February 4, 2020:
Our speaker this week was Darrin Goss, President and CEO of the Coastal 
Community Foundation. His organization has deep connections to our Rotary Club. He gave us an overview of the CCF’s evolution since we helped form it nearly 50 years ago.
Darrin is a Charleston native and graduate of James Island High School who returned to the lowcountry in 2016. He was previously CEO of United Way in Baton Rouge LA.
Darrin presented an introduction to the Coastal Community Foundation and an update on their accomplishments and goals.
CCF was founded by members of the Historic Rotary Club of Charleston in 1974. From the initial grant of $9,000 CCF has grown into one of the largest non-profits in South Carolina with assets of $311 Million in 2019. Their mission statement is to “Create a vibrant community by uniting people and investing in resources.”
CCF’s service area is the 9 coastal counties of SC: Charleston, Berkeley, 
Dorchester, Colleton, Beaufort, Jasper, Hampton, Horry, and Georgetown. Darrin pointed out that there is significant variation in economic opportunity across those counties.
The foundation’s four core values are Stewardship, Integrity, Inclusion with Equality, and Courage. CCF has a Civic Engagement Agenda with 3 themes:
- Affordable places and inclusive spaces. Darrin presented a graph showing how local incomes have not kept pace with housing costs as an example.
- Access to economic opportunity. May low-income families in rural areas have to commute long distances for work. Darren also showed a colored US Map showing the percentage of the lowest income families that advance to higher income levels. The lowest percentage of movement from lowest to higher levels were in the southeast.
- Education. It is well known that there are extreme differences in school readiness and achievement in our region. We must continue to strive to provide more equal educational opportunities to all in our community.
For 2020, CCF launched a policy agenda with aim to educate the general public, donors, and policymakers about issues and measures to address them.
- Philanthropy: with the changes in itemized to deductions due the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, the foundation supports policy that would encourage charitable giving for middle-class families.
- Affordable places and inclusive spaces: CCF supports enabling municipalities to incorporate Inclusionary Zoning policies to encourage development of affordable housing to existing residents. Enhancement of Opportunity Zones to further encourage economic developments that benefit the existing community.
- Access to economic opportunity, and education: SC Community Development Tax Credit, Providing alternatives to predatory high-cost lending practices in low-income communities.
- Education: Education funding reform, teacher recruitment and retention, and early childhood education. CCF supports increasing the number of Schools of Innovation allowed to operate in each SC school district.
Darrin thanked the club and encouraged us to continue to look for ways we can serve our community.
Submitted by Jeff Webb, Keyway Committee
IN OTHER MEETING NEWSIN OTHER MEETING NEWS
- Marjorie Hanger gave the Invocation and led us in the pledge.
- Conor Bini welcomed all visiting Rotarians & guests.
- President Sandy Morckel presented Health and Happiness.
- President Sandy welcomed and introduced our guest speaker, Darrin Goss, President & CEO of the Coastal Community Foundation.
MORE IN THIS WEEK’S KEYWAY
February 11, 2019 | Issue 4955 | President: Sandy Morckel
COMING EVENTS
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- Feb 11 – Bob Smith, CEO, Goodwill (Board meeting preceding: 10:45 High Cotton))
- Feb. 18 – Charleston Police Department
- Feb. 22 – Rise Against Hunger meal packing event (The Citadel)
- Feb. 25 – No Meeting
- Feb. 29 – 100 Year Gala
- Mar. 3 – No meeting
- Mar. 10 – Anita Zucker
NEWS BRIEFS
Rotary Club of Charleston History Moment
At each meeting, President Sandy plans to share some of the snippets of our club’s amazing 100 year history and our impact on Charleston and around the world. It will be a fun trip down memory lane and will also be shared in the Keyway.
The 70s (1977-79)
We helped charter the Mt. Pleasant Rotary Club in 1977. A joint meeting of five Rotary Clubs in the area was held and Frank Borman, former astronaut, was guest speaker. In 1977 after fifty years of meeting at the Francis Marion Hotel we moved to the Colony House, reluctantly, because of declining quality of the food. We inducted our first African-American member, Arthur Clement, Jr., in 1978. A controversial subject, the diversion of the Cooper River, was discussed and discussed over again. Ladies’ night in 1978, was held at Middleton Gardens. We ended the 1970’s with 211 members breaking 200 for the first time.
