6/23: Gracie & Lacy

June 23, 2020:

We continue to deal with Covid-19 situation which has forced us back to a Zoom meeting format.  Out of safety concerns our board has decided to continue using distance meeting for the foreseeable future.  The Zoom format didn’t stop us from enjoying the entertainment of local performers Gracie and Lacy this week, though.

Our club was joined, virtually, on Tuesday by Gracie and Lacy, a Charleston based variety show act by sisters Gracie and Lacy.

When they were 8 and 10 years old, they went to see a show on the Goldenrod Showboat in St. Charles, MO.  Mesmerized and inspired, the girls posted audition notices and hung a bed sheet curtain across their garage door creating their own driveway theatre They invited 15 friends and rehearsed every day and started doing shows -hence Broadway on the Driveway. The summer tradition continued for about 5 years until they had 200 people in the front yard blocking traffic and police were called.

That was the first pivot off the driveway. Broadway on the Driveway grew and packed the house at local performing arts centers as casts of up to 90 young performers, a full orchestra, and technical crew presented family-friendly Broadway musicals to the community.

People started asking them to bring pieces of it to events and Gracie and Lacy was formed as a music and performance variety show inspired by their Grandma Kay and watching the Lawrence Welk show with Grandma Kay.

In 2014 they moved to Charleston SC from St. Louis, which was the 23rd anniversary of the Gracie and Lacy show.

They then presented to our club their tips for working together and in a pandemic:

First thing team members need is to trust each other and having trust both ways is key.

Mutual respect is so important in the workplace 

Recognize strengths –Gracie checks everything, (Lacy does not so Gracie does contracts). Gracie loves putting together the show but Lacy is a great communicator so she does marketing and social media.

Separate personal preferences, especially in artistic organizations. Separate egos and put the client first.

Stick up for each other- you need to know you have back up.-

Professional communication- are you still dressed professionally while at home? You can’t get too casual with your team if you want to maintain organization.

Trust your gut instinct- don’t push someone against their gut, it helps build trust and mutual respect.

Character over resume builds the best team.

Pandemic planning

Just like their Broadway on the Driveway story, you can pivot in your career.

When we are in transition, we have the ability to look at things with a different perspective.

What is it that we always wanted to do – and now you have the opportunity to do it?

From dine in to carryout to teaching on line, to streaming performance, what can you do to pivot.

We often talk about things that don’t work but take a moment to think about what is thriving in this pandemic. Streaming platforms are a good example, how can your business use it?

Broaden your reach

What do you have to offer that people really need? If all else fails, offer hope and energy.

Submitted by Don Baus,  Chairman, Keyway Committee

 

IN OTHER MEETING NEWS 

• • Lisa Van Bergen gave the Invocation and led us in the pledge.  
  • President Sandy welcomed all visiting Rotarians & guests.  
  • President Sandy Morckel presented Health and Happiness.
  • Stefany Ceccato welcomed and introduced our guest speakers, Gracie & Lacey, who are a local performing duo and sisters. 

MORE IN THIS WEEK’S KEYWAY

June 30, 2020 | Issue 4968| President: Sandy Morckel

COMING EVENTS

• • 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 2010’s (2015-2017) 

Working with Water Missions, the Club raised $55,000 to do water projects in Peru and a tree planting project in Liberia. Rotarian Don Oswalt and wife travelled to Peru to witness the water project.  Paul Stoney was President and we moved our meeting place from the Citadel to Harbour Club. Our big fund raiser was the Holiday Parade of Boats in which over 850 people attended. We continued our Dictionary Project. Our exchange student was Sara Kjaer of Denmark. We had one of our youngest Presidents, Alissa Lietzow. We had a “Shark Tank” program for middle school students. We started preparing for the 100th Anniversary program in 2020.

