November 15, 2022
Our own Rotarian Ed Sutton was our guest speaker this week and he gave us a great presentation on the US Air Force Reserves and his personal experiences in the Middle East as an Air Force pilot.
Lots of holiday activities coming up – Salvation Army Bell Ringing, Ansonborough Holiday Gift Giving Luncheon and our annual Holiday Lunch at Hall’s – see all the info in this week’s issue.
For a recording of this meeting, go here.
Passcode: .Jv0JDqr
IN OTHER MEETING NEWS
- Rob Byko gave the Invocation and led us in the pledge.
- Julianne Farnsworth introduced our visiting Rotarians & guests.
- Health and Happiness was presented by President Virginia.
- Past President Sandy Morckel introduced our speaker and fellow Rotarian, Ed Sutton, who discussed the Air Force Reserves and his experiences as an Air Force Pilot.
MORE IN THIS WEEK’S KEYWAY
12/6/2022 | Issue 5074 President: Virginia Lawrence
COMING EVENTS
-
-
- 12/2 – Operation Warm Coat distribution (12-2) sign up
- 12/6 – Josh Watts, MedTrust (Board Meeting: 11am)
- 12/9 – Salvation Army Bell Ringing 10- 5 (sign up here)
- 12/13 – Holiday Luncheon @ Hall’s
- 12/15 – Holiday Senior Giving Luncheon @ Ansonborough House
- 12/20 – NO MEETING
- 12/27 – NO MEETING
-
NEWS BRIEFS
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 – Holiday Gratuity for Servers (LAST CALL FOR CASH ONLY CONTRIBUTIONS – DEC. 6TH)
We are making one LAST CALL for CASH ONLY donations in the Blue Buckets this Tuesday, Dec. 6th in support of our wait staff/kitchen staff at Hall’s Signature Events. This Tuesday we plan to recognize our staff and show our appreciation for all they do for us each Tuesday. Please bring your CASH as we will not be able to accept donations via VENMO as money being given to the staff at Tuesday’s meeting.
Change in Membership Status Deadline
If you plan a change in your club member status by January 1, 2023 to Excused, Leave of Absence, E-Member or if you are planning to resign, please notify Carroll in writing NO LATER THAN December 5, 2022. This change will affect January statement, which will be distributed in mid-December. All current members who officially resign after December 5 will be billed for Rotary International dues, which are paid the first of each billing cycle. If you have any questions, contact Carroll.
Holiday Luncheon at Hall’s (RSVP by Dec6)
We will return to Hall’s Chophouse for this year’s Holiday Luncheon. Mark your calendar now for this popular holiday event – Tuesday, Dec. 13 at 12:00noon (doors open at 11:30am). There will be a cash bar. We hope everyone will enjoy this fun, festive time and mingling with their fellow Rotarians. An invite has been emailed, please RSVP to this invite. If you didn’t receive it and would like to attend, please let Carroll know. The deadline to RSVP is this Tuesday, December 6. No additional reservations will be accepted after this deadline. Rotarians are no charge. Spouse/Guest is $40 paid by cash or check at the door.
Salvation Army Bellringing
Our long-standing holiday tradition continues! We will be ringing the bell for the Salvation Army on Friday, Dec. 9 from 10am-6pm. We will have two stations – one at King/Market and one at Meeting/Market. A sign-up opportunity will be emailed to all members soon. Be on the lookout for it as we need lots of volunteers! This a fun, festive way to serve our community!
Rotary Educator of the Month
Keeping up with our tradition of supporting education, the Rotary Club of Charleston recognized the Educator of the Month from Julian Mitchell Elementary School this week. The educator of the month for November, 2022, is Abby Best. Ms. Best was chosen because as Lead Teacher, she collaborates with all grade levels and plans engaging lessons for all the young scholars. She listens to and supports every teacher and works to ensure that students are held to the highest of expectations.
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.
Membership Drive this January
Announcing our January Membership drive. This is an effort to help strengthen and expand our membership through our best resource: you, our current members!- 75% of new members learned about the club from one of our members, and
- 50% of prospective members who attend a weekly meeting decide to join
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 12/15 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 12/13 (1:30-2:30pm), as well as 8-10 volunteers to help host/serve the lunch from 12:30pm – 2:30pm on 12/15. If you would like to help with this project, please reach out to Sandy Morckel at [email protected] or Tiffany Vanek at [email protected].
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.
Youth Exchange Students Need Host Families
Our club is hosting two youth exchange students this school year. Jenny, who is from Taiwan, and Lula, who is from France. Both students are staying with their first host family. All members will have an opportunity to meet our students as they will be attending club meetings, events and service projects throughout the year.
