VLR News October 28, 2024
District Governor Mary Gasque visited, representing Rotary International and bringing news and updates from the district.
VLR News October 28, 2024Announcements: Mark your calendar- *October Social - October 30 at the Smoke House from 5:00 to 7:00 *Saturday November 23 - Oyster Roast at Otto Ferrene's Residence - watch for sign up sheet *Tuesday November 26 - Holiday basket delivery/social to follow at Sundown Saloon in Port Royal Plaza *December 6 - VLR Christmas Party at Dolphin Head, more info to follow *Monday December 23 - Holiday basket delivery The club donated $1,000 t the District Hurricane disaster relief efforts AG Dan Ciuffreda presented the club with a check for $2500. This is district grant money which we will use to fund our Holiday basket program. Foundation money coming back to the district to the club. Previous Meetings: October 22, the club met at Volunteers in Medicine. October 15 - Official District Governor Visit. District Governor Mary Gasque visited, representing Rotary International and bringing news and updates from the district. Mary, mother to a "boatload of cats" as well as two human children, began by telling a story of how RI President Stephanie Urchick, while on a water mission, came up with this year's theme - "the Magic of Rotary". She also wants all clubs to be irresistable. - "where everyone knows your name.". Rotary is your third way of life. Mary talked about the three things that make up the "triangle of awesomness"- The Foundation, Membership, Public Image. There is a new initiative - against human trafficking - if you see something, say something. Membership: Every club is struggling with membership. Her main message here was do not bring anyone into Rotary unless they have been fully vetted. Don't over look senior citizens. Do not bring anyone in unless they understand the commitment. Foundation: Every three years money that has been donated to the Foundation comes back to the district. This year there are two ambassadorial scholars, one of which is from Bluffton. We are #3 in the Zone for polio giving. Last year at this time there were 8 cases of polio, this year there are 50 - in Afghanistan and Pakistan. DG Mary also spoke of many grants that have been made possible by The Rotary Foundation, like Goats for Ghana. She voiced appreciation for what Hilton Head Island Rotarians are doing for the WNC hurricane Helene damaged area. Shelter Box has been invited to help. Dan Ciuffreda is our contact for the district January there will be a Major Donor luncheon District Conference will be in Columbia May 16 & 17 at the Marriott. There will be some new and exciting things - such as a talent show and there wont be a House of Friendship - but will be a Business area. You can keep track of what is happening in the District by visiting Rotary7770.org or logging into dacDB and checking the the calendar. |
VLR News October 14 2024Next week, October 22, the regularly scheduled club meeting is OFF SITE! It will be held at Volunteers in Medicine - 8:00 Speaker on October 8 was Anne Caywood Director of Lowcountry Legal Volunteers Lowcountry Legal Volunteers provides free legal counsel and clinics for qualifying low-income residents of Beaufort, Hampton and Jasper counties. They were founded almost 25 years ago and were patterned after VIM , feeling they could do the same thing with retired attorneys. It is all about "access to justice". Last year they closed over 200 cases. Much of their success is that they partner with organizations like Hopeful Horizons, Deep Well, etc. They assist their clients with: family law, divorce, separate maintenance and support, custody matters, parental visitation, securing child support, registration of out of state child support, clinics for uncontested divorce, probate, preparing a simple will, creating a health care power of attorney, eviction defense and landlord tenant matters. A large portion of the cases are family law - a lot of their clients are single women. They have a small full time staff and about 20 volunteers. There is a need for more volunteers, not necessarily attorneys - bi-lingual is an important asset. The organization relies on grants and fundraisers. February 21 2025 will be a celebration cocktail event. Follow them on Facebook and Instagram |
VLR News October 7, 2024ANNOUNCEMENTS The social at Mixx on Main was great. Thanks to Kevin Courtney and Eric Schmidt for arranging it Hurricane Helene contributions: WNC has experienced unimaginable devastation, with the storm taking lives, personal property with individuals still missing. Many areas are still without electricity, food and water. Our Rotary District 7770 is working with the North Carolina district to coordinate making sure that the contributions are going to the people in need. The HHI Lunch club is leading the efforts in this area and if you are able, consider donating to this effort. October 22 our weekly meeting will be off site at VIM Ronald McDonald House -We are still collecting supplies for Ronald McDonald House. Items needed: Trash bags, 4 gal, 13 gal, 33 gal; Bleach; Freezer meals; disposable utensils, forks & spoons; paper bowls; latex free disposable gloves; individually package snacks. Suzi Oliver will coordinated the delivery of these items October 24 we are invited to visit the completed project of the courtyard reading garden on the HHI Early Childhood Center campus in honor of Karen Sandlin. Time is from 9-10 am. SPEAKER October 1 Speaker: Speakers at our meeting were Marie Smalls, Director and Jean Felix, Training & Outreach Coordinator of the Board of Voter Registration and Elections of Beaufort County. Ms, Smalls began by declaring all of us ambassadors. We learned about the Board of Elections, how to register to vote, who can register, upcoming elections, early voting, and the absentee process. Jean Felix gave us the details. "The mission of the board is to ensure every eligible citizen has the opportunity to register to vote and participate in fair and impartial elections with the assurance that every vote will count." You can register online, by mail, email or fax, or in person at the voter registration office. Who can register?: Must be 18 years of age on or before the date of the election; must be a U.S. Citizen; Must be a S.C. resident; must be a resident of the precinct applying to vote in; register no later than 30 days prior to election. Disqualified if: mentally incompetent by court; serving a prison term as a result of committing a crime; convicted of a felony or offense against election law. General election is November 5- there are items on the ballot that you should look at ahead of time as they are lengthy - one is constitutional and there are two referendums. Early voting takes place October 21 through November 2 from 8:30 to 6:00 pm at four different locations in Beaufort County. Any registered voter in BC can vote at any of the locations (yes, y'all, just ONE)- Beaufort (main Office), Hilton Head Island (USCB), Bluffton(Bluffton Rec. Center gym) and St. Helena Island(library). Jean explained absentee voting by mail and all the checks and balances that are done to make sure our election process is honest and safe. We had many great questions posed to Jean and Marie, giving evidence to the fact that their presentation was very interesting and valuable. You can learn more at beaufortcountysc.gov/vote |
VLR News Septermber 9, 2024Announcements: We are still accepting donations for Ronald McDonald House - Trash bags, bleach, paper towels, paper bowls, latex free disposable gloves, disposable forks & spoons, individually packaged snacks. Suzi Oliver has volunteered to deliver them Chris Epps updated us on a new fund raiser that has been suggested for 2025. A festival to be held close to Christmas. It is in the planning stages, the first hopefully to be held in December 2025., starting small and building upon it. Looking for people to participate - Chris is the contact person. The first social of the year - Thursday, September 19 at Mixx on Main from 4:30 to 6:30. Cash bar, food provided by the club. Eric Schmidt auctioned off a special bourbon glass, proceeds going to the Rotary Foundation. Thank you Eric! Speaker on 9/3/2024 was Don Brashears, Major Gift Advisor Basic Education & Literacy. Don is a Member & Past President of the Rotary Club of Hilton Head Island (lunch), he is a PHF, PHS, and he and his wife Terri are Major Donors & Arch Klumpf Society members. Don has an impressive business career which started when he was 12 years old, selling Philadelphia Pretzels. He followed that up with newspaper delivery, bakery work and at 18 got a job in a steel plant. His experience working at night to earn a BA & MBA, working as a union member, promoted to manager awakened him to how important literacy is and the fact that there are people who do not know how to read or write. His wife Terri, a teacher, had her own experiences which has led her to share Don's passion for education. Don explained how their donation to the Foundation works for them and how it is used and does good in the world in the area of Basic Education & Literacy.
