October 30, 2018: Congressional candidates, Katie Arrington(R) and Joe Cunningham(D), joined us as keynote speakers at our October 30th meeting. Our membership had a chance to meet the candidates and hear from each of them, and their views on current issues. Past President Mark Smith introduced our speakers. Each was given 20 minutes to use however they chose and Joe Cunningham started based on an earlier drawing for speaker order.

Joe Cunningham opened by expressing his concern over what is coming out of Washington (DC) and that there are too many politicians and not enough leaders. Emphasizing “people over politics”, he iterated that political tribalism is tearing us apart and that his campaign is about moving people forward and moving the Lowcountry forward with term limits (of 6 years max) and without the funding of political action committees. (PAC)
He focused on a couple of the more pertinent issues starting with offshore drilling. He stands against offshore drilling and supports reinstating the ban that was lifted by President Trump, indicating that one spill could decimate Lowcountry businesses that rely on the waterfront.
He also opposes retaliatory tariffs, using, as an example, Boeing and Volvo jobs that have been “placed on the chopping block” as a result of tariffs and the reduced working hours some employees are faced with as well.
He concluded that the campaign should be run on issues, be positive and have a positive tone reaching across the aisle to work together. His hope is that he can, in the future, tell his son that he stood tall with people and worked together.
Responding to some questions from our membership, he indicated that Healthcare costs are the number one cause of bankruptcy but extending insurance to cover costs is not the solution, healthcare costs need to be reduced and we need to get PAC funding out of healthcare.
Asked why offshore drilling is an issue if it is not economically feasible off the coast of SC, he responded because the ban was lifted is why it is an issue.
As a junior congressman, he is not afraid to serve District 1 when asked how he could go against party leadership.
And finally on the whether he would support the impeachment of Justice Kavanaugh, he replied, we need to move on.

