November 12, 2019:
This past week, noted historian and public speaker Rod Gragg gave us a special Veterans Days talk on the Qualities of Leadership, drawing upon his extensive knowledge of military history, with a specific focus on heroes of The Greatest Generation. Also, please note all the great service opportunities coming up as we hit high gear in the Holiday Season!
To highlight our special Veterans Day meeting, we were privileged to welcome Rod Gragg, noted military historian, as our speaker. Rod is the director of the CresCom Bank Center for Military and Veteran Studies at Coastal Carolina University. He is an accomplished author and spoke to us about his book “Lessons in Leadership from the Greatest Generation”.
Rod recalled how growing up in a small town, he realized that he was in the company of heroes. These were the World War II veterans that were all around him: businessmen, doctors, uncles, and fathers. They taught him many lessons and inspired him to study other veterans and volunteers of the WWII to and discover these 5 Lessons in Leadership:
Lesson 1: Real leaders always take care of their people.
Rob told the story of Lt. Richard (Dick) Antrim. Antrim was an officer on the USS Pope in the Pacific theater when it was captured by the Japanese and sent to prison camp. POW’s were treated brutally by the Japanese in these camps and routinely beaten and starved. One day, a fellow prisoner forgot to bow and was given punishment of 50 lashes with a whip. After many lashes, the prisoner lost consciousness. Lt. Antrim was concerned about his health, and also what could happen if the POW’s had to witness more abuse and revolted against their captors. He decided he had to intervene. He offered to take the remainder of the man’s lashes. The Japanese did not understand the concept of an officer taking punishment another sailor and eventually backed down from the punishment. Antrim was given the Medal of Honor for his act of valor.
Lesson 2: Real leaders always take responsibility.
On the eve of D-Day, 1944, General Dwight D. Eisenhower spoke to paratroopers preparing to invade behind enemy lines in advance of the invasion of Normandy. He gave them words of encouragement spoke to each of them about their hometown, sports, and other lighter topics. They all knew the danger of the invasion but were determined to succeed in the mission. As confident as he was in their courage and training, General Eisenhower wrote a secret letter in the event the mission failed. This letter was only recently release to public. In it, Eisenhower took full responsibility and stated, “if any blame or fault attached to the attempt it is mine alone”.
Lesson 3: Real leaders don’t give up easily, they always persevere.
Elaine Wright was a volunteer in a USO canteen in North Platte, Nebraska. This canteen was at a stop on the railroad where thousands of troops headed to war stopped. The volunteers prepared food, from their own kitchens, served the men who passed through. One day Mrs. Wright received word that her son was killed in action. She left the canteen to grieve but returned after only a few days. She said, “We can’t help my son, but we can help these other boys”.
Lesson 4: Real leaders do the right thing.
Desmond Doss was raised as in a religious family in the Appalachian mountains of Virginia. His beliefs would not allow him to kill another man, so he was deemed a conscientious objector. But Desmond enrolled as combat medic and was sent to the South Pacific with eh 77th Infantry Division. In April 1945, they were engaged in the Battle of Okinawa and attempting to take a plateau known as “Hacksaw Ridge”. On the first attempt to take the ridge hundreds of men were injured. Doss climbed the ridge, carried the wounded to the ledge, and lowered them to safety below. He rescued between 75-100 men almost single-handedly that day and was granted the Medal of Honor.
Lesson 5: Real leaders lead by example.
In 1941, a young man from Pennsylvania, Richard Winters, enlisted in the army and was selected for Officers Candidate School. He ultimately became commanding officer of “Easy Company”, parachuting behind enemy lines during the Normandy Invasion. With 13 men they attacked a German battery above Utah Beach defended by at least 50 men. This action, called the Brecourt manor Assault has been taught at West Point as an example of textbook assault on a fixed position. Winters and Easy Company were the featured in the book and HBO mini-series “Band of Brothers”.
Rod reminded us that these lessons in leadership, “if we follow them, still work today.”
Submitted by Jeff Webb, Keyway Committee
IN OTHER MEETING NEWS
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- Heidi Finniff gave the Invocation and led us in the pledge.
- Rhett Dunaway welcomed all visiting Rotarians & guests.
- President Sandy Morckel presented Health and Happiness.
- We had a special program in honor of Veteran’s Day. Skip Fink introduced our keynote speaker, Rod Gragg, a former journalist and historian, who presented “Military Memoirs”.
