October 12, 2021
Our District Governor Paul Walter visited the club this week to give an update on happenings around District 7770. DG Paul shared his views on why Rotary is such a special organization and challenged everyone to make the most of our Rotary experience and to help grow a strong membership. Don’t forget the Adopt a Highway Trash pick-up project on October 23.
District Governor Paul Walker spoke to us this week about his, and our, goals for Rotary this year. He began by inviting us all to attend the District Conference on Hilton Head March 11-13th. Paul is a member of the Hilton Head club and has lived on the Island since 1992. He is a South Carolina native. His father was a Methodist preacher, and his family moved every few years so Paul grew up in several towns in different parts of the state.
Paul brought a Rotary Book from the 1940’s, “Adventures in Service”, and tied it to the 2021-22 theme: Uniting to take on the challenges of our current environment to make lasting change. President Shekhar has asked us to look at some new initiatives: Think about others before we think of ourselves. Dream big, start small, serve locally, but to think about how that work can be expanded at a larger scale.
Another initiative is “Each one bring one.” Every member is being asked to bring in a new member this year. Clubs are all being asked to have a Rotary day of service this year. This should be an action-oriented event that brings together volunteers from outside rotary and inside. We should broadly promote the good work. Grow more, do more, and sell more. President Shekhar also wants to empower girls by securing their education, preventing child marriage and trafficking.
Paul also talked about how we all have connections to Rotarians that we may not even know about. He has been coming to Charleston for many years to attend the Southeastern Wildlife Exposition and always stayed near Marion Square, but he only recently discovered the fountain that was donated by this club. The more we engage with others the more connections we find. Paul asked us all to find our “why”. Why do we give our time, talent, and treasure to this club? When you do find your “why”, you may just tell someone and invite them in to join in the fun.
Click here for a recording of last week’s meeting.
IN OTHER MEETING NEWS
- Deb Mauk gave the Invocation and led us in the pledge.
- President-Elect Virginia Lee introduced our visiting Rotarians & guests.
- President Rob Dewey presented Health and Happiness.
- Assistant District Governor, Robb Rosol, introduced District Governor Paul Walter.
MORE IN THIS WEEK’S KEYWAY
October 19, 2021 | Issue 5024 President: Rob Dewey
COMING EVENTS
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- Oct. 19 – Ernest Andrade, Chalreston Digital Corridor
- Oct. 23 – Adopt-A-Highway Service Project
- Oct. 26 – Mary Howell, Water Mission
- Nov. 2 – TBD (ZOOM ONLY)
- Nov. 5 – Gloria Gaynor concert
- Nov. 9 – Veteran’s Day Observed; Judge Peter Kouten
- Nov. 10 – November Social/Coat Drive
NEWS BRIEFS
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.
NEW MEMBER ORIENTATION SESSIONS
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.
Our next session is 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 register for the session.
https://doodle.com/poll/rrw2gcuharmphdfp?utm_source=poll&utm_medium=link
If you have any questions, please feel free to contact our Membership Chair, Cleave Ham.
Silent Auction a Success
The silent auction to raise funds in support of Hurricane Ira Relief was a success! Our own Joseph Tecklenburg was the highest bidder on the 4 Night stay at a beautiful mountain house in Cashiers, North Carolina and a friend of member Karla Combs won the 4 hour Harbor Boat Cruise. Through the raffle at the October social, September Happy Bucks and the silent auction, our club raised a total of $2059 for hurricane relief. President Rob presented a check to DG Paul Walter at our meeting this past Tuesday.
Club Awards Community Impact Awards to Sgt. Palmer & Sgt. Koegler
President-Elect Virginia Lee recognized Sgt. Kinta Palmer and Sgt. Chris Koegler of the Charleston Police Department as our club’s quarterly Community Impact Award recipients. Over the past year, the SRO unit set expectations to become more involved with student/admin interaction and the reduction in the “School to Prison pipeline.” These expectations would become increasingly more challenging given the 2020-2021 school year had several restrictions do to COVID and society’s overall perception of Law Enforcement. Without the commitment, leadership, collaborative thinking/problem solving, and compassion these officers demonstrated, the unit would not have met/exceeded these high expectations.
