This week our speaker, James Smith, Candidate for Governor, was unfortunately delayed and unable to attend our meeting, but we are sharing 
information from his campaign:
James Smith has devoted himself to public service. As a Major in the South Carolina Army National Guard, he spent a year in combat in Afghanistan fighting for our country. As a State Representative, he has always put the people of his district first, and has committed his career to bettering South Carolina. James knows what it means to be an effective leader.
James attended the University of South Carolina and the University of South Carolina School of Law, where he earned his JD. After serving 8 years as a JAG officer in the South Carolina Army National Guard, he resigned his officer commission to enlist as an infantryman at age 37. He served as a Combat Advisor to Afghan Security Forces, and he received the Bronze Star, the Combat Infantryman’s Badge, and the Purple Heart in recognition of his service.
During his time in the state legislature, Representative Smith has been a leader on issues facing our veterans, the environment, and education. His legislative career has been centered around effective leadership and collaboration, while always putting service before self. James’s campaign for Governor has echoed those same values.
James currently lives in Columbia, where he was born and raised. He’s the proud husband to his wife, Kirkland, and a proud father of their four children Emerson, Thomas, Paul, and Shannon.
Since our speaker was unavailable, President Alex Dallis took the opportunity to expand club knowledge of each other. Rob Dewey mentioned that Amy Riley had recently won a shooting contest – of the shotgun variety, not basketball! From there we learned that Howard Chapman is a Major in the SC State Guard with a logistics unit and in the run-up for Hurricane Florence worked with our scheduled speaker, James Smith, also a Major. We learned that an awful lot of members are selling their homes and many have enlisted the aid of Ruthie Ravenel in such efforts. Patterson Smith mentioned that he formed his company in 1976. Karl Brady thanked the club for the donations of food to the Salvation Army and put in a plug for the upcoming Salvation Army Bell Ringing our club stages at the Charleston Place Hotel. Circling back to Rob Dewey we learned that when he is not running the non-profit he formed – the Lowcountry Community Chaplaincy – his hobby is making stained-glass windows and the like. Jim Geffert reminded us that he is our Program Chair for both meetings where we have a speaker and meetings where we don’t! Owen Clary mentioned that he taught history for years at the Coast Guard Academy and has developed several presentations on history and the Coast Guard which he’d be happy to share with the club. Rhett Dunaway let us know that he is now doing ghost tours with Julian Buxton’s company, Tour Charleston, including the only tours which enter the graveyard of the Circular Congregational Church at night – something he said we wouldn’t forget.
Thank you members for your flexibility and your ongoing service above self!
– Lisa Van Bergen, Keyway Committee
IN OTHER MEETING NEWS
- Chad Woodell gave the Invocation and led us in the pledge.
- Charlie Palmer introduced our Visiting Rotarians and guests.
- President Alex Dallis presented Health and Happiness.
- President Alex Dallis mediated a discussion of expanding our knowledge of each other
MORE IN THIS WEEK’S KEYWAY
October 23, 2018 | Issue 4907 | President: Alex Dallis
COMING EVENTS
- October 23 – Henry McMaster, Current Governor & Gubernatorial Candidate
- October 30 – Kate Arrington & Joe Cunningham, Congressional Candidates
- Nov. 6 – Rotarian Owen Clary
- Nov. 13 – Veteran’s Day Meeting; Vicki Johnson of Charleston Fisher House
- Nov. 20 – No Meeting — Happy Thanksgiving!
NEWS BRIEFS
New Member Meeting
All new members who have not attended a previous New Member Meeting should plan to attend the next session which will be held THIS Tuesday, October 23 at 11:15am upstairs at Faber. The Past President duo of Brian Johnson and Digit Matheny will conduct this meeting to get new members oriented to our club and Rotary International. Attending this meeting is one of the requirements of all Red Badgers.
Recognizing World Polio Day/Week
In observance of World Polio Week (Oct. 22nd – 28th), our Rotary District will MATCH money raised by clubs up to $25,000. Last year in one-week, our District raised a total of $289,683.63 to fight Polio. That included all Club’s money, District Match, and all other Matches.
This Tuesday, October 23, our club will have buckets on the tables for cash or check donations. If you wish to write a check, be sure to make it out to the Rotary Foundation with a date between Oct 22nd – 28th.
