6/16: Rotary Service Above Self Scholars

June 16, 2020:

One step back this week as the Covid-19 situation forced us back to a Zoom meeting. Hopefully, just a temporary setback and we plan on offering the in-person meeting at Hall’s for our next meeting (June 23). The Zoom format didn’t stop our Rotary Service Above Self Scholars from shining through, though as our four 2020 honorees gave inspiring and impressive presentations at this week’ s meeting.  We also got to hear from our Global Grant Scholar candidate, Madison Davis.

This past week we honored our Rotary Scholars at our virtual meeting via Zoom. Each year our club grants $1,000 scholarships to a graduating seniors at Ashley Hall, Burke High School, First Baptist School, and Porter Gaud who embody our motto of “Service above Self”. As he has for many years, Jeremy Cook leads this program as well as the honoring of the CCSD Teacher of the Year. In the past, we have done this at the same time, but due to Covid-19, the award of Teach of the Year has been postponed and we will hopefully be able to do that at a future meeting. Jeremy introduced each scholar with a few words from each of their school’s leaders and teachers.  

Mackenzie Brady, Ashley Hall

Mackenzie is the epitome of the gracious scholar athlete. In every discipline from mathematics to the humanities, she is at the top of her class. Her Honors Pre-Calculus teacher complimented her “thought-provoking questions and deep insights”, while her AP US History call her work “extraordinary”. She was selected as one of 11 seniors to participate in Ashley Hall’s competitive Senior Project course. Mackenzie spoke of how she was inspired by volunteering at Horizons Ashley Hall, a summer camp program for low-income girls that provide programs in swimming and reading. This became the basis for her Senior thesis. Mackenzie will be attending Dartmouth.

Anthony Brown, Burke High School

Anthony has distinguished himself in his community and church. He displays exceptional leadership and organizational skills in his work. He has mentored students at Mitchell Elementary. He is a vital member of the marching band as well as a talented athlete. Anthony’s commitment to service is without question. He has been involved with a group of local activists and helped coordinate their efforts to be a combined and louder voice for change in the community. Anthony will attend the University of South Carolina and plans to major in International Business. 

Ella Sanders, First Baptist School

Ella has a strong work ethic, is a leader amongst her peers, and has the academic talent to excel in the most demanding college curricula. But it is her dedication to serving others, whether it is raising money for cancer research or teaching children with cerebral palsy to dance, that separates her from her peers.  Ella spoke of how she first was inspired to serve by volunteering at her church’s Vacation Bible School. As a sophomore she organized a fundraiser, by having a babysitting night, with donations going to the Boom Project to support Leukemia and Lymphoma research. She also started a program to teach dance to children with cerebral palsy and other physical disabilities. Her record of service is very impressive and will continue as she goes through her life. 

Anushka Fernandes, Porter Gaud

Anushka is involved in with multiple service programs: Habitat for Humanity, Pet Helpers, Ronald McDonald House, One80Place, and many others. Since her junior year she has been the leader of PG’s Miracle League program. This is a program to allow children with disabilities to play baseball. Her kind spirit and generous heart truly shined at these baseball games. The children with disabilities were drawn to her, and Anushka also had a way of making volunteers and classmates feel comfortable. Anushka is a fierce leader and has a passion for helping others who may not have enjoyed the same opportunities as she has.  Anushka will be attending Boston College.  

After their presentations, our scholars took questions from members. Their answers provided some interesting insight on the impacts of Covid-19 on the 2020 Senior Class. 

Submitted by Jeff Webb,  Keyway Committee

 

IN OTHER MEETING NEWS 

• • Marjorie Hanger gave the Invocation and led us in the pledge.  
  • President Sandy welcomed all visiting Rotarians & guests.  A special welcome was given to our Rotary Scholars and the families that were joining us on Zoom. Past President Sue Sommer-Kresse introduced our Global Grant Scholar, Madison Davis. Madison gave a brief introduction of herself and her plan of study while abroad. 
  • President Sandy Morckel presented Health and Happiness.
  • Jeremy Cook welcomed and introduced our Rotary Service Above Self Scholars for 2020:  Mackenzie Brady (Ashley Hall); Anthony Brown (Burke High School); Ella Sanders (First Baptist School); Anushka Fernandes (Porter-Gaud)