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VLR News September 2, 2024Announcements: Mark your calendars for VLR first social of the year - tentatively scheduled for Thursday, September 19. Stay tuned for more details! Speaker at our meeting of 8/27/2024 - Billy Sorochak, CEO/Executive Director of Ronald McDonald House Charity of the Coastal Empire He shared the history of the organization and the good works that they do for the families of critically ill or injured children. "The mission of Ronald McDonald House Charities of the Coastal Empire is to create, find and support programs that directly enhance the health and well-being of children and families.". It all began when Philadelphia Eagles tight end Fred Hill's 3 year old daughter was being treated for leukemia in 1974. The team offered support, raising funds, to Dr Audrey Evans, head of pediatric oncology at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, who dreamed of having comfortable temporary housing for the families of children being treated at the hospital. In 1974 the first house opened, and since then there are 386 RMH's. July 15, 1987 the house in Savannah GA opened. Each RMH is independent and each is 501C3. The Savannah House is on the Memorial Campus, where children (ages new born to 22 years of age) are treated for every critical illness and injury - not just cancer. The House is open 24/7 and did not close even during Covid. There is a wait list to get in. The average stay is 16 - 20 days with the longest stay that has been 253 days. The Charity still gets funding from McDonalds - 8 owner operators of 61 stores through Round up, 1 cent for every Happy Meal, etc. They also have two frundraisers coming up - a 2 day Beer/Guys/Cigars/Golf & Casino on Sept 15 - 16 event and Wine & Fries on December 5 at the House. Per President Jacob, Mr. Sorochak shared that they would welcome any donated supplies for the facility: Such items as HE laundry detergent and Lysol are always needed. Suzi Oliver has offered to deliver and donated items brought to our weekly meetings. Check out www.rmhccoastalempire.org for more information about this wonderful charity. |
VLR News August 26, 2024Club Meeting 8/20/2024 Announcements: Working on getting to do Round Up for Rotary at Piggly Wiggly on a regular basis - maybe once a month. Will be meeting with David Martin to discuss. Stay tuned to see volunteer opportunities to work this fundraiser. Speaker - Kaya Tolly, artist, was our speaker. Kaya, a Hilton Head Island High School student, has been creating beautiful art from very early in life. She attended Art Summer camps at the Arts Center and displayed her artwork as early as second grade. Her Grandfather was an artist and inspired her. She knew very early that she wanted to go to SCAD. She has received recognition/awards for her work, including the Coastal Discovery Museum Directors Award and Scholastic Gold Key Award. She was chosen to do the mural for ACE Hardware's renovation program. Kaya explained the process to create a mural as well as discussed the various mediums that she has used She is planning to go to college - hopefully SCAD or the College of Charleston. Her favorite medium is acrylic markers. |
VLR News August 19, 2024VLR members volunteered to promote "Round Up for Rotary" on two Saturdays, August 10 and August 17, at Piggly Wiggly. They bagged and greeted customers, asking them to round up to the nearest dollar to benefit local children's charities. **photo credit Lynn King Club meeting of August 13, 2024 We had a visit from Chris Crosby, one of our scholarship recipients. Chris updated us on what he has been doing. This past summer he completed an internship with a baseball team in Lexington SC. Chris' major is in "Sports Entertainment Management" and is attending USC. Great to have him visit. Best of luck in the new school year, Chris! Speaker: Leah Long, Executive Director of the World Affairs Council of Hilton Head was our speaker. The mission of WACHH is "To educate, engage and inspire the community about world affairs". It has been around since 1981. It has a very diverse membership: Aged 20 - 103; 75% live in Hilton Head, 20% Bluffton, 5% outside SC, 3 outside the US; 53% men and 47% women; members have lived and worked in 60 countries and visited 125 countries. They offer 14 speakers a year. Average attendance at event is 452 at First Presbyterian Church. They engage: Fall Forum and Great Decisions is open to members only; Book Club, monthly book discussion on the second Thursday of the month is opent to non members as well. Membership cost is $160 |
VLR News August 5, 2024Announcements: Round Up for Rotary - August 10 & August 17 - Volunteer opportunity to work at Piggly Wiggly Sign up to work a shift or two. August 10 - 1 to 3; 3 to 5, 5 to 7 August 17 - 1 to 3, 3 to 5, 5 to 7 Speaker - Dr. Babet Villena-Alvarez, our speaker on July 30, spoke about the "Korean Wave" She taught at USCB for 30 years and was named Professor of the year in 2010. She spoke about "Sports with no borders" which brought many Koreans here for golf. Business with no borders brought Hyundai to Georgia. The Hyundai plant is the largest project ever in Georgia state history. The plant, which will be making electric and hybrid vehicles (Genesis, Hyundai, Kia) is expected to employ 8,000. It will be opening six months early and supposed to start making vehicles by the end of this year. The project has brought many challenges: Wages & transportation; work force housing; labor force; traffic; infrastructure - electricity, water; occupational safety; cultural diversion. Babet led a group to Korea to tour facilities. October 25 they are having a conference here with presentations by Hyundai and Mando - the biggest supplier of chassis and brakes. The plant is bringing Korean engineers and the rest of the workers will be mostly American. A Grant, approved in July 2023, which provides education, will help with the special situation of many Koreans moving to this area. In addition to Hyundai, fifteen large companies have moved to Georgia, pulling in a lot of Koreans. At the July 23 Meeting RRFC Bernie Riedel gave us a Foundation/ Polio update. He also tested our memories and knowledge with a game of Rotary Jeopardy. Competition was tough, and lots of fun. |
August 6 Meeting CancelledDue to Storm - Debby, the August 6 meeting has been cancelled Hoping that all stay SAFE and DRY See you next week
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VLR News July 22, 2024The July 16 meeting was held at The Sand Box Children's Museum. Executive Director, Alicia Powell provided us with a tour of the fantastic facility. BTW Alicia is a former member of our club. Since our last visit there, there have been so many new exhibits and features. Alicia has been there since October 2023 and has accomplished so much. The Sand Box is something our Island can be so proud of. Past Presidents Sonny Huntley and Greg Wynn presented Alicia with a donation from our club of $3000. Some more pictures of The Sand Box: OTHER NEWS: ON A SAD NOTE: Jim Baden, a former member of our club passed away recently He was a Rotarian in Ohio and joined our club in July 2017 after he moved to Hilton Head He resigned the club in October 2022 because of health reasons. |
VLR News July 15, 2024President Jacob Hunt called the first meeting of the new Rotary year to order on July 9 Kevin Courtney offered the prayer and led the pledge to the flag Five organizations had been chosen to be the recipients of checks for $3,000. Four of the five checks were presented at the meeting by 2023-2024 Presidents Sonny Huntley and Greg Wynn. The organizations receiving the funds are: The Boys and Girls Club, Hopeful Horizons, First Tee, and The Children's Center. The fifth check will be presented on July 16 at The Sand Box. Speaker: Dr. Frank Rodriguez, Superintendent of the Beaufort County School District was our speaker.. He updated us on the state of the school district, its accomplishments and challenges. The school district is highly rated. It has 21,500 students, 20% of which are milti lingual, 10% special education - disabilities. There is a teacher shortage with compensation being a cause of the problem. Fifty eight percent are at poverty level and the district has been able to provide free breakfast and lunches for all in Beaufort County. Initiatives are to increase levels in English and math as well as increase graduation to 92% - it is currently at 88%. They are looking at ways that AI can benefit teachers. The district has a partnership with TCL which saves parents' money by taking classes at TCL while still enrolled in high school. One of the topics he discussed was security. The district's procedure exceeds state requirements and the drills and training are working. SRO are assigned to most schools. Dr Rodriguez also updated us on the new cell phone rules for students. Next week - July 23 Meeting - Fun! You won't want to miss it, come play- Rotary Jeopardy!! Maybe YOU will be the winner |