Adopt-A-Highway Rescheduled For Oct. 27th
We will be having our Adopt-A-Highway cleanup on Saturday, October 27th at 10 a.m. Volunteers should plan to meet at the corner of Bee and Lockwood. Gloves, reflective vests and trash bags will be provided. Please contact Brett Barry if you would like to participate — [email protected]
Trident United Way Day of Caring Service Project
Our club will again be participating in the Trident United Way Day of Caring on Friday, November 16. Volunteers will clean, landscape and beautify the 120 acres of the campus of Windwood Family Services in Awendaw. Windwood Farm is a residential home for boys located on the Wando River serving boys ages 6-16 who have been victims of abuse, neglect or trauma. We will be trimming trees and hedges, planting new flower beds, laying pine straw, picking weeks and much more. Volunteers will also be treated to a lunch and be able to interact with the boys. We are sharing the volunteer slots with another business, so 4-5 Rotary Volunteers are needed from 9:30am-3:30pm. This time is flexible and volunteers can leave after lunch, if need be. The address is 4857 Windwood Farm Road, Awendaw, SC 29429. Please contact Kerby Teller at [email protected] to volunteer or for more information.
Red Badge Social
Join us for our first social event of this year! Our theme for this year’s Red Badge socials will be a Brewery Tour of Charleston.
Our first stop will be Tradesman Brewing Company on King Street Extension on Thursday, November 8 from 5:30pm-7:30pm. All members (new and old) are invited to attend and encouraged to also bring prospective members.
On Thursdays, Tradewinds partners with an area non-profit and donates $1 for every beer sold. This is a wonderful opportunity for us to enjoy fellowship and support a local charitable organization at the same time! On November 8th, the Charleston Waterkeeper organization is scheduled to be the charity of choice. Charleston Waterkeeper not only does waterway clean ups but educates the public on the value of clean water. You can read more at www.charlestonwaterkeeper.org.
An evite has been sent to all members, if you did not receive it, please contact Heidi at [email protected]. Please be sure to RSVP if you plan to attend.
Our Club is on Instagram
Our club launched an Instagram account this week. Please be sure to follow us at @ChasRotaryClub, which is our Twitter handle, as well.
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, [email protected], or Rob Byko, [email protected].
Youth Exchange Host Family Needed December – February
Our club is seeking a host family for our Inbound Rotary Exchange student from December 2018 – February 2019. Our Club’s Inbound student, Lucia Violani, who is from Italy, is 17 years old and attending the Charleston Charter School for Math & Science. Please note that having other school age children in your home is not a requirement for hosting.
As you know, the secondary student program offers an opportunity for you and your family to experience firsthand the richness and diversity of a culture different from your own, and for you to exemplify American values and culture to a foreign visitor. Approximately 25,000 high school students from around the world participate in this program each year. The good will of American host families in opening their homes to these young international visitors is vital to this program’s success. The health, safety, and well-being of the young people who participate in this program are our highest priority. A host family has many responsibilities, the most important of which is properly caring for an international student during the course of his/her program. The student is a guest in your home and how you relate with this student will create a lasting image of our country and its people. It also offers you and your family a unique, rewarding and enjoyable experience.
Please let Karen Clark now as soon as possible if you are able to consider this Hosting opportunity. If you are interested, either Karen or Richard Sidebottom will contact you to discuss further. We appreciate your consideration and thank you for your support of this great program!
US Navy Celebrates 243rd Birthday – October 13
Veteran’s Committee Chair, Skip Fink, was on hand this past Tuesday to recognize the US Navy as it celebrated it’s 243rd Birthday. The club celebrated this occasion with a sheet cake.
On October 13, 1775, the United States Navy was established. The day is celebrated as the birthdate of the American Navy.
The United States Navy originated as the Continental Navy. The then Continental Congress authorized 2 armed vessels to search for ships supplying the British army with weapons and ammunition during the American Revolutionary War (1775–1783).
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.
The United States Navy today is the naval warfare branch of the US Armed Forces. It has more than 328,000 personnel on active duty; approximately 100,000 personnel in the Navy Reserve, and over 270,000 Department of the Navy Civilian employees.
The Navy has approximately 480 ships in both active service and the reserve fleet, with approximately 70 more in either the planning and ordering stages or under construction.
The current inventory of aircraft, both fixed wing and rotary is over 2,000, not including the Marine Corps assets.
Additionally, there is the Military Sealift Command (MSC) operates more than 110 ships around the world, and these ships carry the designation “USNS” (United States Naval Ships) but are not commissioned ships and are crewed by civilians. Some MSC ships have small military departments assigned to carry out specialized military functions such as communications and supply operations.
Wish a sailor Happy Birthday!
Join the PR Committee and Earn Service Hours, too! (Fame, notoriety and recognition from your peers is FREE!)
We’re looking for 3 to 4 Rotarians to help us spread the word about our Club through various communications channels. Your contributions will reach countless Club members, family and friends, as well as the local community at-large more than 36-times a year! Your feature stories and timely coverage of Rotary Club events may also be picked up by District, National and International Rotary news channels.
