November 9, 2021
Our guest this week was Judge Peter Kouten who provided an overview of the various courts he sits on, including the veteran’s drug court which is instrumental in helping vets with addiction issues recover and rehabilitate. Lots of holiday activities and events coming up so be sure to read through your Keyway this week!
The Honorable Peter Kouten, Associate Probate Judge for Charleston County, spoke to the club this week about the Veterans Treatment Court. Peter was appointed by Judge Irving Condon in 2017. The probate court handles estates for the deceased or those who are unable to manage their affairs. It also issues marriage licenses. The court offers Adult Drug, Mental Health, and Juvenile Drug court programs. And more recently the Veterans Treatment Court program has been added. This court was authorized by the legislature for the service of our veterans and based upon the success of the other court programs.
Peter thanked the veterans in attendance as we prepare to honor them on Veteran’s Day. He is a US Marine who was trained at Parris Island SC and then stayed there to train others to be Marines. After his service, Peter received a B.S. degree from the College of Charleston in Business Administration and a Minor in Economics and an M.B.A. from the Citadel. He then graduated with his J.D. from the Charleston School of Law as part of the school’s inaugural graduating class. In 2015 he was practicing law in Charleston when Judge Condon offered him a job as an Associate Judge and asked him to play an important role in the formation and operation of the Veteran’s Treatment court.
There are 450,000 people in Charleston County and 14% are veterans. The court serves all veterans is and is open to all branches, to retired, active-duty, or in reserves. When a veteran has been charged with an offense and there is a nexus to alcohol, drug-use; they can apply to the Veteran’s Treatment Court. The incentive for them to participate in the program is that their charges can be dismissed. That is a big carrot on a string. The program is very stringent though. It begins with 5 weeks of outpatient treatment and counseling at the VA Medical Center. The veteran must agree to hold a permanent residence in Charleston or Berkeley County. They must refrain from drug and alcohol use and submit to random testing. After the outpatient treatment at the VA, there are weekly group and individual counseling sessions. There are mentors who are engaged and a play a critical role. Many of the mentors are graduates of 12-step programs and are sponsors to those who struggle with addiction.
Peter said they really set the bar high and challenge the participants. The expectation is that you successfully complete the program with the reward of having charges dismissed. But Peter described how there was a more important and critical result. At graduations he sees spouses, parents, children, who are there in support of the veteran. This is what it is about, literally bringing families back together and changing lives.
Click here for a recording of last week’s meeting.
IN OTHER MEETING NEWS
- The meeting was opened with an Honor Guard from CFD presenting the colors.
- Denise Kaufman gave the Invocation and led us in the pledge.
- Phoenicia Miracle introduced our visiting Rotarians & guests.
- President Rob presented Health and Happiness.
- Skip Fink introduced our guest speaker, Judge Peter Kouten, who discussed the veteran’s court.

MORE IN THIS WEEK’S KEYWAY
November 16, 2021 | Issue 5027 President: Rob Dewey
COMING EVENTS
-
- 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
Meetings to start promptly at 12:30pm – IMPORTANT
President Rob will “ring the bell” for all upcoming meetings through December at promptly 12:30pm. All members and their guests are asked to please arrive early, be seated and served lunch prior to 12:30pm. Hall’s will be prepared to start serving your lunch as early as 12noon.
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.
Share the Warmth Clothing Drive a big success
Thanks to all the Rotarians from our club and the Breakfast Club who supported the Share the Warmth Clothing Drive. A great crowd turned out at Palmetto Brewery and we collected more than two SUVs worth of winter clothes for those in need.
Great job Michael Smith, Leah Donaldson and Joel Caldwell!
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.. The last opportunity to donate at a meeting is this Tuesday, 11/16.
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
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.
Trident United Way – Day of Caring
Our 2021 Trident United Way Days of Caring project is scheduled to be held on Nov 19 from 9 AM-2 PM. Breakfast, lunch, and water will be provided. This service project is a working collaboration between the Rotary Club of Charleston, Trident United Way, Doors-To-Dream and Student Volunteers of Burke High School.
Rotarians, family, friends, neighbors and clients are welcome to join us the day of the event, but please RSVP as soon as possible, for planning purposes.
See details of our project below:
During this beautiful fall season, Burke High would like a makeover of their current garden with the goal of building a fall garden with vegetables that include beets, broccoli, Brussel sprouts, collard greens, cucumbers, carrots, winter, and yellow squash, and potatoes.
The seeds planted in this garden will yield a harvest of success for our students as it will provide culinary students with the opportunity to cultivate their cooking skills by learning how to prepare healthy meals and how to care for a garden. Culinary students will also use the vegetables to prepare community meals.
We are seeking volunteers to make this dream a reality and to tidy up our courtyard area.
