10/27: Congressional Candidate Forum: US Representative Joe Cunningham/Nancy Mace

October 27, 2020:

As we enter the home stretch to a historic election, we played host to the participants in one of the more competitive races on the ballot – our US Congressional seat. Incumbent Joe Cunningham and challenger Nancy Mace joined us to provide their views on a wide range of issues. If you haven’t done so already get out and vote! We continue to operate in hybrid mode, with a limited number of in-person members able to attend meetings at 5 Faber and remote access also available by Zoom.

We were joined last Tuesday by Joe Cunningham and Nancy Mace, candidates for US House of Representatives for South Carolina’s 1^st Congressional District. Each candidate opened with short remarks before answering questions from the audience. The questions each candidate responded to are listed below, to see how each candidate responded, go here see the recording of the political forum.

Joe Cunningham – If the Affordable Care Act is struck down by the Supreme Court, what specific legislative steps would you support to address the needs of the estimated 100 Million people who would be affected by the decision?

Nancy Mace – The pandemic has brought to light the digital divide in rural communities and low income households, what will you do to ensure that everyone has access to affordable high speed broadband internet?

Joe Cunningham – Can you give an example of how you have worked to ensure equal access to quality education?

Nancy Mace – What issue would you most want to discuss with an undecided voter before they cast their ballot?

Joe Cunningham – If elected, what changes, if any, would you support to reform the current U.S. tax code.

Nancy Mace – if elected, what is the top initiative you will pursue to help equip South Carolina educators to meet the challenges of teaching in a Covid-19 environment.

Joe Cunningham -Protection of pre-existing conditions is the most popular part of the ACA what does ‘protecting people’ with pre-existing conditions look like to you and how would this be accomplished if the rest of the ACA is struck down by the Supreme Court?

Nancy Mace – Should the Federal Government incentivize the investment in the development of alternate fuels, if so, how would work to support the measure, if not, what is your plan to achieve sustainable, clean energy policy?

Joe Cunningham – Can you name a federal infrastructure spending project that you supported and how will it benefit South Carolina?

Nancy Mace – Do you support a national prepay education initiative, and if so, what role should Congress play in making it affordable for states?

Both Candidates – Both candidates have adopted slogans such as Lowcountry over Party and Lowcountry First, what specifically does prioritizing Lowcountry mean to you?

Joe Cunningham – If the next Congress pursues new regulations to reestablish fuel efficiency standards for private and commercial vehicles as well as rail, maritime and commercial air transportation, will you support these measures, why or why not?

Nancy Mace – What is your position on raising the national minimum wage and how will you vote for or against it benefit or detract from South Carolinians?

Joe Cunningham – There has been much ongoing discussion in Washington and at the Federal Reserve about the need for additional fiscal stimulus from Congress to bolster the US economy resulting from the harmful effects of the Coronavirus pandemic, However the US debt has also reached its highest level compared to the size economy since World War 2 and is expected to exceed it in the next fiscal year. Do you support additional fiscal economic stimulus and if so what specific measures would you support and in what monetary range?

Nancy Mace – How do you propose to help our South Carolina workforce pivot to meet the demands of a 21^st century economy?

Joe Cunningham – Do you agree or disagree with the statement- Compared to most small to medium size companies the largest corporations doing business in America today, pay their fair share of taxes. Are you in favor of reexamining the corporate tax rate and how it is applied if it decreases US debt or helps pay for a faster recovery from the Coranavirus?

Nancy Mace – What do you think the role of government should be in helping to pay off or refinance student loan debt?

Joe Cunningham – What are the top 2-3 issues affecting young voters today and how will you work to address them?

Nancy Mace – Do you believe all candidates for public office should be required to disclose their tax returns, why or why not?

Joe Cunningham – Do you support higher taxes on the wealthiest Americans to offset U.S. debt?

Nancy Mace – In your many conversations with South Carolina employers, both large and small, trade unions and workers, which of the initiatives, that they discussed with you, will you work to pursue in Congress?

