November 12, 2024
We were honored to have Admiral Mike McAllister, retired Coast Guard officer, to speak to our club in recognition of Veteran’s Day. Admiral McAllister gave an overview of the scope and scale of the US Coast Guard operations throughout the world and highlighted its many capabilities and responsibilities that make it a unique arm of our US Military. We were reminded that Charleston has and continues to play an important role in the Coast Guard operations and has recently been names one of just 10 Coast Guard Communities around the US.
Lots going on this Fall in Rotary with volunteer opportunities, events and more great speakers. And with the holidays almost upon us, check the Keyway from important meeting and events information.
To join an upcoming meeting by Zoom use this link and the passcode: Rotary
IN OTHER MEETING NEWS
- Julianne Farnsworth gave the Invocation and led us in the pledge.
- Heidi Finniff welcomed and introduced our visiting Rotarians and guests.
- Health and Happiness was presented by President Robert.
- Owen Clary introduced our Veteran’s Day speaker, Vice Admiral Mike McAllister, Coast Guard Retired.
MORE IN THIS WEEK’S KEYWAY November 19, 2024 | Issue 5149 President: Robert Sullivan
UPCOMING EVENTS
- 11/15 – (Service Project) Humanities Foundation Food Drive, 12noon-2pm
- 11/19 – Real Estate Panel (mtg. moved to High Cotton)
- 11/26 – NO MEETING – Happy Thanksgiving
- 11/29 – (Service Project) Bikes for Africa (bicycle breakdown)
- 12/3 – TBD, 11am New Member Orientation, Board Election Day
- 12/5 – (Service Project) Salvation Army Bellringing 2-6pm
- 12/10 – TBD, 11am Brd Mtg.
- 12/13 – (Service Project) Operation Angel Tree
- 12/17 – Annual Holiday Luncheon at Hall’s Chophouse, 12-1pm
- 12/19 – Holiday Party for Seniors @ Ansonborough House, 1pm
- 12/24 – NO MEETING – Happy Holidays!
- 12/31 – NO MEETING – Happy New Year!
NEWS BRIEFS
IMPORTANT …. Meeting 11/19 at High Cotton
Our luncheon this Tuesday, 11/19 has been moved to HIGH COTTON (199 East Bay Street), which is directly across East Bay Street from the Faber Street alley. If you are planning to bring a guest to Rotary, the deadline to let Carroll know was this past Friday. High Cotton is a slightly smaller event space, so we needed to know in advance to ensure that we are prepared for any additional people. As a reminder, guest fee is $30 paid at the door. First-time prospective members are free and sign in at the Membership Table.
Holiday Schedule
We will NOT meet on Tuesday, November 26, December 24 or December 31. We hope everyone enjoys this special time with family and friends. Our first meeting after the New Year will be Tuesday, January 7th.
RCCF Grant Recipients Recognized 
On behalf of our club and the RCCF Committee, Past President and RCCF Chair Rob Dewey recognized another Fall grant recipient this past Tuesday. Sean Glassberg attended on behalf of Racers for Pacers. Our club’s donation will purchase two running chairs, each of which will be place with a family who has a child or young adult with severe disabilities. The families will have full access to the running chairs and a volunteer “Pacer”, should family members be unable to run with the “Racer”. Thank you to Amy Chico for sponsoring this RCCF grant application. We congratulate Racers for Pacers and were pleased to support their efforts to help children with disabilities in our community.
Membership Committee Needs Volunteers
The Membership Committee is looking for a couple of volunteers to meet with a new member about once a month. The objective is to meet with the new member one on one to answer any questions, discuss committees, reasons for joining, goals as a member. In summary, it’s a personable meeting to help get them on their blue badge path and optimize club experience. If interested in becoming involved on the committee, please contact Connor Spangler at [email protected].
Board Nominations – Slate Announcement this Tuesday
Past President Cleave Ham and the Board nominating committee are finalizing the slate of candidates for the 2025-2026 Board of Directors. The final slate will be presented to the membership this coming Tuesday. The election will take place at our meeting on Tuesday, 12/10. Members will be able to vote at the meeting or by proxy prior to 12/10. Four new Board members will be elected to serve a two year term starting in July.
Blue Buckets – Holiday Gratuity for Servers (Dec. 10th last day to donate)
You can support our wait staff/kitchen staff at Hall’s Signature Events by making a donation in the Blue Buckets at upcoming meetings through Dec. 10. All BLUE bucket donations from this coming Tuesday through our meeting on December 10 will be collected and given as a holiday gift to our servers to show our appreciation for all they do for us each Tuesday. Please consider contributing to the staff at Hall’s Signature Events as they work hard for us each and every Tuesday.
Humanities Foundation Food Drive
On Friday, November 15th from 12noon-2pm (location TBD), volunteers are needed to assist the Humanities Foundation with handing out food boxes to those who drive through. All of the meals and provisions will be prepared for our distribution prior to the event. Come enjoy a couple of hours with your fellow Rotarians helping those in need in our community. Sign up by using the Sign-Up Genius link that was emailed to members or contact Cody Callarman at [email protected].
Hurricane Helene Continued Support We are all deeply saddened by the recent storm damage to our neighbors in Western North Carolina. As Rotarians, such tragedies are a call to action, and our Rotary Club wants to do all that we can to create hope and help the people of Western North Carolina devastated by this disaster. Thanks to the generosity of many of our club members over the past month, we have collected $1300 in the Blue Buckets. Please note that we will not be collecting in the Blue Buckets in the coming weeks, but members can continue to make donations to the RCCF for disaster relief support through this PayPal link: https://www.paypal.com/ncp/payment/872RUU6PAC92W.
