October 29, 2019:
We hosted a forum of five of the candidates for the Mayor of Charleston, 
which is being decided in the election on November 5. The candidates answered questions submitted by club members and also participated in several lightning rounds of Yes/No questions.
On Tuesday October 29, 2019, the Charleston Rotary Club hosted five City of Charleston mayoral candidates in a forum which allowed each to profile themselves and say why each is seeking the office. Further, the candidates answered questions submitted earlier by Club members. The five candidates were: Renee Orth, Mike Seekings, John Tecklenburg, Maurice Washington and Gary White. Sheri Irwin did not appear due to a scheduling conflict.
After each candidate completed their introductory remarks, they drew slips of 
paper printed with one previously submitted question. Each candidate was given 90 seconds to address the question. Each question was answered solely by the candidate who selected it. The session also included pairs or Yes/No questions to which the candidates responded by holding up cards printed either “YES” or “NO”.
Below are the topics covered by each question. The YES/NO questions are also briefly recapped. Check otu the compete video of the forum on our Facebook Page
Question topics:
- Dark money’s role in the campaign;
- Cruise ship dockings – beneficial or not; holding the cruise lines responsible for pollution and visitor impact;
- How will the candidate work with other community leaders to address issues;
- Affordable housing – should the City encourage more;
- How to manage growth and minimize its impact on our quality of life;
- Are the City’s finances in jeopardy;
- Affordable housing – specifically support of 180 Place;
- Education – providing leadership to improve educational outcomes;
- West Ashley – follow the plan for revitalization;
- Infrastructure – make planned improvements affordable;
- Tourism – maintain citizen’s quality of life;
- Civility – improving the tone of the debate;
- Connectedness – reunite people after this divisive campaign;
- Technology – installing broadband in older neighborhoods;
- Charleston transients – how to better serve the homeless;
- Curbing aggressive street peddlers
YES/NO questions:
- Annexation – continue to annex;
- Housing – support scatter site affordable housing;
- West Ashley bike bridge onto the Peninsula;
- Is Charleston dealing better with flooding;
- In favor of CARTA rapid transit system;
- Should I-526 be completed;
- Should hotel growth continue at its current pace;
- Are you pro-development
In summary, the session was informative. It allowed each candidate to address Club member questions. Club President Sandy Morckel closed out the meeting strongly encouraging all members to vote on November 5.
Submitted by Dave Eckert, Keyway Committee
IN OTHER MEETING NEWS
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- Courtney Plotner gave the Invocation and led us in the pledge.
- President Sandy Morckel welcomed all visiting Rotarians & guests.
- President Sandy Morckel presented Health and Happiness.
- President Sandy Morckel and PR Co-Chair Rob Byko introduced our Charleston Mayoral Forum and served as moderators for the event. Mayoral candidates Renee Orth, John Tecklenburg, Mike Seekings, Maurice Washington and Gary White were in attendance.
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MORE IN THIS WEEK’S KEYWAY
November 5, 2019 | Issue 4946 | President: Sandy Morckel
COMING EVENTS
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- Nov. 5 – Terry Egan, CEO, Brookgreen Gardens
- Nov. 12 – Rod Gragg, Military Memoirs
- Nov. 15 – Trident United Way Day of Caring
- Nov. 19 – Rob Powell, 350th Anniversary of Charlestowne Landing
- Nov. 26 – No Meeting – Happy Thanksgiving
- Dec. 3 – Johnny Moore, Rotary District Governor
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 50s (1950-1954)
The Charleston Rotary Club started in the 50’s for the first time operating under a standard constitution which Rotary International had approved. The Club adopted new policies and decided to eliminate references to religious affiliations and have no political speakers. Adaier Baissel of the Rotary Club of Charleville, France visited and thanked the Club for what it had done during and after the war for his Club and city. 1952 the District Governor said the Charleston Club was the number one Club in the state. Some 62 Rotarians gave up to three pints each to the Red Cross Blood Bank. At the end of 1952 the Club was financially sound with $679 surplus and 157 members.