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MORE IN THIS WEEK’S KEYWAY
November 18, 2019 | Issue 4948 | President: Sandy Morckel
COMING EVENTS
As you can see, there are lots of way to give in the coming weeks as we hit full holiday mode in Rotary. Please consider giving a little of your time for any and all of these great projects as part of your Service Above Self this holiday season:
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- Nov. 19 – Rob Powell, 350th Anniversary of Charlestowne Landing
- Nov. 26 – No Meeting – Happy Thanksgiving
- Dec. 1 – Holiday Parade, Downtown: Boat decorating and escort through parade route
- Dec. 3 – Johnny Moore, Rotary District Governor
- Dec. 7 – Shopping for Seniors at Tangier Outlet
- Dec. 8 – Holiday Parade, Mt. Pleasant. Boat decorating and escort through parade route
- Dec. 10 – Holiday Luncheon @ Hall’s Chophouse. Senior Gift wrapping to follow
- Dec. 13 – Salvation Army Bell Ringing
- Dec. 17 – No meeting
- Dec. 18 – Senior Holiday party: Ansonborough House/Senior Center
- Dec. 24 – No Meeting
- Dec 31 – No Meeting
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 (1958-1959)
At the end of the 50’s we had 144 members of our Club. We were honored to have the President of RI speak to our Club: Charles Tennant of Ashville, NC. Rotarians brought their children to the club on 10 December 1959 when Santa arrived and greeted 90 kids. (Where did we meet for 90 kids and over 100 Rotarians)? The Rotary Youth Committee had four youth to speak from the four youth clubs that we were sponsoring: YMCA, WYCA, Boy Scouts, and Girl Scouts. Perfect attendance pins were awarded for the year to 24 of our members. President Charlie Palmer gave a program on his visit to the International Rotary Conference in Switzerland. 1959 Hurricane Gracie visited us.
Hibben Warming Shelter Awarded RCCF Grant
Through our RCCF, our club is again supporting the efforts of the Hibben Warming Shelter at 690 Coleman Boulevard in Mt. Pleasant. The shelter opens for guests when temperatures are expected to be freezing. Guests are offered a safe, warm place to sleep overnight plus an evening meal and breakfast. Showers are available with towels, soap, and shampoo. Bus service is provided to assistant those downtown. Volunteers are always needed and welcomed. Ron Bohac attended our meeting on behalf of the warming shelter and accept our donation check.
Visiting Rotarians

50/50 Raffle
The 50/50 Raffle will continue at our next meeting with a 1 in 6 chance. Current pot is $546, 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.
Boat Raffle tickets now on sale
The annual Boat Raffle has begun! Tickets are now available for all Rotarians to help with our major fundraiser of the year. The prize is once again a beautiful Sea Fox boat valued at $40,000. And a cash equivalent prize of $15,000 is also an option for the winner. Tickets are $100 and no more than 1,000 will be sold – great odds!
Please get out there and sell tickets to family, friends and colleagues. This is the primary source of revenue for us to fund all the great work we do all year long. We’ll be parading the boat at both the Charleston (December 1) and Mt. Pleasant (December 8) Holiday Parades and need volunteers to help with that effort, too. Contact Lisa Van Bergen at [email protected] to sign up
This year its even easier to sell tickets. In addition to the traditional printed tickets, which you can get from Doug Holmes, you can direct people to buy tickets in other ways.
By Text: simply text BOATRAFFLE to 44-321 and tickets can be purchased through a mobile deice
By web site: Log on to the Rotary web site at www.charleston-rotary.org and click on the link at the top left of the page to go to a secure web page to buy tickets
In person: at one of several Rotarian businesses selling tickets including
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- ERA Wilder Realty, 122 Coleman Blvd. Mt Pleasant.
- State Farm Insurance: 3750 Savannah Highway, John’s Island
- NV Realty, 91 Broad, St. Charleston
The winning ticket will be drawn at our 100th Anniversary Gala Event on February 29, 2020.
Become a sponsor of the Rotary 100th Year Anniversary
As we gear up for our 100th Anniversary celebration there are are some great sponsorship opportunities to give businesses visibility and the excellent PR that come along with being associated with Rotary. Sponsorship packages range from $250 to $10,000 and include participation and visibility at our 100th Anniversary Gale Event on February 29. Go here to see the sponsorship options and you can pay for the package you chose right on the web site. And share this with other businesses or potential sponsor you think would benefit from this great marketing and community support opportunity. Remember, this is part of our fund raising effort and most of the funds will go directly back into the projects and organizations we support throughout the year.