July 16 Meeting LocationMEETING LOCATION ON JULY 16 ! is The Sand Box Children's Museum Come tour this beatiful facility 8:00 am
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VLR News July 8, 2024HAPPY ROTARY NEW YEAR! FOUNDER'S NIGHT EDITION Founders Night was held Friday June 28 at the beautiful new Dolphin Head Recreation Center. It was a wonderful night of fellowship, good food and libations to celebrate the successful 2023-24 year and induct the leadership for 2024-25. Co-Presidents Sonny Huntley and Greg Wynn (along with other anonymous helpers) did a fabulous job leading the club during the 2023-2024 year. The club has been much revitalized and in growing mode again. Thank you Sonny and Greg for all you have done, your efforts are much appreciated by the membership. VLR had a great year: had wonderful socials; awarded a $10,000 scholarship, brought in fantastic new members, had interesting, informative speakers at the meetings, met our Foundation goal, gave $3200 to polio, raised significant funds by working at the Heritage, Wing Fest, Oyster Fest and our raffle. 2023-2024 Board of Directors Greg and Sonny thanked the 2023-2024 Board Circle of Service Award: Our third annual Circle of Service Award was presented to Charles Sampson for his service to the community Paul Harris Fellows were given to the following: Henry Criss (PHF), Lori Etchells (PHF), Kristin Keller (PHF + 2), Nancy Riedel (PHF +5) Two Presidents, Two Rotarians of the Year: Kristin Keller Nancy Riedel Area 4 Assistant Governor Dan Ciuffreda was on hand to induct President Jacob Hunt the new board: Your 2024-2025 club leadership (not in picture order): Jacob Hunt, President; Joe Rowey, President Elect; John Farrenkopf, Treasurer; ,Kristin Keller Assistant Treasurer; Nancy Riedel, Secretary; Greg Wynn, Foundation Chair; Sonny Huntley & Greg Wynn, Immediate past presidents. Directors are: Nick Mihelic, Hal Wilson, Joah Etchells, Steve Stauffer, Jim Dixon, Henry Criss, Eric Schmidt, Brian Neumann, Louis Wright. President Jacob Hunt Later this week check the website for many more photos. MEETING OF JUNE 18 We had an interesting speaker, Dr. Debi Lynes. We learned much about addiction, dependance, treatment, recovery and how our brains work. Dr. Lynes had a positive presention, saying addiction is 100% treatable and provided a list of treatment options. |
VLR News June 24There are no club meetings on Tuesday June 25 or July 2 Next club meeting is Tuesday July 9
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VLR News June 10, 2024Greg Wynn, Co=President, welcomed all to the June 4 Meeting Kevin Courtney offered the prayer and led the pledge to the flag Announcements: June 11th meeting will be held off-site at the First Tee the Lowcountry- 151 Gumtree Road June 19th there will be a Joint Board Meeting for the 2023-24 and 2024-25 Officers and Board Members June 28th - Founders Night will be held at the beautiful new facility at Dolphin Head on Hilton Head Plantation. Time is 6:00 Speaker: Alan Wolfe from CCDC was the speaker and addressed Work Force Housing. The mission of the Coastal Community Development Corporation is it "seeks to increase the availability of homes for our local and regional workforce by preserving existing housing, redeveloping existing property and developing new property to meet the demand of our region while serving working residents." He explained the qualifications to rent. There are no short term rentals and the program is not targeted to any one industry. The CCDC has gotten non-profit status a year ago. They have gotten a matching grant of $100,000 from CFL along with $125,000 in donations which provided administrative operating funds for the first year. They have closed on 7 units in Hilton Head Island and project to have up to 24 units by the end of the year. 12% of the rental fee is budgeted for maintenance. For more information go to ccdc-sc.org |
VLR News June 3, 2024Mark your calendars - Founders Night - June 28th at the new Dolphin Head Recreational area in Hilton Head Plantation June 11th meeting will be OFF SITE - at First Tee of the Lowcountry with Pat Zuk. Meeting will be the same time - 8:00. First Tee is located on Gum Tree Road at the Boys and Girls Club. Speaker at the May 21st meeting was Deputy Town Manager, Josh Gruber Josh updated us on what is happening at the Town including topics such as: Town Budget; short term rentals; town projects, capital improvements; land acquisition; the bridge. He also addressed the proposed community center which is being suggested as a joint Rotary project involving the three Rotary clubs on the island. It is being proposed to be built on a mid island piece of land, 100 acres next to Port Royal. Five of the acres will be for a church. The Rotary Clubs would raise $750,000 for the project. The Center would be used for free by the Rotary Clubs, other non-profits can rent and other organizations can rent as well. Estimates for completion of the bridge project is 10 years and the Community Center is four years. |
VLR News May 20, 2024Sonny Huntley call the May 14 meeting to order, welcoming members and guests Kevin Courtney offered the prayer and led the pledge to the flag Announcements: Assistant Governor Dan Ciuffreda ammounced that RLI (Rotary Leadership Institute) will be held locally and it would be a good opportunity if you haven't completed this program to attend. It will be held on Saturday June 8 at TLC 8:30 to 3:45. Parts I, II, and III are being offered. If you are interested in a leadership role in Rotary it would be a good idea to attend to start or complete your training. It was great to have Chris Crosby, one of our scholarship recipients, visit to update us on what he is doing. He just finished his sophmore year. He is going to be an intern for the Lexington Blow Fish which gives him experience in the areas he is studying: entertainment management, marketing and sales. We will be looking into making more use of grants - Mike Waters and Hal Wilson will be heading up that area Suzi Oliver collected Happy $$ Speaker: David Voyles from Safe Harbour was our speaker. He began by telling us what the organizaqtion is not - it is NOT a marine harbour. They have added the tag line "neighbors driving neighbors" to make that clear. The purpse of Safe Harbour is to help people stay in their homes as long as it is safely possible. One of the major concerns of the aging population as they try to stay in their homes, is transportation. Safe Harbour, which was incorporated in 2009 provides one or two trips per week to their members. Membership fee is $50 per month and they help 30 to 40 people per week. There is a waiting list. Last year they made 1500 trips. The organization is run by two part time paid employees, with volunteers providing the transportation. The goal is to have 2 volunteers to 1 member, but right now it is 1.3 to 1. They are always looking for volunteers : qualifications are: good driving record; must pass a criminal background check; and be a great listener. They transport Monday through Friday 9am to 4pm. They do not receive any government funding - all is donations and grants. You can learn more by visiting the website: hhisafeharbour.org HIGH SCHOOL CLEANUP Saturday May 18 VLR members cleaned up the Hilton Head Island High School Campus. The clean up was organized by Joah Etchells members that turned out were: Sonny Huntley, Eric Schmidt, Eric Smith, John Conningham, and Henry Criss and Teddy Criss. Photo credit - Sonny Huntley
