December 10, 2019:
This past week was our annual Holiday Luncheon hosted by Bill Hall at Hall’s 
Chophouse.
Rotarian Bill Hall, his family and staff hosted our annual Holiday Luncheon at Hall’s Chophouse on King Street. We were excited to return to Hall’s for this year’s luncheon. This is everyone’s favorite Rotary event of the year, so it was a packed house! Rotarians & their guests were treated to a fabulous lunch. It was a festive event that got everyone in to the Holiday spirit! A special thanks to Bill for always making this such a special event for our members. Happy Holidays to all!
Submitted by Carroll Schweers, Keyway Committee
IN OTHER MEETING NEWS
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- Robert Sullivan gave the Invocation and led us in the pledge.
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MORE IN THIS WEEK’S KEYWAY
December 17, 2019 | Issue 4951 | President: Sandy Morckel
COMING EVENTS
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- 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 60s (1964-1967)
The Charles Webb Rehabilitation Center for Cripple Children was officially opened. We had long helped in that area. We hosted a youth exchange student from Sweden. The Board instructed President Zimmerman to write letters to members who habitually left the meetings early. Also it was adopted the new members pay an initiation fee of $25 before being inducted. Important programs during this time consisted of expansion of the Medical College and the College of Charleston. Chief Newberry, Club Historian, presented a history of the Club for 47 years and it was decided to delay a publication until our 50th anniversary. It was decided that both sides of any controversial topics presented must be heard. Some topics were right to work laws, Sunday Blue Laws, the John Birch Society and South Africa.
50/50 Raffle
The 50/50 Raffle will continue after the holidays with a 1 in 9 chance to win on January 7. The pot will start at $120. 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.
Meeting Cancellation Dates for Holidays
As a reminder, we will NOT be meeting for Rotary on Tuesday, Dec. 17, Dec. 24 or Dec. 31. We wish everyone a wonderful holiday season
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! Volunteer elves shopped for 80 gifts at WalMart Tanger this past Saturday. 
And they were busy wrapping them up following our holiday luncheon on Tuesday, December 10.
We will host the party at the Ansononborough House on Wednesday, December 18 at 1:00PM.
Please contact Mark Smith at [email protected].
You can also register to attend any of this service projects by going to the calendar on the DACdb.
Ringing Bell for Salvation Army
As a long-time holiday tradition, our club showed our support of the Salvation Army Red Kettle Campaign by having volunteer Rotarians ring the bell at King and Meeting Streets throughout the day on Dec. 13th. Thanks to Karl Brady for once again coordinating our efforts and all of the Rotarians who took time out of their busy schedules to participate. The amount collected will be announced in January.
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. 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 device.
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.
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, 2019, 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.
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
The Board is excited to announce that President-Elect Lisa Van Bergen was confirmed as our club’s next President and Rob Dewey was elected our President-Elect Nominee this past Tuesday. Both these outstanding, hardworking, enthusiastic Rotarians will assume their new positions with the start of the new Rotary year on July 1. Congratulations to both Lisa and Rob, who will lead us into our next 100 years! This is an exciting time to be a Rotarian!
Congratulations to our newest Rotarians – Anthony Weston and Alan Burgreen! Anthony was sponsored and introduced by Past President Digit Matheny. He will hold the classification of Banking/Commercial Loans. Alan Burgreen was introduced and sponsored by Heidi Finniff and will hold the classification of Construction/Management. We welcome Anthony and Alan into our Rotary family!
Proposed New Members
The following membership candidates have submitted an application and signed letter of agreement to the Historic Rotary Club of Charleston:
- Rosalinda Loredo – sponsor: Kay Minson; classification: Construction/Masonry
- Thomas Berry – sponsor: President Sandy Morckel; Construction/Restaurant Mgmt.
- Phoenicia Miracle – sponsor: Heidi Finniff; Non-Profit Consultant
- Harry Staley – sponsor: Madeleine Frume; TBD
In the event you know any of these prospective members, please tell a member of the Board how she will serve the ideas of Rotary.
MEMBER SPOTLIGHT
Lisa Van Bergen
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- JOINED: 2011
- SPONSOR: Past President Andy Brack
- MEMBERSHIP INVOLVEMENT: Board Member, President-Elect, Keyway Committee
- CLASSIFICATION: Eleemosynary/Executive
- PROFESSION: Counselor/Grantwriter
- SOMETHING UNIQUE ABOUT YOURSELF: My family made church bells for years in the Netherlands, and my grandfather cast bells in foundry in Greenwood, I spent a lot of my childhood running up and down bell towers. Our family’s bells are at The Citadel, Clemson, Furman, Wake Forest and many more.
- JOINED: 2011
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Birthdays
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- 12/21 – Kurt Seguer
- 12/29 – Rob Dewey & Charlie Palmer
- 12/31 – Beth Savage
- 1/6 – Jermaine Husser
- 1/7 – Madeliene Frume
- 1/12 – John Bleecker
By the numbers
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- Attendance on December 3, 2019: 77
- Not in attendance: Allen, Altman, Baggs, Barry, Baus, Beam, Bickley, Carico, Coe, Coghill, Cohen, Cole, Cooper, J., Coxe, Deavenport, Donnellon, Drafts, Dukes, Echols, Gill, Giovanniello, Husser, Jones, Kaynard, Le, Lee, Lucy, Mixson, Moring, Morse, Patrick, Plotner, Prewitt, Ravenel, Riley, Rust, Savage, Seguer, Smith, H., Smith, M., Strickland, Taylor, Teller, Thomas, Van Bergen, Vanek,
- Out of Town Make-ups: None
WELLNESS TIP
Create moments for mindfulness
Find a few moments every day for gratitude: for your family, friends, job, your health, and any other blessing you feel. Research shows expressing gratitude can even improve mood disorders, such as depression and anxiety, and pausing to reflect on the good in your life can set a positive tone for your day. Find your own way to stop, reflect, and be mindful of what you’re grateful for. That might mean writing a letter to someone special, delivering flowers to a friend, or taking food to someone you feel needs a little extra attention during the holidays.
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