50/50 Raffle
The 50/50 Raffle continues at our weekly meeting. This Tuesday members will have a 1 in 5 chance to win. The pot will start at $775. Bring your cash and let’s grow the pot. You do need to be present to win. Tickets are available at meetings – 1 for $5 or 3 for $10.
RCCF Grant Applications Being Accepted
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. For more information, please contact RCCF Chair, Alissa Lietzow (alissaclietzow@gmail.com).
International Project Grants
The International Committee of our club is now accepting grant applications for international projects that you may be involved. Grants will be made to build international relations that improve lives and create a better world to support peace efforts and end polio.
Areas of Rotary focus are promoting peace, fighting disease, providing clean water and hygiene, saving mothers and children, supporting education, and growing local economies. Please reach out to Karl Riner, Committee Chair should you want to participate or receive more information.
Get Your Rotary 100 Anniversary Apparel
Rotary 100th Anniversary Commemorative gear is now on sale! Don Oswalt and our PR Team showcased a golf shirt and tee-shirt in varying colors and sizes, along with a baseball cap, all with our 100th anniversary logo. We encourage every Rotarian to purchase one or more of the special merchandise and wear it proudly at every Rotary function or volunteer activity in which we participate. Golf shirts will be available for $45, tee-shirts for $20 and hats for $20. You can purchase these items online here or at the Rotary Meetings over the next 2 weeks. We will place the group order for all items at the beginning of February.
January Dues Statements
January dues statements were distributed via email to all members the second week of December. Payment is now past due. Past due statements have also been emailed.
If you are planning to attend the Gala, please be sure payment is made as soon as possible. We have very few tickets remaining and anticipate that this event will sell out soon. Payment is required in advance of the Gala in order to reserve your seat. We will not be accepting payments at the door or after the event. If you would like to bring a spouse/guest, an extra $100 can be included with your dues payment. Please be sure to make note of this additional amount with your payment.
Rise Against Hunger Meal Packing Event
Our club is partnering with the Rotary Club of Charleston-Breakfast on a meal packing event for Rise Against Hunger on Saturday, Feb. 22 at The Citadel. The goal is to pack 15,000 meals. We are 75% to our volunteer goal of 60. And, $1,700 has been raised toward our $5,000+ fundraising goal. No gift is too small. It costs a little more than $0.30 to buy the ingredients for a meal, so your donations will go a long way to help fight world hunger! You can volunteer to set-up before 1 pm, pack meals from 1-3 pm and/or clean up at 3 pm. Click on the link to register or donate:
Boat Raffle tickets now on sale
The annual Boat Raffle has begun! Tickets are now available for all Rotarians to help with our major fundraiser of the year. The prize is once again a beautiful Sea Fox boat valued at $40,000. And a cash equivalent prize of $15,000 is also an option for the winner. Tickets are $100 and no more than 1,000 will be sold – great odds!
Please get out there and sell tickets to family, friends and colleagues. This is 
the primary source of revenue for us to fund all the great work we do all year long. This year its even easier to sell tickets. In addition to the traditional printed tickets, which you can get from Doug Holmes, you can direct people to buy tickets in other ways.
By Text: simply text BOATRAFFLE to 44-321 and tickets can be purchased through a mobile device.
By web site: Log on to the Rotary web site at www.charleston-rotary.org and click on the link at the top left of the page to go to a secure web page to buy tickets
In person: at one of several Rotarian businesses selling tickets including
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- ERA Wilder Realty, 122 Coleman Blvd. Mt Pleasant.
- State Farm Insurance: 3750 Savannah Highway, John’s Island
- NV Realty, 91 Broad, St. Charleston
The winning ticket will be drawn at our 100th Anniversary Gala Event on February 29, 2020.
Become a sponsor of the Rotary 100th Year Anniversary
As we gear up for our 100th Anniversary celebration there are are some great sponsorship opportunities to give businesses visibility and the excellent PR that come along with being associated with Rotary. Sponsorship packages range from $250 to $10,000 and include participation and visibility at our 100th Anniversary Gale Event on February 29. Go here to see the sponsorship options and you can pay for the package you chose right on the web site. And share this with other businesses or potential sponsor you think would benefit from this great marketing and community support opportunity. Remember, this is part of our fund raising effort and most of the funds will go directly back into the projects and organizations we support throughout the year.
If you want an electronic file of the sponsorship packages to email around or print out, contact Lisa Van Bergen lvanbergen0530@gmail.com
Gala Event Tickets on sale now!