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VLR News May 13, 2024Greg Wynn welcomed members and guests to the meeting on May 7, 2024 2024 Scholarship recipient, Anthony Bynum offered the prayer Social Director Kevin Courtney reported that the recent social - A Night at the Races - raised $300 for the scholarship fund. It was a fun night and the big winners were: #1 Suzi Dixon with $86, #2 Brian Neumann, #3 Pam Mihelic. Joah Etchells announced that May 18th we will do a trash pick up at the High School campus. Start time is 8:30 am CART fund - we have contributed $4700 through May Jon Lundin has unfortunately for us, moved. Jon has been a member of our club since 2008. He is a Paul Harris Fellow, Paul Harris Society member, and a Major Donor. We will miss his presence at our meetings and wish him the best. He sent some great notes to us which were passed around at the meeting. His new address is: Sunrise Providence, 5144 Providence Rd., Charlotte, NC 28226 Attn: Jon Lundin Apt. 131. Sunrise phone is 704-365-5252 I am sure he would love hearing from y'all. Bev James introduced our scholarship recipient Anthony Bynum and his mother. He told us of his plans to study mechanical engineering at Harvard. He thanked VLR for choosing him to receive the scholarship Mike Waters attended Spring Training in Summerville. At that training the winners of the District 7770 March Membership Madness contest were announced. The big winner was the Rotary club of Mt. Pleasant (by the way, DG Lou Mello's club) with an increase in membership of net +7. Mike brought the third place trophy home to VanLandingham -- we came in with a Net +5. Congratulations and great job, VLR - keep up the good work sharing Rotary with others. Speaker: Our own Chris Epps was our speaker. He is an individual of many talents. He is an architect (has a Masters degree), is a Boat Captain, went to SCAD, and is a Shriner. We learned lots about the Shriners. They have 22 hospitals that they work with to provide free of cost medical care to children. The closest hospital is in Greenville. 100,000 children per year are helped. Some of the things that are helped are cleft palette, burns and ortho conditions. The patient's family does not even have to fill our insurance claims - the Shriner's cover the costs. Shriners participate in parades in many fashions (clowns, hill billies, Keystone cops, drifter, etc) and Chris has a vehicle that he rides. He brought that to the meeting --it is the only one authorized to drive on the street. You can see by the picture above, it must look pretty cool and flashy with its lights on. The meeting ended with Greg Wynn interviewing Jacob Hunt who will be our 2024-2025 Club President. Originally from Ohio, Jacob is married with two girls, 1 and 3 years old. He is a partner and practices Real Estate Law. Great to get to know more about our in-coming president. |
VLR News May 6, 2024Sonny Huntley, Co-President welcomed all to the meeting on April 30, 2024 Kevin Courtney offered the prayer and led the pledge to the flag. He also gave details about "Night at the Races" social. It was held Wednesday May 1 at Taste of Europe. Great food, fun time, A good time was had by all. Betting on the next race's winner Pondering the next winner Waiting for the next race Bev James announced the scholarship recipient - Anthony Bynum who is going to Harvard. He will be at our meeting on 5/7. Speaker : Amber Kuehn, gave a wonderful presentation about the Hilton Head Sea Turtle Patrol. She sure knows her sea turtles! Four of the seven species of sea turtles nest on Hilton Head Island: Green, Ridley, Loggerhead, Leatherback. 98% of them are Loggerhead on the Island. Since 2010 they have been taking DNA from the nest and can identify the females. Also by checking the DNA they have found that they are living longer - reptiles grow their entire life The reason they come out at night is because they are reptiles and would over heat in the sun. Amber talked about the ordinances that have been inacted to protect the turtles: must fill holes in, can't leave stuff on the beach, lights in beach houses must be downward facing and shielded from the beach. When the hatchlings emerge, their vision takes them to the water. They can be confused by home lights, flash lights, etc. Turtles return every two years to nest. "Stumpy" is Amber's favorite. Stumpy only has one flipper so sometimes receives some assistance with the digging process. The record number nests has been 463. May 1 is the beginning of nesting season and there is already one nest in South Carolina (not here). The Sea Turtle patrol will be busy with relocating nests that are in inappropriate spots, monitoring the nests, and going out to see any violations of the ordinances. Visit Seaturtlepatrolhhi.org to learn more, monitor the nestings, adopt a nest. Mike Waters attended Spring training in Summerville on May 3. He accepted the above award for VLR - more details revealed at the meeting on May 7. |
VLR News April 29, 2024Thanks to Suzi Oliver for reporting on our April 23, 2024 Meeting: Sonny started the meeting introducing Dan Ciuffreda. Kevin announced the next Social will be at A Taste of Europe on 5/1. Theme "A Day at the Race". Time TBD. Kristin stated we received a $2,400 donation for our volunteering at Wing Fest. It was reported we made $4,200 for the popcorn wagon at the Heritage. John stated he has his square so if anyone wanted to pay their dues today he could take care of it. Greg stated we are in need of a member or two to attend the Rotary Spring Assembly on 5/3. We are being recognized for our club membership growth. Suzi collected Happy Dollars then introduced Don Furtado. Don attended UNC Chapel Hill on a Navy scholarship and after graduation served as an Underwater Demolition Team Officer (now known as the SEALS). He also graduated as the honor man in his BUD/S training class (Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL) and his Army Airborne (parachute) training class. Upon completion of his active duty service, he continued his special operations activities in the Navy Reserve. Don studied International Law at the University of Sidney, Australia, as a Rotary International Fellow and received his Law Degree from Yale. His extensive work history is very impressive, and includes working as a White House Fellow working for the Special Counsel to the President of the United States. He is the author of 3 novels, Copperhead Creek (which takes place in a small town near Port Royal Sound), The Narrows, and The Cut. Don shared the history of the Navy SEALS, which started in the 1950's, thanks to the use of scuba gear. The Army was opposed to the Navy being involved in anything crossing shoreline because that was the Marine's job. Don was a part of the original 3 Underwater Demolition Teams after originally being assigned to an Aircraft Carrier. The SEALS was formally started in 1962 and today there are 8 SEAL Teams - 5 in Coronado, CA and 3 in Little Creek, VA, where Don was stationed. There are a total of 16 men per Team (2, 8 man squads with a total of 2,000 members) but 8,000 War Com support members (Navy Special Warfare Command). There have been no female SEALS to date. It is extremely difficult to become a Navy SEAL due to rigorous training - only the best of the best make it. A typical class will start with 100 prequalified Navy men but only about 15 of those will pass training to become a SEAL. Upon passing the SEAL qualification training, the SEAL will immediately be assigned to a SEAL team. He was a fascinating guest speaker and everyone enjoyed his presentation. There was no meeting on April 16 th as the club was busy all week at RBC Heritage. We manned a Concession Stand and also sold fresh popped popcorn from our world famous antique popcorn wagon. Our speaker at the April 9th meeting was Lisa Sulka Lisa spoke about many things, Hilton Head Island, Bluffton, and being mayor of Bluffton. She moved to Bluffton from Hilton Head Island, where she had a sea shell shop when it was "Ones in Bluffton": 1 bank, 1 square mile, 1 police officer, 1 restaurant with 732 residents. My how the town has grown, and she was able to provide us history, stories, and the benefit of her first hand experience. Dynamic lady. |
THE WINNERS ARE.....The winners of our Spring Raffle 2024 are: $1,000 Kaye Layton (sold by Nasser) $ 500 Eric Smith (sold by Hal Wilson) $ 250 Jean Marie Cote (sold by Nasser) $ 100 Dean Huntley (sold by Sonny Huntley) Congratulations to the winners!!! |
VLR News April 8, 2024Co President Sonny Huntley presided over the meeting on April 2 with prayer being offered by Kevin Courtney, who also led the pledge. Visiting Rotarian and guests were welcomed Announcements: There is NO MEETING APRIL 16!!! - RBC HERITAGE WEEK!!! There are still volunteer opportunities available to work at the popcorn wagon or the VLR booth. Contact John Farrenkopf to volunteer for popcorn or Joe Rowey to work in the booth. May 1 social - A Night At the Races will be held at Taste of Europe. More info to follow. Director and Membership Chair, Bruce Yeager inducted new member Eric Smith. Eric was sponsored by Hal Wilson. Eric has attended our meetings on a regular basis and is a transfer from the Rotary Club of Upper Arlington in Ohio. Make sure to meet Eric and welcome him to our Rotary family. Welcome, Eric! Speaker Steve Wilmot, Tournament Director provided us an update on the RBC Heritage which is being held this year from April 15 to 21. This year there will be a limited field of 74 to 76 with no cut and increased prize money. The purse this year is $20 million. They will be going off the first tee in twosomes. Other changes are: there will be additional bleachers on the course allowing spectators to be off the ground and view all the groups; the Pro Am will be cut back because of the limited field and some groups will not have a professional; Monday is not a Pro Am day . The RBC Heritage, is one of 8 signature events and over 2500 volunteers support it. Make sure to sign up for a shift or two at popcorn wagon or booth. Get your Plaid on and enjoy! |
