October 25, 2021
Our guest this week was Mary Howell of Charleston’s own Water Mission, which provides equipment, resources and programs to ensure clean and safe drinking water to communities around the world. Don’t forget our next social event on November 10 at Palmetto Brewery, which will double as an Operation Warm coat drive (see more below).
Mary Howell of Water Missions joined us this past Tuesday. She has more than 25 years of professional years in nonprofit work and has served as city manager for 2 cities in New Jersey before moving to South Carolina in 2012 to serve as COO for Tricounty Ministries and joined Water Missions in April 2021.
In 1998, founders Molly and George Greene, were operating an environmental engineering company in Charleston, South Carolina when they heard about the devastation in Honduras caused by Hurricane Mitch. After receiving a request for multiple water treatment systems in Honduras, and being unable to find existing systems that would work, George and his team of engineers took action to build such a system – and thus the idea for Water Missions International was born.
Water Missions is a nonprofit Christian engineering corporation that builds
safe water solutions that break through the global water crisis. 2.2B people lack access to safe water and 4.2B people lack access to sanitation. 842,000 people die every year due to lack of access to safe water.
Water Missions provides safe water, sanitation and hygiene. If you have never had access to safe water you also need to learn good hygiene as well and Water Missions works to teach those good practices.
Water Missions has more than 400 staff members working around the world. Safe water systems include the Living Water Treatment System and Potable Water Chlorinators. Water Missions works through both Community Development and Disaster Relief and has a permanent presence in Haiti enabling them to mobilize in 4 days for the earthquake that devastated the country,
Water Mission has completed over 2800 safe water and sanitation projects, 22,500 latrines, provided access to sanitation to over 240,000 people and access to safe water to over 5.8 million people. There will be an open house on November 3 for local business leaders with tours from 11am to 1 pm with lunch provided.
To learn more about the Water Mission go here. To see the video Mary showed, go here.
Click here for a recording of last week’s meeting.
IN OTHER MEETING NEWS
- Jan Luth gave the Invocation and led us in the pledge.
- Beth Meyer-Bernstein introduced our visiting Rotarians & guests.
- President Rob presented Health and Happiness.
- Past President Lisa Van Bergen introduced our guest speaker, Mary Howell, who discussed Water Mission.
MORE IN THIS WEEK’S KEYWAY
November 2, 2021 | Issue 50265 President: Rob Dewey
COMING EVENTS
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- Nov. 2 – Aaisha Haykal, Avery Institute (ZOOM ONLY)
- Nov. 9 – Veteran’s Day Observed; Judge Peter Kouten
- Nov. 10 – November Social/Coat Drive
- Nov. 16 – James Dusenberry / New Member Orientation @ 11:15am
- Nov. 23 – NO MEETING. Happy Thanksgiving!
- Nov. 30 – Gil Kerlikowske (former director of DEA and Border Patrol)
NEWS BRIEFS
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
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.
Our next session is 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 register for the session.
https://doodle.com/poll/rrw2gcuharmphdfp?utm_source=poll&utm_medium=link
If you have any questions, please feel free to contact our Membership Chair, Cleave Ham.
ROTARY SOCIAL – Gloria Gaynor Concert CANCELLED
Mackie Moore announced this past Tuesday that a decision was made to cancel the Gloria Gaynor Concert on Friday, November 5th. Those who have already purchased tickets were contact and given 3 options to consider:
1: Donate to Thrive SC – portion of ticket sales were going to Mackie’s non profit.
2: Donate to RCCF – clubs foundation
3: Return of funds net any fees that may have been deducted by our friends at Venmo…
We apologize for the inconvenience and appreciate your support of our club.
TY (Thank You) Pin to Greene, Smith & Taylor
Our Rotary Club is continuing to recognize former and 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, Past President Patterson Smith was honored to recognize and thank for their many years of service three long-time, dedicated Rotarians – George Greene, Mark Smith and Tommy Taylor. George was an active member of our club for 12 years – resigning in 2012. He was a multiple Paul Harris Fellow and assisted the club with its past projects with Water Missions. Mark Smith was an active member of our club for 20 years before transferring to the Daniel Island Rotary Club in 2020. He served our club as Past President and Board Director. He was long-time chair of our Senior Aging & Issues Committee and coordinated our Holiday Senior Giving project. He is a Multiple Paul Harris Fellow, Paul Harris Society Member, Rotary Benefactor and Rotary Foundation Major Donor. Tommy, who was an active member for 14 years before resigning in 2019, served as Secretary for many years. He is also a Paul Harris Fellow. It was wonderful to have these outstanding Rotarians back with us!