Operation Home Awarded RCCF Grant
Members of the RCCF Advisory Committee were out in the community this 
past week visiting Miriam Langley and the staff at Operation Home to present a RCCF Grant check. Our donation will fund one ADA-compliant accessibility ramp for a low-income family in need. Operation Home’s mission is to help people remain in their homes by increasing safety and accessibility by facilitating critical home repairs in Charleston, Dorchester and Berkeley counties. Our members will have a volunteer opportunity to participate in the construction of the ramp in the coming months.
Day of Caring: Volunteers Needed
We hope you all can join us on November 15th for the Trident United Way Day of Caring. This year our Rotary Group will be volunteering for the Career Conference at R.B. Stall High School. Please click this link to register (https://www.dacdb.
EVENT GOAL: To share the good news about the many high demand, high wage careers available in our region that don’t require a bachelors or associates degree.
TARGET AUDIENCE – 100 high school seniors that have not yet earned Silver or higher on our state’s Career Readiness test for high school students called WIN. Statistically, this cohort of students is unlikely to be enrolled in a 4 or 2 year college immediately after high school. There are however many certificate and continuing education programs in our region that would accelerate their career and put them on a path to success, without the dept now associated with many college degree seeking students.
We’ll start with a welcome speaker to set the expectation of the day, then have 2 breakout sessions on resources available, followed by an interactive young professionals panel discussion, and a small group lunch with volunteers leading a “What’s Next for Me” activity.
VOLUNTEER NEEDED! 12 Rotarians are encouraged to volunteer to facilitate table top discussions during lunch aimed at ensuring each participating student leaves with 3 to 5 specific steps they plan to undertake before graduation.
Contact Kirbry Teller [email protected] for more information or to sign up to help
They do plan to replicate these events at other CCSD high schools later in this school year.
Thank you for your service and support!
50/50 Raffle
The 50/50 Raffle will continue at our next meeting with a 1 in 8 chance. Current pot is $190, so bring your cash and let’s grow the pot. You do need to be present to win. Tickets are available at meetings – 1 for $5 or 3 for $10.
Board Member Nominations
We are seeking Board Members for the upcoming Rotary year. All eligible members will be contacted about serving on the Board in the upcoming year. If you are contacted by a member of the Nominating Committee, please give some serious thought to serving our club. It is a great way to learn more about Rotary, get involved, meet other Rotarians and give back to our club and community.
Rotary District Accepting Nominations for District Governor 2022/2023
The nominating committee for our Rotary District will meet on January 31, 2020 to select the District Governor for the 2022/23 Rotary year.
Should you wish to be considered for this position, the description of the duties of a District Governor, the qualifications required to be a District Governor, and a Governor nominee form was emailed to all members this past week. If you didn’t receive the email and are interested in applying, please see Carroll. Applicants should complete the application no later than December 15, have it signed by your club secretary and returned to David Tirard no later than December 30, 2019. David’s address is 1 Queen Crescent, Bluffton, SC 29910.
To make sure that there are no slip-ups by the postal service, please also send a brief email to David at [email protected], confirming you have sent the application.
Outbound Youth Exchange Students Needed for 2020-2021
Our District’s Youth Exchange Program needs your support. The District would like to be able to send between 15 and 19 Outbound students a year on Exchange and receive the same number of Inbounds coming into our District. To do that, the District needs clubs, members and local schools to get involved that have not previously been involved. Children of Rotarians are eligible for this wonderful opportunity.
Preliminary Outbound applications are now being accepted for the 2020-21 year. Everyone’s help is needed to keep this program strong and change the lives of young people. Please contact Karl Riner, Karen Clark or Richard Sidebottom of our International Committee, if you have any questions or know of someone interested in participating.