MORE IN THIS WEEK’S KEYWAY

June 23, 2020 | Issue 4967 | President: Sandy Morckel

COMING EVENTS

• • June 23 – Performing Duo – Gracie & Lacey
  • June 30 – Presidential/Board Installation 
  • July 7 – No Meeting (4th of July week)
  • July 14 – Barbara Melvin, COO, “SC Port Update, Covid-19”
  • July 21 – Officer Matt Tulla, CPD, Active Shooters 
  • July 28 – Rotary Q1 Networking

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 2000’s (2010-2015) 

We moved our meeting location from the Citadel Alumni Building to downtown at the Harbour Club. A $7500 donation was matched by Rotary International for the Water Missions Project. We started a new fundraiser …. The Holiday Parade of Boats Viewing Party. We provided swimming lessons for kids and continued our Dictionary Project. A meeting in August of 2013 was cancelled due to flooding from a hurricane. Some noted speakers were: artist Jonathan Green, Joe Riley, USC President Pasides, Elliott Brack (Father of Past President Andy Brack), and Mike Veeck of the Riverdogs. President Tom Clymer in 2012 inducted 21 new members and the Club that year raised $24,000 for Club charities.

Official Rotary Club of Charleston Statement on Racial Inequity and Business Support

The Rotary Club of Charleston Board of Directors met prior to our meeting this past Tuesday and adopted an official statement on Racial Inequity and Business Support in light of the recent unrest in our community and across the nation and the world. Rotary International had adopted an official statement on June 1, and we felt it was important for our Rotary Club to take a stand to condemn racial injustice and also show support for our small businesses who were affected during the recent rioting. While this has been a very challenging year for our community and our members with this pandemic and the resulting economic effects, we feel hopeful that a shift is occurring for the pandemic that has plagued our country for 400 years. In both our words and our actions, we have a chance to be a part of changing our future to one that allows all of our citizens to have a chance to live up to their fullest potential. With all the amazing and transformative impact the Historic Rotary Club of Charleston has had on our community and milestones that we have celebrated throughout this 100th anniversary year, you can be proud to be a part of an organization that lives up to our vision of uniting to create lasting change in our world, our communities and in ourselves.

The statement in its entirety can be found on the lead page of our club’s website.

Meeting this Tuesday at FABER 

Thanks to all of you for quickly switching gears and join us for our Zoom meeting this past Tuesday. Your support of our 4 outstanding Rotary Service Above Self Scholars was much appreciated!  We had 74 members in attendance!

We will continue to offer our Rotary Meetings by Zoom well into the foreseeable future and also meet IN PERSON at Hall’s Signature Events (5 Faber), but with a few alterations to the way we have met in the past (see below).  

Members have the option of meeting in person or by Zoom. Carroll has emailed multiple Evites/reminders to all members with a request for an RSVP by this past Thursday, so, hopefully, everyone who is planning to attend on Tuesday has already RSVP’d.  No additional reservations will be taken at this point. An official RSVP is required for those attending in person, as we have a cap of 70 people for our in-person meetings for the time being. We will also offer the meeting on Zoom and that link is included in the weekly Keyway email.

The following guidelines have been established for our in-person meetings that comply with state and local regulations for events:

ENTERING MEETING/REGISTRATION

• Attendance is at your own risk and only those who are healthy are encouraged to attend
• Wearing masks upon entering is optional
• Entrance doors will be open
• Marks on floor every 6 feet to registration table
• Registration table located inside room past “lounge area”
• Rotarians/Visitors/Guests wait in line to be signed in by Sergeant-At-Arms Committee
• Sergeant-At-Arms committee will be wearing masks & gloves
• No badges
• No raffle
• Hand sanitizer located at registration and in various locations in the room

SEATING

• Lunch will be plated and served as Rotarians arrive at their tables – no buffet or drink station
• Rotarians/Visitors/Guests will be encouraged to find a seat after being registered. Try to fill tables from the far wall (near the kitchen) outward to eliminate some of the brushing up against others while finding a seat
• Tables & seats will be appropriately space to allow for social distancing
• Hand sanitizer will be at each table

HEAD TABLE

• 1 Head table with 2 seats – speaker and speaker introducer
• Podium with table mic (wipes available on podium)

INTRODUCTION OF GUESTS/VISITORS

• No passing of handheld mic/members will stand-up and introduce guests without use of mic

RSVP REQUIRED TO ATTEND MEETINGS

• Members/Visitors/Guests planning to attend weekly meetings will be required to RSVP through Evite to let us know if you are planning to attend as we are limited to 70 people at this time
• Any dietary restrictions need to be noted on the RSVP

 

 

ZOOM / RECORDINGS

• Meetings will continue to be available on Zoom and a recording will also be emailed out after the meeting for those not comfortable attending in person

We will continue to monitor the situation and any changing state and local ordinances to assure we are keeping the safety of all as our highest priority.  Because we are continuing to Zoom the meetings, we hope that those who are not yet comfortable attending in person will continue to log in by Zoom from the comfort of your home. No yummy lunch by Hall’s or the in-person camaraderie of your fellow Rotarians, but it is the next best thing to stay engaged and be connected to your Rotary family. And as we know, the impact of Rotary is felt through our volunteerism and support of one another and the community, especially during trying times.