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’.
Bucket Money to Servers
You can support our wait staff at Hall’s Signature Events by making a donation to the bucket during Happy Bucks. All bucket donations from now until November 30 will be collected and given as a holiday gift to our servers to show our appreciation for all they do for us each Tuesday.
November Rotary “Share the Warmth” Coat Drive
Wednesday November 10th from 5:30pm-7:30pm
Palmetto Brewery -289 Huger Street Charleston, SC 29403
Parking- extra parking available under the bridge
Benefit Charities: Coat Drive Social benefiting East Cooper Community Outreach, Charleston County School District, and One80 Place
Please Bring-worn coats, jackets, sweaters, sweatshirts, hats, gloves, socks, winter gear, or any other clothing we can donate to our less fortunate brothers and sisters to help keep them warm during this upcoming winter time.
Live Music- We will have live music at the venue
Food and Drinks- Will be provided by Palmetto Brewery and paid for by guests.
*This is should be a great Share the Warmth Coat Drive event and we encourage every Rotary member to bring one prospective member to the event. We will be co-hosting the event with the Charleston Breakfast Rotary Club. We look forward to seeing you there!
ROTARY FOUNDATION YEAR END GIVING CAMPAIGN NOW IN PROGRESS!
Matching Points Campaign will last until December 31, 2021. Gifts of $100 to $500 will be matched by the District (7770). If you would like to become an instant Paul Harris Fellow for $500, the district will match your donation. Please reach out to Karl Riner to participate or for more information.
You can also donate to Rotary’s efforts to end polio now: https://endpolio.org/donate.
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 [email protected].
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.
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
We inducted two new members and welcomed back an old friend into our Rotary club this past Tuesday. Robin Freer, who we honored earlier this month with a “TY” pin, is returning as an Active member of our club. Susie Underwood and Dan Moses, who were both introduced and sponsored by Past President David Burt, also joined our Rotary family on Tuesday. Susie will hold the classification of Engineering/Transportation/Business Development. Dan joins us with the classification of Engineer/Transportation. Welcome to all!
Thanks to Amy Chico & her daughter, Rob Byko, Alissa Lietzow & her 2 sons, Dan West, David Cohen, who all took time out of their weekend to help with our Adopt-A-Highway clean up this past Saturday. Our club was joined by the Charleston-Breakfast Rotary Club on this service project. It was a wonderful morning of service and fellowship. The next clean-up will be scheduled for the Spring.
Proposed New Members
The following membership candidates have submitted an application and signed letter of agreement to the Historic Rotary Club of Charleston:
Matt Miller – sponsor: Cleave Ham; classification: Eleemosynary/Executive
Christopher “Chip” Wyatt – sponsor: Jan Luth; classification: Engineering/Civil
Landon Davis – sponsor: Past President Paul Stoney; classification: Banking/Commercial
In the event you know any of these prospective members, please tell a member of the Board how he will serve the ideas of Rotary.
MEMBER SPOTLIGHT
Rotarian: Elizabeth Hills
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- JOINED: 8/24/2021
- SPONSOR: Virginia Lee
- MEMBERSHIP INVOLVEMENT: New Member
- CLASSIFICATION: Martime Services
- PROFESSION: Charleston Branch Pilot’s Assoc.
- SOMETHING UNIQUE ABOUT YOURSELF
Elizabeth spent three months traveling solo in Argentina in her mid-20s to attend a Spanish immersion school. Virginia enjoyed traveling around the country. Currently serving the greater community in service to the following organizations: Vice Chair and Communications Chair, Charleston Women in International Trade; Scholarships Committee, SC International Trade Conference; Board Member, Lowcountry Maritime School; volunteer, Charleston Waterkeeper.
Birthdays
- 11/7 – Tammy Coghill
- 11/8 – Past President Digit Matheny
WELLNESS TIP
Sterilize your most touched items
Your cell phone, keyboard, remote, and tablet are all germ habitats. It’s good to make it a habit to sanitize these areas with Clorox wipes. Throughout cold and flu season, you’ll definitely want to make sure you’re sanitizing these areas weekly, if not daily.
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 [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