October 11, 2022
Our District Governor from Rotary International #7770 – Bob Gross – paid us a paid this past week to share an update on all the great things Rl is doing around the world. Always good to look beyond the club level!
No meeting this week – Our Club Social on the Palmetto Breeze is on Tuesday!
District Governor Bob Gross from the Sea Island Rotary in Beaufort addressed our club and provided an inspiring update on Rotary’s efforts worldwide. He is a chemical engineer by trade, a Paul Harris Fellow, and according to Past President Sandy Morckel “The ideal of Service Above Self. He’s held many positions in Rotary going through the ranks and is known for putting his money where his mouth is.”
In his comments he stated our goal “Together we see a world where people unite to take action in our communities, across the globe and in ourselves.” Then he challenged the club to think beyond the parameters of our community to recognize what Rotary is accomplishing globally.
He began his comments with an explanation of this year’s Rotary theme “Imagine Rotary” and logo developed by Rotary International President Jennifer Jones. The logo contains one center circle to symbolize oneness surrounded by seven dots that serve as a reminder of Rotary’s seven areas of focus. The colors in the logo are also symbolic with purple representing polio eradication and fighting disease, green standing for environmental protection and white representing peace (which notably were also the colors of the suffragettes).
A reminder was shared that Rotary also supports, education and literacy, growing local economies, clear water initiatives and maternal and child healthcare.
Polio eradication, one of Rotary’s main focus areas since 1985 has made significant progress. Yet 250 cases still exist. Vaccination is crucial to prevention and halting the spread of the disease. The partnership of other philanthropic organizations has helped us further our cause. Specifically, Bill and Melinda Gate match our donations 2 to 1. To date, we have raised $2.7 billion and supplied countless hours of service.
Governor Gross invited Rotarians to travel and take part in National Immunization Day, citing that children diagnosed with polio in India are kicked out of their homes to live on the streets, permanently. “The fight’s not over yet, we’re close but we need to continue to support this effort.”
Aid with safe drinkable water continues to be a significant challenge in many countries as well. Over 400 people die each year with waterborne illnesses, which is why we continue to assist with supply and construction of wells. To date our district has provided potable water in Peru, Ghana and the Dominican Republic.
We’re also providing assistance to Ukrainian war victims. Over 12 million displaced citizens are in need of our support. We have supplied $114,000 so far to provide shelter boxes that include tents, cooking utensils, lights and needed supplies.
Other relief efforts include aid to Pikesville Florida flood victims and Ft. Myers hurricane victims.
Governor Gross concluded his remarks by reminding Rotarians that the key to service above self is to be involved. “The more you put in, the more you get out, let’s do more.”
Here is a link to the recording of the meeting
Passcode: q8vGN&8x
IN OTHER MEETING NEWS
- Past President Rob Dewey gave the Invocation and led us in the pledge.
- Robbie Wachman introduced our visiting Rotarians & guests.
- Health and Happiness was presented by President Virginia.
- Past President and current Assistant District Governor Sandy Morckel introduced our guest speaker, District Governor Bob Gross.
MORE IN THIS WEEK’S KEYWAY
10/18/2022 | Issue 5068 President: Virginia Lawrence
COMING EVENTS
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- 10/18 – Social Aboard the Palmetto Breeze
- 10/25 – Lisa Metheny, Deputy District Engineer of the US Army Corps of Engineers
- 11/1 – Herman Dixon, Shelter Box
- 11/4 – Doors to Dreams/Burke Bowl, 2-3:30pm
- 11/8 – James Dusenberry
- 11/15 – Courtney Plotner
- 11/19 – Blood Connection Blood Drive @ Riverdogs Stadium
- 11/22 – No Meeting (Thanksgiving)
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NEWS BRIEFS
NO Lunch Meeting this Tuesday
We do not meet for lunch this Tuesday, 10/18. We hope everyone will instead join us for our Fall Social aboard the Palmetto Breeze.
October Social – Aboard the Palmetto Breeze
Join us for a sunset cruise aboard the Palmetto Breeze on Tuesday, October 18 from 4:30-6:30pm. Enjoy appetizers, cash bar and live music by best saxophonist in Charleston, Louie D.
Tickets are $25 – Rotarians & guests welcome! Tickets are limited, so be sure to purchase soon. An email was sent to all members last week. Buy tickets here
The cruise will leave from Shem Creek (behind Tavern and Table – 100 Church Street, Mt. Pleasant.
Bring a Coat to the Boat
During the month of October, we will be collecting new and gently used youth and adult sized coats. Adult coats will be donated to the Living Amends, which is a program that distributes coats in a street initiative that works with people who live on the streets, usually drug or alcohol related, and looks for opportunities to not just meet the humanitarian need but also to deliver a lifeline to treatment options. The youth coats will be donated to Carolina Youth Development Center. Please bring your coat donations to any luncheon in October or “bring a coat to the boat” on October 18th.
Reminder … Guest RSVP Protocol
If you are planning to bring a guest to Rotary, please let Carroll know by no later than Monday at 5pm. There is some preparation that needs to be done for all guests prior to the meeting.
Special Dietary Requests
If you have a special dietary request or need, be sure to let Carroll know in advance of a meeting. She will work with the staff at Hall’s to ensure that you are prepared a special plate that meets your restrictions. Please do not enter the kitchen area to make a last minute special request.
Blue Buckets – Hurricane Ian Relief
Thank you to everyone for their generous donations to Hurricane Ian Relief. Our club collected $215 over the past 2 weeks, which is being sent to our District. Our District will incorporate our club’s collected donations with others from around the District and send one payment. The funds will be sent to Rotary District 6960 in Florida as they experienced widespread devastation.