Corporate/Family Membership
As we strive to expand our membership, the Board has discussed and approved a new membership category. We are now able to offer Corporate/Family Memberships for members of the same business, organization or family. The primary member will pay full club dues of $550 every 6 months. Associate members can also join at a fee of $225 every 6 months including a one-time $100 initiation fee. Associate members will be responsible for paying the $25 meal fee for lunches attended unless the primary member is not in attendance then there is no charge for their meal. Associate members will have all of the benefits of being a Rotarian as the primary member. If you have a co-worker or immediate family member who would like to be a part of Rotary and join as an Associate member, please contact one of our membership chairs – Digit Matheny [email protected] or Heidi Finniff [email protected] to see how they can join.
Host Tobias, our International Exchange Student
Do you have an extra room in your home?
We are still searching for a third host family for our incoming Rotary Youth Exchange student Tobias, who will be with our club for the 2019-2020 school year. He will be attending school downtown at the Charleston Charter for Math & Science and we are looking for a good family to house him from mid-March through June.
If you are able to help or if you have non-Rotary friends that may be interested in housing an exchange student, please see the information sheet below and contact Richard Sidebottom ([email protected] ) or Karen Clark ([email protected]) for more information.
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 ([email protected]) know as soon as possible if you are able to consider this Hosting opportunity. We appreciate your consideration and thank you for your support of this great program!
Host family information sheet:
https://yehub.net/cgi-bin/sys-pdf.cgi?PGID=LIB&RID=79&DBID=SC1
Dues Are Now Past Due
Dues statements for the July 1-December 31 period were distributed via email on June 10 and are now past due. Past due statements were emailed two weeks ago to those who haven’t made a payment. Please be sure to pay from this statement. If you did not receive a statement or have questions, please contact Carroll.
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, [email protected], or Rob Byko, [email protected].
Member News
Proposed New Members
The following membership candidate has submitted an application and signed letter of agreement to the Historic Rotary Club of Charleston:
Barb Walters – sponsor: Sandy Morckel; classification: Commercial Banking
Mary Peters – sponsor: Sandy Morckel; classification: Health/Geriatric Care
Anthony Weston – sponsor: Digit Matheny; classification: Banking/Commercial Loans
In the event you know Barb, Mary or Anthony, please tell a member of the Board how she will serve the ideas of Rotary.
MEMBER SPOTLIGHT
Charlie Palmer
- JOINED: 2014
- SPONSOR: Ned Jervey
- MEMBERSHIP INVOLVEMENT: Current Board Director, RCCF Advisory Committee
- CLASSIFICATION: Real Estate
- PROFESSION: Executive/Developer/Broker
- SOMETHING UNIQUE ABOUT YOURSELF: The Bulls of Pamplona – two days in a row!!
Birthdays
- Nov. 7 – Tammy Coghill
- Nov. 8 – Digit Matheny
- Nov. 11 – Peter Tecklenburg
By the numbers
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- Attendance on October 29, 2019: 70
- Not in attendance: Altman, Baggs, Barry, Baus, Beam, Burt, Carico, Clark, Coe, Cohen, Cole, Cooper, E., Cooper, J., Coxe, Deavenport, Donnellon, Dukes, Fink, Gill. Giovanniello, Hanger, Holmes, Husser, Jones, Jones, Lucy, Matheny, Minson, Patrick, Prewitt, Riley, Rust, Sidebottom, Smith, M., Smith, M., Strickland, Taylor, Teller, Webb, Wieters, Willey
- 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.
There are two types of flu vaccines: flu shots and nasal sprays. The flu shot vaccine is recommended for:
- Children aged 6 months to 19 years.
- Pregnant women.
- People age 50 and older.
- People of any age with chronic medical conditions such as asthma.
- People living in nursing homes or other long-term facilities.
Others who could get Flu Mist nasal spray include healthy people 2-49 years old who are not pregnant.
Also, protect yourself and your child from catching or spreading viruses:
- Cover nose and mouth with a tissue when you sneeze or cough. Throw it away afterward.
- Wash your hands frequently with soap and water — especially important after you cough or sneeze on them. Use an alcohol-based hand cleaner if necessary.
- Keep you and your baby away from people who are coughing or sneezing.
- Try not to touch your eyes, nose, or mouth — since that’s how germs are 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.
- 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 [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.