCF Grant Applications Being Accepted until March 1
The Rotary Club of Charleston Fund (RCCF) is accepting requests for grants. Interested organizations are required to submit a Letter of Inquiry and complete a grant application prior to March 1 to be considered. The application and other details regarding the grant process can be found on our club’s website — www. charleston-rotary.org.
January Dues Statements
January dues statements were emailed to all members prior to the holidays. Past due notices were emailed to those who have not paid this past week. Prompt payment is appreciated. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact Carroll.
International Committee Accepting Grant Applications
The International Project Committee is now accepting grant applications for international projects that you may be involved. Rotary is dedicated to building international relationships that improve lives, and create a better world to support our peace efforts and end polio. Grants will range from $500-$2500. Deadline to submit an application is March 1st.
Hibben Warming Shelter Volunteers
The Warming Shelter located at Hibben United Methodist Church in Mt. Pleasant is once again opening their facility as a refuge from the cold. Recently, our Rotary Club made a financial donation to this needed outreach. The Board is in hopes that several Rotarians would be willing to volunteer once or more. Contact Rotarian Cecil Mills for detailed information on volunteering at the Shelter – cmills@sonitrol.com.
Our Club is on Instagram
Our club launched an Instagram account this week. Please be sure to follow us at @ChasRotaryClub, which is our Twitter handle, as well.
Members are encourage to follow all of our social media channels and share posts with their followers too! We also need members to send us picture of anything they do that relates to Rotary – service projects, meetings, events, etc. We would love to keep our accounts full of smiling Rotarians! Photos can be send to Mike Sottak, mikesottak@gmail.com, or Rob Byko, rob@bykorealty.com.
MEMBER NEWS
Member News
Welcome to our newest members – Leo Ruettiger and Jeremy Divis! Leo was sponsored and introduced by Membership Chair, Heidi Finniff. He will hold the classification of Chiropractor. Charlton Wieters introduced and sponsored Jeremy, who will hold the classification Lab Equipment/Sales.
Congratulations to Ruthie Ravenel, who is expecting her second son in June.
Past President Digit Matheny, who will serve as the Membership Chair for our District in the coming Rotary year, attended the Rotary Leadership Institute (RLI) this past Saturday at Trident Technical College and completed his level 3 training. He is now a RLI graduate! Congratulations, Digit!
With much regret, the Board accepted the resignations of Frank Bullard, Jim Livingston and Paul Welborn. We will miss these Rotarians and wish them all the best. Tim McVicker was approved for a 6-month Leave Of Absence.
MEMBER SPOTLIGHT
Charlton Wieters
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- Joined: 2018
- Sponsor: Heidi Finniff
- Membership Involvement: Holiday Parade of Boats volunteer
- Classification: Financial Services
- Profession: Trust Officer, Colonial Trust Company
- Something Unique About Yourself: My wife and I have two young girls – 3 and 1.
Birthdays
- February 19 – Herb McGuire
- February 23 – Don Baus
By the numbers
Attendance on February 12, 2019: 71
Not in attendance: Allen, Baggs, Bailey, Barry, Baus, Beam, Brack, Bullard, Burt, Carico, Ceccato, Chico, Coghill, Cole, Cooper, E., Cooper, J., Deavenport, Dopp, Drafts, Echols, Gill, Holmes, Hudnall, Husser, Jones, C., Jones, Z., Kaynard, Kerrigan, Leonard, Lietzow, Livingston, McVicker, Moring, Morris, Plotner, Ravenel, Riley, Riner, Rust, Schmidt, Smith, H., Smith, M., Sottak, Stoney, Strickland, Taylor, Tecklenburg, Joseph, Teller, Webb, Welborn, Whitaker, Williams, A.
Out of Town Make-ups: None
WELLNESS TIP
Watch Your Vitamin D Levels
Do you seem to succumb to every cold, flu, or stomach bug doing the rounds? Perhaps you are just generally feeling a bit blue. Both our immune system and our mood rely on vitamin D. Because vitamin D is made in our bodies after exposure to the sun, it is not uncommon for people to become vitamin D deficient during the winter months. Vitamin D also helps ensure that our bodies absorb and retain calcium and phosphorus for building bone.
Ask you doctor for a blood test to determine where your vitamin D levels fall. If yours are low, you may benefit from a daily vitamin D supplement with at least 600 to 1,000 IU of vitamin D.
AREA CLUB MEETINGS
Mondays
- Summerville – Oakbrook: 7:30 a.m., Monday, Westcott County Club, 5000 Wescott Club Drive, North Charleston
- North Charleston: 12:30 a.m., Monday, Hilton Garden Inn, 5265 International Blvd, North Charleston.
- Summerville Evening: 5:30 p.m., Monday, Montreux Bar and Grill, 127 W. Richardson Ave., Summerville
Tuesdays
- East Cooper Breakfast: 7:30 a.m. Tuesday, Cooper River Room at Waterfront Park, Mount Pleasant
- Charleston: 12:30 p.m., Tuesday, Hall’s Signature Events, 5 Faber, Charleston
- Goose Creek: 12:45 m. Tuesday, Gilligan’s, 219 St. James Ave., Goose Creek
Wednesdays
- Daniel Island: 7:30 a.m. Wednesday, Daniel Island Club, 600 Island Park Dr., Daniel Island
- St. John’s Parish (John’s Island): 7:45 a.m. Wednesday, 2817 Maybank Highway, Unit 1, John’s Island
- Mount Pleasant: 12:30 p.m., Wednesday, Harbor Breeze Restaurant, 176 Patriots Point Road, Mount Pleasant
- Summerville: 1 p.m. Wednesday, Sticky Fingers, Summerville
Thursdays
- North Charleston Breakfast: 7:30 a.m. Thursday, Embassy Suites, 5055 International Blvd., North Charleston
- Moncks Corner: 12:30 p.m., Thursday, Gilligan’s Restaurant, Moncks Corner
- St. Andrews (West Ashley): 12:30 p.m., Thursday, Bessinger’s BBQ, 1602 Savannah Highway, Charleston.
Fridays
- Charleston Breakfast: 7:30 a.m., Friday, Harbour Club, 35 Prioleau St., Charleston
SOCIAL MEDIA
Our Rotary club actively uses social media — and we encourage you to interact with us through social media.
- We’re on Facebook. Take a look at our page and be sure to “like us”.
- We’re on Twitter. You can follow us @chasrotaryclub.
ABOUT THE KEYWAY
The Keyway has been published weekly as a newsletter for the Rotary Club of Charleston for more than 90 years.
- President: Alex Dallis
- Keyway editor: Don Baus don@sgaarchitecture.com
- Executive secretary: Carroll Schweers, carrollschweers@gmail.com
- Mailing address: Rotary Club of Charleston, P.O. Box 21029 ,Charleston, SC 29413-1029
- Copyright 2018, Rotary Club of Charleston. All rights reserved.