May 24, 2022
Grady Johnson, long-time publisher of the Charleston Regional Business Journal and now director of the Harbor Entrepreneur Center, joined us this week to give us an update on all the great programs HEC has in place to help support budding entrepreneurs and people interested in a career in tech in our area. We also honored another Teacher of Year, this time from our adopted school of Julian Mitchell Elementary. Reminder – No meeting this week!
A recording of the meeting can be found here.
Access Passcode: u6NP?hA#
IN OTHER MEETING NEWS
- Sam Skardon gave the Invocation and led us in the pledge.
- Landon Davis introduced our visiting Rotarians & guests.
- President Rob presented Health and Happiness.
- Mike Sottak introduced our guest speaker, Grady Johnson, who discussed entrepreneurship in Charleston.
MORE IN THIS WEEK’S KEYWAY
5/31/2022 | Issue 5052 President: Rob Dewey
COMING EVENTS
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- 5/31 – NO MEETING!
- 6/4 – Comunity Service Project: Hope Center
- 6/7 – Paul Stoney
- 6/14 – Charleston Police Department
- 6/21 – RCCF International Grant recipients
- 6/28 – Transition Mtg/Happy Hour Social
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NEWS BRIEFS
NO MEETING This Tuesday – IMPORTANT
We will NOT meet this Tuesday, May 31. We hope everyone has a happy and safe Memorial Day weekend!
Paul Harris Fellows Recognized
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. The honor was established in 1957 to show appreciation for contributions that support our Annual Fund, PolioPlus, or an approved Foundation grant.
Past President Digit Matheny was honored to recognize the following Rotarians with Paul Harris Fellows this past Tuesday:
- PHF+6 – Jeanne Jamme & Mike Sottak
- PHF+4 – Kerby Teller
- PHF+3 – Barb Walters
- PHF+2 – Skip Fink
- PHF+1 – David Baggs & Catherine Jones
Honoring our Rotary Veterans
A special thanks on Memorial Day to our Rotarians who served our country. Below are members who have served. If you are a veteran and not listed, please let Carroll know so she can update your profile on the database. Assistant Dist. Governor, Robb Rosol attended our meeting last week and left special pins for our club veterans. Please see Carroll for this honor.
- Cody Callarman – US Marine
- Owen Clary – US Coast Guard
- Stephanie Dasher – US Navy
- Skip Fink – US Marines
- Bill Nettles – US Air Force
- Marion Platt – US Army
- Jonathan Ply – US Navy
- Bill Raver – US Army Reserve
- Samuel Steinberg – US Air Force
- Fred Wackym – US Air Force
Rotary Educator of the Month Program
We had a very special pair of presentations this week as part of our Educator of the Month Program with Julian Mitchell Elementary School. Now that our program is drawing to a close for the school year, we were privileged to recognize Mitchell’s Teacher of the Year. Chakadasovavan Or was chosen for this honor because he is always working to grow his professional knowledge. Chak, as he is more affectionately known, demonstrates in his classroom his commitment to the school mission of developing lifelong learners. In addition to being a very supportive member of the school community, he works with community organizations in support of students and families throughout the downtown Charleston area.
After a very successful year recognizing excellence in education, it was a great pleasure to honor the person who made it all possible. Alison Johnson, wife of our own Brian Johnson, has worked tirelessly as the coordinator for our program with Mitchell. Rumor has it that Alison is retiring this year and heavy is the burden on those who will somehow help the school fill the void left by her absence.
Morning of Community Service – Volunteers Needed at Hope Center on 6/4
Don your work gloves and join your fellow Rotary Club of Charleston members and Rotarians from the Charleston Breakfast and St. Andrews Rotary Clubs for a morning of service on Saturday, June 4! The City of Charleston and the Mayors’ Commission on Homelessness and Affordable Housing are coordinating the transformation of the space of the former Navigation Center at 529 Meeting Street into the temporary location of the Hope Center, a place where up to a dozen nonprofit organizations that provide programs and services for people who are experiencing homelessness will be co-located.
We have several volunteer opportunities from 8 am – 1 pm on June 4:
1) Rotarians will help transform an interior courtyard into a serene space where homeless clients meeting with their counselor from Charleston-Dorchester Mental Health can have their sessions in a calm, uplifting, and natural environment. This will involve tearing out the existing ground cover, filling in new ground cover, painting walls and installing benches and a fountain.
2) Rotarians will also help transform the playground area by power washing and painting to help bring to life this special space for children at the temporary location of the Hope Center.
3) If you can only donate a few hours, we also will need help with the clean-up of the work site from 11 am – 1 pm and any other duties as assigned to help prepare the building for its opening to the public on June 6, 2022.
To volunteer for the project, please click here to sign up on Signup Genius: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/409094da5af2ca2fa7-rotary Spouses, significant others and children over 18 are welcome to join you and sign up.
For more information about the Hope Center and the campaign to raise the funds to build a permanent Hope Center, click here: www.homelesstohopefund.org
We look forward to seeing our fellow Rotarians join together for this important community resource for our neighbors in need. If you have any questions, contact Karla Combs at [email protected].
Hosts Needed! Our Club’s TWO Youth Exchange Students Arrive in August!