Katie Arrington opened with the motto she lives by: service above self, and presented 3 pledges as part of her campaign. That she will donate 2/3 of her salary to charity to pay forward what tax payers have done for her, deny benefits she could receive from Congress until benefits for our military are equivalent, and support term limits of 8 years, the same as that of the President. She also believes that we need to fix Washington and that the bulk of the issues are generated in DC and not Columbia (SC).
Infrastructure is of major concern. Congress did not pass the flood insurance bill and did not fix FEMA but everyone is experiencing flooding. As a developer, she explained that development doesn’t account for the amount of runoff we are experiencing, admonishing former Representative Sanford for not asking for infrastructure monies during his term. Citing her recent auto accident as an example, she indicated that she would not be here, had it been raining, due to the detour route emergency vehicles would have to take for crosstown flooding. She concluded this issue with the need for a sea wall and that President Trump is providing infrastructure money.
She supports making tax cuts permanent for small business and the middle class. As for a border wall, we are all descendants of immigrants who followed the law to get here. However, we do not have the unending resources to take care of those coming over the border. We need to take care of our homeless first and that is what the President means by America first. She suggested to the President a toll from Mexico to US to pay for border wall.
She supports the lifting of the offshore drilling ban because China has taken advantage of the ban in the past but drilling is not economically feasible offshore of SC.
We are fortunate to have these candidates visit us this week and while we have tried to capture the main points of their presentations, we ask that you please visit their respective websites to find out more about them and their views on the issues.
Don Baus, Keyway Committee Chair
IN OTHER MEETING NEWS
- Joseph Tecklenburg gave the Invocation and led us in the pledge.
- Peter Shahid introduced our Visiting Rotarians and guests.
- President Alex Dallis presented Health and Happiness.
- Past President Mark Smith welcomed Congressional Candidates Katie Arrington and Joe Cunningham and introduced our program.
MORE IN THIS WEEK’S KEYWAY
November 6, 2018 | Issue 4909 | President: Alex Dallis
COMING EVENTS
- Nov. 6 – Rotarian Owen Clary, Historian, “South Carolina…Hum” – SC History & its intricacies
- Nov. 8 – Red Badge Social @ Tradesman Brewing Company 5:30-7:30pm
- Nov. 13 – Veteran’s Day Meeting; Vicki Johnson of Charleston Fisher House (Meeting location – High Cotton)
- Nov. 16 – Trident United Way Day of Caring at Windwood Farms, Awendaw
- Nov. 20 – No Meeting — Happy Thanksgiving!
- Nov. 28 – Stuart Williams, College of Charleston, Impact Entrepreneurialism
- Dec. 4 – Senator Sandy Senn, I-526 project
- Dec. 11 – Holiday Luncheon
NEWS BRIEFS
Adopt-A-Highway A Success
The last Saturday in October, nine members of the Rotary Club of Charleston, including Club President Alex Dallis, removed litter from Bee Street in downtown Charleston. Items collected included cans, a syringe and a large quantity of cigarette butts. This was the first time the Club was able to utilize the newly installed Adopt-A-Highway signs which include a fold down sign warning drivers that a litter clean up is in progress. The work was completed within an hour and a few members met afterwards for lunch at the East Bay Street Biergarten. A make-up credit was issued to all volunteers for their efforts.
Program Committee Meeting
The next meeting of the Program Committee is scheduled for Tuesday, Nov. 27th immediately following our Rotary meeting. All Rotarians are welcomed to attend and participate on this committee. The committee is actively taking speaker suggestions to fill slots during the last 6 months of this Rotary year. If you are not able to attend the meeting, please contact our Program Chair, Jim Geffert, at [email protected] with any suggestions you have for speakers.
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 at Tradesman Brewing
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.
Shark Tank Program Seeking Volunteers
The James Simons Entrepreneurship/Shark Tank program is kicking off again for the 2018-2019 school year. The Historic Charleston Downtown Rotary has been staffing this project with volunteers since it began in 2016. We have a number of returning volunteers for this year but are also seeking some “new blood”. There are a number of ways to volunteer. Please read below and contact Tim Donnellon at [email protected] if you are able to help in any of the following ways:
#1 – Mentors , one to be assigned to each group (1-4 kids per group, 4 or 5 groups total. The mentor will work with their selected group through the semester (4 months) to advise and help keep the student’s projects on track. In terms of volunteer hours per person the mentor commitment is probably 1-2 hours per week ; they are only needed to be physically present at the school twice, on two Friday mornings (exact dates TBD) .
#2 Classroom speakers – In addition to mentors, volunteers to provide presentations on their particular areas of expertise. This is a one time per volunteer request, the time slot is roughly 1 hour on a Friday morning between 10 am and 11:30 am. Topics are open ended but should relate to helping the students understand various aspects of business, ideally each presentation can relate to the businesses that the volunteer is involved with. Products, services, marketing, sales, finance, presentation skills, negotiation, etc…
# 3 Sharks – We also will need 3 or more volunteers to perform as the “sharks”. This is the final part of each project where the students present their ideas and get immediate feedback from the shark tank on pros/cons of their ideas, including whether or not they would be willing to invest in their proposed businesses and how.
#4 Businesses – open for site visits we are seeking local businesses that are available for a one time field trip/visit from a small group (2-5 kids). This part of the program will involve the student groups visiting a business, learning what they do, and then returning to class and developing on their own presentation which explains the business. Their presentations will be practiced in front of a camera to develop their understanding of business as well as their presentation skills, and then eventually presented. This is being done in conjunction with a local organization that is providing the filming resources – their website is here: http://jemagwga.com/
Boat Parade Boat Raffle Tickets
Let’s sell some tickets!! Boat Raffle tickets are being distributed at weekly meetings. All members are encouraged to sell a couple of tickets. If you haven’t picked up your tickets, please be sure to see Doug Holmes at the next meeting. Our website to purchase boat raffle tickets, as well as event tickets as gone live! Please pass the below link to family, friends, co-workers, business associates.
Boat Parade Sponsorships Available
With the temperatures finally starting to cool off, we can all finally start thinking about the winter holidays! The Boat Parade committee has already been hard at work the last few months to make this year’s event successful. This year the funds we raise will be used next year, which is our Club’s 100th Anniversary Year. And, we hope to be able to make our 100th year a year that will leave a historic legacy of positive change in our community.
Sandy and the PR committee have be working to partner with the major media outlets to promote the Boat Parade Party. This has afforded us to be able to really bring value to our sponsorship levels for the event. We hope that you and/or the company you work for will support our event by purchasing a sponsorship level that works for you. If you have any questions or need sponsorship information, please reach out to Heidi Finniff at 216-744-6565. Remember … the quicker you sign up to sponsor the more time we have to promote you!
Marker Boats Needed for Holiday Parade of Boats
Marker Boats are needed to assist with the Holiday Parade of Boats. The marker boats have flashing lights and help the decorated boats stay on course and out of trouble. Marker boats need to be on stationed and anchored by 5 PM. As soon as the last boat in the parade goes by their station, marker boats can up anchor and head for home — usually no later than 8PM. Marker boats are given a GPS location and are assigned according to their home port. The boat does need to be large enough to provide some protection from the elements and to have friends on board for the best viewing of the whole parade. Marker Boat Captains are required to attend a Captains Meeting the Wednesday before the Parade and all are invited to the Awards Ceremony/Party on Sunday after the Parade.
If you are interested or want further information, please contact Dick Howell at 843-437-6241 or [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!
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].
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