The 2010’s (2017-2020) 

Continuing our Holiday Boat Parade, in 2018 we raised $52,000 for local and international charities, one of which was mattresses for the Florence Crittenton Program.  In 2019 we again raised $50,000 in a soggy Holiday Boat Parade. We moved our meeting place to the “Joe” stadium for two years and then to our present location. Much of the 2020 year was focused on the upcoming 100th Anniversary, but we did manage to seed an initiative “impact project” for the community which resulted is a special program of work with the police department. Also as one of our 100th anniversary projects, permanent sculptures were added to our Rotary Fountain on Marion Square on our 100 anniversary night of 29 February 2020. Now we reach for the next 100

Meetings on ZOOM Thru July

With the recent spike in COVID cases in our area, the Board decided this past week to cancel our in-person meetings through the end of July. We will continue to meet on ZOOM during this time with plans of returning to in-person meetings at Hall’s Signature Events on Tuesday, August 4th. 

We hope members will continue to log in to ZOOM and enjoy meetings from the comfort of their home or office. 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 

The last two of our Tuesday Rotary Happy Hour Hops in support of small businesses on King Street have been postponed until later this summer.

 

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.

July Dues Statements/Payment Options Expanded/Meal Fee Increase  

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.

Out of an abundance of caution with the recent spike in COVID-19 cases in Charleston, we decided to cancel the volunteer mask assembly project that was scheduled for this past Friday, June 26 at The Citadel. We will revisit the project to see if additional volunteer support will be needed this summer. The joint project with The Citadel, Rotary Club of Charleston and SC National Guard had provided nearly 950 3D mask systems for our health care providers in the Lowcountry. 

Thank you to all who participated in this project, and especially to Veteran’s Committee Chair Skip Fink, Rotarian and SC National Guard Major Howard Chapman and new Rotarian Dr. Sarah Iman of the Citadel for coordinating the volunteer efforts over the past 4 months.

Also, 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 won the Republican nomination for House District 99. 

Allen Giles joined our club this past Tuesday and now holds the title of being our first member to be inducted virtually!  Allen was introduced and sponsored by Heidi Finniff and will hold the classification of Renewable Energy.  He is a former member of the Rotary Club of Osterville, MA.  Welcome, Allen!

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

Allen Giles

• JOINED: 6/23/2020 (Former member of the Rotary Club of Osterville, MA)
• SPONSOR: Heidi Finniff
• MEMBERSHIP INVOLVEMENT: New Member
• CLASSIFICATION: Renewable Energy
• PROFESSION: Business Development, Gillman Services 
• SOMETHING UNIQUE ABOUT YOURSELF: Curly hair has run in my family for 6 generations

 

Birthdays

• 7/2 – Sandy Morckel 
• 7/3 – Bo Crouch
• 7/10 – GP Diminich & Silva Goxhaj
• 7/13 – Heidi Finniff

By the numbers

• • Attendance on June 23, 2020:  51
  • Not in attendance: Altman, Baggs, Beam, Berry, Bickley, Brack, Clark, Coe, Cook, Coxe, Crouch, Diminich, Donaldson, Dopp, Drafts, Echols, Fellabom, Fink, Frume, Gill, Goxhaj, Hanger, Holmes, Husser, Jones, Jones, Kaynard, Lietzow, Loredo, Lucy, Matheny, Minson, Miracle, Moring, Patrick, Peters, Ravenel, Raver, Rust, Savage, Seguer, Shahid, Sidebottom, Smith, H., Smith, Mark, Smith, Michael, Smith, P., Sottak, Staley, Stoney, Strickland, Taylor, Tecklenburg, John, Tecklenburg, Joseph, Tecklenburg, P., Teller, Walters
  • Out of Town Make-ups: None

WELLNESS TIP

Reach for High-Protein Snacks When You Need an Energy Boost

What should you be noshing on when you feel hungry? Keep high-protein bites on hand to help you get to the end of your to-do list for the day. You’ve heard it before: Protein helps you feel full longer and avoid the energy crash you might experience after the high of a carb-heavy snack subsides. Think hard-boiled eggs, nuts, Greek yogurt, and nut butters and veggies. (Bonus: You’re literally feet from your fridge, so there’s no need to pack snacks ahead of time or tote them around for the day.)

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