November 4, 2025
Our guest speaker was John Boyleston from the SC Department of Transportation who discussed the various workings, responsibilities and future plans of the DoT, which manages the forth largest highway operations in the country, including 8.000 miles of bridges.
With the holidays coming up quickly check our Keyway for upcoming events and schedules. Lots of great stuff going on in the Club, including the our next social on November 11, plus all the great holiday traditions of our club.
Check the Keyway for more info. 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: hsQh8#X7
IN OTHER MEETING NEWS
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- Lenny Reeder gave the Invocation and led us in the pledge.
- Past President Robert Sullivan welcomed our visiting Rotarians and guests.
- Mac George introduced our guest speaker, John Boyleston with the SC Department of Transportation.
MORE IN THIS WEEK’S KEYWAY
November 11, 2025 | Issue 5183| President: Karla Combs
UPCOMING EVENTS
- 11/11 – Anita Huggins, Superintendent of Schools, CCSD (11am Board Mtg)
- 11/13 – Social at Holy City Brewing, 5:30-7:30pm
- 11/15 – Chas. Miracle League “Fans in the Stands”
- 11/18 – Speaker TBD
- 11/25 – NO ROTARY MEETING (Happy Thanksgiving)
- 12/2 – Lenny Reeder, Military Experience
- 12/6 – Salvation Army Bellringing 4-6:30pm
- 12/9 – CTAR CEO (11am Board Mtg)
- 12/13 – Salvation Army Bellringing 4-6:30pm
- 12/16 – Holiday Luncheon @ Hall’s, 12noon
- 12/18 – Senior Holiday Giving at Ansonborough House
- 12/20 – Salvation Army Bellringing 4-6:30pm
- 12/23 – NO ROTARY MEETING
- 12/30 – NO ROTARY MEETING
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 and sign in at the Membership Table.
Holiday Schedule
We will NOT meet on Tuesday, November 25, December 23 or December 30. We hope everyone enjoys this special time with family and friends. Our first meeting after the New Year will be Tuesday, January 6th.
Change in Membership Status Deadline (IMPORTANT)
If you plan a change in your club member status by January 1, 2026 to Excused, Leave of Absence, E-Member or if you are planning to resign, please notify Carroll in writing NO LATER THAN DECEMBER 9th. All membership changes will need to be reviewed and approved by the Board at the December 9th meeting. Membership changes will affect your January-June 2026 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 9th 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.
Blue Buckets – Holiday Gratuity for Servers (Dec. 9th last day to donate) You can support our wait staff/kitchen staff at Hall’s Signature Events by donating in the Blue Buckets at upcoming meetings through Dec. 9. All BLUE bucket donations from this coming Tuesday through our meeting on December 9 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 every Tuesday.
July – December 2025 Dues Invoices PAST DUE July-December 2025 dues invoices are PAST DUE. If you have not made your July 2025 dues payment, please do so promptly. We will be closing the books on this current billing cycle on December 31 and issuing January-June 2026 invoices before the holidays. We would like to receive all past due payments before the Board Meeting on December 9. If you have not paid and 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.
Chief Luther Reynolds Community Impact Award: Officer Alexis Bosier
We honored our treasured fallen Rotarian and Police Chief Luther Reynolds by recognizing this year’s outstanding police officer. Alexis Bosier.
Said Fellow Rotarina Chief Chito Walker: Officer Bossier embodies the spirit of service above self through her daily dedication to compassion, empathy, and community service, her approach to police and reflects Chief Luther Reynolds legacy, leading with kindness, humility, and a heart for helping others. As a member of the community Outreach Bike Unit, officer Bosier has developed strong connections with Charleston residents through trust, compassion, and consistent presence. She’s known for her willingness to go above and beyond to meet the needs of the community, often using her own resources to help those in crisis. In one remarkable example, FOIA encountered a young child wearing shoes that were too small and causing bruising without hesitation. She purchased new shoes and clothing for the child, her brother and their baby sibling, an act that demonstrated both empathy and a deep sense of care that defines her service.
Also, Bossier Compassion extends through her work. She participates in community initiative such as the EME apartment event where she helps distribute toys, clothing, books, and treats to children’s and families in need. Her presence and effort helped bridge the gap between law enforcement and communities She serves turning everyday interactions into opportunities for connection and trust. Her natural ability to nurture and comfort others combined with her professionalism and initiative makes her a true reflection of the values. Chief Reynolds championed service, compassion, and community engagement for her outstanding commitment to making Charleston a better, more caring city. Officer Alexis Bossier is a deserving recipient of the Chief Luther Reynolds Community Impact Recognition Award
Rotary Student of the Month Program
The last two months have seen us recognize one side of excellence in education in Charleston – that of the educators. The other side of the education process – the student – is where we focused this past week. The September Student of the Month at Mitchell Elementary is De’Shay Nesbitt. De’Shay is the perfect example of a quiet leader, respecting both per peers and adults alike. She always gives her best effort and there is no doubt she will flourish in the grade levels to come. For October we recognize Trinity Jenkins. Trinity always works hard on her work. Even as she strives so hard on her work, however, she still makes time to be an excellent helper to all the students in her class
November Social at Holy City
All Rotarians and their guests are invited to join us for our November Rotary Club Social at Holy City Brewing, 1021 Aragon Ave, Charleston, SC 29405, on November 13th from 5:30pm to 7:30pm! Appetizers will be provided and there is plenty of parking on-site. To RSVP please use the Sign Up Genius link below – https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0945A4AA2AA7F5C52-60272010-november
Come Be A “Fan in the Stands” and Support our Charleston Miracle League On Saturday, November 15, Rotarians and their guests are invited to cheer on the players as “Fans in the Stands” at the Charleston Miracle League game at Forest Park, 780 Forest Oak Drive from 10am to 12noon. This is always a fun event for our members. Sign up link is below: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0945A4AA2AA7F5C52-60112536-fans
Board Nominations
Past President Robert Sullivan and members of the Board Nominating Committee will begin reaching out to those club members who are eligible for election to the 2026-2027 Board. Board Director positions are two-year terms. If you are contacted by a member of the committee, please consider volunteering your time and talents to serve our club as a Board Member.
