7/25: Club Meeting

July 25, 2023

President Cleave ran an open style meeting with a variety of information, announcements and presentations by our club members, as well as Past President Patterson Smith impressing us with his Chat GPT skills. And, we honored the latest Community Impact Award winner, General Superior Sister Mary Joseph Ritter.  

A couple of new service projects need you support in August and don’t forget  our August social with the Riverdogs at The Joe on August 17.

 

Rotarian Alex impressed us with his auctioneering skills
Rotarian Josh talked about solar energy for commercial businesses

Help a Rotarian Out

Rotarian Marion is looking for volunteers to help with Operation Warm coat drive and liaison with our Interact Club at Charleston Math & Science HS
Rotarian Karla is always looking for eager volunteers for her community service projects
Rotarian Whitney wants to take you out to the ball game on August 17
Rotarian Karen is looking for greeters to meet our International Youth Exchange student from Denmark on Aug 3

 

To access a recording of this meeting, go here
Passcode: 66i%D.$@

IN OTHER MEETING NEWS 

          • Past President Patterson Smith gave the Invocation and led us in the pledge.  
          • Josh Burrill welcomed our visiting Rotarians & guests.   
          • Health and Happiness was presented by President Cleave.
          • President Cleave Past President introduced our program which was a fun and informative meeting with an addition of 2 new members (the lifeblood of our Club), presentation of our Club’s “Community Impact Recognition Award”, and important information on upcoming events from some committees. We also heard from a couple of Club members on their vocations.

 

MORE IN THIS WEEK’S KEYWAY
August 1, 2023  |  Issue 5096   President:  Cleave Ham

UPCOMING EVENTS

      • Aug 1 – Annemarie Ferrie, SC Aquarium
      • Aug 5 – Shifa Clinic Back2School Giveaway (10:30-1) sign up
      • Aug 8 – Eric Demoura, Town of Mt. Pleasant (Board Meeting 11am)
      • Aug 15 – No Meeting
      • Aug 17 – Riverdogs game (register here. space limited)
      • Aug 22 – Christine Messick & Dyrell Clark, Reading Partners / New Member Orientation (New member orientation: 11AM)
      • 8/29 – Lou Mello, District Governor  

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. 

Community Impact Award to Sister Mary Joseph Ritter

The Community Impact Award is given annually by the Rotary Club of Charleston to a community member who exhibits “Service Above Self” in their daily activities, models the Rotary 4-Way Test in their life and profession, and exemplifies the ideals of the Rotary Vision: “Together we see a world where people unite and take action to create lasting change – across the globe, in our communities and in ourselves.”

Past President David Burt had the honor of presenting the award on behalf of the club and the club’s selection committee to General Superior Sister Mary Joseph Ritter.  

Sister Mary Joseph leads the Sisters of Charity of Our Lady of Mercy on James Island.  For those of you unfamiliar with the Sisters of Charity, they formed in 1829 and immediately opened a school for girls.  In 1838 they established a temporary hospital. They reopened a school for free children of color in 1841.  They founded St. Francis Xavier Hospital on October 1, 1882, known today as Roper St Francis.  In the 1900s they established the Neighborhood House and Bishop England HS. In 1989 the Sisters opened OLM Outreach on Johns Island just in time for Hugo.  Sister Mary Joseph was elected Superior in 2012.

OLM, like most religious orders, are aging and not having as much success recruiting in this country.  In an effort to continue their ministry Sister Mary Joseph had to make the tough choice to relocate her order to Bishop Gadsden.  Maintaining their “Service Above Self” mentality, rather than selling their waterfront property on James Island to the highest bidder, they chose to sell their property to the State of SC to be converted into a State Park.

The Sisters of Charity of Our Lady of Mercy continue to serve those in need even in their advanced ages and from their retirement community. The Sisters moved out of their home at the end of 2022.  Timing could not be better for The Historic Rotary Club of Charleston to present this year’s Community Impact Award to General Superior Sister Mary Joseph Ritter.

 

August 5: Community Service Project – Shifa Free Clinic Back2School Giveaway

Join us for our first Community Service Project of the 2023 – 2024 Rotary Year and help the children of Charleston have a great start to their school year!  We will be volunteering for the Shifa Free Clinic’s Annual Back2School Giveaway on August 5th.  We will be assisting with food distribution and handing out school supplies.  The event will be from 10:30 am – 1:00pm at St. Thomas the Apostle Catholic Church, located at 6650 Dorchester Rd, North Charleston.  Here is the sign-up link.


If you are unable to volunteer on the day of the event but would like to participate, you can purchase Back to School kits for $8.50 or $11.00 each!!  Here is the link to buy kits that will be sent directly to the clinic for distribution at the Back2School Giveaway.

If you have any questions, please contact Karla Combs at [email protected]

August 19: Community Service Project – Hope Center Closet Project

On August 19, we need some volunteers to help with completion of the Hope Center Closet Project (which involved donating work clothes to job seekers who use the Hope Center, a vital resource for many things).  We will need about 8-10 people to sort through all the donations, categorize them by type and then size and then organize the closet with hanging clothes and bins. The Hope Center is located on Meeting Street downtown.  Should be about 2-3 hours. Contact Karla if you can help: [email protected]

Sign up here



Riverdogs Social: August 17

Please join us for our August Rotary Social & Membership Drive at Joe Riley Stadium to cheer on Charleston’s own RiverDogs on Thursday, August 17th. Doors will open at 6:05PM, game starts at 7:05PM. Tickets are limited. Reserve your spot today!

We’ve reserved the Doby Park Area for 50 Rotarians. Food and non-alcoholic beverages will be served. The menu includes hotdogs, hamburgers, potato salad, sliced watermelon, canned soda, and bottled water.

Please RSVP before August 1st by clicking the Register Now Link.