The candidates then provided closing remarks, concluding the Political Forum.

Go here for a recording of the meeting.

Submitted by Don Baus, Chairman, Keyway Committee

IN OTHER MEETING NEWS

- - Past President Sandy Morckel gave the Invocation and led us in the pledge.
  - President Lisa welcomed all visiting Rotarians & guests.
  - President Lisa presented Health and Happiness.
  - Rob Byko and Karl Brady introduced our program and served as moderators for the Political Forum featuring US Representative Joe Cunningham and Nancy Mace, candidates for the 1^st Congressional District.

MORE IN THIS WEEK’S KEYWAY

November 3, 2020 | Issue 4984| President: Lisa Van Bergen

UPCOMING EVENTS

- - - Nov 3 – Pauline Levesque, District 7770 Governor
    - Nov 10 – Board Meeting @ 11am / Brigadier General Brad Owens (Veterans Day)
    - Nov 17 – Will Haynie, Mayor of Mt. Pleasant
    - Nov. 20 – Day of Caring
    - Nov. 24 – NO MEETING (Thanksgiving)

NEWS BRIEFS

Meeting on ZOOM This Tuesday, 11/3

This Tuesday is Election Day! If you haven’t already voted, we encourage all members to get out and vote. To give everyone an opportunity to vote, we decided to change our meeting format to ZOOM ONLY for this one meeting. Our District Governor, Pauline Levesque, will join us as keynote speaker. We hope as many of you as possible will join us and hear all about what is happening around our Rotary District.

We will continue to offer our Rotary Meetings by Zoom well into the foreseeable future, and now we are also able to offer an IN-PERSON option with a few alterations to the way we have met in the past (see below). We hope that as many of you as possible will be able to join us!

Important Note: Attendance requirements for attending the Rotary Club of Charleston luncheon have been waived. Attending the Rotary Club of Charleston Luncheon is voluntary and members/guests are invited to join us in-person or virtually on ZOOM. Anyone who is “at risk” for COVID-19 is encouraged to stay at home

In-Person Meeting Guidelines

The following guidelines have been established for our in-person meetings that comply with state and local regulations for events:

ENTERING MEETING/REGISTRATION

Attendance is at your own risk and only those who are healthy are encouraged to attend
Wearing masks upon entering is optional
Entrance doors will be open
Marks on floor every 6 feet to registration table
Registration table located inside room past “lounge area”
Rotarians/Visitors/Guests wait in line to be signed in by Sergeant-At-Arms Committee
- Temperature will be taken at door and anyone with a 100.4 or higher will not be permitted in the meeting.
- Anyone entering the meeting (members/guests/speakers/venue staff) will be expected to sign a COVID waiver. The COVID waiver will be emailed to club members and venue prior to our first several in-person meetings for review. Members can certainly share with guests.
Sergeant-At-Arms committee will be wearing masks & gloves
No badges
No raffle
Hand sanitizer located at registration and in various locations in the room

SEATING

Lunch will be plated and served as Rotarians arrive at their tables – no buffet or drink station
Rotarians/Visitors/Guests will be encouraged to find a seat after being registered. Try to fill tables from the far wall (near the kitchen) outward to eliminate some of the brushing up against others while finding a seat
Tables & seats will be appropriately spaced to allow for social distancing
Hand sanitizer will be at each table

HEAD TABLE

1 Head table with 2 seats – speaker and speaker introducer
Podium with table mic (wipes available on podium)

INTRODUCTION OF GUESTS/VISITORS

No passing of handheld mic/members will stand-up and introduce guests without use of mic

RSVP REQUIRED TO ATTEND MEETINGS

Members/Visitors/Guests planning to attend weekly meetings will be required to RSVP through Evite to let us know if you are planning to attend as we are limited to 70 people at this time
Any dietary restrictions need to be noted on the RSVP

ZOOM / RECORDINGS

Meetings will continue to be available on Zoom and a recording will also be emailed out after the meeting for those not comfortable attending in person

Important COVID-19 Message from the District

As we go back to attending meetings in person, we wanted to again share the below from the District. Members are asked to keep this in mind.