Bikes for Africa Donation date/location
Please don’t forget about or first Bikes for Africa 2026 collection on 11/22/2025 from 2-4pm at locations throughout the Lowcountry, including our own club’s site at Murray-LaSaine Montessori School, 691 Riverland Drive on James Island. See our flyer for additional convenient locations.
Support the College of Charleston LIFE Program
Our Board has elected to fund and match up to $15,000 for a scholarship to a local Charleston student to attend the College of Charleston LIFE program that we learned a lot about during last week’s meeting. If you were unable to attend, I highly encourage you to watch the recording to see the amazing details about the program and the outstanding involvement our community has played in, and the benefits received as a result. Please see below for the PayPal link to make matching donations. Due to the specialized curriculum and teachers involved, this program is more costly than the standard tuition, but the need for these students to be a part of our community has never been greater. Please feel free to share this link with family, friends and co-workers so we can achieve our goal of funding a full-year tuition for a local student. https://www.paypal.com/donate?campaign_id=M2LTBDNNBNC8E
Continue to Support Polio and By Becoming a Polio Plus Society Member
All Rotarians are encouraged to continue to support Rotary International’s efforts to take action and end Polio for good. You can support our efforts to end Polio by becoming a Polio Plus Society member by donating $100 through this link https://raise.rotary.org/Sandy-Morckel/fundraiser987.
Club Seeking Outbound Exchange Student for 2026/2027 School Year
Our club is currently accepting applications to sponsor a local high school student for an outbound exchange for the 2026/2027 school year. The Rotary International Youth Exchange Program offers teenage high school students ages 15-19 an opportunity to make new friends, learn new ways of living, open themselves up to different ideas, a new culture, traditions, experiences, and to adapt and gain fresh perspectives while attending high school in another country and living with 2- 3 host families arranged through the local Rotary Club. Typically, the exchanges offer the same benefits to host families. The parents of sponsored outbound students for the exchange program will need to be one of the hosts for the Charleston Rotary Club’s sponsored inbound students (for 3-6 months), while their children are overseas on their exchanges.
- The students selected for sponsorship will go overseas in August 2026, for the 2026/2027 school year, attend high school and will be hosted by 2 to 3 families and the local Rotary Club in the host country.
- The Charleston area family of the sponsored student will need to be one of the hosts for our sponsored inbound student that will arrive in August 2026.
CCSD currently supports this program and is accepting inbound international exchange students at various Charleston County high schools for the 2025/2026 school year and has done so for many years. The following is a website link for additional link formation: Rotary International Youth / Student Exchange Information: Youth Exchanges | Rotary International . Interested students and families will need to complete an application, engage in an interview process, and attend online and in-person training before the exchange year begins in August 2026.
Club Service Team Needs Meeting Day Volunteers
We are always looking for Greeters, Invocation & Pledge presenters, as well as volunteers to introduce our visiting Rotarians & guests at weekly meetings. Please contact Club Service Chairman, Sgt. Cody Callerman at [email protected] if you would like to volunteer at a weekly meeting.
Chess Club Needs Volunteers
Be A Mentor is a Charleston-based non-profit that partners caring adults with local youth to build supportive, one-on-one relationships that inspire growth, confidence and brighter futures. Through this program, Rotarian Cody Callerman has started a youth chess club to help students develop critical thinking, patience and a sense of community. Please contact Cody Callerman at [email protected] if you would like to be on our club’s Chess Team!!
“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.
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 NEWS
Congratulations to Skip Fink, who was re-elected to the Folly Beach City Council and to Mike Seekings, who was re-elected to the Charleston City Council. We thank both members for their service to our community.
Proposed New Members The following membership candidates have applied and signed letter of agreement to the Historic Rotary Club of Charleston:
- Sean Holleran – sponsor: Marion Platt; classification: Banking/Commercial Lending
- Cameron Johnson – sponsor: Jason Noble; classification: Banking/Retail Consumer
- Matt Pearlman – sponsor: Michael Smith; classification: Attorney/Business Consultant
- Jack Spitzer – sponsor: Andrew Rosenfeld; classification: Finance
In the event you know Sean, Cameron, Matt, or Jack, please tell a member of the Board how he/she will serve the ideas of Rotary.
MEMBER SPOTLIGHT: Riana Brennan
New Rotarian Riana gave us an introduction to herself. A native of Santa Cruz, Calif. and a junior chess champion and accomplished volley ball player (she played at CoC), she grew up in a Rotary family and had the ideals of service embedded in her early on. After college, she started a home care business and later sold it to a company where she still works, providing premium home based medical care . She enjoys outdoor activities, travel and contributing to community service, particularly through Rotary that has been a common thread in her life.
Birthdays
- 11/6 – Joshua Davis
- 11/7 – Tammy Coghill
- 11/8 – Digit Matheny
- 11/16 – Ittriss Jenkins
- 11/17 – Nick Pavia
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]