Throughout the school year, they worked with and pushed their officers to come up with unique programs and ideas for officers to have a direct impact with students and administration with the idea of rebuilding and strengthening the relationship and trust between law enforcement and community. Some of the programs created and implemented were; Community Circles HS and MS (Small Discussion Groups with Police and Students about LE perception, Society, etc), utilization of the Ice Cream Truck, Christmas celebrations with Santa, reading sessions with elementary schools, static demonstrations, classroom discussions, safety courses, assist with student projects, assist with home visits, help CCSD reach out to get kids logging on for Virtual Learning at the beginning of the year and Camp Hope.
Lastly, a large focus was addressing the “school to prison pipeline.” The
Sergeant’s looked at each incident on a case by case situation and focused on allowing the school to handle through their administrative process. Due to these intentional actions and careful considerations, the unit was able to see a decrease in school arrests overall. The direct impact of this continued imitative can be seen in a comparison of the overall arrests over the last 3 school years: 2018-2019 (109), 2019-2020 (128 COVID shutdown in March) and 2020-2021 (11 COVID limitations at the beginning of the year). The 2020-2021 initiative saw no repeat offenders of several incidents in the schools (school weapon violations, narcotic violations, and assaults/disorderly/threats) that were handled by the school administration.
The above demonstrates the direct community impact Sgt. Kinta Palmer and Sgt. Chris Koegler provided through the commitment and leadership to allow for such programs and initiatives to be developed, implemented and most importantly a success.
Boat Social event pictures
RCCF Support of Wildfire Disaster Relief in Greece
This summer, Greece faced multiple wildfires that led to the tragic destruction of multiple towns and villages throughout the country. If you did not see any photos or videos in the news, it was gut-wrenching as the country was somewhat ill-prepared to combat the fires. Our Rotary Club had a personal connection to Greece as one of our members, Stavros, had just recently moved back to Greece. Stavros was a professor at the Citadel and was on our Board of Directors before he made the tough decision to move back to Greece. This led our Board to approve $500 to be sent to the Rotary Club of Athens for their relief efforts which will go towards renovations at the Hellenic Fire Academy in Athens. The Rotary Club of Athens sent a letter expressing their sincere thanks for our generous contribution and we are currently looking for opportunities to work with the Athens Club in the future.
Adopt-A-Highway October 23
Volunteers are needed! Our next Adopt-A-Highway service project is scheduled for Saturday, Oct. 23. Volunteers should plan to meet at the S.C. Federal parking lot on Bee Street. The plan is to work from 9am-11am (or until finished). Volunteers should bring work gloves and grabbers (if you own one). Unlike in past years, there are no grabbers available for our use. Volunteers will be given vests, bags and latex gloves. Since there are no grabbers available, it is strongly encouraged to bring your work gloves to wear over the latex gloves. Any questions, please contact David Cohen @ cohen8282@gmail.com.
ROTARY SOCIAL – Gloria Gaynor Concert
Currently, our club has a block of 100 seats for sale – 50 tickets at $63.48 and 50 tickets at $50.60 each. The more expensive tickets will be on the floor in the front to middle of the Orchestra and the lower priced seats will also be on the floor but in the middle to rear of the main Orchestra seating area. Tickets may be purchased by check to the Rotary Club of Charleston or (Rotary) Venmo.