It has come to my attention that we need to set some ground rules for dealing with Rotarians who contract COVID-19 and how we deal with this in our clubs. First, for the Rotarians themselves. We MUST maintain absolute confidentiality for ANYONE who tests positive for COVID-19 unless they give us permission to share their information. That said, we MUST also ask, even require, that any Rotarian who has been to an in-person Rotary meeting or other function and later suspects they have COVID-19 report this to their Club President as soon as possible. This could be due to being in close contact with a person who tests positive or that they show symptoms. And, they absolutely must let the Club President know immediately if they test positive. Then, keeping confidentiality, the Club President MUST let all who attended that event know that there was someone at the event or meeting who came down with symptoms or tested positive. This will, at least, give all those notified the option of being tested immediately. And, it gives them warning that maybe they should limit their contact with others until it is proven that they are not infected.

IOP Beach Sweep

Thank you to all those Rotarians who took time out of their weekend last Saturday to participate in the Beach Sweep at the Isle of Palms. 40 volunteers, which included Rotarians and family members, Citadel Rotaract members, as well as cadets from the Citadel spent 2 hours walking 5-10 miles of the beach and picking up trash. Approximately 45 pounds of trash was collected. A big thank you to Stavros for organizing this wonderful community service for our club. It was a perfect way to serve our community during COVID — outside and lots of opportunity to social distance.

Community Service Volunteer Opportunities

Trident United Way Day of Caring is coming up on Friday, November 20th. We’ll be linked with students from Burke High School, and sharing insights on careers, career paths, and educational backgrounds. There will be a 1 ½ hour Zoom call, where Rotarians can share in 3 20-minute segments their personal career story. We’re looking for a wide range of careers to share – please consider yours! If you’d like to volunteer or would like more information, please contact our Community Service Director, Virginia Lee at [email protected]

Club Supports The CART Fund & You Can Contribute to The CART Fund On-Line

Through our RCCF Funds, which club members contributed to by supporting our 100 Year GALA and Boat Raffle this past February, a $1500 donation was made on behalf of our club to The CART Fund to support Alzheimer’s Research.

It is also easy for club members to contribute and support The CART Fund electronically. The CART Fund has just rolled out a new portal www.mycartfund.org, which you can easily access. As a Rotarian and a DACdb user, you automatically have an account already set-up in your name. Your user name and password are the same as it is for the DACdb.

World Polio Month

This month is World Polio Month. Please consider making an online donation to Rotary’s efforts to end polio: https://endpolio.org/donate.

Another fun alternative is to help District 7770’s END POLIO NOW Chair Bernie Riedel with his 500 mile walk/run challenge to end polio. Bernie is as committed as they come to Rotary’s goal to end polio – help him here: https://raise.rotary.org/Bernie-Riedel/challenge. Either way, make sure you sign in using your My Rotary account to ensure you and the Club receive credit.

To recognize World Polio Month, our club is showing our support and also making a donation through the RCCF to Polio on behalf of our club.

July Dues Now Past Due

If you haven’t already, please be sure to pay your July-December 2020 dues. Members with outstanding balances have received multiple past due notices and should note that payment is now considered 90 days past due. (see below for Failure to Pay Policy).

Please note that we have expanded our payment options and you now have the ability to pay via ACH and PayPal. Also of note, a 3% convenience fee is added to all credit card dues payments.

Members with outstanding balances have received multiple past due notices and should note that payment is now considered 90 days past due. (see below for Failure to Pay Policy).

The below policy was approved by the Board this past Spring and went into effect on July 1, 2020. Our club’s operating budget depends on members paying their dues as we incur various expenses based on our membership count and we cannot continue to pay for Rotarians, who do not fulfill their commitment of paying semi-annual dues.