If you want an electronic file of the sponsorship packages to email around or print out, contact Lisa Van Bergen [email protected]
Gala Event Tickets on sale now!
Mark you calendars and get your ticket now for the event of the year: The Rotary Club of Charleston 100th Anniversary Gala Dinner event. The event will be held February 29, 2020 at the Francis Marion Hotel.
Tickets are $100 and there will only be 300 sold, so act now.
To purchase tickets, go here
Featured keynote speaker is Past Rotary International President John Germ, Moderator/Host PJ Browning, Publisher of The Post and Courier, along with highlights of our 100 years of impact in Charleston. Black tie optional.
6 pm: Cocktail Reception with live music
7 pm: Dinner and program
8 pm: Dancing and entertainment with Zandrina Dunning Experience
You won’t want to miss this fantastic celebration of Rotary’s 100 years of Service Above Self in Charleston.
Board Member Nominations
In line with the Constitution and By-Laws of the Rotary Club of Charleston, the secretary shall supply each member in good standing with a roster giving the names of those members who are eligible to serve on the Board of Directors. The below list reflects those eligible members who have agreed to serve, if elected.
The By-Laws were revised in June 2017 and state that to be eligible for election to the Board of Directors, a selectee, must be a member in good standing of the Rotary Club of Charleston (with no current dues delinquencies) and must be a member of the Rotary Club of Charleston for at least twelve (12) months as of October 1 of the year in which the election is to occur and met all requirements of a Blue Badge member. Additionally, the selectee must have exhibited regular and reliable attendance of at least 70% (including make-ups) over the past twelve (12) months and must not have served on the Board in the prior twelve (12) months unless otherwise permitted herein. A member must also have actively participated in a committee of the Club, as determined by the nominating committee. If elected, a member must agree to become a sustaining member of the Rotary Foundation and agree to attend at least one of the following District meetings: District Convention, District Assembly or District Foundation Meeting.
The list of eligible members shall be presented to the members of the Club who shall by ballot each indicate their first through fourth preferences from the below list of eligible members to serve on the Board of Directors for the coming year. Each member, in attendance at the annual meeting, or by proxy previously submitted, shall have four (4) votes to elect the four (4) new Board Members. The annual meeting will be held on Tuesday, November 19.
Rotary members who are to remain on the Board of Directors during the 2020-2021 year are: Sandy Morckel, Lisa Van Bergen, Digit Matheny, Paul Stoney, Karl Brady and Charlie Palmer. Outgoing members are: Rob Dewey, Karl Riner, Heidi Finniff and Kerby Teller.
Nominating Committee
The following members have been assigned by President Sandy Morckel and Nominating Chairperson Alex Dallis to the Nominating Committee: Trey Lucy, Peter Shahid, Alissa Lietzow and David Burt
Members Eligible and Willing to Serve:
- Debbie Barton
- Rob Byko
- Owen Clary
- Nick Galizia
- Tom Giovanniello
- Cleave Ham
- Jeanne Jamme
- Zac Jones
- Virginia Lee
- Mike Sottak
- Robert Sullivan
- Joseph Tecklenburg
- Peter Tecklenburg
- Kelsey Willey
Faber Staff – Gift Donations
At our meeting on Tuesday, Nov. 19, we will be collecting cash donations to give the staff at Faber as a holiday gift and to show our appreciation for all they do for us each Tuesday. There will be buckets on the table, so please consider making a contribution.
Holiday Luncheon at Hall’s
We will return to Hall’s Chophouse for this year’s Holiday Luncheon. Mark your calendar now for this popular holiday event – Tuesday, Dec. 10 at 12:00 noon. You will be receiving an eVite to this festive event. Please be sure to RSVP to the eVite. There is no charge for Rotarians and spouses/guest are $40. We would appreciate payment at the door. Reservations are limited.
Holiday Senior Giving
We are gearing up for our Annual Senior Gift Giving and Party for the residents of the Ansonborough House. The Historic Rotary Club of Charleston is very proud that we have the opportunity to make sure every resident of the Ansonborough House has a wonderful holiday. We need your support to make this a success! Volunteers are needed to shop as we purchase the presents on Saturday, December 7 at 10am at the Wal-Mart at Tanger Outlet, wrap the presents immediately following our holiday luncheon on Tuesday, December 10 and host the party at the Ansonborough House on Wednesday, December 18 at 1:00pm. If you can volunteer or have any questions, please contact Mark Smith @ [email protected]
Ringing Bell for Salvation Army
Our Annual “Ringing of the Bell” for Salvation Army will be held on Friday, Dec. 13. We will have two stations – one at King/Market and one at Meeting/Market. Sign up at an upcoming meeting or by contacting Karl Brady at [email protected].