VLR News April 1, 2024Members, visitors and guests were welcomed to the March 26 meeting by co-president Sonny Huntley Kevin Courtney offered the prayer and led the pledge to the flag Announcements: Greg Wynn, Sonny Huntley and Eric Schmidt attended the District 7770 Conference in Charleston 3/22 to 3/23. They had positive feedback, said it was well run and informative and encouraged members to consider attending in the future. Volunteers are still needed to work at our Heritage booth- Contact Joe Rowey to sign up for the food tent and John Farrenkopf for the popcorn wagon. Bruce Yeager, Director and Membership chair inducted three new members. The are: Lee Carulli, sponsored by Joah Etchells; Jesse Baker, sponsored by Lynn King; Corey Smith, sponsored by Ray Warco. Make sure to meet them and welcome them to our family of Rotary. Speaker: John O'Toole, Executive Director of Beaufort County Economic Land Development Corp was our speaker. The Vision of the BCEDC it the collaborative entity for organizing, structuring and leading economic development efforts on behalf of Beaufort County's residents. Its Mission is to achieve this vision by engaging key stakeholders to diversify the county's economy, attract investments and well-paying jobs. The mission will be carried out in a way that is respectful of the environment. All spokes of the wheel are important but environmental spoke is number one. The second most important is education. The work plan drives the budget. 92% of investment comes from companies already in our location. The key to our availability of skilled labor is the we have transitioning military in the area. For more information visit their website: thrivebeaufort.org |
VLR News March 25, 2024Sonny Huntley, co-president welcomed members and guests to the club meeting on March 19. Visiting Rotarians were William Epps (member of the Bluffton club) and Ray Enstine. Proposed new members Eric Smith, Lee Carulli, and Corey Smith were also in attendance and welcomed. Announcements: March 28 there will be a social at Sundown Saloon from 4:30 to 6:00. Raffle ticket drawing will be at 5:30. Cash bar, club will furnish food. Make sure to turn your raffle tickets in this week!! Mark your calendars for a social - a "Night at the Races" on May 1 from 6 to 8 at Taste of Europe. There are shifts to fill for the Heritage. Contact Joe Rowey to sign up for our food tent. We really need all to participate in this fundraising opportunity for our club. Contact John Farrenkopf to check on openings for the popcorn wagon. Both those members contact information can be found on your CR app that you have downloaded to your phone. (EASY way to stay in contact and stay involved) Speaker: Rose Ewing from Hopeful Horizons was the speaker. Hopeful Horizons is a children's advocacy, domestic violence and rape crisis center. They create safer communities by changing the culture of violence and offering a path to healing.. Their services are free. To offer a solution, the problem must first be acknowledged. Their mission is to "Protect, treat and prevent" . Their vision is to be "the Lowcountry leader in ending child abuse, domestic violence and sexual assault" . The staff is English and Spanish speaking and they have a translation service as well. Counselors have a minimum of Masters degree, they have a full time attorney and paralegals. Services that are provided: 24/7 support hotline; shelter; Evidence-based therapy and supportive counseling; legal assistance and victim advocacy; case management; transitional housing; survivor support groups; outreach, awareness and community education; Hospital accompaniment; anonymous reporting assistance; child & family friendly facilities; forensic interviews; multidisciplinary team response in handling child abuse cases; evidence based mental health treatment; specialized medical evaluation and treatment; court preparation and expert witnesses. Hopeful Horizons assisted more than 1200 victims of child abuse, domestic violence and sexual assault, conducted 404 forensic interviews and 88 forensic medicals, and provided 4,000 night of safe shelter for 152 women and teir children in 2023. Follow them on social media: facebook, X and Instagram. |
VLR News March 18, 2024Sonny Huntley welcomed members and guests to the meeting on March 12 Guests: visiting from the lunch club, Michael Murphy; proposed new members- Lee Carulli, Corey Smith, Jesse Baker, and Eric Smith (transferring from the Upper Arlington Rotary Club in Ohio. Kevin Courtney offered the prayer and led the pledge to the flag Announcements: Social will be held March 28 - location to be determined. Raffle tickets will be drawn that night so turn yours in asap. Heritage - volunteers needed - still some shifts to fill: Contact Joe Rowey to sign up to work in the food tent Contact John Farrenkopf to sign up to work in the Popcorn Wagon Night at the Races will be held May 1 March 23 - volunteer opportunity to work at Wing Fest. If you wish to participate, contact Kristin Keller. President Jacob Hunt attended PETS - (President Elect Training) - he is ready for the 2024 - 25 Rotary year!! March 22 - 24 District Conference is in Charleston. Contact Sonny or Greg if you want more information Speaker - Dale Douthat, President and CEO of the United Way We learned that every United Way is different based on community needs. The mission of our United way is to mobilize resources to solve human problems. It creates opportunities to become self sufficient. In Hilton Head Island there ate 5,610 households below ALICE (Asset Limited Income Constrained, Employed) - 32%. In Beaufort County there are 76,249 households below ALICE - 38%, 11% of that is in poverty. United Way has a staff of eleven and has over 300 volunteers. Giving to the UW is a community investment. - What is the ROI? |
VLR News March 11, 2024Sonny Huntley called the March 5, 2024 meeting to order Kevin Courtney offered the prayer and led the pledge to the flag Announcements: Raffle - turn in your tickets asap, the drawing will be March 28th at a location TBD. The Social at San Miguels went well with about 23 - 24 in attendance Wing Fest - March 23 - a great opportunity to raise funds - all slots are full, but if you would like to work it, let Kristin know - she can fill some other slots with our volunteers. Dave Pierce gave a Heritage update Sergeant at Arms, Suzi Oliver collected Happy $$ Speaker, was Joy Nelson and Justice from Memory Matters. Memory Matters has been on the Island for 27 years. It was started at St. Lukes as a respite. Today they provide: Memory Care Day Program; Memory Enhancing Day Classes; Care planning, family in crisis; FREE Support Groups; FREE Memory screening; Caregiver SAVVY Classes, three or six week classes; Brain Boosters Classes, what you can do to maintain brain health; Dementia Sensitivity Training - how to recognize someone who has dementia and how to communicate. There are more than 120 types of dementia, Alzheimer's is just one that accounts for 60-80% of dementia cases. Multitasking is not good for the brain - take on a single task at a time - the brain is calmer. What you can do now for brain health: Exercise, Healthy eating (Mediterranean Lifestyle), Lifelong Learning, Socialization, Restfulness (cool your brain 20 minutes a day). Memory Matters is located on the North end of the Island across from the Crazy Crab. Just opened an office in Bluffton. Justice works at Memory Matters - it is hard work allowing everyone to pet him. He did a great job at our meeting too. New Member: New member Chris Epps was inducted at a recent meeting. If you have not met Chris as yet, please do so and welcome him to the club. There will be a Member Orientation at Mangiamo's on March 12 at 5:30 for several proposed new members as well as any members interested in attending/supporting the proposed members.