 

Rotary Happy Hour Hop 

We had another fun evening this past Tuesday! In support of our small businesses on King Street, Rotarians, their spouses and friends participated in the second of several Rotary Happy Hour Hops on King Street.  These Hops will take place on Tuesday evenings during the month of June.  We were able to support 3 locally-owned small businesses while having a great time doing it. Thanks to Uptown Social, Felix Cocktails et Cuisine and Bourbon & Bubbles for welcoming our group with open arms. We were nearly the only patrons in the restaurant, so it really makes a different for these small businesses!

Our next Happy Hour Hop is scheduled for this Tuesday, June 23rd. We will meet at Tabulli on King Street at 5pm. We will then proceed to King Street Public House and end the evening at Dispensary.

Please RSVP to President Sandy to let her know if you plan to attend. Significant others or colleagues are welcome – we will be limited to 30 people, so deadline to RSVP is Monday.

It has been fun getting the chance to visit these place we won’t normally frequent!  It’s also been a blessing to them to have our business on a Tuesday evening. Let’s help our local small businesses as much as we can to survive and thrive! 

July Dues Statements/Payment Options Expanded/Meal Fee Increase  (NEW)

In your Inbox this week will be your July-December dues statement, please be sure to make payment promptly.  To assist you, we have expanded our payment options and you now will be able to also pay via ACH and PayPal. Please note that there will also be a 3% convenience fee added to all credit card dues payments. 

Another IMPORTANT change: Starting in July 1, meal fees will increase to $30 for both excused members and guests. We will also ask that meal fees (Excused & guests) be paid at the door. We will no longer bill.

Global Grant Scholar – Madison Davis

Our Club is sponsoring Madison Davis, a junior at the College of Charleston, for this year’s Ambassadorial Global Grant Scholarship.

Rotary Foundation Global Grants are used to fund scholarships with sustainable, high impact outcomes in one of Rotary’s six areas of focus: peace and conflict resolution, disease prevention and treatment, water and sanitation, maternal and child health, basic education and literacy, and economic and community development.  Madison is planning to attend the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine pursuing an MSc in Nutrition for Global Health.  Madison will be in competition with a number of other candidates within District 7770 vying for a cash grant of up to $50,000 to attend graduate study for one academic year abroad.  Good luck Madison!!!

 

Volunteer Opportunities

Any Rotarians and their family members who are healthy and able, we have several COVID-19 related volunteer opportunities that are looking for volunteers. Please understand these are opportunities to volunteer in the community for those who want to, but with the understanding that you will do so with careful consideration and discretion as to not put yourselves or others in jeopardy.

Since early May, Rotarians from the Historic Rotary Club of Charleston have been volunteering to help with the assembly of 3-D printer-generated components of protective masks for distribution to the healthcare workers at the Medical University of South Carolina.  Led by Rotary President Sandy Morckel, the Rotary Team augmented by National Guardsmen who were activated for COVID-19 support, worked with Citadel staff and faculty to complete for delivery hundreds of masks toward a goal of 1000!  Well done by all for providing tireless community support!   

To date, 920 masks have been assembled.  Rotarian volunteers are need to assist with the final push to complete the goal.  A couple of volunteers are needed for 3 hours (9am-12noon) on Friday, June 26 at the Citadel. Please reach out to President Sandy or Skip Fink, if you can assist. 

 

If you are out there and helping in our community during this crisis, please take a photo of you volunteering and email it to Mike Sottak.  We would love to highlight the good works being done by our members. 