Mark you calendars and get your ticket now for the event of the year: The 
Rotary Club of Charleston 100th Anniversary Gala Dinner event. The event will be held February 29, 2020 at the Francis Marion Hotel.
Tickets are $100 and there will only be 300 sold, so act now.
To purchase tickets, go here
Featured keynote speaker is Past Rotary International President John Germ, Moderator/Host PJ Browning, Publisher of The Post and Courier, along with highlights of our 100 years of impact in Charleston. Black tie optional.
6 pm: Cocktail Reception with live music
7 pm: Dinner and program
8 pm: Dancing and entertainment with Zandrina Dunning Experience
You won’t want to miss this fantastic celebration of Rotary’s 100 years of Service Above Self in Charleston.
Volunteers Needed for Gala
Rotarian volunteers are needed at the Gala to assist with greeting and checking in our guests. If you are available and interested in assisting, please let either Lisa Van Bergen or Carroll know. Volunteers would need to arrive early and assist until the dinner begins.
District 7770 All Club Conference
The 2020 District 7770 All Club Conference will be held March 27-29 at Hilton Columbia Center. Registration is now open and the deadline to get the “Early Bird” rates is January 31. Our club will pick up the conference registration fee for any member who would like to attend on a first come, first serve basis. You can attend one day or the entire weekend. Throughout the weekend, you will enjoy learning more about Rotary and meeting other Rotarians from around our District. You will also have the opportunity to participate with other Rotarians in two service projects. Rotarians are responsible for their own accommodations. If you are interested in attending and need help registering on the DACdb, please let Carroll know. Members can find more information and register themselves on the DACdb database under the “Calendar” tab. Please be sure to select “Pay by Club Check” as method of payment and send your confirmation to Carroll. You don’t have to be a Board Member or even a committee chair to attend – all Rotarians are invited.
Rotary Leadership Institute (RLI): Feb 15
Would you like to learn more about Rotary? If you have never been to an RLI, or if it has been a while, we have the perfect opportunity for you.
When – Saturday, February 15, 2020 from 9:00 am to 3:45 pm. Doors open at 8:00 am for registration, coffee and mingling.
Where – Trident Technical College, Building 1000, SC Aeronautical Training Center, 7000 Rivers Road, North Charleston, SC 29406.
What – Rotary Leadership Institute (RLI) is frequently referred to as the Rotary Learning Institute. It is a series of fast-paced, interactive, one-day courses offered to refine a Rotarian’s leadership skills and increase their base of knowledge in Rotary. Courses are fun, topical, interactive, and geared toward busy business and professional persons who want to be more effective leaders in their vocation and club.
Why – This is an excellent opportunity to learn more about this ever-evolving organization that we are a part of. Participants will not learn everything about all of Rotary’s programs, but they will gain a greater appreciation for the avenues of service and programs of Rotary International. We believe that RLI will help you to help your club to improve and grow and stay vibrant.
Join us on February 15th. Registration can be accomplished by going here: Register NOW for RLI – Charleston, SC – D7770
You can also register on the district calendar, or at www.rli33.org.
Rotary District 7770 Cruise for CART
Rotary District 7770 is sponsoring a cruise in October 2020 to support the 
CART Fund. $100 of each ticket will be donated to CART (Coins for Alzheimer’s Research Trust) to fund research to find a cure for Alzheimer’s. We are inviting every Rotarian regardless of club or district affiliation to join in this opportunity to raise money for CART. Since its inception, the CART Fund has given $8.2 million in research grants. Children and non-Rotarians are also invited to participate in this cruise.
October might seem like a long way off, but deposits are due by February 10, 2020. The final payment is not due until June 25, 2020. Pricing is dependent on your choice of cabin. Every Rotarian should have received an email with an attachment with detailed information. The District website also has listed the pricing as well as the information sheet which needs to be included with your deposit.
The cruise will depart from Charleston the afternoon of Saturday, October 17, 2020 and return to Charleston the morning of Saturday, October 24, 2020. The ship will be the Carnival Sunshine, which is new to Charleston. The ports of call will be Bermuda and Princess Cays. On one of the nights at sea, we will have a party for those participating in the fundraiser.
This will be a wonderful opportunity to have a great time, enjoy the fellowship of old friends, meet new friends and support the CART Fund.
