9/14: Mark Holyfield, Vantage Point Foundation

September 14, 2021

Our guest speaker this week was Mark Holyfield, co-founder of the Vantage Point Foundation, an organization that helps military veterans assimilate back to civilian life through a variety of programs and services.

Mark Holyfield, Executive Director of Vantagepoint Foundation joined us this week to talk about the foundation. Mark has served in the Marine Corps for over 16 years, over half of that on active duty as an Infantry Officer and District Injured Support Coordinator (DISC). He is currently serving in the Marine Corps Reserves. He deployed twice to the Middle East including service in Operation Iraqi Freedom. He served as a platoon commander, company executive officer, company commander, and battalion operations officer with various units.

Mark was assigned to the Marine Corps Wounded Warrior Regiment’s DISC program from 2014 to to 2016. While serving in that role he supported wounded, injured, and ill Marines and Navy Corpsman across South Carolina, Western North Carolina, and Northeast Georgia as they reintegrated into civilian life.

He is a founding member of Vantage Point Foundation. He currently serves as a Co-Chair of the Lowcountry Veteran Engagement Team (LVET), A MyVA Community Board comprised of veteran serving organizations within the Lowcountry of South Carolina. This board collaborates with the Ralph H. Johnson VA Medical Center in Charleston, SC.

The Foundation was set up to provide a year-long Transition Program consisting of a Leadership Development Course, and one year of tailored support to assist post 9/11 veterans and families in their transition to civilian life.

In WWII 7% of the population served in the war, while in the war on terror only 0.8% of the population has served which illustrates a gap in awareness for these veterans when they return. Divorce rates are high, 80-90%, mental health is of increasing concern, not only from dealing with the actions of war, or survivor guilt but also a loss of purpose upon returning.

Referrals will primarily come through the Veterans Administration (VA) but may also be referred through alternate sources such as case managers, employers, mental health, unemployment, or other veterans.

Once referred, the veteran receives an initial assessment identifying needs and criticality. Depending on needs, the veteran may be referred to other organizations for additional support such as individual or family counseling, mental health, and substance abuse treatment while enrolled in the next available transition course. The Vantage Point Foundation developed its mission and philosophy to serve all post 9/11 veterans in the South Carolina region

To learn more about Vantage Point, go here.

For a recording of this week’s meeting, go here.

IN OTHER MEETING NEWS

Sam Skardon gave the Invocation and led us in the pledge.
Andrew Rosenfeld introduced our visiting Rotarians and guests.
President Rob Dewey presented Health and Happiness.
Mike Sottak introduced our speaker, Mark Holyfield, who discussed Vantage Point Foundation.

MORE IN THIS WEEK’S KEYWAY

September 21, 2021 | Issue 5020 President: Rob Dewey

COMING EVENTS

- Sept. 21 – Social @ Hall’s Signature Events 5-7 pm
- Sept. 28 – Steve Palmer
- Oct. 5 – Gloria Gaynor (ZOOM ONLY)
- Oct. 12 – District Governor Paul Walters
- Oct. 13 – Boat Cruise Social
- Oct. 19 – Ernest Andrade, Charleston Digital Corridor
- Oct. 23 – Adopt-A-Highway

NEWS BRIEFS

Social: Hall’s Signature Events, Sept. 21 (No Lunch Meeting)

No lunch meeting this Tuesday! We hope you will instead join us that afternoon for a social at Hall’s Signature Events, 5 Faber, from 5-7pm. Members are invited to bring one guest free of charge. All other guests are $30. It will be a great opportunity to join your fellow Rotarians for fun and fellowship. Please be sure to RSVP to the Evite, so we can include you in our head count.

Important – Masks Required at Meetings

In alignment with the new CDC recommendations, the Rotary Board has determined that the club needs to make adjustments to our Rotary meeting procedures. Effective immediately, we will be requiring all guests (vaccinated or unvaccinated) to wear a mask except when eating or drinking. We will not be taking temperatures upon arrival or requiring attendees to sign a waiver at the door.

The staff and servers at Hall’s will continue to wear masks and seating will appropriately social distanced.

For the safety of our members and guests, we ask all members to please comply with the CDC guidelines and our protocols.

TY (Thank-You) pin to Vito Scarafile

Our Rotary Club is continuing to recognize former, long-time retired Rotarians, so we may present them with a lapel pin. The pin was designed by Rotarian Don Oswalt. In the middle of the pin the initials “TY” = Thank-You. On the outside of the pin states that the TY is from your Club – The Historic Club of Charleston – Rotary.

This past Tuesday, Membership Chair Cleave Ham was honored to recognize and thank for his many years of service to Rotary and our community Vito Scarafile. While a member, Vito served our club as a Board Member, New Member Orientation Chair and in many other capacities. He was a long-time, dedicated supporter of our Rotary. It was wonderful to have Vito back with us!

Our Board feels it is imperative to show appreciation to our former, retired Rotarians, who have given so much of their time, talents and treasure over the years towards making our Club ‘Even Better’.

Contact Membership Chair, Cleave Ham CleaveHam@msn.com with others whom we need to recognize.

