June 11, 2024
Our own DJ Hampton took to the podium to give us an overview of the great work being done by Trident United Way, which traces its roots back to initial support from the Charleston Rotary Club in the 1920s. Today a key focus of TUW is its ALICE initiative, which focuses on Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed families and individuals who live and work in the Tri-County. DJ told us that in the Tri-County community, nearly 4 out of 10 households fall below the ALICE threshold. Although fully employed with essential jobs that keep our communities running, ALICE workers don’t earn enough to cover the rising costs of living, leaving them and their families perpetually teetering on the edge of poverty.
Trident United Way is paving the way to financial stability for ALICE individuals and families. With its expansive network of nonprofit partners, volunteers and donors, we connect ALICE to immediate support and assistance programs that open opportunities for long term change.
For a recording of this week’s meeting, click here
Passcode: $CS$$4@J
IN OTHER MEETING NEWS
- Past President Rob Dewey gave the Invocation and led us in the pledge.
- Jennifer Flanagin introduced our visiting Rotarians & guests.
- President Cleave presented Health & Happiness.
- Past President and Assist. DG Sandy Morckel introduced fellow Rotarian, DJ Hampton, who discussed Trident United Way and “ALICE”.
MORE IN THIS WEEK’S KEYWAY
June 18, 2024 | Issue 5131 President: Cleave Ham
UPCOMING EVENTS
- 6/18 – Richele Taylor, CEO of the SC Medical Association
- 6/19 – June Social Red Palm Tavern
- 6/25 – Transition/End of Year Happy Hour (5PM)
- 7/2 – No Meeting – Happy Fourth of July
- 7/10 – Skyline Social & Fundraiser (Morrison Yard); More info here
NEWS BRIEFS
Last Call for January 2024 Dues Payments
We still have a few members who have not paid January dues (and you know who you are!), please be sure to take care of making payment as soon as possible. This Rotary year is quickly coming to an end and July-December 2024 dues statements will be issued next month. If you have an outstanding balance and have recently received a past due notice or been contacted by club leadership, please make good on your payment ASAP. July-December 2024 dues invoices will be distributed in the next few weeks.
Board Transition Social – Mark Your Calendars
To celebrate the end of this Rotary Year and the beginning of our new Rotary Year, a Happy Hour Social from 5-7pm is scheduled at Hall’s Signature Events on Tuesday, June 25 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 use the link below to RSVP by Friday, June 21, so we can include you in our guest count.
https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0945A4AA2AA7F5C52-50053704-endofyear
Skyline Social & Fundraiser: July 10
Get ready for our first big FUN-raiser of 2024-25!
The Skyline Social & Fundraiser will be held July 10 at 5PM at The Morrison Yard Building on 850 Morrison Drive, Suite 600. Hosted by McMillan, Pazdan, Smith Architects, it will be a fun evening featuring a raffle, silent auction, as well as food and drink, all while taking in one of the best views of Charleston Skyline from the spectacular Morrison Yard building.
You can help in several ways:
- Become a Charleston Champion – we have several sponsorship/donation levels detailed in the form here (click on the link below):
Charleston Champions Sponsorship Pledge Form (1)
Donations can be made directly using Pay Pal, Venmo, or credit card through this link or by check made payable to the Rotary Club of Charleston Fund.
2. Donate an item for the auction and raffle. This can be a service or physical asset or treasured item or anything you think might be appealing to other generous-minded donors. If you have something you can donate, please fill out this form and send it us as instructed on the form (click on the link below):
Raffle Prize Donation Form (1)
3. Join us on July 10 at the Skyline Social Fundraiser. Please RSVP here.
Thank you for your support! We are sure you’ll agree that our community is stronger, healthier, and more vibrant because of the work carried out by nonprofits supported by our Rotary over the past many years. Your tax-deductible gift to the Rotary Club of Charleston Fund will inspire and encourage the continuation of this work.
Volunteering = FUN-Raising Project
The Rotary Club of Charleston has partnered with EPI to assist in staffing for our first ever, year-long FUN-Raising Project!! This is a great opportunity to attend fun events, support our local sports teams, AND raise funds for our club to facilitate all the wonderful grants we have seen presented in the last few weeks. The volunteer opportunities for the next couple of months are now posted. Check back often has there will be more opportunities available as the CofC basketball schedule is coordinated with EPI. Please contact Karla Combs with any questions, sign up below:
https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0945A4AA2AA7F5C52-50046538-epifunraising
Children Clothing Drive – Lowcountry Orphan Relief
At our recent care packing event at the Lowcountry Orphan Relief Center we learned there are several items that are very low in stock or completely out. Below is a list of items given by the director as their Urgent Wish List. Please bring any donations you may have to our weekly meetings for the remainder of May and all of June, and we will deliver them. Don’t forget, LOR assembles 500 of these care kits for foster kids being placed in new homes EVERY MONTH, and they provide a few weeks of clothing, toiletries, etc. giving the children something of their own and taking some pressure off the new families.
