April 2, 1029: Dondi Kostin, President of Charleston Southern University, gave a great presentation covering his background and his vision for the future at CSU. He started with an explanation of his interesting name and a hilarious run down of some great southern naming in his family: Jesse, Lessie, Bessie, and 
Enos were just a few! Dondi came to CSU from the US Air Force where he most recently served as Chief of Chaplains based at the Pentagon. This was his last post in a 32-year career beginning at the Air Force Academy. Dondi loved the mission of the Air Force. When he and his wife were considering their next step in life, they prayed that God would provide them the same opportunity to serve a mission outside of the Air Force as they had within.
In July of 2018, Dondi and his wife were called to his new role as President of Charleston Southern. The mission: promoting academic excellence in a Christian environment. Like the Air Force, it is the business of changing lives.
Dondi said when he talks to prospective students and their parents, he likes to say that any college can get a student credentials and a start to a career, but CSU is also focused on character. Life is not just about what you do, but who you are: what is your relationship to God? What have you done with the gifts he has provided? He stressed that although CSU is a Christian school, that it really is for students of any faith. And there is great benefit for students who have grown up with faith in their home to encounter others that are strong in faith when they first leave the nest and are on their own.
CSU is growing and improving every day. A new residence hall recently was completed, a new Physicians Assistant program is starting up, and a new Doctor of Education Leadership will be offered. They recently broke ground on a new Health Science building. A new engineering program will be offered this August as well. Enrollment up to around 3,500 students, with 1,300 on campus.
Mr Kostin took several questions from members. One was how CSU was able to get Notre Dame’s leading rusher and running backs coach to be the new head football coach. Another was how CSU is handling NCAA compliance. He thanked the club for the service that they do in the community and for inviting him to speak.
Jeff Webb, Keyway Committee
IN OTHER MEETING NEWS
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- Stefany Ceccato gave the Invocation and led us in the pledge.
- Zac Jones introduced our visiting Rotarians & guests.
- President Alex Dallis presented Health and Happiness.
- David Baggs introduced our keynote speaker, Dr. Dondi Costin, President, Charleston Southern University.
MORE IN THIS WEEK’S KEYWAY
April 9, 2019 | Issue 4925 | President: Alex Dallis
COMING EVENTS
- April 9 – No Meeting
- April 16 – Evening Social @ the Charleston Riverdogs
- April 23 – No Meeting
- April 30 – Scott Walker/Gordon Rooney, Piccoleto Spoleto
NEWS BRIEFS
No Meeting on April 9 or April 23 – Important
Please note that our club will NOT meet on either Tuesday, April 9 or Tuesday, April 23. The next meeting at Hall’s Signature Events is Tuesday, April 30.
Charleston Riverdogs Social on April 16
In lieu of our meeting on Tuesday, April 16, we will have a family-friendly social event at the ballpark that evening. We hope everyone will make plans to join us as our Charleston Riverdogs take on their rivals from Greenville – the Greenville Drive. First pitch is 7:05pm. We will have a picnic supper on Doby’s Deck (3rd base side) from 6pm-7:30pm. The picnic will include Flame Grilled All-beef hamburgers, Hebrew National hot dogs, and Wisconsin Beer Brats with all the traditional picnic fixings (lettuce, tomato, onion, and sauerkraut) served with roasted loaded baked potato salad and fresh sliced watermelon. Ice tea, lemonade, water. There will be a cash bar for those wanting an “adult beverage”. There is no charge for Rotarians or children 3 and under. Non-Rotarian guests and children 4 and over is $25. The $25 includes a ticket into the game and the picnic supper. All members should have received an email invite to this event. Please be sure to RSVP by this Sunday, April 7 as a firm headcount is needed for planning purposes.
Rotary District Awards PR Committee
The Rotary District 7770 All Club Conference was held the last weekend in March in Hilton Head, SC. President Alex and his wife, Robin, President-Elect Sandy Morckel, President-Elect Nominee Heidi Finniff and District Membership Chair Digit Matheny attended and represented our club. Various awards and honors were handed out throughout the weekend. Our club’s PR committee was recognized with the Public Image Award for overall excellence in website, social media, newsletter and media. Congratulations to our PR co-chairs, Rob Byko and Mike Sottak. We are proud of your efforts to spread the word about our club and Rotary to our community
Supporting Disaster Relief efforts in Alabama
As many of you know, parts of Alabama suffered a devastating weather event with significant loss of life and property damage during the first week of March. A tornado ripped through the small community of Beauregard in Lee County with a path almost a half a mile wide. 23 lives were lost. Areas of Opelika and Barbour County also incurred significant damage. Our club, through our RCCF, made a $1000 donation to the Rotary District 6880 Foundation to assist those affected in the areas of Opelika, Auburn, Lee County and Eufaula. This is just another way your contributions and support of our club’s fund, the RCCF, are being used to help those in need. Please keep the victims and their families in your thoughts and prayers.
Rotary District Spring Training Conference
The Rotary District 7770 Spring Training Conference will be held on Friday, April 26 at Orangeburg-Calhoun Technical College, which is right off I-26 and an easy drive from Charleston, from 9am-1pm. The conference will focus on the Rotary Foundation, Rotary Public Image, Communications and Rotary Leadership. This is a wonderful opportunity for any member to get involved, learn more about Rotary and meet fellow Rotarians from around our District. Carroll will take care of registering our members, so please let her know if you are interested in attending. The club will pay the cost of your registration.