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VLR News February 25, 2024Kevin Courtney, called the meeting to order on February 20, 2024, offered the prayer and led the pledge to the flag Members and guests were welcomed. Assistant Governor Dan Ciuffreda presented banners and a certificate to the club Kevin Courtney displays the Rotary Foundation 100% member Participation banner and Every Rotarian Every Year Banner. The certificate is presented to the club in appreciation for its financial support of End Polio Now. Recognition is for the 2022-2023 Rotary year. Don't forget the social which is being held on February 29. Wing Fest - a great volunteer opportunity is March 23. Suzi Oliver, Sergeant at Arms collected Happy $$. Remember, Happy $$ support the CART Fund Speaker - Galen Miller, native islander, computer tech, community activist, husband, father, and volunteer was our speaker. He updated us on the activities of the Hilton Head MLK Committee for Justice. Galen is like the Energizer Bunny, being involved with MLK, Deep Well, Greater Island Committee, VIM to just name a few. The mission of the HHI MLK Committee for Justice is: "strengthens the community by promoting Dr. King's legacy of love, equality, peace, and civil rights. We celebrate diversity and embrace the ideals of inclusion and equity. Through nonviolent direct action, we strive for social justice and positive change, while emphasizing civic action, education and community events and service. Galen relayed the history of the organization and that it started with the march. The 2024 theme is "Together we are the dream". The organization has a children's fun day and a fundraiser - Diamond Dance held at USCB with a DJ. Interesting fact - why are most of Gullah cemeteries near water ?- So the spirits can get back to Africa.
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VLR News February 19, 2024Co-President Greg Wynn called the February 13 meeting to order Kevin Courtney offered the prayer and led the pledge to the flag Welcome to Eric Smith, Corey Smith, Jesse Baker, Lee C, and Tricia Lynch. Tricia, from the Rotary Club of Hilton Head Island - the lunch club - made an announcement that they are looking for participants in Youth Exchange. They need both hosts for In-bound students as well as out-bound students. Announcements Raffle - each member is receiving 15 tickets. The tickets are $20 and members are required to sell/purchase 12. If you need more than 15 tickets, let Kristin Keller know. District 7770 Conference is March 22 - 24 at the Francis Marion Hotel, Charleston The next social - mark your calendars - Happy Hour - February 29 at 4:30 Location to be announced. Speaker: Jodie Randisi, Toastmaster, spoke about Toastmaster meetings in prison and how it helps the prisoners. There are 15,000 in prison in South Carolina. There are several reasons that some choose criminal actions - poverty, divorce, addiction, abandonment, bullying, neglect, anxiety, stress, boredom, no father in the home, etc. Toastmasters, an international nonprofit educational organization that teaches public speaking and leadership skills has been a help to many in prison. One of the challenges is to break the sadness and despair of the inmates so the meeting starts with a Jokemaster to lighten the mood. Jodie also teaches other classes, holds a faith based book club, Best Self program, "Why Try" are examples. She has a waiting list for her classes since she can only take 12 to 16 at a time. A great example of making a difference in the world.
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VLR News February 12, 2024Meeting on February 6 was called to order by co-president Sonny Huntley Welcome guests/visiting Rotarians: Jesse Baker, Corey Smith, Eric Smith, Lew Wessel, Dale Lucht, Lee C. Scott, the USCB caterer introduced the new chef - Glenn Keller, husband of Kristin Keller. Glenn, the breakfast was great! Wing Fest is March 23 - an opportunity to volunteer Raffle tickets will be available soon Jacob Hunt collected Happy $$ Speaker - was Bruce Clemens who talked about a water and sanitation project in Guatemala. The focus is on sustainability. Rotary International does not fund evaluations so don't know how most water projects last. Usually they are designed for 20 years. They went back and checked some at 40 years old and the systems were still working but the community changed. Bruce showed a video from the Toronto convention and spoke about the "Save the Lake" project and all they have done. He lived there for ten years and now goes there every year to help with the water projects. San Martin is the next project. Rotary clubs can help by becoming partners and he encourages members to visit to actually see the situation. You can learn more at peopleswater.org |
VLR News February 5, 2024Sonny Huntley called the meeting to order on January 30, 2024 Kevin Courtney offered the prayer and led the pledge Guests and visitors were welcomed Announcements: The District 7770 Conference will be held in Charleston March 22 - 24, 2024. Consider attending this event. Kevin Courtney inducted two new members. Mike Waters and Wendy Kloesz. Mike is a transfer from the Rotary Club of Hillsborough, NC and is a Consulting Scientist. Wendy is a retired Medical Doctor who has volunteered at VIM. Please make sure to meet both of these new members and welcome them to our family of Rotary. Sergeant at Arms, Suzi Oliver collected Happy $$ Speaker: Alan Prenoveau presented information about Lowcountry Foundation for Wounded Military Heroes, helping wounded military since 2010. His goals were to introduce us to the Foundation and to encourage us to never forget out wounded service men and women. The foundation's mission is "to insure the sacrifices of our servicemen and women are never forgotten" and to "raise money to fund programs that support servicemen and women injured in post 9/11 combat ....Wounded heroes". They donate to charities that are vetted and approved by Birdies for the Brave, a PGA Tour Charities affiliate. They chose Birdies for the Brave because there are no administration fees and 100% goes to the charities. The Lowcountry Foundation supports three charities: K-9s for Warriors - (service dogs); Military mortgages, provide mortgage-free homes to veterans in need; Special Operations - provide free education to children of Special Ops who died in combat. Since 2011, have donated $1,989,000, 28 service dogs, 11 mortgage free homes and more than 6 scholarships. Their main events are Appreciation night, Wounded Heroes Golf Classic. (April 22 and May 20) Over 60 wounded heroes are invited to this event - the day of recreation and recognition is all about them. One of the highlights is the opening ceremonies featuring Special Forces Parachute Team as well as a tandem jump. Never forget - - Freedom isn't free. Visit their website - lfwmh.org |
VLR News January 29, 2024Sonny Huntley, club co-president welcomed members and guests to the January 23 meeting Kevin Courtney offered the prayer and led the pledge to the flag Announcements: Social February 1 - a Bourbon Tasting will be hosted by Eric Schmidt at his home 51 Myrtle Bank Road in Hilton Head Plantation from 6:00 - 8:00. Sign up sheet is being circulated - make sure to indicate if you need a pass. There is no charge for the social however a donation to The Rotary Foundation would be appreciated. Foundation Chair and Club co-president Greg Wynn presented Nick Mihelic with his Paul Harris Fellow +3 pin. Thank you Nick for your support of The Rotary Foundation John Cunningham has had shoulder surgery. Send him good wishes and healing thoughts. Suzi Oliver, Sergeant at Arms collected Happy $$ Speaker: Abby Doyle, USCB student, Marriott Grande Ocean employee, and entrepreneur was our speaker. She told us about her unique business - Clay on the May which she started just a year ago, making jewelry from clay. She started the business from her dorm room because she was bored. Her first try was a pair of Valentine earrings made with bad clay and they cracked. She set about researching and improving her product by using better quality clay and cooking times and temperature. She sells primarily on Facebook as well as dozens of vendor events and boutiques resulting in 650 followers and nationwide sales. Her parents have gotten in the act and help her out. Her Dad has introduced using a 3D printer Such an awesome, personable and successful young lady. Check her out on facebook - "Clay on the May".