Short Sleeve T-Shirts (Sizes 2T-5T)
Shorts (3T-5T Boys & 5T Girls)
Pajamas (5T Boys & Girls)
Underwear (2T/3T & 5T Boys & Girls)
Socks (4/5T Boys & Girls)
The clothing items can be gently worn, but the underwear and socks need to be new. Books are also appreciated as each child gets 4 age/ grade appropriate books!!
District 7770 Golf Tournament
Mark your calendars and join fellow Rotarians on Thursday June 20th at Charleston National Golf Club for the 4th Annual RNGI Golf Tournament!
It’s a great course, and we guarantee you will have a day full of fun and fellowship, lots of food and drinks too!!
Charleston National Golf Club is a uniquely beautiful Rees Jones design just north of the city of Charleston in suburban Mt. Pleasant. The course is carved along the intracoastal waterway, through natural wetlands and lagoons and through a pine and oak tree forest. The result is a championship caliber golf course with some of the best views on the southeastern coast. Charleston National was originally designed to be an exclusive private country club in the manner of Augusta National.
Please share the attached information to your golfing and business friends. We need players, raffle prizes and all types of sponsors. You can get all the information and sign up details online by clicking this link. https://www.rnginvitational.com/copy-of-sponsorships
Board Transition Social – Mark Your Calendars
To celebrate the end of this Rotary Year and the beginning of our new Rotary Year, a Happy Hour Social from 5-7pm is scheduled at Hall’s Signature Events on Tuesday, June 25 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!
Change in Membership Status Deadline
If you plan a change in your club member status by July 1, 2024 to Excused, eMember, Leave of Absence or if you are planning to resign, please notify Carroll in writing NO LATER THAN June 7th. Any change will affect July billing. Also, if you are on our membership list as of July 1, the club pays Rotary International and District dues for you. If you have any questions, contact Carroll.
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, mikesottak@gmail.com, or Rob Byko, rob@bykorealty.com
MEMBER NEWS
Pres-Elect-Elect Karla Combs, recently, at the national convention of the Insurance Office of America, with which Karla is employed, her Charleston branch was named “Large Branch of the Year”. Congratulations!
Proposed New Members
The following membership candidates have submitted an application and signed letter of agreement to the Historic Rotary Club of Charleston:
Elijah Melendez – sponsor: Marion Platt; Classification: Non-Profit/Exec.
David Osborne – sponsor: Rob Dewey; classification: Law/General
Heidi Finniff – sponsor: Michael Smith; classification: Banking/Business
In the event you know Elijah, David or Heidi, please tell a member of the Board how he will serve the ideals of Rotary.
MEMBER SPOTLIGHT
Rotarian: Christopher G. Olson 
JOINED: June, 2022
SPONSOR: Patterson Smith, Harry Staley
CLASSIFICATION: Franchise Owner, Fast Food
PROFESSION: Franchise owner
Community Service Organizations, Current Activities or Activities/Volunteer Work in the Past: YMCA, Clemson SC; Elder at Fort Hill Presbyterian Church, Clemson SC
SOMETHING UNIQUE ABOUT YOURSELF: I am a retired lawyer, former county court Solicitor, father of 2, grandfather of 3, husband of one.
Birthdays
- 6/18 – Past President Patterson Smith
- 6/22 – Past President & Honorary Member Jimmy Stuckey
WELLNESS TIP
Have Fun (or Just Relax) in the Sun
Get outdoors often, even if just to relax in a hammock or chaise lounger. If possible, seek opportunities to work outdoors. For example, if your workplace has an outdoor break area, you could work from your laptop at a patio table.
Simply being in the great outdoors offers significant health benefits, including:
- Improved mental health
- Better concentration and focus
- A more relaxed mind
- Lower heart rate, blood pressure, and cortisol levels
- Reduced muscle tension
- Higher Vitamin D levels
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 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: Cleave Ham
Executive secretary: Carroll Schweers, carrollschweers@gmail.com
Mailing address: Rotary Club of Charleston, P.O. Box 21029, Charleston, SC 29413-1029
Copyright 2018, Rotary Club of Charleston. All rights reserved