 

New Member Orientations

Part of a New Member’s “RED to BLUE” checklist is attending a New Membership Orientation Session. If you are a new member and have not attended a New Membership Orientation session, there are some opportunities coming up that you can plan for! The dates and times are listed below:

  • August 22nd, 11:00 am at Hall’s Signature Events
  • October 24th, 11:00 am at Hall’s Signature Events

 

RCCF Grant Applications Being Accepted Through Sept. 1

The Rotary Club of Charleston Fund (RCCF) is accepting requests for grants. Interested organizations are required to submit a Letter of Inquiry and complete a grant application prior to September 1 to be considered. The application and other details regarding the grant process can be found on our club’s website. For more information, please contact RCCF Chair, Lisa Van Bergen at [email protected].

 

Run with Bernie – Fight to End Polio

Run with Bernie is done in an effort to raise awareness and funds for our fight to end Polio. The event runs from July 1st to October 24th (World Polio Day), getting involved is easy! You can either:

  1. Be an Active Participant: you will keep track of your mileage (Runs, Walks, Swims, Bikes, Rowing, Shopping, etc.)
  2. Be a Supporter: as a supporter you will help through money pledges or direct contributions

Anyone can join our team: club members, family, friends, etc. If you have any interest in either being a participant or a supporter, please reach out to Alex Bourland, our club captain for the Run with Bernie campaign, at [email protected] or 843-860-7141. We appreciate your support of this important event. 

 

Get Involved on a Committee!

At our Rotary Club Assembly meeting on Tuesday, July 11, our Club committee chairs gave excellent presentations about their committees and their plans for this Rotary year. Their enthusiasm and leadership for their committees was apparent to all! We are grateful to them, as well as to all of their subcommittee chairs and committee members who help accomplish their committees’ goals on behalf of our Rotary Club.

For members in attendance at Hall’s 5 Faber on July 11, sign-up sheets were on the table to indicate committees in which they are interested in participating, which I then sent to the committee chairs.

Other members can also sign up to explore and potentially help with Club committees as well, as follows:

“I attended the Club Assembly on Zoom, not in person. How can I sign up to help with a Club committee(s) that interests me?” 

  • Click on this link to a “Google form”, and follow the prompts to input your name, contact info (email and cell phone), and check-off committees of interest. Committee Chairs are indicated for each committee. 
  • When completed, click “submit”.
  • This information will be shared with the Club’s committee chairs

“I could not attend the Club Assembly last Tuesday. How can I access the information which was presented about the Club committees and sign up to help with a Club committee(s) that interests me?” 

If you attended the Club Assembly on Zoom, or watch the meeting recording, please let Carroll know and she will give you “attendance credit”.

We look forward to your participation and engagement!

 

Membership Survey

President Cleave announced that a Membership Survey will be emailed out to all members in the next few weeks.  Please keep a look out for it in your inbox and take a few minutes to complete it.

 

July-Dec 2022 Dues Invoices – Credit Card/Bank Transfers Accepted On-Line

July-December 2023 dues invoices have been distributed via email. Payment is due promptly within 30 days.  As a reminder, we are 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 feature makes those of you paying by credit card or bank transfer easier. We also continue to also accept payments by check. 

 

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.

 

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 picture 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 send to Mike Sottak, [email protected], or Rob Byko, [email protected]

 

Member News

Welcome to our newest Rotarians – Chrissy Copple and Matt Rubin! Chrissy was introduced and sponsored by Ruthie Ravenel and will hold the classification of Education/Development. Jay Gibson introduced and sponsored Matt Rubin, who joins under the classification of Marketing. We were excited to have both Chrissy and Matt join our Rotary family!

Congratulations to Reeves Connelly, who is getting married in Milwaukee this coming Saturday!  We wish Reeves and his new bride all the best as they celebrate their new lives together! 

Our most heartfelt condolences to Alvin Williams on the recent death of his sister.  Please keep Alvin and his family in your thoughts and prayers. 

 

MEMBER SPOTLIGHT

Rotarian:  Richard Parker

  • JOINED: February2022
  • SPONSOR: Dan Ravenel
  • CLASSIFICATION: Hotel Management
  • PROFESSION: Hotel Management, The Inn on Folly Beach
  • Community Service Organizations, Current Activities or Activities/Volunteer Work in the Past: Habitat For Humanity Built a house through and with my company.  Homeless Events/Oak Grove United Methodist Church – Decatur, Georgia
  • Something Unique About Yourself: I am certified in the “5 Voices” (based on Myers-Briggs) which quickly identifies your natural strengths and weaknesses

 

Birthdays

  • August 1 – Jeremy Cook
  • August 3 – Howard Chapman & Julianne Farnsworth
  • August 6 – Alvin Williams
  • August 7 – Karl Brady & Amy Chico

 

WELLNESS TIP

Keep Cool in Extreme Heat

In hot weather conditions, a person may experience heat exhaustion, which can result in several symptoms such as cool, moist skin with goosebumps, heavy sweating, faintness, dizziness, nausea, headache, fatigue, weak, rapid pulse, and low blood pressure upon standing, and muscle cramps.

It is essential to immediately stop and rest, find a cool shelter away from the sun, and drink an adequate amount of water or sports drinks to alleviate the symptoms of heat exhaustion.

To decrease the chances of experiencing heat exhaustion, one should consider the following measures:

  • Quit consuming heavy meals
  • Opt for lightweight clothing
  • Stay away from direct exposure to sunlight
  • Make use of air conditioning
  • Ensure adequate hydration by consuming considerable amounts of water.
OTHER AREA ROTARY CLUBS

 

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

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, Hibben Methodist Church, 690 Coleman Blvd., Mount Pleasant

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 FacebookTake 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: Cleave Ham

 

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