March 24, 2020:
As you are making the numerous adjustments in your work and family life to adhere to the numerous federal, state and local mandates, we wanted to share the decision made at an emergency Rotary Board Conference Call. Due to the City Ordinance passed by the City of Charleston limiting meetings of 50 or more people, we have had to make the decision to cancel in-person Rotary meetings for the upcoming Rotary Meetings until April 24. However, there are many ways you can help our community in the time need. Please see the article below for some opportunities to provide service.
We have agreed to this schedule:
- March 31 – No Meeting
- April 7 – Board Meeting only (by conference call)
- April 14 – No Meeting
- April 18 – Beach Sweep
- April 21 – Meeting – TBD
- April 28 – Meeting – Nigel Redden, Spoleto
As of now, we plan to RESUME REGULAR MEETINGS scheduled for April 21 & April 28. We will regroup with the Board by conference call on April 7 to discuss these dates as well as the month of May and beyond, depending on current status of the containment of the Coronavirus at that time.
We will be continuing communications during the sabbatical, and will continue to publish the Keyway and continue the membership applications currently in process. We also want you to make us aware of any care that any of our Rotarians and their families might need during these trying times. President Sandy, Carroll and all Board members are available to help with any questions you may have.
MORE IN THIS WEEK’S KEYWAY
March 31, 2020 | Issue 4960 | President: Sandy Morckel
COMING EVENTS
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- March 24 – No Meeting
- March 31 – No Meeting
- April 7 – Board Meeting only (by conference call)
- April 14 – No Meeting
- April 18 – Beach Sweep
- April 21 – Meeting – TBD
- April 28 – Meeting – Nigel Redden, Spoleto
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 Club in 1990 celebrated its 70th anniversary with 200 attending a black-tie event at Hibernian Hall. For the first time in history Club membership dropped from 278 to 227. We dedicated the new fountain at Wraggsborough Square and started raising funds for a Rotary fountain at Marion Square. Our Club was featured on the NBC “Today’s” show for helping with the six stranded crew members of the Yugoslavian freighter in Charleston harbor. We built a Habitat House on Cooper Street for $27,000 and a lot of Rotarian manpower sweat. One speaker was USC Historian George Rogers, whose talk reminded us that he was the first Club’s Rotary Ambassadorial Scholar in 1949.
Boat Raffle Check Presentation
The highly anticipated Boat Raffle was held during the closing moments of our 100 Year Anniversary Gala. Unfortunately, we didn’t meet our minimum in tickets sales to be able to raffle the boat, but we were able to raffle $15,000 cash! PJ Browning pulled the winning ticket and it was announced that the raffle ticket was purchased or brought in that evening! Maura Johnson was announced as the winner — she was actually not present, but the Rotarian who sold her the ticket was. Our first boat winner, Catherine Jones, sold the ticket! Congrats to Maura! A check presentation was held at Acupuncture & Wellness (owned by Catherine Jones) in Mt. Pleasant last week. President Sandy, Catherine Jones and Executive Secretary, Carroll Schweers, were on hand to congratulate Maura and present her with the check on behalf of the Club.
Rotary Board Meeting
Our club’s Board will meet via conference call on Tuesday, April 7 at 1pm to discuss the upcoming meeting schedule and other Rotary business.
Rotary Committees
We encourage Rotary Committees needing to move forward on business to continue to meet but through conference call/Zoom. Approval of RCCF Grants and International Grants will take place through Conference Calls/Zoom Meetings (to be scheduled) and will be approved at a Board Meeting via Conference Call to be held following their recommendations so that grants can be approved by the end of April.
Rotary Exchange Student
Please keep our Rotary Exchange Inbound Student (Tobias – from Switzerland) and Rotary Exchange Outbound Student (Eleanor Pope – in Sweden) in your prayers as they deal with being apart from families during these uncertain times. Both are staying put with their host families. Any support you can give Tobias to help their host family Mike & Toni Sottak would be appreciated.
January Dues Past Due
January –June Rotary dues are now PAST DUE. One of the responsibilities of all members is paying the semi-annual dues. We are not able to hold meetings, etc. when dues are not being paid on time. Past due notices were distributed via email this week to all members still owing January dues. If you received a notice, please make payment as soon as possible or if you have questions or concerns, please reach out to Carroll.
50/50 Raffle
The 50/50 Raffle continues at our next weekly meeting. Members will have a 1 in 8 chance to win. The pot will start at $224. 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.
Ways to Volunteer & Help the Community
With the increase in Coronavirus cases, and the need to stay vigilant, we have shifted our Rotary volunteer support of the Charleston Area Senior Citizens to the “Adopt a Senior” Program. This provides protection for our volunteers that we can’t guarantee in other volunteer opportunities.