Don’t worry if your’re not an expert techie, can’t write like Hemingway and Pat Conroy, or wield a camera like Steve McCurry or Annie Leibovitz – our super-qualified A-team will be right there to support your efforts with training and guidance you’ll need to see your by-line and photo-credit circulation grow to an epic scale.
Social Media Manager: Work with team members, committee heads and the Board on developing, publishing and promoting social media content for the Club. Active channels now include Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn and YouTube. Familiarity with these or emerging platforms will be helpful, as will knowledge of what makes for successful SM content. Experience with search optimization techniques will earn you immediate MVP status. While your own exposure to Social Media is helpful, it is not essential. The team will gladly train our e-challenged volunteers, too!
Keyway Production Manager: Work with co-chairs, Keyway editor and our content development team to publish our weekly newsletter on club web site. Familiarity with web publishing and content managing systems (e.g WordPress) a plus.
Keyway Content Developers: Copywriters & storytellers who can develop short-form, original content including summary articles, possibly combined with team-generated photos and/video content, to provide coverage of weekly meetings and presenters, as well as occasionally produce special features on past or upcoming club events, special projects and fundraisers.
So if you are interested in maximizing your Rotary experience, this is your chance to create an immediate and long-lasting impact on how our Club is regarded by current and prospective members. You will also be shaping how our Club will be recognized by our peers, our community and by Rotary International for the good work of our members.
Join the Charleston Rotary Press Corps and help generate that buzz! Contact Mike Sottak, [email protected], or Rob Byko, [email protected], for more information.
MEMBER NEWS
Member News
Welcome to our newest Rotarian, Jeff Weber! Jeff was introduced and sponsored by our own President Alex Dallis. Jeff has been a dedicated Rotarian for almost 30 years and mostly recently was a member of the Downtown Boca Raton, FL Rotary Club. He will hold the classification of Radio/Mgmt. We are excited to have Jeff as a member!
Proposed New Members
The following membership candidates have submitted an application and signed letter of agreement to the Historic Rotary Club of Charleston:
Campbell Coxe – sponsor: Heidi Finniff; classification: Law/Estate Planning
Charlton Wieters – sponsor: Heidi Finniff, classification: Financial Services
In the event you know Campbell or Charlton, please tell a member of the Board how he will serve the ideas of Rotary.
MEMBER SPOTLIGHT
Brett Barry
- Joined: 2016
- Sponsor: Ruthie Ravenel
- Membership Involvement: Community Service (Adopt-A-Highway Chair) Committee, Membership Committee, Vocational Service Committee
- Classification: Government Affairs
- Profession: Senior Policy Advisor for Clean Energy; and President of the American Heritage Association
- Something Unique About Yourself: Brett plays the drums in “Chucktown Norris” a local 90’s band!
Birthdays
- October 27 – Michael Cooper
By the numbers
Attendance on October 16, 2018: 73
Not in attendance: Baggs, Bailey, Barry, Barton, Beam, Berlin, Bishop, Bodkin, Brack, Bullard, Carico, Clark, Coe, Coghill, Cole, Cook, Cooper, J., Deavenport, DeGraff, Dopp, Drafts, Echols, Fellabom, Galizia, Gill, Hudnall, Husser, Jones, Jones, Kaynard, Kerrigan, Krumwiede, Leonard, Livingston, Marty, Moring, Morris, Prewitt, Raver, Rust, Saboe, Savage, Schmidt, Seguer, Stokes, Stoney, Strickland, Taylor, Tecklenburg, John, Webb, Welborn, Whitaker, Williams, D.
Out of Town Make-ups: None
WELLNESS TIP
Flu Vaccine? Who? You.
As temperatures get chillier and people spend more time indoors, flu season sneaks in. Because the flu virus can infect the lungs, it can cause a serious complication like pneumonia — which can require hospitalization, even lead to death. That’s why certain people must get a flu shot.
October or November is the best time to get vaccinated, but you can still get vaccinated in December or later. Flu season can start as early as October and last as late as May.
If you live with or care for a child under 2 years old, you are in a priority group for flu shots.
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.
ABOUT THE KEYWAY
The Keyway has been published weekly as a newsletter for the Rotary Club of Charleston for more than 90 years.
- President: Alex Dallis
- Keyway editor: Don Baus [email protected]
- Executive secretary: Carroll Schweers, [email protected]
- Mailing address: Rotary Club of Charleston, P.O. Box 21029 ,Charleston, SC 29413-1029
- Copyright 2018, Rotary Club of Charleston. All rights reserved.