Congratulations to Kay Minson, who received her BLUE membership badges this past Tuesday. Kay has been an active new member participating in club activities such as welcoming our Youth Exchange Student, Adopt-A-Highway and Hootie Homegrown Round-Up. She successfully completed all the requirements of a “Red” badge member.
Our best wishes and sincerest congratulations to Jack Mitchell on his wedding this past weekend.
In Memoriam – John M. Jordan, Jr.

With much sadness, we announce the passing of long-time Rotarian and Past President of our club, Johnny Jordan. Johnny passed away at his home this past Monday after suffering a long illness. He was a dedicated Rotarian and member of our club for 45 years. Johnny loved Rotary and his life exemplified the very best of what Rotary stands for in the lives of so many. He was a Paul Harris Fellow, served our club as a Board Member and then President during 1993/1994. We will all greatly miss Johnny! Our thoughts and prayers are with his wife, Mary and his family.
Proposed New Members
The following membership candidate has submitted an application and signed letter of agreement to the Historic Rotary Club of Charleston:
Stefany DiManno Ceccato – sponsor: Heidi Finniff; classification: Travel Agent
In the event you know Stefany, please tell a member of the Board how she will serve the ideas of Rotary.
MEMBER SPOTLIGHT
Debbie Barton

- Joined: 2016
- Sponsor: Dr. Mary Ann Kohli
- Membership Involvement: Various service projects/committees
- Classification: Accounting Services
- Profession: City of Charleston, Assistant Finance Director
- Something Unique About Yourself: Life is a gift from God, and I am truly blessed to have moved back home to Charleston to be closer to friends and family.
Birthdays
- Nov. 7 – Tammy Coghill
- Nov. 8 – Digit Matheny
- Nov. 11 – Paul Welborn & Peter Tecklenburg
- Nov. 12 – Emily Cooper
By the numbers
Attendance on October 30, 2018: 84
Not in attendance: Baggs, Bailey, Barry, Beam, Berlin, Bishop, Bodkin, Brack, Bullard, Buzon, Carico, Clark, Cole, Cooper, E., Cooper, J., Deavenport, Dewey, Donnellon, Drafts, Gill, Hudnall, Husser, Jones, Z., Jones, C., Kaiser, Kaynard, Kerrigan, LaMotte, Lee, Livingston, Matheny, Mixson, Morckel, Morris, Plotner, Raver, Rust, Saboe, Schmidt, Seguer, Sidebottom, Stokes, Stoney, Strickland, Taylor, E., Taylor, T., Tecklenburg, John, Van Bergen, Webb, Weber, Whitaker, Williams, A., Woodell
Out of Town Make-ups: None
WELLNESS TIP
Think Beyond Pies and Jack-o-lanterns.
All hail The Great Pumpkin. The pulp of this fall favorite is dense with vitamins A and C, and its tasty seeds, called pepitas, are rich in phytosterols, which may help to lower cholesterol. With all the health benefits of pumpkins, don’t they deserve to be more than a craft project that rots a few weeks later? Try a Google search for recipes for, say, roasted pepitas or pumpkin spread.
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.