8/31: Tom Leonard on Leadership – Rotary Club of Charleston

August 31, 2021

Our own Tom Leonard shared wisdom acquired through a career of executive coaching and leadership training. Don’t forget the cocktail networking event at Five Faber on September 21 at 5 PM.

This week we had the pleasure to have Tom Leonard share his thoughts on leadership. Tom is a longtime member of our club who will be retiring and relocating to soon to be closer to his children and family “up north”. Before coming to Charleston, Tom had been president of Samsonite, Wilson Sports, and several other large corporations. He started in sales and quickly became a sales manager at very young age and started developing leadership and management tools in his mid 20’s. For the past several years he has run Leonard Strategic Advantage, which has developed business strategies and training for many local companies and non-profits

Tom’s definition of a leader is someone who continually sets and achieves goals. One of the tools Tom developed when he was first managing salespeople was the “IPS/ECI Management System”. IPS is for Integrity, Planning, and a Systematic approach. The ECS is for making Easy for your works to succeed, Clear communicating, and Innovation.

Tom shared some quotes from “Founding Fathers of Leadership”, a book he was given for Christmas in 1997 but had not read until recently during Covid downtime. One of these was “Leadership is leaders acting as well as caring, inspiring, and persuading others to act for certain shared goals that represent their values, wants, needs, and aspirations of the people they represent.” The genius of leadership is the manner in which they care for their people. Tom gave his final 3 points on leadership: easy as 1,2,3:

Build trust and communicate with your people
Train your people and delegate to them
Lead and inspire your team to be innovative

Tom took several questions from members. One was “what is your favorite interview question?”. Tom gave three: “What’s a goal you set and achieved? What’s a problem you faced and solved? What’s an idea you had and have implemented”. In addition to the questions, many members shared stories of how Tom has made a huge difference in their organizations and thanked him for what he has done for the Charleston community.

To access the recording from this week’s meeting, go here.

IN OTHER MEETING NEWS

Steve Morse gave the Invocation and led us in the pledge.
Virginia Lee introduced our visiting Rotarians & guests.
President Rob Dewey presented Health and Happiness.
Past President David Burt introduced our speaker and fellow member of our club, Tom Leonard, who shared his thoughts on Leadership.

MORE IN THIS WEEK’S KEYWAY

September 7, 2021 | Issue 5018 President: Rob Dewey

COMING EVENTS

- September 7 – Diane Hamilton, Town of Maryville (Zoom only)
- September 14 – Mark Holyfield, Vantage Point Foundation
- September 21 – Social @ Hall’s Signature Events 5-7 pm
- September 28 – Steve Palmer

NEWS BRIEFS

ZOOM Meeting this Tuesday

Our meeting this Tuesday, Sept. 7 will only be offered on ZOOM. Do NOT go to 5 Faber – we will NOT be there.

Join Zoom Meeting:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83989549447

Meeting ID: 839 8954 9447
Dial by your location
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Important – Masks Required at Meetings

In alignment with the new CDC recommendations, the Rotary Board has determined that the club needs to make adjustments to our Rotary meeting procedures. Effective immediately, we will be requiring all guests (vaccinated or unvaccinated) to wear a mask except when eating or drinking. We will not be taking temperatures upon arrival or requiring attendees to sign a waiver at the door.

The staff and servers at Hall’s will continue to wear masks and seating will appropriately social distanced.

For the safety of our members and guests, we ask all members to please comply with the CDC guidelines and our protocols.

NEW MEMBER ORIENTATION SESSIONS

OCT. 6 and Nov. 16

Join Past-President and current District Membership Chair Digit Matheny and Past-President Brian Johnson for an upcoming Rotary Club of Charleston New Member Orientation/Information session. Attending one of these sessions will provide you with the information and tools to help you make the most of your Rotary membership.

Two of these sessions will be offered in Oct. and Nov., so that you can choose the one which best fits your schedule, as follows:

Oct 6, at 4:30 pm, location TBD depending upon number attending (site in peninsula Charleston or Mt. Pleasant, will be provided to you by email at a later date)
Nov. 16, at 11:15am, prior to our regularly scheduled Rotary meeting at Hall’s 5 Faber St.

Please use the following link to the Doodle Poll to indicate which one of these sessions you would like to attend:

https://doodle.com/poll/rrw2gcuharmphdfp?utm_source=poll&utm_medium=link

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Membership Chair, Cleave Ham.

TY (Thank-You) Pin Presented to Tom Leonard

Our Rotary Club is continuing to recognize long-time retired (or retiring) Rotarians. 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 had the honor to recognize and thank our current member, Tom Leonard, before he relocates to Pittsburgh for his many years of service to Rotary and our community. Tom has been a big supporter of Rotary and served our club for many years in various capacities. He has given so much of his time, talents and treasures over the years and has definitely made our club EVEN BETTER! We are all going to miss Tom and wish him and his wife, Marilyn, all the best as they move to be closed to their family.

