November 3, 2020:
Our District 7770 Governor Pauline Levesque visited us this week to provide an overview of the current Rotary International Theme and offer some tips on building strong membership. 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.
District Governor Pauline Levesque spoke to us this week. Pauline talked about Rotary’s Strategic Planning and its Ability to Adapt. The pandemic has caused everyone to adapt and Rotary has made significant efforts to continue to meet and serve the community in different ways.
Pauline said that when she began her term, she had hoped that there could be hybrid meetings (virtual/in-person) options available for members. But she thought it would take about 3 years to get to that point! Obviously, this goal has quickly become a reality. In addition to virtual club meetings, there are district-wide meetings and happy hours on weekly basis available to all.
Rotary is a membership-driven club and membership is everyone’s responsibility. We all need to strive to grow our clubs. One of the strategic goals of Rotary International President Holger Knack is to grow clubs by creating innovative club models. Pauline described a club that meets once a month. At this meeting, they plan out the next month and keep in contact over that timeframe by a group chat. In addition, they will social and networking meetings when there is a 5th meeting day in the month. These types of clubs can bring in people who unable to attend weekly meetings in person but want to be engaged in a different way.
Pauline talked about the many opportunities to give that she is promoting this year. She encouraged our club to install a “Blessing Box” as a way for members who are not able to attend meetings to continue to serve the community. She spoke about the Rotary Foundation and the great gifts it is providing the world. The continent of Africa is now Polio free in large part because of the work of the foundation. Pauline created a named fund as a legacy gift to the foundation, and there are many other ways that members can contribute. When the COVID-19 19 pandemic hit, the foundation immediately dedicated $25 million to disaster relief in the form of grants. That money was distributed in only 3 weeks. Another $25 million was allocated from the next year’s budget. Jennifer Jones, Rotary International President 2022-2023 led a Facebook telethon that raised another $600,000. Our local foodbanks received $25,000 from that amount.
Pauline played a videofeaturing other district governors with the theme: “Rotary opens opportunities”. Afterward she encouraged us all to seek new opportunities to serve.
Go here for a recording of the meeting (starts at 00:32).
Submitted by Jeff Webb, Keyway Committee
IN OTHER MEETING NEWS
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- Past President Alex Dallis gave the Invocation and led us in the pledge.
- President Lisa welcomed all visiting Rotarians & guests.
- President Lisa presented Health and Happiness.
- Assistant District Governor Robb Rosol joined us and introduced our District Governor Pauline Levesque.
MORE IN THIS WEEK’S KEYWAY
November 10, 2020 | Issue 4985| President: Lisa Van Bergen
UPCOMING EVENTS
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- 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)
- 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
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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. 5. 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.
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.
Charleston Breakfast Meeting Location Change
The Rotary Club of Charleston Breakfast has a new meeting venue! The club will begin meeting at Hall’s Signature Events, 5 Faber, on Friday mornings at 7:30am starting on November 13th. If you are in need of a make-up credit for a missed meeting or want to experience an early morning breakfast meeting, you can now conveniently attend this Rotary meeting downtown in our same meeting location.
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
Please consider making an online donation to Rotary’s efforts to end polio: https://endpolio.org/donate.
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 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 decided to arrive over two weeks early greeting them on Saturday, October 24th. She came in at 6 pounds 13 ounces, 20 inches long. Both Mom and baby are doing great! Big Brother Penn is said to be crazy about her.
Proposed New Member
The following membership candidates have submitted an application and signed letter of agreement to the Historic Rotary Club of Charleston:
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 – sponsor: Past President Sandy Morkel/President-Elect Rob Dewey; classification: Legal Consulting/Gov’t Affairs
In the event you know Edward, Dan or Dwayne, please tell a member of the Board how he will serve the ideas of Rotary.
MEMBER SPOTLIGHT
Rotarian: Denice Kaufman
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- 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. .
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Birthdays
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- None
By the numbers
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- Attendance on November 3, 2020 (In Person and Zoom): 67
- Not in attendance: Allen, Baggs, Baus, Berry, Bickley, Bini, Brack, Clark, Coe, Coghill, Cole, Combs, Cook, Coxe, Crain, Crouch, DeGraff, Diminich, Donaldson, Dopp, Drafts, Dukes, Echols, Fellabom, Fink, M., Finniff, Gill, Goxhaj, Hanger, Holmes, Howard, Humiston, Imam, Jamme, Jones, C., Jones, Z., Kaynard, Kohli, Lietzow, Loredo, Lucy, Minson, Morckel, Morelli, Moring, Morse, Owalt, Patrick, Peters, Plotner, Ravenel, Raver, Savage, Seguer, Shahid, Sidebottom, Smith, H., Smith, P., Staley, Strickland, Taylor, Tecklenburg, John, Tecklenburg, Joseph, Teller, Triantafyllidis, Uram, Vanek, Wackym, Walters, Ward, Weston, 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
- Copyright 2018, Rotary Club of Charleston. All rights reserved