Outbound Youth Exchange Students Needed for 2020-2021
Our District’s Youth Exchange Program needs your support. The District would like to be able to send between 15 and 19 Outbound students a year on Exchange and receive the same number of Inbounds coming into our District. To do that, the District needs clubs, members and local schools to get involved that have not previously been involved. Children of Rotarians are eligible for this wonderful opportunity.
Preliminary Outbound applications are now being accepted for the 2020-21 year. Everyone’s help is needed to keep this program strong and change the lives of young people. Please contact Karl Riner, Karen Clark or Richard Sidebottom of our International Committee, if you have any questions or know of someone interested in participating.
Corporate/Family Membership
As we strive to expand our membership, the Board has discussed and approved a new membership category. We are now able to offer Corporate/Family Memberships for members of the same business, organization or family. The primary member will pay full club dues of $550 every 6 months. Associate members can also join at a fee of $225 every 6 months including a one-time $100 initiation fee. Associate members will be responsible for paying the $25 meal fee for lunches attended unless the primary member is not in attendance then there is no charge for their meal. Associate members will have all of the benefits of being a Rotarian as the primary member. If you have a co-worker or immediate family member who would like to be a part of Rotary and join as an Associate member, please contact one of our membership chairs – Digit Matheny digitrm@gmail.com or Heidi Finniff heidifinniff@gmail.com to see how they can join.
Our Club is 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
We have two Rotarians are now at home recovering from recent surgeries – please keep both Andy Brack and Leslie Fellabom in your thoughts and prayers. We look forward to having them back with us in March.
Congratulations to Jack Mitchell who was recognized as “Volunteer of the Month” at Mitchell Elementary. Jack volunteers as a Rotary Reader reading to a classroom each week.
Proposed New Members
The following membership candidate has submitted an application and signed letter of agreement to the Historic Rotary Club of Charleston:
Kimberly Crain – sponsor: Ruthie Ravenel; classification: Real Estate
Chloe Tonney – sponsor: Tom Leonard; classification: Eleemosynary/Executive
Leah Donaldson – sponsor: Past President Alissa Lietzow; Classification: Non-Profit/Executive
Allen Giles – sponsor: Heidi Finniff: classification: Solar Energy/Recruiting
In the event you know Kimberly, Chloe, Leah or Allen, please tell a member of the Board how she will serve the ideas of Rotary.
MEMBER SPOTLIGHT
Ken Morelli
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- JOINED: 9/25/2019
- SPONSOR: Heidi Finniff
- MEMBERSHIP INVOLVEMENT: Senior Giving
- CLASSIFICATION: Assisted Living/Memory Care
- PROFESSION: Healthcare Business Development – Indigo Hall
- SOMETHING UNIQUE ABOUT YOURSELF: I love to play golf.
- JOINED: 9/25/2019
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Birthdays
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- 2/14 – Harry Staley
- 2/15 – Owen Clary
By the numbers
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- Attendance on February 4, 2020: 65
- Not in attendance: Allen, Altman, Barton, Baus, Beam, Berry, Brack, Burgreen, Carico, Clark, Coe, Coghill, Cole, Cook, Deavenport, Fellabom, Galizia, Gill, Giovanniello, Goxhaj, Howard, Husser, Jones, Z., Loredo, Moring, Patrick, Rust, Savage, Seguer, Smith, H., Smith, Mike, Sottak, Strickland, Sullivan, Taylor, Tecklenburg, John, Tecklenburg, P., Teller, Triantafyllidis, Wieters, Woodell
- Out of Town Make-ups: None
WELLNESS TIP
Limit Candy And Sweets
While so many other holidays are celebrated with candies and sweets, Valentine’s Day immediately brings to mind visions of chocolates carefully packaged in heart-shaped containers. Most of these candies are chock-full of preservatives, trans fat and chemical additives. Instead of giving these traditional gifts, get your creative juices flowing and put together a healthier treat. Use a heart-shaped cookie cutter and whip up a few batches of your loved ones favorite cookies using all natural ingredients. If you have the time and patience, try making your own chocolates using baker’s chocolate, or even dark chocolate, and heart shaped chocolate molds. Other chocolate options include:
- Chocolate-dipped strawberries and other fruits
- Chocolate-dipped pretzel rods
- Chocolate-dipped plastic spoons to be used as coffee stirrers
- Chocolate-dipped marshmallows on a stick
- Chocolate-covered almonds and other nuts
- Chocolate-covered raisins
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: Sandy Morckel
- 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