**Also, tickets will be available to purchase for a “Meet and Greet” with Gloria after the show. Details forthcoming.
DETAILS OF EVENT:
The Charleston Gaillard Center Presents
2020 Grammy winner GLORIA GAYNOR (I Will Survive)
Nov 5, 2021 at 7:30 pm
A Portion of Proceeds to Thrive SC
SC Domestic Violence/Human Trafficking non-profit www.thrivesaveslives.org
Everyone is familiar with Gloria Gaynor’s award-winning anthem “I Will Survive,” but did you know about her recent work in Nashville with the GRAMMY® winning team who delivered her new album, “TESTIMONY?” It debuted in the Top 5 of the BILLBOARD Top Gospel Albums Chart, the Top 3 on the iTunes Gospel Chart and the Top 20 on the Amazon Overall Album Chart. “TESTIMONY,” received rave reviews from Rolling Stone, Billboard, The Herald-Standard, CBS Sunday Morning, The TODAY Show and more! The album received two GRAMMY® nominations for Best Roots Gospel Album and Best Gospel Performance / Song for Gloria’s duet with Yolanda Adams on the song, “Talkin’ ‘Bout Jesus.” Gloria took home the Best Roots Gospel GRAMMY® at the 2020 Award Ceremony. Gloria also headlined the 2020 GRAMMY® Celebration. Gloria Gaynor’s legendary career spans five hit-filled decades as a global music icon. With the world facing unimaginable challenges in 2020 due to Covid19, Gloria helped usher in 2021 by singing her global anthem, “I Will Survive,” in New York City’s Times Square, honoring first responders and essential workers. Her performance was streamed around the world to a global audience of billions. Gloria continues to write and record new music.
TY (Thank You) Pin to Robin Freer and Bill Trawick
Our Rotary Club is continuing to recognize former and 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 their many years of service two long-time, dedicated Rotarians – Robin Freer and Bill Trawick. Robin Freer served our club for 11 years until resigning in 2015. He served as a Board Member and actively participated on various committees. He was a Paul Harris Fellow, Rotary Benefactor and RLI Graduate. Bill Trawick was an active Rotarian for over 26 years until resigning in 2018. He is a Paul Harris Fellow + 1 and participated on various committees. It was wonderful to have both of these outstanding Rotarians 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.
US NAVY 246th BIRTHDAY – 13 OCTOBER 2021
On behalf of our Veteran’s Committee, President Rob recognized the 246th Birthday of the United States Navy at this past Tuesday’s meeting.
On October 13, 1775, the United States Navy was established and is celebrated as the birthdate of the American Navy.
The U.S. Navy was actually formed twice, originally as the Continental Navy during the Revolutionary War. When the war ended, the Continental Navy was dismantled, but pirate threats to American merchant shipping led President George Washington to establish the Naval Act of 1794, creating a permanent standing US Navy.
In the words of Teddy Roosevelt: “A good Navy is not a provocation to war. It is the surest guaranty of peace.” – Wish a sailor “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
Proposed New Members
The following membership candidates have submitted an application and signed letter of agreement to the Historic Rotary Club of Charleston:
- Susie Underwood – sponsor: David Burt; classification: Engineering/Trans/Bus. Development
- Dan Moses – sponsor: David Burt; classification: Engineer/Transportation
- Allen Tate – sponsor: Michael Smith; classification: Insurance/Commercial
In the event you know any of these prospective members, please tell a member of the Board how he will serve the ideas of Rotary.
MEMBER SPOTLIGHT
Rotarian: Sam Skardon
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- JOINED: 8/24/2021
- SPONSOR: Rob Dewey
- MEMBERSHIP INVOLVEMENT: New Member
- CLASSIFICATION: Financial Institution – Organization
- PROFESSION: Director, Development & Operations Officer for CLIMB Fund
- SOMETHING UNIQUE ABOUT YOURSELF
Sam is building a career to make a difference in South Carolina. He spent the early years of his career in Washington DC working for U.S. Congressman John Lewis. Sam earned an MBA from Georgetown University. In 2017, Sam returned home to help lead two non-profits dedicated to economic justice and inclusion in the Charleston area. Sam was the 2020 Democratic Nominee for State Senate District 41 (West Ashley, James Island). Sam volunteers for the Palmetto Project and other community service organizations.
Birthdays
- 10/19 – Brian Johnson
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
Copyright 2018, Rotary Club of Charleston. All rights reserved