May 4, 2021
We welcomed Matt Martin of The Federal Reserve this week to give us an overview of the ‘big picture’ economic impact of Covid-19. Don’t forget that we still need volunteers to work at the upcoming PGA Championship in Kiawah next week. More info in this week’s Keyway.
Matt Martin, of the Federal Reserve joined us to discuss “Community Banking”. Titled Economic Update: Acceleration and Speed, we are heading into a very strong year that will erase much of the damage of the economic shut down but it will be uneven. We are still 8M jobs short from pre-Covid numbers but many of the workers cannot find work.
GDP has rebounded for the most part, but the first quarter of the year was about 6% in growth and second quarter may hit 10%, so we are accelerating in recovery growth. This is driven by consumers having a lot of disposable income in savings right now, or a lot of money to spend. Recreational services (movies etc) suffered the most and we will see those come back very strong this year if Covid stays at bay.
For businesses, demand increases are causing supply shortages as the economy hits the accelerator and it causes uneven increases. We are seeing this in construction materials like wood and steel. Shipping is slow as they cannot process the containers fast enough at the ports.
Over 20% of leisure and hospitality workers are still out of work but restaurants and hotels are having trouble finding workers. This is caused by schools not being in session, fear of covid and less willingness to work with the stimulus checks. Over half of those out of work in the Charleston area are in leisure and hospitality industry.
We will need those who are not back to work to get back into the workforce in order to maintain the economic growth we are experiencing.
For a recording of this week’s meeting, go here.
IN OTHER MEETING NEWS
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- Nick Wackym gave the Invocation and led us in the pledge.
- President Lisa introduced all visiting Rotarians & guests.
- President Lisa Van Bergen presented Health and Happiness.
- Tom Leonard introduced our speaker, Matt Martin of the Federal Reserve Bank.
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MORE IN THIS WEEK’S KEYWAY
May 11, 2021 | Issue 5007 President: Lisa Van Bergen
COMING EVENTS
- May 11 – Recognizing our Rotary Service Above Self Scholar and CCSD Teacher of the Year
- May 18 – Marc Marchant of LS3P, “How LS3P makes our region look even better”/ 11am Board Meeting
- May 25 – David Ginn, CRDA, Regional Economic Update
- June 1 – Nancy Mace, Legislative Update (ZOOM ONLY)
- June 8 – Ellen Moryl, CSO and Arts in Charleston
NEWS BRIEFS
COVID: In-Person Reminder
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 a warning that maybe they should limit their contact with others until it is proven that they are not infected.
A Message from Rotary Ready
We have, as a team, been trying to keep up with the demands of the ever-evolving landscape that the Covid-19 presents. Our goal initially was to keep you all informed. We met via Zoom on Mondays at 9:00 A.M. since the start of Rotary Ready. Much was shared and discussed on ways to meet the demands of growing a significant number of volunteers to match the vaccine rollout needs. Working closely with our clinical partners, we had successful pilots in three key areas Mt. Pleasant, Florence and Myrtle Beach. Our partners had been able to get large doses of the vaccines early on to hold pilots of mass vaccine sites.
You all have followed the ups and downs of the availability of vaccines in the media. These waves caused starts and sputters without gaining much traction until the past two weeks. Vaccines drove our need for volunteers. Because of this vaccine issue, many of you have been disappointed that the email you expected to volunteer never came. What matters most is that you committed to a service to help others. Difficult times kept us all on our toes. With the numbers rising and potential risk to yourself, committing to volunteer is heartwarming. I commend you all for stepping up, being ready and patient waiting for your time to serve. For those who were able to volunteer, I know the experience brought you a sense of awe being able to witness the thousands of people desperate for protection against the virus receiving that injection.
April brought another challenge as those vaccinated returned to work, tourists returned to our coast and a shortage of workers and volunteers emerged. We are also seeing vaccine providers take on more of a role to lead the scheduling of volunteers, which come from many sources, including Rotary Ready.
So here is where we are today. It seems that with the slowing of the vaccine signups and the abundance now of the vaccine, the more traditional clinical outlets are best prepared to handle the vaccine delivery. These outlets; pharmacies, hospital outpatient areas, DHEC outreach, municipalities, independent physicians and so on are receiving the vaccines for distribution. Therefore, the need for these mass vaccine drives may be over.
This week, April 24 -30, 2021 of World Immunization Week, we are in transition. Beginning on May 1, we will continue to support vaccine providers and look to other efforts which we can support in new ways. If needed, Rotary Ready volunteers may still be called upon to assist with some of these smaller sites or within their own community venues. Check Rotary Ready for more information.
ESTIMATED TOTAL END APRIL 2021
101,000 SHOTS DELIVERED
1,250 VOLUNTEERS
6,800 VOLUNTEER HOURS
VALUE = $102,000 (@$15/hour)
PGA Championship Volunteer Opportunity
Calling All Rotarians! May 17 – 23 at the beautiful Kiawah Island Ocean Course!
Join fellow club members as we sell concessions under the 8th Green Tent, the only tent to provide refreshments on the front nine!
Below is the link for SignUp Genius. Please sign up and share with family, friends, and colleagues. Let’s fill the tent and help raise funds for the Rotary Club of Charleston Foundation (RCCF). There are two shifts each day, 6am-12pm and 12pm-6pm. Each volunteer will receive a ticket for the rest of their day to enjoy walking the grounds and see professional golf!
https://www.signupgenius.com/go/9040B4CADAC2BA1FB6-pgachampionship
Questions? Please fill free to reach out to Digit at [email protected].