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VLR News, January 22, 2024Members and guests were welcomed to the January 16 club meeting by Co-President, Sonny Huntley Kevin Courtney offered the prayer and led the pledge to the flag Announcements: Thursday February 1 will be a social. It will be a Bourbon Tasting hosted by Eric Schmidt at his home at 51 Myrtle Bank Road on Hilton Head Plantation. It will be held from 6 to 8 pm and will be a "vertical tasting". There is no charge to attend, however donations to the Rotary Foundation will be solicited. Sign up sheet is circulating and please indicate if you need a pass. Kristin Keller announced that on March 23 there will be opportunity to volunteer at Wing Fest. Sergeant at Arms, Suzi Oliver collected Happy $$ Speaker: Jon Rembold, Airport Director, provided us an update on the Hilton Head Island Airport project. Hilton Head Airport is striving to be the best airport is in Phase 1 of its expansion program. It, along with Beaufort Executive Airport are focused on keeping Southern Hospitality at the forefront. The Airport does not get any tax dollars directly. It is able to host events like 5K and Concours and wants to continue to do that and improve the facilities for more events. Air service has expanded over the years with the biggest demand being in the northeast. They work in concert with the Chamber of Commerce to do marketing and has been successful. The airport was built in the 60's and since that time there has been a lot of development around its borders which affects its growth somewhat. Currently work is being done to rebuild the Terminal - the whole front will be covered, there will be four gates, it will be lighter colors. Each waiting area will be as big as the whole area is not. The new building will be triple its current size - going from 20,000 sq ft to 60,000 sq ft. The baggage area will have a carousel! The First Phase is expected to take two years. January '26 the boarding gates are expected to open. First Phase expansion of the building is taking place to the right and front. The Airport owns property on Hunter Road north of UPS & Fed Ex. Other businesses have moved. The entire project is expected to take three to four years. Visit hiltonheadairport.com to learn more. |
VLR News - January 8, 2024Club Meeting - January 2, 2024 Announcements: Christmas Party at Otto Ferrene's home was well attended and enjoyable Christmas Basket Delivery - 50 baskets - followed by a social at Sundown Saloon was held the Tuesday before Christmas January 9 there will be a new member orientation held at Mangiamo's for prospective new members at 5:30. All are welcome. Welcome guests: Lee Crulli and Chris Crosby Chris Crosby - recipient of one of our scholarships - gave us an update. His classes are going well and he made the Dean's list! Keep up the good work Chris and visit us when you can, we love to hear of your progress. Sergeant at Arms, Suzi Oliver collected Happy $$ Program: We had a fun "hands on" workshop with members, using their mobile devices, logging in, accessing the website and downloading the App. Remembering logins and passwords provided a challenge at times, but we worked through it and everyone who wanted to gain access was able to. Previous to this session, statistics showed that many members were not taking advantage of the tools that we have to stay connected with our club and other members. Ten members (of 46) NEVER have access our online information. After our little workshop, many were surprised at how useful the mobile app can be. To access our website - www.vanlandinghamrotary.org Upper right hand corner - member log in - user name and password. If you have forgotten either there are procedures to follow to reset them. If you still have difficulty, contact me (Nancy) for assistance. The website provides list of upcoming speakers, upcoming activities and information about the club. To download the app to your mobile device - log in to the website as described above and click on "access your membership directory on the go" which is in the left hand margin. You will need to log in once it is installed. How cool is it to be able to check upcoming events, speakers, and member information on the go? If you need any assistance, contact me.
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VLR News - January 1, 2024HAPPY NEW YEAR!! Welcome to 2024 and getting up to speed with Rotary Club technology. The first meeting of the year - Tuesday January 2, will be "VLR Technology 101" and we will be reviewing the tools available to make our Rotary jobs easier and keep all members connected. Bring your Smart phones, ipads, or charged laptops for a "hands on" session to learn how to access information on the website and ClubRunner App. Already know how to do it? GREAT - you can help others who are "newbies". MEETING 12/12/2023 photo credit - Sonny Huntley The speaker at the 12/12 meeting was Alana Jenkins who gave a great presentation about Sea Island Heritage Academy. SLATE OF OFFICERS/DIRECTORS FOR ROTARY YEAR 2024-2025 The Past Presidents Committee has presented the following officers/directors for nomination for the 2024-2025 year: President - Jacob Hunt President Elect - Joe Rowey Club Secretary - Nancy Riedel Treasurer - John Farrenkopf Directors - Nick Mihelic Hal Wilson Joah Etchels Steve Stauffer Jim Dixon Henry Criss Louis Wright III Eric Schmidt Election by the membership will be held at a regular club meeting |
Meeting Notes, December 5, 2023Sonny Huntley, co-president called the meeting to order Kevin Courtney offered the prayer and led the pledge to the flag Welcome to guests - Eric Smith, Chris Epps, Ray Enstine all visiting Rotarians Liv Brown, guest of Jon Lundin, Dr. Wendy, prospective new member - 1st posting Announcements: Social committee - December 15th Christmas Party at Otto Ferrene's residence. It will be an oyster roast. Details are in Sonny's weekly email. Tuesday December 19 there is no club meeting. Holiday basket delivery - meet at Piggly Wiggly at 4:00. Social to follow at Sundown Saloon. Louis Wright, filling in for Sergeant at Arms, Suzi Oliver, collected Happy $$ Speaker:Mark McCain was the speaker who presented information about Shelter Box. Shelter Box is an international disaster relief charity that hand-delivers emergency shelter to families impacted by natural disaster and conflict. The need is great - every minute 25 people are displaced - 500 people in 20 minutes. Shelter Box is the only organization recognized by Rotary International for disaster recovery. Who contributes to Shelter Box? Rotarians, Associations, Churches. The tent is given to a family - it is theirs. It will stand up to 140 mph winds and is water tight. For more information visit www.ShelterboxUSA.org |
Meeting Notes, November 11/28/2023Meeting was presided over by co-president Sonny Huntley Kevin Courtney offered the prayer and led the pledge to the flag Announcements: Thanksgiving basket delivery went well, with the club delivering 50 baskets. Social afterward at Taste of Europe was wonderful Friday December 15 will be the club Christmas Party at Otto Ferrene's home in Port Royal Plantation - it will be an Oyster Roast and bring an unwrapped gift for toy drive. Tuesday December 19 there will be NO MEETING in the morning, but Christmas basket delivery - meet at Piggly Wiggly at 4:00. A social will follow at 5:00 at Sundown Saloon. Henry Criss, substituting for Sergeant at Arms, Suzi Oliver, collected Happy $$. Speaker: Henry Criss introduces our speaker, Dr. Heather Hinshelwood who talked about Restorative Medicine, - Integrative Medicine. Dr. Hinshelwood has an impressive professional biography, with many years serving in the Navy and as an Emergency Room physician. Her desire is to alleviate suffering and help people get back to living the life that they love. She spoke about the options - 1. Do nothing, 2. More drugs, 3. surgery. Many do not want to hear it, just want a prescription. Restore - means to bring back into existence, use or the like. - to bring back to a former, original, or normal condition. She advised to look at patient testimonies on You Tube - Fraum Center. She explained how stem cells are used to restore function. Aging - by the time 30 years old, stem cells really have dropped off and by the age of 80 there are only a couple stem cells in the body. Stem cells which are safe, minimally invasive, and avoids surgery are used to reduce inflammation. They are medically harvested at live births (umbilical chords and placenta), laboratory tested, and overnighted directly from the lab to Fraum Center. Stem cells are not the only modality used - there are other options like a non surgical disk decompression machine, laser, and peptide treatment. The treatments are not covered by Medicare or insurance. You can learn more about this topic by visiting the Fraum Center for Restorative Health - fraum.com |
