July 29, 2025
We welcomed our own past president Sandy Morckel in her new role as District Governor for District 7770. Sandy has started her tour of every club in the district (and conceded that ours is still her favorite), and delivered the ‘big picture’ view of the mission and vision of Rotary as a global organization. DG Sandy gave us a great history lesson on our own club and all the high impact contributions it has made over the last 100+years to the local and international communities We’re proud to have Sandy as the leader of our district this year and look forward to supporting her in her incredible journey.
Don’t miss the colorful Member Spotlight talk from long-time Rotarian Owen Clary. Check the video for this one!
A couple of service opportunities coming up. Check the Keyway for more info.
No meeting this week!
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: ^3EH5u?U
IN OTHER MEETING NEWS
- Clara Heinsohn gave the Invocation and led us in the pledge.
- Cody Callarman welcomed our visiting Rotarians and guests.
- Past President and Assistant District Governor Digit Matheny introduced our own Sandy Morckel, who is the current District Governor for District 7770 and a Past President of our club.
MORE IN THIS WEEK’S KEYWAY
August 5, 2025 | Issue 5174 | President: Karla Combs
UPCOMING EVENTS
- 8/5 – NO MEETING (deliver of school items to Philip Simmons Elementary (11AM)
- 8/12 – Morgan Crapps, Redwood Materials (Board Meeting 11AM)
- 8/15 – Low Country Orphan Relief project: 9:30AM: Sign up
- 8/19 – Tyler Jones, Chas. Edge Collective, College Sports & NIL
- 8/23- Hope Center service project: 8-2PM sign up
- 8/26 – Eric Bland, Murdaugh Case & Leadership (meet at High Cotton)
- 8/28 – August Social. Edmund’s Oast; sign up here
- 9/2 – NO MEETING (Labor Day Holiday)
NEWS BRIEFS
No Meeting This Tuesday
Our club will NOT meet for lunch this Tuesday, August 5th. Enjoy your week off!
Community Impact Award to CCSD Superintendent Anita Huggins
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.” Clara Heinsohn had the honor of presenting this year’s award on behalf of the club and the club’s selection committee to CCSD Superintendent of Schools Anita Huggins, who is a beloved educator whose relentless commitment and deep sense of service have been instrumental to Charleston County School District over the last two decades.
Huggins’ professional accomplishments include serving as a Riley Institute Diversity Leaders Initiative fellow, English teacher, master teacher, principal, director, and executive director. She has served in various CCSD schools and communities during her tenure, including Simmons-Pinckney Middle School, Burke High School, Edmund A. Burns Elementary School, and Fort Johnson Middle School.
As the Executive Director of Educator Effectiveness for over 12 years, Huggins impacted classrooms throughout CCSD by training hundreds of teachers and administrators; she focused on planning for instruction effectively, instructional delivery, and developing conducive environments for learners. In that role, Huggins was instrumental in creating district-wide systems for teacher development, support, and recognition while leading a team that designed and executed An Evening with Stars gala event to recognize teachers and principals. Proceeds from that event supported the Charleston Educator Symposium, a locally-recognized, multi-day professional development event for educators.
Throughout her career, Huggins has presented at numerous conferences, served as a guest lecturer, facilitated and served on various panels, and co-authored journal articles to help grow and support aspiring, novice, and veteran educators.
Chair McKinney said of Huggins, “Ms. Huggins’ breadth of experience in Charleston and diverse skill set uniquely positions her for this role. A respected educator with a heart for kids, her enthusiasm and passion for ensuring all students achieve at very high levels will serve students and schools well.” We congratulate Anita Huggins on her award and appreciate all her efforts in our community.
Montana de Luz Recognized with RCCF International Grant
Karen Clark, our club’s International Service Director, was pleased to recognize Montana de Luz and their Executive Director, Anna Jackson, with a RCCF International Grant. USAID funding cuts has resulted in the need for gap funding to provide life-saving anti-retroviral medications for children impacted by AIDS/HIV in the care of Montana de Luz in Honduras as they work to find a long-time partner. Our funds will be used to provide children in Honduras with anti-retroviral mediations and will be combined with a gift from the Dublin AM Rotary in Ohio and other funds to provide a much needed supply as they establish a new partnership with the county of Honduras and a new international partner.
