June 9, 2026
Taylor Jackson, who runs the South Carolina Maritime Association, gave us an overview of what her organization does. They work with all the major ports, both water-based and inland-based around the state, and are a key advocate for expansion of our key logistics hubs as an important cog in the economic wheel of our entire state.
Please support our big fundraiser in the works – Far, Near, and Here raffle – our biggest fundraiser of the year. Buy tickets here and pack your bags. Check out the Keyway for details on these and other upcoming events and schedules.
To join an upcoming Zoom meeting, use this link and the passcode: Rotary.
IN OTHER MEETING NEWS
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- Denise Kaufman gave the Invocation and led us in the pledge.
- Cody Callarman introduced our visiting Rotarians & guests.
- Walker Rice introduced our guest speaker, Taylor Jackson of the Maritime Association.
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- MORE IN THIS WEEK’S KEYWAY
June 16, 2026 | Issue 5196| President: Karla Combs
UPCOMING EVENTS
- 6/16 – NO MEETING
- 6/16 – Amore Healing Kitchen Service Project Sign up
- 6/23 – Dr. Anya Benitez, MUSC, on Alzheimer’s
- 6/30 – End of Year Transition Happy Hour (5:30 -7); Sign up
- 7/7 – NO MEETING
- 7/9 – Starlight Social
- 7/14 – TBD
- 7/21 – TBD / Amor Healing Kitchen Service Project Sign up
NEWS BRIEFS
Reminder … Guest RSVP by 5pm on Monday IMPORTANT …. NO MEETING THIS TUESDAY
The club will not meet for lunch this Tuesday, June 16th. Enjoy your weekend “off” from Rotary.
Volunteer & Support Amor Healing Kitchen: June 16 and July 21
Volunteers are needed to assist Amor Healing Kitchen on two dates: Tuesday, June 16 (NO MEETING DAY) and Tuesday, July 21. Not only has this organization benefited from one of our Local Grants, but one of our fellow club members’ family has benefited from their services. Let’s volunteer and show our support. Sign ups available on Sign Up Genius. https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0945A4AA2AA7F5C52-64217831-amor#/
Board Transition Social – Mark Your Calendars
To celebrate the end of this Rotary Year and the beginning of our new Rotary Year, a Happy Hour Social event from 5:30 -7pm is scheduled at Hall’s Signature Events on Tuesday, June 30 in lieu of our lunch meeting that day. There will be a “brief” meeting, but mostly it will be a fun time to celebrate the year, ring in the new Rotary year and catch up with our Rotary friends. We hope you will plan to bring your spouse or guest and join us! RSVP DEADLINE IS WEDNESDAY, JUNE 24. Please click on the link below to RSVP: https://www.signupgenius.com/
Far, Near and Here Raffle: buy tickets now! 
Back by popular demand, our Far, Near, and Here raffle is up and running. We’ve got four great prizes that are available to win by purchasing tickets in each individually priced draw. We’re limiting the number of tickets sold for each so the odds are very good and the prizes are even greater. So pack your bags and buy some tickets. And its even easier to buy a tickets by going to this web site https://www.zeffy.com/en-US/ticketing/historic-charleston-rotary-spring-and-summer-raffles This is our clubs biggest fundraiser of the year so lets all support this effort to keep our RCCF fund plentiful to help so many great local causes. Drawing will be held at our Skyline Social event on July 9 On offer this year are:
- Far” Escape Raffle Ticket: Turks & Caicos Caribbean Getaway (Ticket: $100)
Enjoy a 5-night stay at a luxury 2-bedroom condo at The Sands Resort on world-famous Grace Bay Beach. This unforgettable experience includes a welcome cocktail, dinner for four at Hemingway’s beachfront restaurant, and admission to the Rotary Club of Providenciales weekly meeting. Relax, recharge, and take in one of the Caribbean’s most beautiful destinations. Dates subject to availability; excludes Christmas and New Year.
- “Near” Escape Raffle Ticket: NC Wine Country Weekend (Ticket: $75)
Rotary Interact Student Honored with a Scholarship
Our club and the Rotary Club of Charleston-Breakfast co-sponsor a Rotary Interact Club at Charleston Charter School of Math & Science. This club was chartered in 2019 and currently has 40 active members. The purpose of Interact Clubs in high school is to encourage high school students to get involved in community service projects to improve the quality of life of citizens of their community. This year both Charleston area Rotary Clubs were able to send several Interact students to the Rotary Youth Leadership Academy (RYLA) training program in the Spring as well as to support a $1000 college scholarship for (2) Interact students. At this past Tuesday’s meeting, our club was proud to recognize Lily Cates with our club’s Interact Scholarship. Lily was born and raised in Charleston and is a recent graduate of Charleston Charter School of Math & Science. She plans to attend USC Beaufort to pursue a degree in nursing. Throughout high school, Lily was an active member of the Rotary Interact Club, National Honor Society, and Beta Club, while also serving as captain of the school’s swim team. Lily is said to be passionate about helping both people and animals. She enjoys swimming, spending time at the beach and giving back to her community. We congratulate Lily on her accomplishments and wish her much success at USC Beaufort.
Youth Exchange Host Families Needed for Second Half of Exchange
Good news! We have a host family for the first half of the year for our youth exchange student from Finland. We are still looking for a host family (or two) for the second half of the year. Please note that we can likely arrange temporary coverage for a week or so, if you have plans that would conflict with your ability to host during your committed hosting period. The Rotary Youth International 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 a local Rotary Club. Typically, the exchanges offer the same benefits to host families. Our Club’s inbound student Sara, from Finland, will attend a local Charleston high school that is convenient for their hosts (we currently have approval from Wando and the Charter School for Math & Science and can approach others if necessary). Please contact Karen Clark at 301-412-8692 or Richard Kelly if you can help us and will consider hosting or have other interested contacts.
Last Call for January 2026 Dues Payments
We still have a few members who have not paid January 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 2026 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 June 1.
Member Spotlight 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
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 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.
“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.
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 a new 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
- Frank M. Rogers VIII (“Manny’) – sponsor: Alan Uram; Classification: Banking/Commercial
- Jonathan M. Savitske – sponsor: Jason Noble; Classification: Law
- Silva Goxhaj – sponsor: Robbie Nichols; Classification: Banking/Business Development
Our outgoing club president, Karla Combs, took to the podium in a slightly different role, giving us her member spotlight presentation. Karla talked about growing up in beautiful North Carolina and enjoying her time around the Lake Norman area. Karla has a beautiful daughter and wonderful pets surrounding her as she continues her insurance career. She’s a long-time Rotarian, having learned about the ideals of service above self as a young woman growing up in North Carolina, and then bringing her love for service and her leadership skills to our club. Thanks for everything you’ve done for us this year, Karla. It’s been a great year.
Birthdays
- 6/16 – Beth Meyer-Bernstein
- 6/17 – Chris Geel
- 6/18 – Past President Patterson Smith
- 6/22 – Past President Jimmy Stuckey
WELLNESS TIP
Why is a digital detox beneficial during the summer months?
- Better focus and productivity
- Reduced anxiety
- Better sleep
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]