November 2, 2021
Our guest this week was Aaisha Haykal who gave an overview of the Avery Research Center for African-American history and culture. 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).
Aaisha Haykal with the Avery Institute was our guest speaker during our zoom meeting this past Tuesday. Aaisha is the Manager of Archival Services at the Avery Research Center of African American History and Culture at the College of Charleston.
There have been a couple of iterations of the Avery Institute. The First was the Avery Normal Institute which taught freed people of color and was named after Charles Avery, a philanthropist from Pennsylvania who supported the colleges for freed people of color. The original building was on Coming Street, but was moved to Bull Street when the City asked for the Coming Street property back. It worked as a school from 1868 to 1954 focusing on liberal arts. The “Normal” part of Avery was teaching students to become teachers. The City ultimately wanted to use the building for condos and the school approached the College of Charleston. They opened as the Avery Institute in the 1990.
Early collections included Jenkins Orphanage, Esau Jenkins, Guy and Candie Carawan and Sweetgrass Baskets. The collection has grown to include drawings of H. A. Decosta, Philip Simmons, Newspapers, Textiles, Maps and Artifacts. The bulk of materials date from 1930-2000 but collection dates back to 1800. Archives are a repository of records that are not in regular use for preservation, this differs from the Library which is a collection of creative and informational sources maintained for use in study, research, or leisure. The museum is dedicated to preserving and displaying collections of physical artifacts and specimens that have a value within a particular context, for study and enjoyment.
The building was closed for renovations for 2 years, reopening in January 2020 and closed to tours for Covid, transitioning to virtual.
The main means of acquisition is through donations but also acquire items through purchase and auction if the item is of a particular value. The Institute is also part of a digital library, The Lowcountry Digital Library (LCDL) that allows access to materials from not only Charleston but other library collections in the Lowcountry.
Upcoming projects and initiatives include Lowcountry and Gullah Foodways, Activism: Education, Civil rights/Black Lives Matter by community and students as well as outreach to different institutions. Recent projects include blessing boxes, Covid vaccination drives, community gardens as well as the ongoing Race and Social Justice Initiative that promotes public awareness and dialogue about race and social justice issues in the Charleston area, the State of South Carolina, and beyond.
Click here for a recording of last week’s meeting.
IN OTHER MEETING NEWS
- Marion Platt gave the Invocation and led us in the pledge.
- President Rob asked guests to unmute and introduce themselves.
- President Rob presented Health and Happiness.
- Past President Lisa Van Bergen introduced our guest speaker, Aaisha Haykal, who discussed the Avery Institute.
MORE IN THIS WEEK’S KEYWAY
November 9, 2021 | Issue 5026 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)
- Dec. 3 – Salvation Army Bell ringing
- Dec. 7 – Chloe Tonney, Trident United Way
- Dec. 14 – Holiday Luncheon @ Hall’s Chophouse on King
NEWS BRIEFS
Million Dollar Dinner a Huge Sucess
On a day that was proclaimed Rotary Foundation Day in South Carolina by Governor Henry McMaster, major donors from District 7770 gathered at the historic Francis Marion Hotel for the Million Dollar Dinner. In fact, it was a TWO Million Dollar Dinner, as 59 generous Rotarians from our region contributed a total of $2,147,418 to the Rotary Foundation.
Our own Sandy Morckel served as chair for the event, which featured special guest Rotary International President Shekhar Mehta and his wife Rashi. Shekhar arrived from his native India on Saturday morning and presided over the festivities, punctuated with an inspiring talk about the impact of Rotary.
The event, delayed from 2020 due to Covid, was a significant achievement and another milestone in The Rotary Foundation’s long history, which has seen Rotarians contribute more than $4 billion to life-saving sustainable projects since the organization was founded in 1917.RI President Shekhar praised the generosity and service of Rotarians in South
Carolina, telling Andy Brack, “.. in South Carolina, I would say, are you aware there are super generous people in your area. They’re doing amazing things in the world. Like bringing water to people who do not have water, bringing homes to people without homes, bringing food to the hungry. They bring health to the needy. All this is being done in your backyard through an organization called Rotary. Find out it’s a great place to be.”
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 11:15 am, 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.
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 29 will be collected and given as a holiday gift to our servers at our meeting on November 30th 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 wintertime.
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!
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, November 30th.
Rotary members who are to remain on the Board of Directors during the 2022-2023 year are: Rob Dewey, Virginia Lee, Cleave Ham, David Cohen, Kelsey Willey and Stefany Ceccato. Outgoing members are: Lisa Van Bergen, Rob Byko, Jeanne Jamme, and Joseph Tecklenburg.
Nominating Committee
The following members have been assigned by President Rob Dewey and Nominating Chairperson Lisa Van Bergen to the Nominating Committee: Alex Dallis, Sandy Morckel, Digit Matheny, Paul Stoney, and Karl Brady.
Members Eligible and Willing to Serve:
- Alan Burgreen
- Owen Clary
- Karla Combs
- Rich Dukes
- Tom Giovanniello
- Phoenicia Miracle
- Ken Morelli
- Amy Riley
- Michael Smith
- Robert Sullivan
- Chad Woodell
Run with Bernie Challenge
Thanks to Don Oswalt and all the Rotarians who participated in the Polio Challenge. Our club clocked 3604 miles and raised $250.
International Grants Committee – Get Involved
It is that time of year for the International Committee to solicit grants from organizations working to make our world a better place. Our Club has a focus on organizations in developing countries and has previously funded grants in Kenya, Liberia, Haiti, Dominican Republic, and Paraguay (to name a few) that work to solve a wide variety of issues facing those communities. Serving on the international grant committee is a great way to learn about impactful organizations around the world. You will also be able to see first-hand how our Charleston Rotary Club makes a difference throughout the globe. Please contact Joseph Tecklenburg, if you would like to help (and helping involves just a couple of meetings!) in this worthy endeavor.
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].
No Meeting on Nov. 23 – Happy Thanksgiving
We will not meet on Tuesday, Nov. 23. We hope everyone has a wonderful Thanksgiving and is able to enjoy time with family and friends.
Watch for the Evite in your inbox for our meeting on Dec. 7. It will be emailed the beginning of Thanksgiving week. The deadline to RSVP will be on Black Friday, Nov. 26th.
Salvation Army Bell Ringing
Our long-standing holiday tradition continues! We will be ringing the bell for the Salvation Army on Friday, Dec. 3 from 10am-5pm. We will have two stations – one at King/Market and one at Meeting/Market. More information to come about sign-ups, but if you would like to reserve a certain shift in advance, contact our project chair, Denise Kaufman at [email protected]. We hope as many of you as possible will participate as this is a way we can serve our community while safely social distancing outdoors.
Important – Mask Protocol
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.
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
Our thoughts and prayers are with Amy Chico as she had surgery this past Thursday. We wish her a full and speedy recovery. Also, continue to keep Luther Reynolds in your thoughts and prayers as he battles cancer.
Proposed New Members
The following membership candidates have submitted an application and signed letter of agreement to the Historic Rotary Club of Charleston:
Landon Davis – sponsor: Past President Paul Stoney; classification: Banking/Commercial
Baxter Hahn – sponsor: Cleave Ham; classification: Financial Advisor
Jonathan Ply – sponsor: Mackie Moore; classification – Retired
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
- None
WELLNESS TIP
Drink a glass of water first thing in the morning
Coffee’s great too, but it’s best to start your day by re-hydrating with a full glass of water. Hydrating first thing in the morning helps to aid digestion, enhance skin health and boost energy.
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