June 7, 2022
It was great to have past president Paul Stoney at the podium again with a special presentation on the history and current state of YMCA in Charleston. Paul entertained us with stories and inspired us with this long history of community service in the Lowcountry
Past President Paul Stoney spoke to us on Tuesday about the YMCA. Paul is the President/CEO of the YMCA of Greater Charleston. The YMCA was formed in 1844 in London England for the purpose of having a place for children to go and didn’t have all the activities you see today. The Charleston YMCA was formed in 1866 and is the oldest African American, continuously operating YMCA in the United States. The Mission of the YMCA of Greater Charleston is to improve the lives of all in the Greater Charleston area by connecting individual, families, and communities with opportunities based on Christian Values that strengthen spirit, mind, and body. They have 23 Board Members 7 full time employees and 91 part time employees and served over 12000 participants last year. The newest facility is at Cane Bay. The Cannon Street YMCA all-star team was denied the opportunity to play in the Little League World Series in 1955. White teams refused to take the field and play them. They won two teams by forfeit but denied the series because they had not played for the wins.
The YMCA has many programs now, including mental health, Blood pressure/Hypertension treatment, Parkinson’s treatment, arthritis treatment among many others you don’t necessarily associate with the YMCA.
Youth sports include Basketball, Volleyball, Baseball, T-Ball, flag football, Soccer, Tennis, Jiu-Jitsu, etc. with 1000s participating and if not for this where would these kids be? They also have Camps and Afterschool programs which operated during Covid as difficult as it was and they paid staff when they were mandated to shut down by the Governor. These programs provide a safe place for these children.
They just built the only pool in Berkeley County which is the largest county by land mass. Why did it take the YMCA to build the first pool? A large percentage of African Americans cannot swim. It’s about providing access and it is a preventable problem.
They also have many community programs and are working on a new project in West Ashley in the Long Savannah development.
A recording of the meeting can be found here.
Access Passcode: EgWc#J?6
IN OTHER MEETING NEWS
- Bob Leventhal gave the Invocation and led us in the pledge.
- Dan West introduced our visiting Rotarians & guests.
- President Rob presented Health and Happiness.
- Jay Gibson introduced our guest speaker and Past President of our club, Paul Stoney, who discussed the YMCA.
MORE IN THIS WEEK’S KEYWAY
6/14/2022 | Issue 5053 President: Rob Dewey
COMING EVENTS
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- 6/14 – Charleston Police Department
- 6/21 – RCCF International Grant recipients
- 6/28 – Transition Mtg/Happy Hour Social
- 7/5 – No Meeting
- July 12 – Steven Slifer, Number Nomics Economics (Board Meeting 11 AM)
- July 19 – Dan Battista, The Cooper Hotel
- July 26 – Cody Callerman, Hemp Farmer
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NEWS BRIEFS
Thank you to Hope Center Volunteers
We were fortunate to have 7 Rotarians and 2 Rotarian spouses from our club volunteer last Saturday at the Hope Center. In total, there were 27 volunteers that day from all 3 Rotary Clubs (Charleston, Charleston Breakfast Club and St. Andrews). The hard working volunteers were able to complete the painting of 9 rooms at the Hope Center that will be used for the Medical Center by Fetter Medical Center upstairs, along with a food pantry, a telehealth office, the staff lounge and the Center Director’s office on the first floor. In addition, bushes were planted and mulched to spruce up the exterior of the center. The City of Charleston’s Hope Center opened on Monday and will serve as the temporary Day Resource Center to offer programs and services for people experiencing homelessness through 12 nonprofit partner organizations at 529 Meeting Street until a new permanent Hope Center can be built on land purchased on Cunnington Avenue for that purpose over the next 18 months.
Announcement from Membership
We are delighted about the upcoming new membership year, which starts on July. It will be a tough one trying to fill the shoes of Cleave Ham. Cleave has done an excellent job this past year and we look to continue that momentum going forward.
New Membership Director Michael Smith and his team are looking for any Rotary members that would like to do small tasks for the membership committee. This will be very small tasks as we understand everyone has full time jobs. Volunteers are needed to serve on the Red to Blue Committee or Retention Committee. Additional volunteers are also needed to serve as Sponsors/Mentors for new members. Please let Michael Smith or someone from the membership committee know if you can help. Michael Smith [email protected]
Guests RSVP by 5pm on Monday
This is just a reminder …. If you are bringing a guest to any Tuesday luncheon, please let Carroll know by 5pm on that Monday afternoon.
Board Transition Social – Mark Your Calendars
A Happy Hour Social from 5-7pm is scheduled at Hall’s Signature Events on Tuesday, June 28th in lieu of our lunch meeting that day. There will be a “brief” meeting, but mostly it will be a fun time to celebrate the year, ring in the new Rotary year and catch up with our Rotary friends. We hope you will plan to bring your spouse or guest and join us! Please RSVP to Leah so we can include you in our head count. All members should have received an invitation via email early last week.
Change in Membership Status Deadline
If you plan a change in your club member status by July 1, 2022 to Excused, Leave of Absence or if you are planning to resign, please notify Carroll in writing NO LATER THAN this Tuesday, June 14, 2022. This change will affect your July statement, which will be distributed in mid to late June. All current members who officially resign after June 14 will be billed to cover Rotary International dues, which are paid the first of each billing cycle. If you have any questions, contact Carroll.
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 members, Duncan Grant and Chris Olson! Duncan was introduced and sponsored by Cleave Ham. Duncan is joining us as a Family Associate Member and will hold the classification of Retired/Medical/Podiatrist. His wife, Kate, was also recently inducted into our Rotary Club.
Chris is a former Rotarian from Clemson and was introduced and sponsored by Past President Patterson Smith. Chris joins us under the classification of Franchise Owner/Fast Food. We are excited to have Duncan and Chris join our Rotary family!
Congratulations to our newest BLUE badge members – Eddie Phipps, Hugh Lane, Stephanie Dasher, Beth Meyer-Bernstein, Sam Skardon, Dan West, James Yanney, Marion Platt, Elizabeth Hills, Tracy Christopher, Allen Tate, Chip Wyatt, Landon Davis, Baxter Hahn, Matt Miller and Jonathan Ply
Past President Sandy Morckel, President-Elect Virginia Lee and club member Kay Minson all represented our club at last week’s RI Convention in Houston. We look forward to hearing about their amazing trip.
Proposed New Members
The following membership candidates have submitted an application and signed letter of agreement to the Historic Rotary Club of Charleston:
- Richard Kely – sponsor: Amy Riley; classification: Commercial/Banking
- Vince Burruano – sponsor: Chip Wyatt; classification:
- Ed Sutton – sponsor: Sandy Morckel; classification: Real Estate/Commercial
- Ashley Rawlings – sponsor: Digit Matheny; classification: Mortgage
In the event you know Richard, Vince, Ed or Ashley, please tell a member of the Board how he will serve the ideals of Rotary.
MEMBER SPOTLIGHT
Rotarian: Cody Callarman
Birthdays
- 6/16 – Beth Meyer-Bernstein
- 6/18 – Past President Patterson Smith
- 6/19 – Tiffany Vanek & Erica Taylor
WELLNESS TIP
Wear Sunscreen & Insect Repellent
Use shade, wide-brimmed hats, clothing that covers, and broad-spectrum sunscreen with at least SPF 15 for sun protection.
Use insect repellent and wear long-sleeved shirts and long pants to prevent mosquito bites and ticks.
If you use both sunscreen and insect repellent, apply sunscreen first. After you come indoors, check clothing, body, and pets for ticks.
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