Failure to Pay Dues Policy (effective 7/1/20)
“Any Rotary member with dues past 90 days must either pay in full or develop a payment plan, which includes making a minimal payment. If this is not in place by 120 days, then membership in Rotary will be terminated. If a member wishes to return, they must pay all outstanding dues prior to resubmitting an application.”

Another IMPORTANT change …. When we start meeting in-person in September, meal fees will increase to $30 for both excused members and guests. We will also ask that meal fees (Excused & guests) be paid at the door. We will no longer bill.

District Governor Nominations Being Accepted

As the Immediate Past District Governor of Rotary International District 7770, Johnny Moore, serves as Chair of the District 7770 Nominating Committee. In that capacity it is his responsibility to publish this call for nominations, to receive nominations, to present the nominations to the Nominating Committee and to Chair the Nominating Committee during the interview and voting process.

We are seeking nominations for the Office of District Governor of Rotary International District 7770. Nomination data forms must be returned to Johnny at [email protected] no later than 31 December 2020. Included in the attached packet is Article 16 of the Rotary International Manual of Procedure explaining the qualifications for District Governor. The applicant must read, understand, agree to and sign this section in order to be considered. The Club Secretary must sign the nomination form prior to submitting it to me.

Though not required it is suggested that the candidate meet with the Board of their Club to seek Board support for their nomination.

The Nominating Committee will meet on January 29th, 2021 with interviews starting at 9:00 AM. The location or method of meeting will be determined at a later time and meeting via virtual means is a distinct possibility. Those nominated will be informed of the method for meeting as much in advance as is possible and will receive their interview time at that point.

If you have questions, you may contact me at [email protected].

Walk to End Alzheimer’s

This year, the Charleston Alzheimer’s Association Walk to End Alzheimer’s, on November 7th, is everywhere — on every sidewalk and bridge, the beach, downtown, in parks and anywhere your team chooses to walk. Your team can be one person or 200 and you can walk together or separate. Although the world may look a little different right now, one thing hasn’t changed: our commitment to the fight against Alzheimer’s.

The 2020 Charleston Walk to End Alzheimer’s won’t be a large in-person gathering this year — instead, we invite you to walk wherever you like in small teams of friends and family while others in your community do the same. We want the Greater Charleston area to be covered in purple on November 7th!

There are a couple of ways we invite you to participate. Create a team and walk with us to support the cause or be a Sponsor.

How to participate:
1. Register for the Charleston Walk.
Sign up as a Team Captain, team member or individual. It doesn’t matter where you live you can sign up for the Charleston walk and walk where you are that day.

http://act.alz.org/charlestonwalk
2. Start fundraising and spread the word.
We’ll provide tips and coaching every step of the way, including easy ways to raise funds online and at home.
3. Join us on Walk day which is November 7th – everywhere.
Take part in an interactive online experience, walk in your community and visit the planted Promise Garden, which is view only.

Alzheimer’s isn’t waiting. Neither are you.
No matter where you are, you can walk.

http://act.alz.org/charlestonwalk

Official Rotary Club of Charleston Statement on Racial Inequity and Business Support

The Rotary Club of Charleston Board of Directors has adopted an official statement on Racial Inequity and Business Support in light of the recent unrest in our community and across the nation and the world. Rotary International had adopted an official statement on June 1, and we felt it was important for our Rotary Club to take a stand to condemn racial injustice and also show support for our small businesses who were affected during the recent rioting. While this has been a very challenging year for our community and our members with this pandemic and the resulting economic effects, we feel hopeful that a shift is occurring for the pandemic that has plagued our country for 400 years. In both our words and our actions, we have a chance to be a part of changing our future to one that allows all of our citizens to have a chance to live up to their fullest potential. With all the amazing and transformative impact the Historic Rotary Club of Charleston has had on our community and milestones that we have celebrated throughout this 100th anniversary year, you can be proud to be a part of an organization that lives up to our vision of uniting to create lasting change in our world, our communities and in ourselves.

The statement in its entirety can be found on the lead page of our club’s website.