Project Needs:
Rotarian Volunteers are asked to BYOT’s (gardening tools and materials), including: Rakes, garden hoes, 200 ft. of garden hoses (day-use only), garden soakers.
We are seeking the following donations including plant food, seeds and/or starter plants for vegetables listed below, pavers, leaf bags, hose connectors, and a garden bench (if possible).
Desired vegetables: Beets, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cucumbers, carrots, winter, butternut, and yellow squash, and potatoes.
If you are able to join us at Burke High School at the Culinary Arts Building on NOV 19th between 9 AM – 2 PM, please indicate your interest by replying to [email protected] by 5 PM on THURSDAY, NOV 11th. This will allow project organizers to better plan for the day’s activities.
****Also, please indicate whether you will be able to supply tools for the day, materials or seed, plant or garden bench donations as requested above.
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.
Senior Holiday Giving
We are gearing up for our Annual Senior Gift Giving for the residents of the Ansonborough House. We are again very proud to have the opportunity to make sure all 80 residents of the Ansonborough House have a wonderful holiday. This year we will be hosting a luncheon for the seniors on 12/16 and giving each resident a holiday card with a Harris Teeter gift card inside. We need 8-10 volunteers to help with the card stuffing immediately following our Holiday Luncheon on 12/14 (1:30-2:30pm), as well as 8-10 volunteers to help host/serve the lunch from 12noon-3pm on 12/16. If you would like to help with this project, please reach out to Sandy Morckel at [email protected] or Denise Kaufman at [email protected].
Holiday Luncheon at Hall’s
We will return to Hall’s Chophouse for this year’s Holiday Luncheon. Mark your calendar now for this popular holiday event – Tuesday, Dec. 14 at 12:00noon (doors open at 11:30 am). We hope everyone will enjoy this fun, festive time and mingling with their fellow Rotarians. Look for an Evite and additional details to be emailed to you soon.
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 – Face Masks Optional
At its meeting this past Tuesday, your Board re-evaluated our current mask policy. Due to the decline in COVID cases, face masks are now optional for all Rotarians and visitors, who are fully vaccinated. Those Rotarians and visitors, who are not yet vaccinated, are encouraged to continue to wear masks.
For the safety of our members and guests, we ask all members to please comply with the CDC guidelines and our protocols.
Change in Membership Status Deadline
If you plan a change in your club member status by January 1, 2022 to Excused, Leave of Absence, E-Member or if you are planning to resign, please notify Carroll in writing NO LATER THAN December 3, 2021. This change will affect January statement, which will be distributed in mid-December. All current members who officially resign after December 3 will be billed $52 to cover Rotary International dues, which are paid the first of each billing cycle. If you have any questions, contact Carroll.
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 this past Tuesday – Robbie Wachman and Allen Tate. Robbie was sponsored and introduce by Past President Digit Matheny. He will hold the classification of Construction/Roofing. Michael Smith introduced and sponsored Allen, who joins us under the classification of Insurance/Commercial. We welcome both Robbie and Allen into our Rotary family!
Congratulations to Past President Digit Matheny and his wife, Danielle, who were recognized by our club’s Rotary Foundation Chair, Karl Riner, as Rotary Foundation Major Donors this past Tuesday. Digit and Danielle received a crystal recognition piece and a Major Donor Lapel Pin/Pennant. The Rotary Foundation recognizes couples or individuals whose combined personal, or cumulative giving has reached $10,000. All outright contributions made to the Foundation are included in this total, regardless of the gift designation.
Proposed New Members
The following membership candidates have submitted an application and signed letter of agreement to the Historic Rotary Club of Charleston:
- 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 ideals of Rotary.
MEMBER SPOTLIGHT
Rotarian: Elizabeth Hills
-
- 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
- 11/20 – Jeanne Jamme
- 11/22 – Past President Alissa Lietzow
- 11/29 – Phoenicia Miracle
WELLNESS TIP
What are circadian rhythms and why are they important?
Each of us maintains a circadian rhythm — also known as our body’s internal clock. Everyone’s natural 24-hour cycle is unique, but experts recommend eight hours of sleep to help maintain our cycles. Medications, alcohol, stress and the environment can affect our body’s internal clock, causing disrupted sleep, headaches and grumpy moods.
The end of daylight savings time in early November is one of the environmental factors that can shock our circadian rhythm. To help get back on track, our primary care experts weigh in on some suggestions to help reset your body’s internal clock:
- Avoid screen time before bed
- Create a relaxing bedtime routine
- Get plenty of light exposure during daylight hours
- Go to sleep an hour earlier than normal
- Keep lighting soft at nighttime
- Limit alcohol before bed
- Reduce afternoon caffeine intake
Creating a sleep-friendly environment will help you get restorative sleep and quickly reset your body’s circadian rhythm.
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