Annual Holiday Luncheon at Hall’s – December 17 (RSVP BY Dec. 3!) Mark your calendars now to attend our Annual Holiday Luncheon at Hall’s Chophouse (434 King Street) on Tuesday, December 17th at 12:00noon (doors open at 11:30am). This event is open to all Rotarians and their spouses or (1) guest. No charge for Rotarians; spouse/guest fee is $40 paid at the door (or in advance) CASH OR CHECK. Sign up now using the link below: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0945A4AA2AA7F5C52-53090622-annual We hope everyone will be able to join us as we ring in the holidays! The deadline to RSVP is Tuesday, December 3rd … no exceptions!
Change in Membership Status Deadline (IMPORTANT)
If you plan a change in your club member status by January 1, 2025 to Excused, Leave of Absence, E-Member or if you are planning to resign, please notify Carroll in writing NO LATER THAN DECEMBER 6th. All membership changes will need to be reviewed and approved by the Board at the December 10h meeting. Membership changes will affect your January-June 2025 dues statement, which will be distributed in mid-December. Our club is required by Rotary International to pay semi-annual dues for all members on the club’s membership list as of January 1. If you resign after the December 6th deadline, you will be responsible for paying the Rotary International and District dues which the club pays for you on January 1. If you have any questions, contact Carroll.
Be “Spotlighted” at a Meeting
The Rotary Club of Charleston will be highlighting a member of the club twice a month through June of 2025. Members who want to be spotlighted need to let me know of your interest and I will assign you a date. At the assigned meeting, you will have approximately 2 minutes to tell the Rotary Club membership about yourself. You can use visual aids and/or just talk about yourself. Please take advantage of this wonderful opportunity to “spotlight” you and your personal and professional achievements. Contact Julianne Farnsworth at [email protected] if interested or for more information.
Rotarians Against Human Trafficking (RAHT)
One of Rotary’s big initiatives this year is to combat human trafficking. It’s a prevalent, but also oftentimes unspoken issue. Past President Alissa Leitzow is the RAHT Ambassador for our club, so please reach out to her for more information on how to get involved. [email protected]
EPI Volunteers & Fundraising for the RCCF
Our Rotary Club is collaborating with Event Partners, Inc. (“EPI”), which is an organization based in Charleston, established in 2005, serving partner organizations throughout the United States with event staffing solutions and consultation services in the sports and entertainment industry. EPI has a Group Fundraising Program, whereby organizations like our Rotary Club can raise money by providing our members opportunities to volunteer to staff multiple types of events, such as “Collegiate Athletics and Championships, Professional Sports, Music Concerts and Festivals, Races and Local Events”, with fees for their service paid to RCCF; examples of types of events in our area include Charleston Battery Soccer, Riverfront Park Festival, Spoleto Festival, CSU & Citadel football, Charleston Classic Basketball Tournament, and CofC basketball (about 15 home games).
This is a year-long fundraiser for our club and a fun and easy way for our members to help our club raise funds for RCCF on their own time, by volunteering for a variety of positions at events, such as ticket scanners, parking directors, etc. and can include friends, family, co-workers, neighbors and such.
For more information and Sign Up Genius, please click on the below link: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0945A4AA2AA7F5C52-50046538-epifunraising
Please direct any questions to Karla Combs, Pres-Elect and 2024 Fundraising Chair, who is spearheading this fundraising effort for our club.
Rotary International 2024/2025 Theme: Create the Magic of Rotary
This year’s Rotary Presidential Theme is “The Magic of Rotary”. You will see the themed banner hanging on the podium every meeting. Rotary International President Stephanie Urchick encourages members to recognize and amplify the organization’s power to save lives. Clubs are encourage to celebrate the magic of Rotary that is created with every project completed, every dollar donated, and every new member of Rotary.
July – December 2024 Dues Invoices PAST DUE
July-December 2024 dues invoices are PAST DUE. If you have not made your July 2024 dues payment, please do so promptly. We will be closing the books on this current billing cycle on December 31 and issuing January-June 2025 invoices before the holidays. We would like to receive all past due payments before the Board Meeting on December 10. If you didn’t receive an invoice or have misplaced, please contact Carroll. Also note that payments can be paid on-line by either credit card or bank transfer. Members just simply need to click on the “pay now” button on their invoice. If you prefer to pay by check, please mail to PO Box 21029, Charleston, SC 29413.
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
With much regret, the Board accepted the resignation of Travis Ronk this past Tuesday. We wish him the best and will miss him as a club member!
MEMBER SPOTLIGHT
Rotarian: Drew Faw
Newly inducted member Drew Faw was in our spotlight this week. Drew attended the University of Alabama, where she earned her Bachelor of
Science in Nursing, and began her nursing career at Vanderbilt University, followed by working in the Operating Room at Roper Hospital. Drew obtained my Masters in Nursing and Health Systems Administration, and went on to manage the Main Operating Room at Roper Hospital for 3 years. Drew is married to Jared Faw; proud parents of a 5-year-old son, Ford, and two dogs, Tilly and Mills. The family lives on James Island. Drew gave us an overview of her company HomeRN which provides a range of home health and care services throughout the Charlton Community Welcome Drew!
Birthdays
- 11/20– Jeanne Jamme
- 11/21 – Clara Heinsohn & Graham Kennedy
- 11/22 – Jay Gibson & Past President Alissa Lietzow
WELLNESS TIP Get your flu shot Want to know how to stay healthy during flu season? Get the once-a-year flu vaccine. The vaccine can reduce flu illnesses, missed work, and doctor’s office visits. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends getting the vaccine before October’s end.
OTHER AREA ROTARY CLUBS
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
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. https://www.cainhoyrotary.com
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 302 Hibben St
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: Robert Sullivan
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