Club/District Emails

As a Rotarian and a member in District 7770, you are receiving emails from our club and the District. Both the club and the District try to minimize the number of emails being sent, but in today’s world of staying at home and no contact, emails are the main way to get information out and keep Rotarians connected. Please do not unsubscribe from District emails as this also effects your ability to receive club emails. If you unsubscribe from the District emails, then you are also unsubscribing from receiving club emails.

Our Club is on Social Media

Members are encouraged 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 sent to Mike Sottak, [email protected], or Rob Byko, [email protected].

MEMBER NEWS

Congratulations to Kelsey Willey and her family on their new addition! Paisley Mae arrived two weeks early this past Saturday, 10/24. She was 6 pounds and 13 ounces, 20 inches long. Mom and baby are doing great! Little brother Penn is said to be crazy about his little sister!

Congratulations to Virginia Lee and her new husband, Greg Lawrence. They were married this past weekend! We wish them a lifetime of joy and happiness!

Proposed New Members

The following membership candidates have submitted an application and signed letter of agreement to the Historic Rotary Club of Charleston:

Maxine “Mackie” K. Moore – sponsor: Past President Sandy Morckel; classification: Eleemosynary/Executive

Luther Reynolds – sponsor: President-Elect Rob Dewey; classification: Law Enforcement

Edward Phipps – sponsor: President-Elect Rob Dewey; classification: Law/Criminal/Civil/Business

Dan Curia – sponsor: President-Elect Rob Dewey; classification: First Responder/Fire

Dwayne Green – sponsors: Rob Dewey & Sandy Morckel; classification: Legal Consulting/Gov’t Affairs

In the event you know Mackie, Luther, Edward or Dan, please tell a member of the Board how he will serve the ideas of Rotary.

MEMBER SPOTLIGHT

Rotarian: Denice Kaufman

- - JOINED: 10/20/20
  - SPONSOR: Past President Digit Matheny
  - MEMBERSHIP INVOLVEMENT: New Member
  - CLASSIFICATION: IT/Management
  - PROFESSION: Owner & CEO, Team Logic IT
  - SOMETHING UNIQUE ABOUT YOURSELF: I practiced as a Certified Dental Technologist, co-owner and COO of our Prosthodontic Specialty Dental Clinic that served a 16-county area in the middle of Nebraska for twenty-two years. In our spare time, we owned and operated a Texas Longhorn breeding ranch. I brokered the sale of longhorn yearlings to the rodeo industry for roping events. I also co-owned and managed hay ground, pasture in the sandhills, and several rental properties (working as the General Contractor for all properties). After departing from the dental practice, I started a Masters in Healthcare Administration Program at Bellevue University, Omaha, Nebraska. .

Birthdays

- 1 – Ricky Bailey & Kay Minson
- 7 – Tammy Coghill
- 8 – Past President Digit Matheny

By the numbers

- Attendance on October 27, 2020 (In Person and Zoom): 67
- Not in attendance: Allen, Baggs, Barton, Brack, Ceccato, Coe, Cole, Cook, Coxe, Crain, Crouch, Diminich, DeGraff, Drafts, Finniff, Hanger, Holmes, Howard, Humiston, Husser, Jones, C., Jones, Z., Loredo, Lucy, Morelli, Morse, Oswalt, Patrick, Riley, Rust, Savage, Seguer, Shahid, Smith, P., Staley, Strickland, Taylor, Tecklenburg, John, Teller, Walters, Webb, Weston
- Out of Town Make-ups: None

WELLNESS TIP

Let Beans Be a Part of Your Diet

If you do one thing to improve your diet this fall, eat 3 cups of beans each week. Besides being a comfort food, beans add flavor and texture to soups, chili, and casseroles. They’re also a great salad topper.

Beans are rich in protein, iron, folic acid, fiber, and potassium. So pick a bean, any bean — lima, black, garbanzo, pinto, or others — and enjoy.

ARE 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: Currently meeting by Zoom. Contact [email protected] for log in information

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: Lisa Van Bergen
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