Volunteers Needed for Club Committees 

Interact Club – This club meets at Charleston Charter for Math and Science, and helps promote Rotary values and volunteering with high school students.  We co-sponsor the club with the Charleston Breakfast Club.  The club meets Wednesdays from 11-11:30 am, and will continue to meet in the coming year, though as sponsors we might Zoom in depending on CCSD guidelines.  The volunteer usually attends meetings once or twice a month.  There is a Teacher sponsor who does the bulk of the work.  I personally have volunteered with this group, and truly enjoyed the young people.  Jack Mitchell was doing this but has moved to Atlanta.  One to two volunteers needed.  Contact Lisa Van Bergen at lvanbergen0530@gmail.com

Social Committee – This group coordinates social events for the club.  We need 1-2 people to chair the committee, and more volunteers are always welcome.  Contact Lisa Van Bergen at lvanbergen0530@gmail.com

Zoom Committee – Past President David Burt has done an outstanding job serving as our Zoom host and bringing you our meetings via Zoom each week.  We will continue to offer meetings on Zoom for the foreseeable future.  In order to do this, we need a few additional “Zoom-savvy” Rotarians to assist David with this task as there will be meetings that he will be unable to attend. If you are interested, please reach out to David at davidburt@ls3p.com.

Club/District Emails

As a Rotarian and a member in District 7770, you are receiving emails from our club and the District.  Both the club and the District try to minimize the number of emails being sent, but in today’s world of staying at home and no contact, emails are the main way to get information out and keep Rotarians connected. Please do not unsubscribe from District emails as this also effects your ability to receive club emails. If you unsubscribe from the District emails,  then you are also unsubscribing from receiving club emails.

 

Contribute to The CART Fund On-Line

It is now easy to contribute and support The CART Fund electronically. The CART Fund has just rolled out a new portal www.mycartfund.org, which you can easily access. As a Rotarian and a DACdb user, you automatically have an account already set-up in your name. Your user name and password are the same as it is for the DACdb.

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

Congrats to Past President Mark Smith, who finished FIRST in the four-way District 99 State House primary election, earning 33.8% of the vote. Because none of the candidates received more than 50% of the vote, he will participate in the runoff on June 23rd.  Good luck to Mark!
Best wishes for all of us to stay safe and continue to stay connected as we help those who are most vulnerable in our community.  Please don’t hesitate to reach out to fellow Rotarians if we can help you in any way in the days and weeks to come!

 

Proposed New Members

The following membership candidate has submitted an application and signed letter of agreement to the Historic Rotary Club of Charleston:

Ted Fason – sponsor:  Charlie Palmer; classification:  Liquor – Distillery/Distribution

Jacob Humiston – sponsor:  Heidi Finniff; classification: Business Staffing/Contracting

In the event you know Ted or Jacob, please tell a member of the Board how he/she will serve the ideas of Rotary.

MEMBER SPOTLIGHT

Paul Stoney

• JOINED: 9/9/2008
• SPONSOR: Dwayne Green

  

• MEMBERSHIP INVOLVEMENT: Past President, Board Director/Current Board Director (two term), Education Director, Vocational Director, RCCF Grant Committee Member & Chair 
• CLASSIFICATION: Non-Profit Executive
• PROFESSION: CEO/President, Greater YMCA of Charleston 
• SOMETHING UNIQUE ABOUT YOURSELF: Love tennis!

 

 

Birthdays

• 6/24 – Cheryl Kaynard 
• 6/27 – Rudy Thomas

By the numbers

• • Attendance on June 16 2020:  51
  • Not in attendance: Allen, Altman, Baggs, Beam, Berry, Bickley, Brack, Clark, Cole, Cooper, Cooper, Coxe, Crouch, DeGraff, Diminich, Dopp, Drafts, Echols, Fellabom, Frume, Gill, GIovannello, Goxhaj, Holmes, Husser, Jones, Jones, Kaynard, Lietzow, Loredo, Lucy, Minson, Miracle, Moring, Oswalt, Palmer, Patrick, Peters, Ravenel, Rust, Savage, Seguer, Shahid, Smith, H., Smith, Mark, Smith, Michael, Smith, P., Stoney, Strickland, Taylor, Tecklenburg, John, Tecklenburg, P., Teller, Weston, Uram
  • Out of Town Make-ups: None

WELLNESS TIP

Enjoy the Healing Power of Baking

Self-care comes with the idea of nourishing yourself, on every level. And doing something creative can promote that feeling of well-being,” says the productivity expert Tonya Dalton, of Asheville, North Carolina, author of The Joy of Missing Out: Live More by Doing Less. “That can include baking, because for many people that act of creating something delicious feels like pressing a reset button.”

Plus, she adds, it’s an easy project for including other family members, like a spouse or kids. That can give you a sweet burst of social time that ends with a delicious result.

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