June 3, 2025
Our own Rotarian Ed Sutton, the South Carolina Senator from the 20th district. joined us and provided a legislative update, discussing the new Senate composition with 13 new senators that has a part of after winning his election in 2024. He highlighted the importance of addressing flooding issues in Charleston and noted that the governor has limited power compared to the legislature. He mentioned serving on multiple committees, with transportation being a favorite due to its relevance to flooding issues. Ed also discussed key legislative issues, including liquor liability reform, education vouchers, and energy policy. He noted a compromise solution for liquor liability, reducing policy costs for establishments closing before midnight and meeting certain criteria. He also addressed concerns about the state treasurer’s office and a $1.2 billion error, leading to a Senate vote to remove Curtis Loftus from office.
A service project opportunity and our June social on tap for June. Check the Keyway from important meeting and events information.
To join an upcoming meeting by Zoom use this link and the passcode: Rotary.
To see the video of this week’s meeting, go here
Passcode: GjCuF&m2
IN OTHER MEETING NEWS
- Riana Brennan 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.
- Karl Brady introduced fellow Rotarian and SC Senator Ed Sutton, who gave us a legislative update
MORE IN THIS WEEK’S KEYWAY
June 10, 2025 | Issue 5170 President: Robert Sullivan
UPCOMING EVENTS
- 6/10 – Marion Platt, Star Gospel Mission
- 6/114: (Service Project) Operation Gratitude Community Cares, 9am-1pm
- 6/17 – TBD
- 6/19 – June Social. Red Palm Tavern; 5:30-7:30 (sign up here)
- 6/24 – No Rotary
- 7/1 – NO ROTARY
- 7/9 – President/Board Transition Happy Hour 5:30-7:30 @ Hall’s
NEWS BRIEFS Reminder … Guest RSVP by 5pm on Monday
If you are planning to bring a guest to Rotary, it is important that you 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. Guest fee is $30 paid at the door. First-time prospective members are free.
Last Call for January 2025 Dues Payments
We still have a few members who have not paid January 2025 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 2025 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 by the end of May.
Change in Membership Status Deadline: (IMPORTANT DEADLINE 6/9)
If you plan a change in your club member status by July 1, 2025 to Excused, eMember, Leave of Absence or if you are planning to resign, please notify Carroll in writing NO LATER THAN June 9th. 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. Members who resign after July 1 will be required to pay dues. If you have any questions, contact Carroll.
June Social @ Red Palm Tavern
Our June Club Social will be taking place at Red Palm Tavern on 6/19 from 5:30 PM to 7:30 PM. We look forward to seeing everyone there. Please feel free to bring a prospective club member! Complementary appetizers will also be served. There is a small amount of parking on location. The Charleston Tech Center parking garage is a great alternative if onsite parking is full. Red Palm Tavern 45 Romney Street Charleston, SC 29403 Sign Up Link – https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0945A4AA2AA7F5C52-57168816-june
Inaugural Operation Gratitude Community Cares Service Project
Operation Gratitude is a national non-profit organization that provides meaningful opportunities for the American people to express their appreciation to our Military and First Responder communities. Since 2003, their nationwide network of Volunteers and Partners have assembled and delivered more than 4.2 million Care Packages containing a variety of snack foods, hygiene products and Handmade With Love items, along with personal letters of appreciation to those who serve. Rotarians are encouraged to volunteer at Operation Gratitude’s inaugural Community Cares event at Johnson Hagood Stadium on Saturday, June 14 from 9am-1pm. Community Cares is an exciting grassroots initiative bringing volunteer opportunities to communities across the nation. 5,000 Care Packages will be assembled to distribute to local Veterans and First Responders. We’d love for any available members to volunteer with us! Here is the sign-up link: https://x.gldn.io/e/JLeI5mvUTTb
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)!
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: New Instagram Account \
We now have anew Instagram account! Please follow us on @charlestonrotaryclub. Thanks To Charlie Jablon for setting this up. Continue to follow us on Facebook and LinkedIn, too. 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] Charlie Jablon [email protected] and Michael Smith [email protected]
MEMBER NEWS Our most heartfelt condolences to Debbie Barton on the recent passing of her father. Our thoughts and prayers are with Debbie and her family.
New Members Inducted
Three new members were inducted this past Tuesday – Kirk Evans, Mac George and Zach Serrins. Kirk was introduced and sponsored by Michael Smith. He will hold the classification of Financial Advisor. President Robert introduced and sponsored Mac, who will hold the classification of HVAC/Commercial. Zach was introduced and sponsored by Cody Callarman and will hold the classification of Bottling. We welcome these 3 new members into our Rotary family!
Proposed New Members The following membership candidates have submitted an application and signed letter of agreement to the Historic Rotary Club of Charleston:
- William Howle – sponsor: Baxter Hahn; classification: CVB
- Holton Siegling– sponsor: Lewis Edge, classification: Ministry
In the event you know William or Holton, please tell a member of the Board how he will serve the ideas of Rotary.
Paul Harris Fellows Recognized
Continuing the legacy of our founder, the Paul Harris Fellow program recognizes individuals who contribute, or who have contributions made in their name, of $1,000 to The Rotary Foundation of Rotary International. The honor was established in 1957 to show appreciation for contributions that support our Annual Fund, PolioPlus, or an approved Foundation grant. Our Rotary Foundation Chair, Heidi Finniff, was honored to recognize fellow Rotarians Andrew Rosenfeld with a PHF + 3 and Barb Walters with a Paul Harris Fellow + 4 this past Tuesday. Congratulations to Andrew and Barb! We thank them both for their dedication and service to our club and The Rotary Foundation.
MEMBER SPOTLIGHT
Rotarian Meredith Mule from Beacon Point Advisors spoke about legacy and financial planning, emphasizing leaving assets to heirs or charity while minimizing taxes. She mentioned managing over $43 billion of bandwidth and her role as a park commissioner appointed by Governor McMaster.
Birthdays
- 6/8 – Duncan Grant
- 6/10 – Nick Galizia
- 6/11 – Trent Drafts
- 6/12 – Dallas Wilson
- 6/16 – Beth Meyer-Bernstein
WELLNESS TIP
Be good to your gut. Include Greek yogurt, sauerkraut, kefir or foods high in fiber in your diet.
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