11/10: Brigadier General Brad Owen: Veterans Day

November 10, 2020:

An inspiring and informative meeting to honor Veterans Day. Brigadier General Brad Owen gave us an update on the military’s role in South Carolina; we welcomed four recipients of Rotary grants, and inducted a new member. 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.

Brigadier General Brad Owens was our keynote speaker Tuesday as we recognized Veterans Day.

Brigadier General Brad Owens is a native of North Augusta, South Carolina. He received a Regular Army commission in the United States Army Corps of Engineers in December 1985 following his graduation from Clemson University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Civil Engineering.

In 1991, BG Owens commanded the 122nd Engineer Company (Combat Service Engineers) in Saluda, SC, and in 1998 commanded A Company, 122nd Engineer Battalion. In 2002, he commanded the 122nd Engineer Battalion, deploying in 2003 in support of OPERATION IRAQI FREEDOM. Under his command, over 900 engineers provided full-spectrum combat engineering throughout the Al Anbar province of Iraq. Their distinct actions in combat earned the 122nd Engineer Battalion the Valorous Unit Award.

He returned to South Carolina in 2004 and has since served in various positions with the Joint Forces Headquarters, including Chief Facilities Management Officer, and until April 2015, Director of Plans, Operations, and Training of the SCARNG.

BG Owens presently serves as the Director of the Joint Staff, overseeing and directing the administration of all South Carolina National Guard (SCNG) Joint Staff programs supporting South Carolina domestic response and homeland defense contingency operations. (South Carolina National Guard: Leadership https://www.scguard.ng.mil/Leadership/Article/2008520/brigadier-general-brad-owens/)

We have two sacred obligations as service members. One is to build a team, and in order to be victorious you need to build a team, but also to recognize those who came before which is why we celebrate Veteran’s Day. From 1900-1950 over 100 million people were slaughtered all over the world in war. The US adopted an American way of war to project power with 180,000 soldiers deployed in 140 countries but more so than any other military, we rely on the individual attributes of the American Soldier.

The SCARNG has deployed over 28,000 soldiers since 9/11 and were in 16 different countries last year. The National Guard is no longer a reserve but is combat ready.

The South Carolina National Guard (SCNG) consists of the S.C. Army National Guard. (SCARNG), including approximately 9,200 Soldiers and the S.C. Air National Guard (SCANG) with over 1,200 Airmen. Collectively, these forces had a direct economic impact in 2019 of over $591.5M. Major General (MG) R. Van McCarty, as Adjutant General for South Carolina, leads the South Carolina National Guard and supports the Governor in his role as Commander-in-Chief.

We have 5th largest aviation fleet in the country and the only Army air missile defense command in the country and a troop command in charge of Covid operations. The SCARNG also has a medical command.

The SCARNG differs from the Active military in that they can also be called up by the Governor. They have responded to multiple emergencies including Hurricanes, Civil Disturbances and the Pandemic Response. The COVID-19 response saw a surged maximum of 610 SCNG Guardsman on duty, accounting for the longest State emergency response in National Guard history and an unprecedented national response including the highest utilization of the Guard since WWII.

Go here for a recording of the meeting.

Submitted by Don Baus, Chairman Keyway Committee

IN OTHER MEETING NEWS

- Debbie Barton gave the Invocation and led us in the pledge.
- Denise Kaufman welcomed all visiting Rotarians & guests.
- President Lisa presented Health and Happiness.
- Veteran’s Committee Chair, Skip Fink, introduced our speaker, Brigadier Brad Owens.

MORE IN THIS WEEK’S KEYWAY

November 17, 2020 | Issue 4986| President: Lisa Van Bergen

UPCOMING EVENTS

- - - Nov 17 – Will Haynie, Mayor of Mt. Pleasant
    - Nov. 20 – Day of Caring
    - Nov. 24 – NO MEETING (Thanksgiving)
    - Dec. 1 – Dr. Thad Bell, “Healthcare Disparities”
    - Dec. 8 – Board Meeting @ 11am / Dondi Costin “How Local Universities are dealing with Covid-19”
    - Dec. 15 – Holiday Luncheon @ Hall’s

NEWS BRIEFS

Meeting on ZOOM

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

An RSVP is required for those attending in person, as we have a cap of 70 people for our in-person meetings for the time being. The deadline for RSVPs was this past Thursday, Nov. 12. Reservations for this meeting are now closed. If your schedule has changed and you are now available to attend in-person, please contact Carroll as there is a possibility that there is availability. We will also offer the meeting on Zoom and that link will be included in the weekly Keyway email.

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.

RCCF Grants Awarded

On behalf of our Rotary Club and our Rotary Club of Charleston Foundation (RCCF), RCCF Chair and Past President David Burt recognized four of our six Fall CCF Grant receipients.

Lana Kleiman attended and accepted the check on behalf of Charleston Legal Access. Charleston Legal Access was created to fill a void in the legal community and offer services not provided by any other organization in the state. They goal is to provide low-cost legal representation and assistance to the working poor and other of modest means who do not qualify for free legal services, but who cannot afford a private attorney. Our club’s donation will purchase a laptop for use by their Senior Staff attorney.