NEW MEMBER ORIENTATION SESSIONS

OCT. 6 and Nov. 16

Join Past-President and current District Membership Chair Digit Matheny and Past-President Brian Johnson for an upcoming Rotary Club of Charleston New Member Orientation/Information session. Attending one of these sessions will provide you with the information and tools to help you make the most of your Rotary membership.

Two of these sessions will be offered in Oct. and Nov., so that you can choose the one which best fits your schedule, as follows:

Oct 6, at 4:30 pm, location TBD depending upon number attending (site in peninsula Charleston or Mt. Pleasant, will be provided to you by email at a later date)
Nov. 16, at 11:15am, prior to our regularly scheduled Rotary meeting at Hall’s 5 Faber St.

Please use the following link to the Doodle Poll to indicate which one of these sessions you would like to attend:

https://doodle.com/poll/rrw2gcuharmphdfp?utm_source=poll&utm_medium=link

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Membership Chair, Cleave Ham.

United States Air Force Celebrates 74th BIRTHDAY

On behalf of the Veteran’s Committee, President Rob recognized the US Air Force on their 74th Birthday at Tuesday’s meeting.

The official Air Force Birthday is recognized as September 18, 1947, which is the date of the passage of the National Security Act of 1947. … The 74th “Air Force Day” will be celebrated on Saturday, September 18, 2021.

QUICK FACTS:

329,614 active duty personnel
172,857 civilians
69,056 Air Force reserve personnel
107,414 air National Guard personnel
5,047 manned aircraft
406 ICBMs

Please wish any Air Force veteran members you may know a HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

No cash? No problem. We now take Venmo!

Thanks to overwhelming demand by our younger, cash-fee members, the club will now accept Venmo payments. Venmo can be used to pay dues, meals for guests, contribute happy dollars and conduct other transactions which previously required cash, check or credit cards. Simply add @rotaryclubofcharleston as a payee on your Venmo account. Thanks Joseph Tecklenburg for helping us reach this incredible technology milestone!

Rob Dewey is now looking into how we can use Bitcoin to pay our dues.

Charleston 50: Year Two

Charleston50, a fundraising campaign launched by the Rotary Club of Charleston to fund community grants, has already reached 58% of its 2021-22 goal during the first 24 days of our fiscal year!

Begun last year when traditional events were canceled due to COVID, the project is continuing thanks to the overwhelming response by members who donate $500 annually to support deserving non-profits in our club’s service area.

The Rev. Rob Dewey, club president, said, “Charleston50 was a surprise success for us. After decades of supporting projects by selling tickets and sponsorships, we quickly learned that our members value the impact our club has in the community and the easy way they can give through Charleston50.”

Charleston50 members receive several visibility benefits including being listed on the club’s website and on a slide deck visible for 20 minutes before each meeting; a pin; a sticker; and an opportunity to briefly greet club members. Donations to Charleston50 are made through the non-profit arm of our club and are 100% tax-deductible.

Please download and complete the Pledge Form here, and return it via email to Phoenicia Miracle at PMiracle@MiracleStrategies.com.

Support The CART Fund

It is easy for club members to make individual contributions and support The CART Fund electronically. The CART Fund has 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.

Become a PHF & Support the Rotary Foundation

Do not forget your opportunity to be recognized as a Paul Harris Fellow. Eighty-five dollars a month gets you there. Please reach out to Karl Riner, Club Foundation Chair, to sign up or ask questions.

Our Club is on Social Media

Members are encouraged to follow all of our social media channels and share posts with their followers too! We also need members to send us pictures 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 sent to Mike Sottak, mikesottak@gmail.com, or Rob Byko, rob@bykorealty.com.

MEMBER NEWS

Welcome to our newest Rotarian – Marion Platt! Marion Platt was sponsored and introduced by Past President Sandy Morckel. He is a former Rotarian having been a member of the Atlanta West End Rotary Club, Savannah Downtown Rotary Club and, most recently, the Memphis Downtown Rotary Club. He joins us under the classification of Non-Profit Executive. We are excited to have Marion as a part of our Rotary family.

MEMBER SPOTLIGHT

Rotarian: Beth Meyer-Bernstein

- JOINED: 8/24/2021
- SPONSOR: Sue Sommer-Kresse
- MEMBERSHIP INVOLVEMENT: New Member
- CLASSIFICATION: Education/College/Biology
- PROFESSION:
- Dean, Honors College; Associate Professor, Department of Biology
- SOMETHING UNIQUE ABOUT YOURSELF:My PhD in is Neurobiology and Behavior and my research field is biological clocks. My current projects include studying the biological clocks of a local sea anemone. Beth has participated in Brain Awareness Week (school visits, partnered with Children’s museum, fairs, etc), and many other service organizations.

Birthdays

9/22 – David Burt
9/24 – John Tecklenburg
9/26 – Paul Stoney & Charlton Wieters
9/27 – Dan Ravenel

WELLNESS TIP

Consume immunity-boosting foods — As the weather gets colder and flu season starts, it’s important for your immune system to be in tip-top shape. Eating healthy foods with vitamin C (like limes, oranges, and clementines) are key to fighting off infections. Garlic, ginger, spinach, and almonds are also big winners when it comes to boosting your health and immunity.

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: 7:30AM Hall’s Signature Events, 5 Faber, 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: Rob Dewey

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