Wild Dunes Golf Raffle to support RCCF
Rotarians have a unique opportunity this month … we will be raffling a gift certificate for a Round of Golf for 4 at the Wild Dunes Harbour Course (cart included) along with 4 dozen Bridgestone golf balls (valued at $160) at our meeting on Tuesday, April 30. You do not need to be present to win. Raffle tickets were sold this past Tuesday and will be available again at our meeting on the 30th. Raffle tickets are (1) for $5 or (5) for $20. Be sure to bring your cash on April 30th — tickets will be sold near the badge table. Proceeds will benefit our Rotary Club of Charleston Fund (RCCF).
“Women in Rotary”
The much awaited April issue of SKIRT magazine is now available! Be sure to pick up a copy and read about our Rotary club and the amazing women members of our Rotary club profiled in the “Women at Work” section.
Two Volunteer Opportunities for Rotarians on April 27
We are looking for Rotary volunteers to support the Grand Opening of the Cane Bay YMCA and to help support our Past President Paul Stoney. The event is scheduled for Saturday, April 27 from 11am until 4pm. Rotary club members will get credit towards a make-up and this is a GREAT opportunity for Red Badge Members to meet their requirement for community service hours. Please contact Kerby Teller at Kerby.Teller@cbi-sc.com if you have any questions or would like to RSVP so we can keep track of our members. Please go to the following link to register.
Our Interact Club at Charleston Charter School for Math & Science will be volunteering with Waterkeepers to help preserve our wetlands on Saturday, April 27 from 10am-12noon at Magnolia Gardens. It would be wonderful to show our support of our Interact Club and this community service project by having a few volunteers from our club at this event. For more information or to participate, please contact Lisa Van Bergen lisa@professionalnonprofitsolutions.com. Volunteers will receive a make-up credit for attending.
Interact Club Induction
This year our club, in collaboration with the Charleston Breakfast Club, formed the first downtown Charleston Interact Club, at Charleston Charter School for Math and Science. Our clubs sponsored two students to attend RYLA last summer, and one of those students was elected Club President, Terryonna Fields. The clubs school sponsors are Kelly Federigos and Daniel Gaffney. The club meets weekly on Wednesday from 11-11:30 am, and has participated in several service projects to date, including trash pick up, a coat drive, Happy Feet, and tutoring younger students. The Citadel Rotaract members have partnered with them on projects. This week the club held formal induction of officers. It was exciting to hear the students all recite the 4-way test. Lisa Van Bergen and Virginia Lee are current club volunteers; if you have a heart for teenagers and want to get involved, let Lisa know.
January Dues Statements Past Due
We still have a few members who have not paid their January dues. You know who you are — please be sure to make payment as soon as possible. Past due notices were distributed via email last week and invoices were also put in the mail. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact Carroll.
Our Club on Social Media
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
Farwell to our Canadian Friends
This past Tuesday was the final meeting for our friends and visiting Rotarians from Canada – John Cowan and Marie Ann Erki. They will travel back to Canada in the next week. We have enjoyed having them as an active part of our club since the Fall and will greatly miss their fellowship. We wish them all best in their travels and look forward to seeing our dear friends in the Fall.
Resignation
With much regret, the Board approved the resignation of member Dale Williams. We will miss Dale and wish him all the best.
Get Well Wishes
We have missed Alvin Williams, who had minor shoulder surgery and is recuperating at home. We wish him a speedy recovery!
Proposed New Member
The following membership candidates have submitted an application and signed letter of agreement to the Historic Rotary Club of Charleston:
Conor Bini – sponsor: Heidi Finniff; classification: Banking/Business Services
Charlie Patrick – sponsor: Alissa Lietzow; classification: Law/Business
In the event you know Conor or Charlie, please tell a member of the Board how he will serve the ideas of Rotary.
MEMBER SPOTLIGHT
Lisa Van Bergen
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- Joined: 2011
- Sponsor: Past President Andy Brack
- Membership Involvement: Current Board Member & Youth Services Director
- Classification: Eleemosynary
- Profession: Principal, Nonprofit Professional Solutions, LLC
- Something Unique About Yourself: I spent my childhood running up and down bell towers, as my father sold church bells, just as Van Bergens had in the Netherlands for 8 generations.
Birthdays
- April 11 – Scott Deavenport
- April 12 – Campbell Coxe
- April 19 – Bill Raver
- April 21 – Don Oswalt
By the numbers
Attendance on April 2, 2019: 63
Not in attendance: Allen, Bailey, Barry, Baus, Beam, Bickley, Bishop, Brack, Buzon, Carico, Channell, Chico, Clark, Coe, Cole, Cook, Cooper, E., Cooper, J., Coxe, Crouch, Deavenport, Embry, Fink, Frume, Galizia, Gill, Hanger, Holmes, Hudnall, Husser, Jones, C., Kaynard, Matheny, Mixson, Plotner, Ravenel, Rich, Riley, Rust, Saboe, Seguer, Sidebottom, Smith, H., Strickland, Sullivan, Taylor, Tecklenburg, John, Thomas, Uram, Van Bergen, Whitaker, Williams, A., Woodell
Out of Town Make-ups: None
WELLNESS TIP
“Spring Up” Your Diet
Eat foods that are fertile in the spring season. This is a healthy way to eat that naturally helps you shed those winter pounds. Foods that are in season during the spring include leafy greens, strawberries, baby asparagus, and seasonal fish and shellfish.
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.
- We’re on Instagram. 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.