Our club is no longer accepting donations, but if you would like to contribute on an individual basis, District 6960 has set up a website for receiving relief: https://www.rotaryfl.org/
Additionally, the Hilton Head Club will be sending supplies to Florida and may have room to take supplies donated by clubs or individuals. Please contact President Joe Chappell to work out details: [email protected]. For more information, go to the DACdb home page to see a more detailed description of their efforts.
Please consider helping those who are very much in need. Our district was very fortunate, or we could have been in the same situation as District 6960.
Blood Drive – Come Donate
Our club is hosting a Holiday Blood Drive with the Blood Connection at the Charleston Riverdogs Stadium on November 19 ahead of the season when blood is most in demand. Mark your calendars now to donate blood.
Volunteers Needed for Rotary Burke Bulldog Bowl
Volunteers are needed to assist with the Rotary Burke Bulldog Bowl from 2 to 3:30 pm on Friday, Nov. 4th. Rotarians will be assigned a station to lead for students to flex their mental health skills and prowess! If you are interested in mental health issues among our youth and are engaging listener, we need you! Volunteers can sign up at Google Sign Up form. More details to follow.
Youth Exchange Candidates Needed for 2023-2024 School Year
Do you know a high school student that would be interested in a year abroad as a Rotary Youth Exchange Student? Our District needs your help in finding candidates for the 2023-2024 school year. Preliminary Applications are being accepted now. Please pass this along to interested students, families, churches and neighbors so these students don’t miss this opportunity. All Rotarians’ children and grandchildren are eligible for Rotary Youth Exchange. If you have any questions, please contact Lou Mello, District Youth Exchange Chair, at [email protected] or 843-437-9084.
US Navy Celebrates 247 Years
The United States Navy is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and is the most powerful Navy in the world. On Thursday, the 13th of October, it celebrates its 247th birthday.
The central theme of this year’s Birthday and Heritage Week will be “On Watch – 24/7 for 247 Years”, and highlights our Navy’s enduring ability to remain fully-ready to respond to- and effectively deter- emanating threats anywhere in the world. It boasts the world’s largest aircraft carrier fleet, and has over 300,000 active duty personnel, and nearly 100,000 reserve personnel.
Beginning with the establishment of our Navy in 1775, and continuing to our current modern fleet, our Navy has stood the watch. It continues to deploy forward as our nation’s vital maritime maneuver force; it is persistent, versatile, and capable of winning any fight- and stands ready for the challenges of an unpredictable future.
We respect and honor our US Navy for its 247 years of dedicated service to our great nation! Wish a sailor, past or presently serving, a HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!
July-Dec 2022 Dues Are Past Due
July-December 2022 dues payments are now considered past due. Second past due notices were emailed on 8/31. If you received an email, please be sure to take care of making payment. We have made it even easier to pay! We have upgraded our software and added a new component to our invoicing. We are now able to accept credit card and bank transfer payments on-line. Members just simply have to click on the “pay now” button on their invoice and make payment. We hope this new feature will make those of you paying by credit card or bank transfer easier. We will continue to also accept payments by check. If you have any questions about your dues, please contact Carroll.
WE ARE NOW ON Linked In
For all you Linked In users, be sure to follow us on that popular professional social media network. Our handle is Rotary Club of Downtown Charleston and you can link directly to our page here:
Hosts Needed! Our Club’s TWO Youth Exchange Students Have Arrived and We Need Host Families
IMPORTANT!!!! We are still looking for local families to host both female exchange students 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!
Both of 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). They will be attending the Charleston Charter School for Math & Science located at: 1002 King Street, Charleston SC 29403.
If you are interested in hosting one of these students for a couple of months, please reach out to either Karen Clark [email protected] or Richard Sidebottom [email protected].
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 family, not 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 it’s okay (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
MEMBER NEWS
Welcome to our newest Rotarian, John Warren. John was sponsored and introduced by President Virginia and will hold the classification of Securities/Management. We are happy to have John join us in membership!
Congratulations to Hugh Lane, who was married on Martha’s Vineyard last weekend.
MEMBER SPOTLIGHT
Rotarian: Edward “Hamer” Darby, Jr.
- JOINED: June 2022
- SPONSOR: David Burt
- CLASSIFICATION: Construction/Business development
- PROFESSION: Business Development
- CURRENT PROFESSION: Monteith Constructions
- Community Service Organizations, Current Activities or Activities/Volunteer Work in the Past: Meals on Wheels, and excited to see what opportunities Rotary provides.
- SOMETHING UNIQUE ABOUT YOURSELF: My first plane ride was to Hawaii.
BIRTHDAYS
- Oct. 13 – Dwayne Green
- Oct. 15 – Baxter Hahn
WELLNESS TIP
Start Adjusting Your Sleep Schedule
Autumn is when we say goodbye to Daylight Savings Time and turn the clocks back an hour. Prepare yourself for earlier evenings and shorter days by going to bed earlier before you have to change the clocks. Fewer hours of light can disrupt your circadian rhythm, but you can get your body used to it by planning for an earlier bedtime.
Try to keep your bedtime and wake times the same, and shoot for at least seven hours of sleep per night.
AREA CLUB MEETINGS
Mondays
https://www.cainhoyrotary.com/
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
Cainhoy: 6PM, on the first and third Tuesday of the month, King’s Cross Church, of Clement Ferry Road
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: 1pm-2pm on 1st & 3rd Wednesday. Hilton Garden Inn-Homewood Suite/Lowcountry Conference Center, 406 Sigma Drive
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: Virginia Lawrence
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