The Rotary Club of Charleston urgently needs local families to host the two female exchange students. One is from Taiwan and the other is from France. Ideally, each volunteer Host family or couple would have the student stay with them for a period of 3-5 months in 2022/2023.
This is a great opportunity to volunteer and change the life of a young person and expose yourself and your family to a different culture! All of the prior students have been wonderful and a delight to get to know and stay in contact with!
Our exchange students will attend the same high school locally for the entire year, so it is important that the host families are in the same school area (and it is convenient to travel to and from). Each girl will attend the Charleston Charter School for Math & Science located at: 1002 King Street, Charleston SC 29403.
Please note that a host family or couple needs to have the desire to provide the following:
- Love as a family member. The student will be a part of the familynot a guest.
- Transportation- The student will not be allowed to drive while in the US.
- A Bed-The student does not have to have his/her own room, but we do ask that they have their own bed.
- Food- We ask that you provide food for the student, including lunch while at school. Again, treating the student as you would your own.
If you are able to volunteer for this opportunity, please go to http://yehub.net/SC1-hfapp and complete the online Host Family Application as soon as possible. We need to line up our first host soon for each girl. Please note that Hosts do not need to be a part of Rotary, so its ok (and appreciated) if you share with other couples and families that you feel may be interested.
The application can be done on your smartphone, tablet or PC. You will also need to consent to a background check as part of this process. Please note the following:
You will need two references (emails, street addresses & phone numbers for each). Also, include photos of your home including: student bedroom, bathroom, kitchen, family room, exterior of home and a casual family photo (smaller sizes work best) in the application.
Please review the attached checklist for an overview of the process and timeline.
Once you complete the application, we can schedule a time for me to visit you and your family at your home to go over some additional information and also address any questions or concerns you may have.
Rotary Youth Exchange Dates to Remember
2022
- June: Training- Host Families & YEO/YEC in Charleston
- August : Inbound Student Orientation Training Weekend- Charleston, SC
- December: Disney World Trip! Mandatory for all Inbounds
2023
March: District 7770 Rotary Conference, Columbia, SC
Blue Bucket Collections
Remember to bring your Happy Bucks as we will continue to have Blue Buckets on the table in May and June. The donations will support our own RCCF.
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.
MEMBER NEWS
Welcome to our newest member, Tamara Curry! Tamara was introduced and sponsored by Harry Staley. Her husband, Eduardo Curry, joined us for her induction. She will hold the classification of Judge/Probate. We are excited to have Tamara as a part of our Rotary family!
Proposed New Members
The following membership candidates have submitted an application and signed letter of agreement to the Historic Rotary Club of Charleston:
Jordan Behringer – sponsor: Joseph Tecklenberg; classification: Civil Engineer/Construction
Daniel Woodcock – sponsor: Digit Matheny; classification: Social Media/Non-Profits
Richard Kelly – sponsor: Amy Riley; classification: Commercial/Banking
In the event you know Jordan, Daniel or Richard, please tell a member of the Board how he will serve the ideals of Rotary.
MEMBER SPOTLIGHT
Rotarian: Cody Callarman
Birthdays
- 6/2 – John Strickland
- 6/8 Travis Ronk
- 6/10 – Nick Galizia
- 6/11 – Trent Drafts
- 6/12 – Jimmy Gorrin
WELLNESS TIP
Protect your skin with natural sun care
One of the best, most natural methods of sun care is to cover up and enjoy the sun responsibly.
That means that if you’re going to be in the sun for an extended period of time, it’s best to wear a hat and cover up your shoulders, neck, arms and any other part of your body that will take direct sunlight. Typical summer fabric has an SPF somewhere between 4 and 7. Generally, the tighter knit the fabric, the higher the protection.
The benefit of covering up instead of using topical sunscreen is that it doesn’t get into your bloodstream (here’s more about what’s in conventional sunscreen products and why we don’t necessarily want to put that on our skin before sitting in the sun), fabric doesn’t wash off or need to be re-applied, and its lower SPF still gets you some vitamin D.
It’s also important to build up sun exposure slowly. This is particularly important for anyone who lives in a colder, wintery climate. In the spring or summer, build up sun exposure gradually. This will give your skin time to respond by producing more melanin, which will offer increased levels of sun protection itself.
If you do need to use topical sunscreen, you’re best bet is a mineral block, like zinc oxide or titanium dioxide.Part of choosing the right sunscreen is understanding what SPF means. Most people assume that the higher the number, the stronger it is. (That’s true, but only part of it!) We have an entire article with specific tips on choosing natural sunblock, and our favorite clean brands for sun care products.
AREA CLUB MEETINGS
Mondays
Summerville – Oakbrook: 7:30 a.m., Monday, Westcott County Club, 5000 Wescott Club Drive, North Charleston
North Charleston: 12:30 p.m., Monday, Hilton Garden Inn, 5265 International Blvd, North Charleston, SC
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
Mount Pleasant: 12:30 p.m., Wednesday, Mt Pleasant Presbyterian Church. 302 Hibben St. 29464.
Summerville: 1 p.m. Wednesday, Sticky Fingers, Summerville
Thursdays
North Charleston Breakfast: 7:30 a.m. Thursday, Marriott Hotel, 4770 Goer Drive, 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