City of Charleston & Mt. Pleasant Holiday Parades
Our Boat that is being raffled at this year’s 100 Year Gala has been accepted as a float in the annual City of Charleston Holiday Parade on Sunday, Dec. 1 and the Mt. Pleasant Holiday Parade on Sunday, Dec. 8. We are looking for volunteers to help decorate and walk with boat in each of the parades. If you are interested, please contact Lisa Van Bergen at [email protected]. This is a fun way to get involved and also spread some holiday cheer! Spouses, children, dogs all welcomed to walk with our boat — the more, the merrier!!
Change in Membership Status Deadline
If you plan a change in your club member status by January 1, 2020 to Excused, Leave of Absence or if you are planning to resign, please notify Carroll in writing NO LATER THAN December 2, 2019. This change will affect January statement, which will be distributed in mid-December. All current members who officially resign after December 2 will be billed $52 to cover Rotary International dues, which are paid the first of each billing cycle. If you have any questions, contact Carroll.
Rotary Foundation Giving
The District Match is back …. Effective November 10 through December 31, 2018, Rotarians will receive 1 recognition point for every dollar when a contribution of at least $100 up to $500 is made. This is a limited time offer. The points are available and will be allocated on a first come, first serve basis. When the points are gone — they are GONE! Please contact our Rotary Foundation Chair, Karl Riner at [email protected] to take advantage of the program.
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
Congratulations to our newest Rotarian – Barb Walters! Barb is a former member and Past President of the Delaware, OH Rotary Club. President Sandy introduced and sponsored Barb, who will hold the classification of Commercial Banking. We welcome Barb into our Rotary family!
Proposed New Members
The following membership candidate has submitted an application and signed letter of agreement to the Historic Rotary Club of Charleston:
Alan Burgreen – sponsor: Heidi Finniff; classification: Construction/Mgmt
In the event you know Alan, please tell a member of the Board how she will serve the ideas of Rotary.
MEMBER SPOTLIGHT
Kerby Teller
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- JOINED: 8/31/2015
- SPONSOR: Past President David Burt
- MEMBERSHIP INVOLVEMENT: Education Committee, Current Rotary Board Member and Community Service Director
- CLASSIFICATION: Workplace Strategy Consultant
- PROFESSION: SVP for CBI Workplace Solutions – specialize in workplace strategy, occupancy planning and commercial interior construction and furniture solutions.
- SOMETHING UNIQUE ABOUT YOURSELF: This might not be unique, but I am married to my best friend, Jen, who is a 4th grade teacher at Porter Gaud. We have two amazing kids, Mason, who is 3, and Lawson, who is 7 months old and we have two golden retrievers, Maverick and Sully.
Birthdays
- Nov. 20 – Jeanne Jamme
- Nov. 22 – Alissa Lietzow
- Nov. 24 – Jack Mitchell
- Nov. 25 – Heath Beam
By the numbers
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- Attendance on October 29, 2019: 69
- Not in attendance: Allen, Altman, Baggs, Barry, Baus, Beam, Bickley, Carico, Clark, Coghill, Cole, Cooper, E., Cooper, M., Cooper, J., Coxe, Deavenport, Donnellon, Drafts, Galizia, Gill, Howard, Husser, Jones, Kaynard, Le, Lee, Lucy, Minson, Mitchell, Plotner, Ravenel, Rich, Riley, Rust, Sidebottom, Smith, H., Smith, M., Stoney, Strickland, Taylor, Tecklenburg, P., ThomasA
- Out of Town Make-ups: Owen Clary, Aiken, SC
WELLNESS TIP
De-Stress With Meditation
The bad weather, the seasonal pace, work: If this time of year has your stress meter spiking, it may be time to close your eyes, breathe … and get a little repetitive.
Repetition is at the heart of meditation’s soothing power. The act of banishing thoughts, focusing on your breathing, and repeating a single word or phrase, fires up your body’s natural relaxation response.
And meditation can do more than soothe away stress. Research shows it may help lower blood pressure, boost immunity, reduce PMS symptoms, even aid in fertility and the delivery of a new mom’s milk.
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.