TY (Thank-You) pins
Our Rotary Club is now recognizing former, long-time retired Rotarians, so we may present them with a lapel pin. The pin was designed by Rotarian Don Oswalt. In the middle of the pin the initials “TY” = Thank-You. On the outside of the pin states that the TY is from your Club – The Historic Club of Charleston – Rotary.
This past Tuesday, we were excited to have former long-time member and a fixture for many years at the check-in table, Tom Brown, joined us on ZOOM to be recognized and thanked for all he did for our club over his years of service. Tom not only volunteered at the check-in table regularly, but also was our Club Treasurer for many years. Since Tom is no longer residing in Charleston, his “TY” pin is being mailed to him. It was great seeing Tom and we hope he’ll join us again on Zoom!
Our Board feels it is imperative to show appreciation to our former, retired Rotarians, who have given so much of their time, talents and treasure over the years towards making our Club ‘Even Better’.
Contact PE Rob Dewey with others whom we need to recognize: [email protected]
Charleston 50
The Historic Rotary Club of Charleston is blessed to recognize each quarter someone who has made a difference in our community with The Community Impact Award. Congratulations to Brandon!
We made it!! We are at 100% of our goal of 50 donors by our goal date of March 15! Thank you to our inaugural class of the Charleston 50 for their generous support. This special group of 48 Rotarians and 2 community donors committed to contribute $500 annually to the RCCF, which funds our club’s community and international projects and grants. The Charleston 50 was a wonderful alternative to a fundraiser during these COVID times and will serve the club well in the future. Thank you to Phoenicia Miracle and Jeanne Jamme for all their efforts in making this such a success. We can continue to do our good works into the 2021-2022 year!
PR Committee Seeking Volunteers
Our club’s PR Team is looking for additional members to join their committee. Specifically, volunteer photographers are needed to take photos at our meetings. If you are interested in serving on the PR committee and helping in this role, please email Mike Sottak at [email protected]. Fancy cameras are not required, an iPhone will do! It would be wonderful to have a couple of volunteers alternating the weekly duty.
Support The CART Fund
It is easy for club members to make individual contributions and support The CART Fund electronically. The CART Fund has 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 the Rotary Foundation
The District 7770 Million $ Campaign and dinner will be held on May 5th 2021 at the Francis Marion Hotel. Our own Sandy Morkel is the Chair for that event. $10,000 spread over 3 years or a Bequest gets you an invite.
And do not forget your opportunity to be recognized as a Paul Harris Fellow. Eighty-five dollars a month gets you there. Please reach out to Karl Riner, Club Foundation Chair, to sign up or ask questions. You can also donate to Rotary’s efforts to end polio now: https://endpolio.org/donate.
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 pictures 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
Proposed New Members
Andrew Rosenfield – sponsor: Digit Matheny; Consultant/Finance
Angela Craig – sponsor: Rob Byko; classification: Library/Admin
In the event you know Andrew or Angela, please tell a member of the Board how she/he will serve the ideas of Rotary.
MEMBER SPOTLIGHT
Rotarian: Hugh C. Lane III
- JOINED: 4/27/2021
- SPONSOR: Conrad Zimmerman & Rob Dewey
- MEMBERSHIP INVOLVEMENT: New Member
- CLASSIFICATION: Banking/Community
- PROFESSION: Assist. Vice President, Bank of South Carolina
- SOMETHING UNIQUE ABOUT YOURSELF: I lived in Idaho for 4.5 years while working for the Bank of Jackson Hole. While living in Idaho, I discovered my love and passion for fly fishing. Since returning to Charleston, I have started targeting tailing red fish on the flats in the Charleston area and have enjoyed the new challenge. I spend many evenings sitting down at my vice and tying flies.
Birthdays
- 5/11 – David Cohen
- 5/14 – Trey Lucy
- 5/18 – Colleen Moring
By the numbers
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- Attendance on May 4, 2021 (In-Person and Zoom): 40
- Not in attendance. Allen, Baggs, Berry, Bini, Brack, Burgreen, Byko, Cardwell, Clark, Coe, Cole, Combs, Cook, Coxe, Crouch, Curia, DeGraff, Diminich, Donaldson, Dopp, Drafts, Echols, Fason, Fellabom, Fink, Skip, Finniff, Galizia, Gill, Goxhaj, Green, Hanger, Howard, Imam, Jamme, Jones, Jones, Kaynard, Lee, Lietzow, Loredo, Lucy, Matheny, Mauk, Moore, Morelli, Moring, Oswalt, Palmer, Patrick, Peters, Phipps, Plotner, Ravenel, Raver, Reynolds, Riley, Riner, Rust, Scott, Seguer, Shahid, Sidebottom, Smith, Smith, Smith, Staley, Stoney, Strickland, Sullivan, Taylor, Tecklenburg, Tecklenburg, Teller, Tonney, Vanek, Walters, Ward, Webb, Weston, Williams
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- Out of Town Make-ups: None
WELLNESS TIP
Drink a glass of water after every alcoholic beverage
Nope, we’re not going to tell you to refrain from alcohol (though you certainly can if you want!). Drinking alcohol in moderation can be part of “healthy” lifestyle if done in a responsible manner. A glass of water after every alcoholic beverage helps to detoxify the alcohol from your body, as well as slow your alcohol consumption and keep you hydrated (a key factor in hangover prevention!).
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