December 2, 2025
Our own Lenny Reeder took to the podium for this week’s meeting to give us a look at his life journey. He talked about upbringing throughout the southeast, his college experience (a cheerleader – who knew!), and the pivotal choice to join the military following 9/11. The decision resulted in a 24 year a career, which included several overseas deployments and life changing assignments supporting medical support efforts through the Caribbean and South America. Lenny still puts service above self, as a member of Rotary as well as through extensive volunteer works he does in the community and schools. Thanks for all you do, Lenny!
We also heard from our outbound International Youth Exchange student, Mary Margaret Hagood, who gave us a review of her year living with a Rotary host family in Switzerland. A great experience and we encourage all Rotarians to support this program, either as hosts for incoming students or helping find interested local student to spend a year overseas (see Keyway for more info).
With the holidays coming up quickly check our Keyway for upcoming events and schedules. Lots of fun stuff going on in the Club, including 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: j$U4wKP9
IN OTHER MEETING NEWS
- Paul Attaway gave the Invocation and led us in the pledge.
- Barb Walters welcomed our visiting Rotarians and guests.
- Charlie Jablon introduced fellow Rotarian and our guest speaker, Lenny Reeder, who shared his military experience with us.
- MORE IN THIS WEEK’S KEYWAY
December 9, 2025 | Issue 5186| President: Karla Combs
UPCOMING EVENTS
- 12/8 – Friends of the Library Book Delivery, 12-12:30pm @ Planet Fitness, Citadel Mall
- 12/9 – Speaker – Ryan Castle, CEO, Chas. Trident Assoc. of Realtors (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.
Upcoming Holiday Schedule
We will NOT meet on Tuesday, 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.
Holiday Luncheon at Hall’s (Reservations are CLOSED)
Our Annual Holiday Luncheon at Hall’s Chophouse (434 King St) is scheduled for Tuesday, December 16th at 12:00noon (doors open at 11:30am). Reservations are now CLOSED. All guests are $40. Please be sure to bring CASH or a CHECK to the event. Due to the overwhelming number of attendees, we will not be able to run credit cards at the event. Advance payment for guests can be made by credit card at the meeting this Tuesday, Dec. 9th
RCCF Grants Awarded to Local Organizations
On behalf of our club, Past President Paul Stoney recognized our final two Fall RCCF Grant recipients at our meeting this past Tuesday.
Judge Peter Kouton and Hollen Sellers accepted the RCCF Grant on behalf of the Charleston County Adult Drug Court Foundation. The purpose of the Charleston County Adult Drug Court Foundation is to assist the Adult Drug Court, Mental Health Court and Veteran Treatment Court provide structure and support for justice-involved individuals struggling with substance abuse and/or mental illness that have felony level, non-violent charges in court setting. The Foundation provides necessary funds to carry out the operations of the Court and treatment services. Our club’s donated funds will be used to assist individuals in the Charleston County Adult Drug Court, Charleston County Mental Health Court, Ninth Judicial Circuit Veterans Treatment Court and Court Assisted Treatment Program by providing daily necessities such as bus passes, bicycle locks and safety equipment, bicycle repair costs, book bags and personal hygiene items.
Charleston Habitat for Humanity was represented by Lynn Bowley and Kristen Williams. At Habitat for Humanity, they believe that a safe, affordable home is the foundation for stability, security and a brighter future. Families who partner with them just don’t build homes – they build strength, self-reliance, and lasting opportunities for generations to come. Our club’s donated funds will help make a family’s holiday season brighter. The funds will help to sponsor a playhouse for a child as a special holiday gift. Teams of 6-12 volunteers help construct and decorate a custom playhouse for the children of Habitat homeowners and other local families in need. Each playhouse starts as a pre-cut kit and takes about 6 hours to build and paint. Volunteers from our club were invited to help build a playhouse on Saturday, 12/6.
Congratulations to these local organizations! We are proud to support their efforts in our community!
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 8th. All membership changes will need to be reviewed and approved by the Board at the December 8th 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 (TUESDAY IS FINAL DAY TO DONATE)
FINAL DAY TO DONATE IS THIS TUESDAY, 12/9! If you haven’t donated, there is still time to show your support of our wait staff/kitchen staff at Hall’s Signature Events by donating in the Blue Buckets this Tuesday. All BLUE bucket donations this coming Tuesday 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.
Friends of the Library Book Delivery
We will be delivering all the books our members donated and purchased with funds raised to Friends of the Library and the Book Drop program for access by children in rural areas. We will meet at Citadel Mall in front of Planet Fitness and deliver to Friends of the Library location within at 12noon – 2070 Sam Rittenberg Blvd. Volunteers are welcomed! https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0945A4AA2AA7F5C52-60930817-friends
Holiday Luncheon for Seniors at Ansonborough House: December 18
Volunteers are needed to help “celebrate the season” and spread holiday cheer to the seniors who live at the Ansonborough House, 71 Society Street. This is a long-standing tradition of our club, and we want you to be a part of it. Volunteers should arrive at 12:30pm to set-up and decorate, serve a delicious buffet lunch at 1pm and get ready to distribute holiday cards with gift cards to Harris Teeter to the seniors who call Ansonborough House home. We’ll have a special appearance by “Santa” and sing Christmas carols with the residents, accompanied by Past President John Tecklenburg on the piano. Be sure to wear your most festive holiday attire, including your favorite Santa hats or reindeer antlers! Also, be sure to stick around after our Holiday Luncheon at Hall’s Chophouse on 12/16 to help sign the Christmas Cards to the residents and stuff with the Harris Teeter gift cards. The more signatures and holiday messages, the merrier! https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0945A4AA2AA7F5C52-60449031-ansonborough
Member Spotlight
The Member Spotlight provides you with the opportunity to share your background, work and hobbies with our membership. It’s a great way for other members to learn more about you. You can be a long-time club member or a new member to participate. Please review the available slots below and sign up to secure your spot. https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0945A4AA2AA7F5C52-60923410-member
Ring the Bell for the Salvation Army
It’s that time again! Let’s join forces with the Salvation Army and collect funds for the less fortunate this holiday season. Each year, The Salvation Army will serve more than 25 million people across America – including many here in your community. That means 55+ million meals for the hungry, 10+ million nights of shelter for the homeless, and countless Christmas gifts for children who may otherwise go without. Note: If you cannot attend one of the dates in the Signup Genius for Marion Square but would still like to participate in the Salvation Army bell ringing, additional opportunities exist on weekdays at Rivera Place throughout November and December. You can sign up to volunteer for these at RegistertoRing.com. Sign Up Here: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0945A4AA2AA7F5C52-60464230-salvation
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.
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
Proposed New Member:
The following membership candidate has applied and signed letter of agreement to the Historic Rotary Club of Charleston:
George Ramsay – sponsor: Kerby Teller; classification: Finance/Wealth Advisor
In the event you know George, 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
- 12/9 – Johnny Stuhr, Heath Ward
WELLNESS TIP
Don’t over schedule yourself
The holiday season is a time of parties and other social gatherings. Remember that you don’t have to do it all. Figure out what you really enjoy versus what you feel you’re supposed to do.
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: Karla Combs
Executive secretary: Carroll Schweers, [email protected]