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].
Please note that 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. We need to line up our first host ASAP.
This 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, to include photos of your home including: student bedroom, bathroom, kitchen, family room, exterior of home & 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
Support The CART Fund
It is easy for club members to make individual contributions and support The CART Fund electronically. The CART Fund has 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
Our sincerest condolences to Nick Wackym and his family on the passing of his father over the Thanksgiving holiday. Alex Dallis and his wife, Robin are also in our thoughts as in-laws.
We wish John Bleecker a speedy recovery as he is recovering at home from hip replacement and is doing well.
Congratulations to Karla Combs, who was recognized as President Virginia’s “Rotarian of the Month” for November. Karla is a current Board Director and has the big responsibility of coordinating all of our wonderful service projects and recruiting volunteers! We appreciate all she is doing to enable our members to get out in our community and make a difference!
Past Presidents Rob Dewey, Brian Johnson and Sandy Morckel were all recognized this past Tuesday for another year of Perfect Attendance. Their years of dedication to Rotary and attending weekly meetings is to be commended. Rob has 29 years, Brian 20 years, and Sandy 4 years.
A BIG thank you to long-time Rotarian and recent new member, Lewis Edge and to our club photographer, Rob Byko, for generously donating their time, talents and equipment to offer a portrait photo shoot to our members. Lewis has been doing professional photography for 50+ years and used the equipment from his portrait studio that he owned for nearly ten years in Princeton. If you missed the opportunity to have your portrait taken, we hope to have another opportunity after the New Year. For those of you who had their photo taken, full resolution photos will be sent to you electronically at no cost.
Long-time club member, Steve Morse, was recognized on Tuesday with a “TY” Pin. This special pin was designed by former Rotarian Don Oswalt. In the middle of the pin the initials “TY” = Thank-You. On the outside of the pin states that the TY is from our Club – The Historic Club of Charleston – Rotary. Steve Morse has been a valued member of our club for over 10 years and will be leaving our area at the end of this month to be closer to family in the Northeast. Steve will be missed! We thank him and appreciate all he has done for our club and community.
Proposed New Members
The following membership candidates have submitted an application and signed letter of agreement to the Historic Rotary Club of Charleston:
James Dusenberry – sponsor: Michael Smith; classification: Banking/Commercial
Whitney Schillerstrom – sponsor: Heidi Finniff; classification: Banking/Business Dev.
In the event you know James or Whitney, please tell a member of the Board how he/she will serve the ideas of Rotary.
MEMBER SPOTLIGHTS
Rotarian: Sara Dolan
- JOINED: June 2022
- SPONSOR: Baxter Hahn
- CLASSIFICATION: Dance
- PROFESSION: Tour Director
- CURRENT PROFESSION: Dance Makers, Inc.
- Community Service Organizations, Current Activities or Activities/Volunteer Work in the Past: Water mission – involved since 2013, Camp Happy Days – involved since 2021
- SOMETHING UNIQUE ABOUT YOURSELF: I am entering my tenth year with my current employer
Rotarian: Katherin DeMoura
- JOINED: July 2022
- SPONSOR: Kerby Teller
- CLASSIFICATION: Architect/Business Development
- PROFESSION: Regional Business Development Leader
- CURRENT PROFESSION: McMillan Pazdan Smith
Architecture - Community Service Organizations, Current Activities or Activities/Volunteer Work in the Past: Was an
active member of Rotary while living in Pickens, SC from 2009-2013. Just participated on a team with Kerby Teller for LLS – Man and Woman of the Year. Our team raised more than $130K for LLS research. - SOMETHING UNIQUE ABOUT YOURSELF: Began my career as a City
Manager in Pickens, SC right after grad school, spent five years learning there
and was heavily focused on physical aspects of community building. This is
eventually what lead me to work for McMillan Pazdam Smith and help
communities as they plan for their capital needs. On a personal note, I grew up
in Maine, but got to SC via Clemson as soon as I could to warm up.
Birthdays
- Dec. 9 – Heath Ward & Johnny Sturh
- Dec. 10 – Kirsten Hill
WELLNESS TIP
Keep up healthy habits.
Make a pact with yourself during the holidays. For example, decide that you’ll move more and do something active every day over the next three weeks. Take it a step further, and pledge to start the day with a healthy breakfast, limit the sweets and get at least seven hours of sleep each night. If you don’t completely give up your healthy habits, you won’t feel like you have to start over once the holidays are over.
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