April 8, 2025
Our club made a special field trip to visit one of Charleston’s treasured landmarks and cultural centers. We were hosted by Lissa Frenkle, president and CEO of the Galliard Center and were given an insightful tour of this wonderful facility. Galliard Foundation Chair Jeff Dacy filled us in on much of the rich history and milestones of the venue, providing a new perspective on this incredible asset in our downtown Charleston.
Don’t forget our Spring Social on April 24 at James Island Country Park. 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
- After an informative tour of The Gaillard Center by Jeff Dacy, President Robert welcomed Rotarians and thanked Chrissy Copple for coordinating this wonderful “field trip” for our membership.
- Past President Lisa Van Bergen gave the Invocation and led us in the pledge.
- Chrissy Copple introduced our speaker, Lissa Frenkel, President & CEO, The Gaillard Center.
MORE IN THIS WEEK’S KEYWAY April 15, 2025 | Issue 5164 President: Robert Sullivan
UPCOMING EVENTS
- 4/15 – Elliott Summey (11am Board Mtg)
- 4/22 – NO Rotary Meeting
- 4/24 – Spring Social @ James Island County Park, Wappo Shelter: RSVP here
- 4/29 – Paul Fetheringill – SC Small Business Development Council
- 5/6 – Parker Milner, P&C Food Editor, on the food & dining scene in Charleston
- 5/13 – Youth Exchange Students, Apollo & Isaure (11AM Board Mtg)5/20 – Charleston County Teachers of the Year / Rotary Service Above Self Scholars
- 5/27 – NO ROTARY – Happy Memorial Day!
NEWS BRIEFS
Spring Social – Get your tickets now: April 24
Please join us for our Spring Social and FUN-Raiser, Shrimp, Sausage & Service at James Island County Park, Wappoo Shelter on April 24 5:00PM – 7:00PM Food & Beverage are included and guests are ENCOURAGED, Please share the link and have everyone purchase tickets! There will be raffles and games the night of the event, so invite your family, friends, neighbors and co-workers as all proceeds will go to RCCF to fund our many grants and projects throughout the year!! Thank you for all you do and your support of OUR Historic Rotary Club of Charleston
https://www.paypal.com/ncp/
Youth Exchange Information / Host Families Needed for 2025/2026 Rotary Year
The Rotary Youth Exchange program offers teenagers ages 15-19 an opportunity to make new friends and learn new ways of living, to open themselves to different ideas, a new culture, traditions, and experiences, and to adapt and gain fresh perspectives while in the U.S., attending high school and living with 2- 3 host families. The exchanges offer the same benefits to host families. I have been involved with the program for the past 8 years and can attest to the wonderful opportunity it has presented to both the students and their hosts.
- This year’s student is a 17-year-old girl from Verona, Italy.
- She will attend the Charleston Charter School for Math & Science (bus routes to and from cover a wide geographic area)
- We are in need of a family to host her for at least 3-4 months beginning in August, when she arrives and before school starts. We also need one or two other families to host her for the remainder of the school year for 3-6 months.
- Host families will need to complete an online application and some online training modules as well as attend one in-person meeting with other host families and the Youth Exchange Officers & Counselors (my role) from our Rotary District this summer in either June or August.
Please contact Karen Clark if you would like additional information about the program, have questions and/or if you would like her to contact others directly to discuss this hosting opportunity. Also, if you know of any local students who may be interested in being sponsored for an outbound exchange in another country. Thank you for your consideration and for sharing this information with your families and others you know that may be interesting in hosting (they do not have to be Rotary members)!
Rotary Leadership Institute is Coming to Charleston
Ready to enhance your leadership skills and deepen your Rotary knowledge? Join us at the Rotary Leadership Institute (RLI) event on Friday, April 25, 2025, in N. Charleston, SC, You will learn valuable skills with other Rotarians and will be able to make a bigger impact on your club and community. RLI helps Rotarians learn about Rotary and develop leadership skills. Courses are engaging, topical, interactive, and geared toward busy business and professional people who want to become more effective leaders in their vocations and clubs. Each course tackles essential topics, from Rotary basics to complex global initiatives. Whether you’re a new member seeking orientation, a rising leader building your skill set, or an experienced Rotarian aiming for higher impact, there’s a valuable part for you.
Benefits abound:
- Deepen your Rotary knowledge: Discover the breadth and depth of Rotary’s worldwide impact—past, present, and future.
- Master leadership skills: Hone your communication, teamwork, and problem-solving abilities, valuable in Rotary and beyond.
- Energize your club: Bring back fresh ideas, strategies, and enthusiasm to benefit your fellow Rotarians.
- Expand your network: Connect with inspiring Rotarians across the district and zone, building lasting friendships and collaborations.
Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3 RLI sessions will be offered during the event on April 25, 2025. Each part is a prerequisite for the next. The event will be held at the North Charleston Marriott, 4770 Goer Dr. N. Charleston, SC 29406. Doors open at 8:30 am, and classes begin at 9:00 am. Lunch and all materials are included, and the event concludes at 3:30 pm. The registration fee is $95. Join us for a great opportunity to meet new people and learn about Rotary! Learn more about RLI: https://www.midatlanticrli.org Registration link: https://www.dacdb.com/Index.cfm?EventID=77816195 Questions? Contact Jerry Kozel at [email protected].
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]
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.
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
MEMBER SPOTLIGHT
Rotarian Brooke Manheimer was in the spotlight recently and gave us some background on her life journey. She has been in our club for about three years. A native of Salisbury, NC and UNC graduate. She has been married for 21 years and has three sons (16, 14 12) and two dogs. She has enjoyed a diverse career, following getting her degree as a dietician, with career stops in pharmaceutical sales. (for Pfizer for ten years ) and them moved into waste management sales selling dumpsters, and now sells for a mechanical contracting company that sell the ‘brains’ and infrastructure for commercial buildings.
Birthdays
- 4/15 – Wills Denton
- 4/19 – Chief Chito Walker & Bill Raver
- 4/20 – Sam Skardon & Eric Farr
WELLNESS TIPS Tap into your dark side. Dark chocolate has been shown to have heart-healthy benefits and it can certainly boost your mood. Be mindful of portions, though, to help keep yourself feeling happy.
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