Contact Membership Chair, Cleave Ham CleaveHam@msn.com with others whom we need to recognize.

Run with Bernie Polio Challenge

We are still going strong with our Run with Bernie Polio Challenge!

Our team of 10 Rotarians have raised $150 and have almost 1500 miles racked up since July 1^st!!

There is still time for you to join the challenge. Also, It is not just running, but ANYTHING that translates into miles. Walking, running, biking, swimming, paddle boarding, pickle ball.

If you are interested in joining the team please reach out to Don Oswalt don.oswalt@proforma.com

OR, if you can’t join the challenge please consider helping us eradicate Polio by donating a tax deductible gift to our TEAM PAGE.

No cash? No problem. We now take Venmo!

Thanks to overwhelming demand by our younger, cash-fee members, the club will now accept Venmo payments. Venmo can be used to pay dues, meals for guests, contribute happy dollars and conduct other transactions which previously required cash, check or credit cards. Simply add @rotaryclubofcharleston as a payee on your Venmo account. Thanks Joseph Tecklenburg for helping us reach this incredible technology milestone!

Rob Dewey is now looking into how we can use Bitcoin to pay our dues.

Charleston 50: Year Two

Charleston50, a fundraising campaign launched by the Rotary Club of Charleston to fund community grants, has already reached 58% of its 2021-22 goal during the first 24 days of our fiscal year!

Begun last year when traditional events were canceled due to COVID, the project is continuing thanks to the overwhelming response by members who donate $500 annually to support deserving non-profits in our club’s service area.

The Rev. Rob Dewey, club president, said, “Charleston50 was a surprise success for us. After decades of supporting projects by selling tickets and sponsorships, we quickly learned that our members value the impact our club has in the community and the easy way they can give through Charleston50.”

Charleston50 members receive several visibility benefits including being listed on the club’s website and on a slide deck visible for 20 minutes before each meeting; a pin; a sticker; and an opportunity to briefly greet club members. Donations to Charleston50 are made through the non-profit arm of our club and are 100% tax-deductible.

Please download and complete the Pledge Form here, and return it via email to Phoenicia Miracle at PMiracle@MiracleStrategies.com.

Next Rotary Social: Hall’s Signature Events, Sept. 21

Our next social event will be held on Tuesday, Sept. 21 at Hall’s Signature Events from 5-7pm. This event will be held in lieu of our weekly luncheon that day. It will be a great opportunity to join your fellow Rotarians for fun and fellowship. Look for your Evite in your inbox.

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.

Become a PHF & Support the Rotary Foundation

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.

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, mikesottak@gmail.com, or Rob Byko, rob@bykorealty.com.

MEMBER NEWS

Paul Harris Fellow Recognition

Continuing the legacy of our founder, the Paul Harris Fellow program recognizes individuals who contribute, or who have contributions made in their name, of $1,000 to The Rotary Foundation of Rotary International. This past Tuesday our Rotary Foundation Chair, Karl Riner, proudly recognized Tom Leonard with a Paul Harris Fellow. Congratulations to Tom! Your continuous support of the Rotary Foundation is much appreciated.

Proposed New Members

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

Elizabeth Hills – sponsor: Virginia Lee; classification: Maritime Services

Marion Platt – sponsor: Past President Sandy Morckel; classification: Non-Profit ExecutiveIn the event you know Elizabeth or Marion, please tell a member of the Board how he will serve the ideas of Rotary.

MEMBER SPOTLIGHT

Rotarian: Travis Ronk

- JOINED: 7/19/2021
- SPONSOR: Steve Morse
- MEMBERSHIP INVOLVEMENT: New Member
- CLASSIFICATION: Banking/Business Development
- PROFESSION: Business Development Officer/Beacon Bank
- SOMETHING UNIQUE ABOUT YOURSELF: I enjoy being in the outdoors with my wife, Lauren, and our Boykin Spaniel, Ruby. I like to get out on the water fishing and once in a great while catch something!

Birthdays

9/10 – Thomas Berry
9/13 – Rob Byko

WELLNESS TIP

Get your flu shot and yearly check-up.

Self explanatory! No one likes sniffling and aching and sneezing and coughing getting in the way of life. Yuck.

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: 7:30AM 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: Rob Dewey

Keyway editor: Don Baus don@sgaarchitecture.com

Executive secretary: Carroll Schweers, carrollschweers@gmail.com

Mailing address: Rotary Club of Charleston, P.O. Box 21029, Charleston, SC 29413-1029