Volunteers Needed for Lowcountry Orphan Relief
Lowcountry Orphan Relief has had donations dropped off all summer long and needs help sorting all the donations for their neighborhoods. We will be working alongside their “neighborhood captains” to sort clothing (take out dirty clothes, things with a family label or specific high school label, etc.) for children in the lowcountry identified as at-risk or suffering from abandonment, abuse and/or neglect. 10 spots are available for volunteers on Friday, August 15 from 9:30AM – 11:30AM. The rest of the details are in the Sign-up Genius link below. Let’s spend our first day back after a long weekend by helping in our community. I look forward to everyone coming to help out!
Sign Up Here: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0945A4AA2AA7F5C52-57719000-lowcountry
Global Grant Scholars
Our club is pleased to be sponsoring two candidates for a Rotary Global Grant Scholarship this year. Global Grants are for graduate students studying abroad in one of Rotary’s areas of focus:
- Promoting peace
- Fighting disease
- Providing clean water, sanitation, and hygiene
- Saving mothers and children
- Supporting education
- Growing local economies
- Protecting the environment
Scholarships last from one to four years and can include an entire degree program. Global grant scholarships are funded using District Designated Funds (DDF), cash, and directed gifts and endowment earnings. The Foundation will provide an 80% World Fund match for all DDF contributions. Rhiannon Wilkinson and Lucy McArthur were selected as candidates by our club this year and have been frequent visitors to our luncheons. Karen Clark, Debbie Barton and members of the International Committee has been preparing them for the District interviews, which will take place the weekend of August 8th in Columbia. Both of these ladies are outstanding representatives of our club and community. We wish them all the best during the interview process.
“Birthday” Blue Bucket Donations
President Karla plans to announce all monthly member birthdays at the first meeting of every month. Blue Buckets will for the first meeting of the month will be “Birthday” buckets and all donated contributions the first meeting, unless otherwise announced, will go to support BabyBLOOMS, which is a program at the Ronald McDonald House Charleston. This new program offers support and resources designed to strengthen and assist families as they journey from the hospital to home. Through weekly learning and activity sessions, BabyBLOOMS seeks to enhance the parenting experience using evidenced-based practices, while creating an opportunity to enrich bonding, infant care, and development. On the other Tuesdays of the month during July and August, Blue Bucket donations will go to the Kerrville, Texas Rotary to support flood disaster relief in their area.
July – December 2025 Past Due
July-December 2025 dues invoices have been distributed via email and are now considered PAST DUE. Past due statements were emailed this past week to all those who haven’t made a payment. Payment is due promptly and partial payments are accepted. Please note that payments can easily be made 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.
Be “Spotlighted” at a Meeting
The Rotary Club of Charleston will continue to highlight members twice a month. Members who are interested in being spotlighted should let Julianne Farnsworth know of your interest and she will assign you a date. 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 2025/2026 Theme: Unite for Good
The 2025-26 presidential message, announced at the 2025 Rotary International Assembly in February, will remain Unite for Good, which calls on Rotary members to be a force for unity in a world increasingly divided by politics, geography, and ideology. Through service projects, Rotary brings together people of every background — across races, religions, and professions — in a shared mission to do good in their communities.
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 Jason Noble, jnoble @primefinancial.com
MEMBER SPOTLIGHT 
Rotarian Owen Clary, who has 50 years of service under his belt (including 49 with perfect attendance) gave us a colorful account of his life’s journey. While he has a razor sharp memory, it doesn’t hurt that he’s been journaling every day of his life since he was 13, accumulating hundreds of journals that contain his thoughts and observations throughout his well traveled adventures. Owen, whose family has been in South Carolina for more than 300 years, dating back to their migration as Huguenots from France (where there is a town that bears the family name), shared a number of anecdotes and learnings that we can all benefit from. Thank for your remarkable service Rotarian Owen, and for the entertaining talk.
Birthdays
- 8/6 – Alvin Williams
- 8/7 – Amy Chico, Karl Brady, Jeremy Cook
- 8/8 – Alex Bourland, Chris Olson, Marcus Stevenson
- 8/11 – Weston Peters, Andrew Rosenfeld
WELLNESS TIP
Move in a Way That Feels Good You don’t need a gym to stay active in the summer. Walks in the morning or evening, bike rides, swimming, or even 15 minutes of stretching in your living room can make a big difference. The key is consistency, and choosing movement that fits your lifestyle and brings you joy.
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