The “Adopt a Senior” Program will allow you to be matched with a senior and “check in” on them through phone calls to determine if they are OK and if there is anything they need during this time of isolation. This is a great opportunity to spread sunshine and create a relationship with someone to let them know you care, as well as help them with any needs they may have.
Rotarians should register online for “Adopt a Senior” at https://signup.com/go/irYdDWt AND email Donna Cook, Executive Director of Charleston Area Seniors to be paired with a senior- she will pair you either close to your work place or close to home- whichever you prefer.
To sign up for “Adopt a Senior”, follow these 4 easy steps:
1) Click this link to see our Signup: https://signup.com/go/irYdDWt
2) Review the options listed and choose Adopt a Senior on your earliest day that you can start your participation.
3) Sign up! It’s Easy – you will NOT need to register an account or keep a password on SignUp.com.
4) Email Donna Cook at [email protected] to be assigned your senior.
Note: SignUp.com does not share your email address with anyone. If you prefer not to use your email address, please contact Sandy and she can sign you up manually.
After you are assigned your senior, you can make an introductory phone call to connect and let them know you will be checking on them daily (M-F or at your convenience) to see how they are doing. Should they need anything delivered or picked up, you can help as you can to address their needs. Feel free to call Donna if you have questions during this time. She can be reached at 843-722-4127.
Donations of food and money are always welcome as the Charleston Area Seniors food pantry will be used extensively in the coming days. Please drop off non-perishable food or donations to 259 Meeting Street (donations can be dropped off to back door off parking lot behind the building between Wentworth and Society Streets)
Photo Gallery from Rotary 100th Anniversary Gala
We’ve got two great photo galleries up on Facebook to see and share the pictures from our fantastic evening.
Check out this Photo Gallery on our Facebook page for a ton of great photos from the event.
And this one from our Photo Booth set-up that was a lot to fun for all our members and guests.
Get Your Rotary 100 Anniversary Apparel
Rotary 100th Anniversary Commemorative gear is now on sale! Don Oswalt and our PR Team showcased a golf shirt and tee-shirt in varying colors and sizes, along with a baseball cap, all with our 100th anniversary logo. We encourage every Rotarian to purchase one or more of the special merchandise and wear it proudly at every Rotary function or volunteer activity in which we participate. Golf shirts will be available for $45, tee-shirts for $20 and hats for $20. You can purchase these items online here or at the Rotary Meetings over the next 2 weeks. We will place the group order for all items at the beginning of February.
2020 Rotary International Convention Canceled
The Rotary International Convention, scheduled for June 6-10, in Honolulu, Hawaii, has been canceled in response to the ongoing threat of COVID-19. President-Elect Lisa Van Bergen was our representative scheduled to attend. We hate that she will be unable to experience a Rotary International Convention.
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
Our Canadian friends, John Cowan and Marie-Anne Erki, had to flee north about a month before intended, due to the COVID-19 crisis. They wanted to be home before travelling became difficult and before risks increased. They arrived safely to Kingston, Ontario on March 12. Their intention is to return to Charleston next winter for five months, but if the situation remains dangerous or uncertain, they will skip a year.
Best wishes to Jack Mitchell as he retires from AT&T relocates to Atlanta mid-April to join his lovely bride. We appreciate all he has done for Rotary and our community over the years and will greatly miss him! We wish him nothing but the best!!
Hoping we all stay safe and continue to stay connected as we help those who are most vulnerable in our community. Please don’t hesitate to reach out to fellow Rotarians if we can help you in any way in the days and weeks to come!
Proposed New Members
The following membership candidates have submitted an application and signed letter of agreement to the Historic Rotary Club of Charleston:
Karla Coombs – sponsor: Heidi Finniff; classification:
Megan Fink – sponsor: Skip Fink; classification: Non-Profit Marketing
Leslie “Les” Perkins – sponsor: Digit Matheny; classification: Engineering/IT
In the event you know Karla, please tell a member of the Board how she will serve the ideas of Rotary.
MEMBER SPOTLIGHT
Jermaine Husser
- JOINED: 2004
- SPONSOR: Tom Campbell
- MEMBERSHIP INVOLVEMENT: Past President, Past Board Member, numerous committees including, most recently, the 100 Year Anniversary Project Committee
- CLASSIFICATION: Non-Profit Executive
- PROFESSION: VP of Mission Enterprise, Palmetto Goodwill
- SOMETHING UNIQUE ABOUT YOURSELF: I moonlight as a Deejay for weddings, parties, and anniversaries on the weekend
Birthdays
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- 4/2 – Campbell Cox
By the numbers
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- Attendance on March 24, 2020: no meeting
- Not in attendance: No meeting
- Out of Town Make-ups: None
WELLNESS TIP
Clean your hands often
Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds especially after you have been in a public place, or after blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing.
If soap and water are not readily available, use a hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol. Cover all surfaces of your hands and rub them together until they feel dry.
Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands.
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