Charleston Promise Neighborhood was represented by Karen Quadrio. Their vision is a place where residents in their community and students are on track to succeed in life. Their mission is to provide and facilitate comprehensive programs and services that support children, strengthen families, and mobilize residents. Our donation will be used to purchase 1,000 water bottles for students at James Simons and Sanders-Clyde Elementary Schools to use at school. Due to COVID, students have limited mobility to move outside the classrooms and it is critical for them to have an ample water supply for the duration of their classroom activities.

Bill Storey attended on behalf of the Lowcountry Hope Center. The Lowcountry Hope Center has a desire to reach the homeless in the Charleston area and to make a personal connection with as many as possible. With our club’s support, they will do this by distributing 144 Backpack Blanket Buddies to the homeless population in our area. Each backpack is stuffed with warm blankets, wool cap and mittens, wool socks, t-shirts, easy-open can food, and personal hygiene items.

People Against Rape (PAR) was represented by Djuanna Brockinton. People Against Rape is the rape crisis center for Charleston, Berkeley and Dorchester counties. Their mission is to provide comprehensive services to reduce the level of trauma experienced by adult survivors of sexual violence in our area. Our donation will assist with the redesign and update of their website. PAR reaches 10k people a year and their website is often where people first hear of the organization. COVID also has made it necessary to provide service virtually for sexual assault victims. The website needs to clearly express their services and how to access them.

We are pleased to support these organizations and their efforts in our community.

Happy Hour This Thursday

We hope you will join us for Happy Hour this Thursday, Nov. 19 from 5pm-6:30pm at Rutledge Cab Company, 1300 Rutledge Avenue. This will be a wonderful opportunity for fun and fellowship and to catch up with your Rotary family. Guests and/or prospective members are also invited to join us!

Board Nominating Information

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,

Rotary members who are to remain on the Board of Directors during the 2021-2022 year are: Lisa Van Bergen, Rob Dewey, Rob Byko, Jeanne Jamme, Virginia Lee, and Joseph Tecklenburg. Outgoing members are: Digit Matheny, Paul Stoney, Karl Brady and Charlie Palmer.

Nominating Committee

The following members have been assigned by President Sandy Morckel and Nominating Chairperson Sandy Morckel to the Nominating Committee: David Burt, Alex Dallis, Karl Riner, Heidi Finniff, and Kerby Teller.

Eligible Candidates

Stefany Di Manno Ceccato
Owen Clary
David Cohen
Rich Dukes
Nick Galizia
Cleave Ham
Stavros Triantafyllidis
Jeff Webb
Charlton Wieters
Kelsey Willey
Chad Woodell

Holiday Gratuity for Hall’s Staff

At our meeting this coming Tuesday, Nov. 17 and on Tuesday, Dec. 1, 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. 15 at 12:00noon. Due to COVID and social distancing protocols, this will be a Rotarian ONLY event (no guests) and reservations will be limited. We hope everyone will enjoy this fun, festive time and mingling with their fellow Rotarians. Look for an Evite and additional details to be emailed to you soon.

Change in Membership Status Deadline

If you plan a change in your club member status by January 1, 2021 to Excused, Leave of Absence, E-Member or if you are planning to resign, please notify Carroll in writing NO LATER THAN December 7, 2020. This change will affect the January statement, which will be distributed in mid-December. All current members who officially resign after December 7 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.

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.

Support Polio – October & November PolioPlus Months

Although the calendar has turned to November, District 7770 has designated October AND NOVEMBER as Polio Plus months. Please consider making an online donation to Rotary’s efforts to end polio now: https://endpolio.org/donate. You can also continue 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 for your donation.

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].

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 affects 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 our newest Rotarian – Ted Fason! Ted was sponsored by Charlie Palmer and introduced by Past President Paul Stoney. He will hold the classification of Liquor Distribution/Distillery. We welcome Ted into our Rotary family!

Proposed New Member

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

Dwayne Green – sponsor: Past President Sandy Morkel/President-Elect Rob Dewey; classification: Legal Consulting/Gov’t Affairs

In the event you know Dwayne, please tell a member of the Board how he will serve the ideas of Rotary.

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!

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

11/20 – Jeanne Jamme
11/22 – Past President Alissa Lietzow

By the numbers

- Attendance on November 10, 2020 (In Person and Zoom): 47
- Not in attendance: Allen, Baggs, Baus, Berry, Bickley, Brack, Clark, Coe, Coghill, Cole, Cook, Coxe, Crain, Crouch, DeGraff, Diminich, Drafts, Echols, Fellabom, Fink, M., Galizia, Gill, Giovanniello, Goxhaj, Hanger, Holmes, Humiston, Husser, Imam, Jamme, Jones, C., Jones, Z., Kaynard, Loredo, Lucy, Matheny, Minson, Moring, Morse, Oswalt, Palmer, Patrick, Peters, Ravenel, Raver, Rust, Savage, Seguer, Shahid, Sidebottom, Smith, H., Smith, P., Staley, Strickland, Taylor, Teller, Tonney, Vanek, Wackym, Walters, Weston, Williams, Willey
- Out of Town Make-ups: None

WELLNESS TIP

Defuse Stress With Friendship

Fall is a good time to come back together after the summer scattering of vacations and busy schedules — a great time to relax with friends.

Soothe away stress by making contact in person or by phone with someone you care about, someone you haven’t talked to in awhile because life got in the way. The positive emotions will make you feel good, and when joy and stress meet up, the joy wins out.

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: 7:30AM Hall’s Signature Events, 5 Faber, 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: 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