Meeting Notes November 14, 2023Sonny Huntley called the meeting to order Kevin Courtney offered the prayer and led the pledge to the flag Announcements: NO CLUB MEETING TUESDAY NOVEMBER 21!!! Thanksgiving basket delivery - meet at Piggly Wiggly at 4:00 Tuesday November 21. Social at 5:00 at Taste of Europe. Board meeting Tuesday November 28 at 5:30 Mangiamo's Club Christmas Party-Oyster Roast at Otto Ferrene's home in Port Royal Plantation - December 15 Sergeant at Arms, Suzi Oliver collected Happy $$ Program: Presentation of the second annual Eugene Martin Circle of Service Award, honoring Abe & Charliemae Grant was made to Charliemae. Many memories of their service and contributions made to the club and community were shared. |
Meeting Notes, November 7, 2023Greg Wynn called the meeting to order Kevin Courtney offered the prayer and led the pledge to the flag Announcements: Thanksgiving baskets will be delivered on Tuesday November 21. Pick up baskets at Piggly Wiggly at 4:00 pm. A social will follow at 5:00 Taste of Europe. Suzi Oliver, Sergeant at Arms, collected Happy $$. Speaker: Garrett Simons, Amazing high school student, was our speaker Garrett Simons of Hilton Head Island is the recipient of the 2023 R.D. Bennett Community Service Scholarship presented by The Electric Cooperatives of South Carolina, the trade association for South Carolina’s independent, not-for-profit electric cooperatives. The $5,000 college scholarship is presented to a high school student who completes a community service project that best exemplifies the cooperative principle of “concern for community.” Simons, 17, was among a group of high school students from across the state who completed projects this summer. A panel of judges selected his project, “Making Birthdays Bright,” as the winner in the competition. Simons donated more than 180 birthday boxes to 11 local food banks. The boxes contain everything needed for a recipient to bake and decorate a cake, and they’re given out to recipients who are having a birthday within their family. Simons also worked with Pockets Full of Sunshine—a nonprofit organization that helps adults with special needs—to assemble the birthday boxes. The Charitable Organizations that received the Birthday Boxes: Bluffton Self Help; Children's Center; Church of the Cross Food Pantry;, Creative Church; Deep Well Project; First Estill Baptist Church; First Presbyterian Church; Hopewell CME Church; Margaret Curtis Food Pantry; St. Stephens Church; Sandalwood Food Pantry. 200 boxes have been delivered so far, with plans to reach 300 by the end of the year. The boxes cost about $10 to put together, however Garrett takes advantage of sales and donations. What's in a Birthday Box? Aluminum pan & lid, cake mix, frosting, sprinkles, Sprite (to replace eggs, oil and water), birthday candles, Happy Birthday banner, birthday card. VLR was happy to donate some of these ingredients at the meeting! |
Meeting Notes, October 24, 2023Sonny Huntley, co-president, welcomed members and guests. Kevin Courtney offered the prayer and led the pledge to the flag Announcements October 24 is World Polio day and Suzi Oliver gave us the current polio statistics November 11 we are volunteering at the Island Rec Center Oyster Roast. It is a great way to raise funds. Kristin Keller will send out an email to those that have volunteered for a shift. Our meeting on November 14, will be the presentation of the Circle of Service Award - which could not be presented at Founders' Night. Lynn King encouraged all to attend this meeting. November 21 there is no meeting in the morning, however we will be delivering Thanksgiving baskets that day, followed by a social Club Christmas party will be December 15 at the home of Otto Farrene, will have a toy drive, more details to follow Suzi Oliver, Sergeant at Arms collected Happy $$ Speaker Janice Gray and Lindsey the Gallery Manager tag-teamed to present information about the Art League of Hilton Head Island. The Mission of the Art League is to Inspire visual arts for the community and its visitors through exhibitions, education and partnerships. There are two locations: the Gallery which is at the Arts Center where they have exhibitions; and the Academy, located at 106 Cordillo, where art classes and exhibitions are held. Membership in the League costs $55 a year which gets discounts on classes. Classes can cost from $40 to $500. They award scholarships to students so if you know any students that are planning to pursue an art degree, encourage them to find out about the scholarship program. The Art League has a unique fundraiser where "Every ticket is a Winner". Tickets cost $100 however every ticket holder receives an original work of art valued at at least $200. This year's event is held on November 9 and about half the tickets have already been sold. Gallery of Gifts has small items, holiday items, ornaments, and jewelry for sale. It is located inside the arts center and is open Monday through Saturday 10 - 4 and Sunday 12 - 4. Visit their website to see the schedule of events or to purchase a "Got Art" ticket. artleaguehhi.org |
Trash Pickup - October 2023VLR Members participated in cleaning up the Hilton Head High School Campus on Saturday October 21. Those participating were: John Cunningham, Kevin Courtney, Ray Warco, Eric Schmidt, Marco Sanchez, Suzi Oliver, Sonny Huntley. Service Above Self |
Meeting Notes, October 17, 2023Co-President Greg Wynn called the meeting to order The prayer was offered by Kevin Courtney and pledge to the flag Announcements: Bagging groceries at Piggly Wiggly earned us $151.00 in cash. John Cunningham, Eric Schmidt, Steve Stauffer, Nick Mihelic, and Sonny participated. Mark your calendars - Club Christmas party- Oyster Roast will be held on December 15 from 6:00 - 9:00. It will be at Otto Ferrene's residence in Port Royal Plantation. There will also be socials after Holiday Basket delivery - more information to follow November 11 is the Island Rec Center Oyster Roast at Celebration Park. We earn $125 for each shift we fill. A great way to raise funds. Contact Kristin Keller to sign up. Welcome to Fred Jawch, guest of John Cunningham Tuesday October 24 the Board will meet at 5:30 at Mangiamos Speaker: Our speaker was Duffie Stone, Solicitor of the 14th Circuit. He spoke about the Special Victims Unit which prosecutes rapists, domestic abusers and child abusers and the number of victims that have been helped. The Career Criminal Prosecution Unit focuses on the small percentage of criminals who commit the majority of crime. They aggressively seek lengthy sentences for the most violent and habitual offenders. They have about a 92% conviction rate. Solicitor Stone spoke about a recent case, involving a shooting, where the suspects had no criminal records but after investigation it was found they were involved in several other crimes. They had left large amounts of shells at the crime scene which could be tied back to them. Technology also pays a big part . The Solicitor's office has someone on staff that is expert at using cell phones (today's diary} and is able to map out locations using cell tower analysis. Evidence with no eye witnesses. In 1993 "intelligence led policing" was invented which is now standard for law enforcement. Criminals also sometimes use social media which greatly helps the criminal prosecutors. Learn more about the Solicitor's Office by visiting: https://scsolicitor14.org/solicitor-duffie-stone |
Meeting Notes, October 10, 2023Co-President Sonny Huntley called the meeting to order Kevin Courtney offered the prayer and led the pledge to the flag Announcements: 10/21 Hilton Head High School Campus Clean up 9:00 10/18-21 - Barbara Catenaci - Ghosts and Myths - need volunteers from 7:00 - 9:00 11/11 - Island Rec Center Oyster Roast - contact Kristin if you can volunteer - great way for our club to make money 12/14 Club Christmas Party 6:00pm at the Farrene residence - more information to follow Speaker: We had The Rev. June Wilkins, Pastor of Christ Lutheran Church and Julie Raino, an ordained minister and Grief Counselor speak to us about Workforce Housing. Three out of five workers on Hilton Head Island do not live here. It has been increasingly difficult to draw workers to the island because of the cost of housing. The housing costs are also high in Bluffton - an apartment can cost more than $2700 per month. We learned of the difficulties in the Chimney Cove development ($1500 +) where the residents all received eviction notices. They had a meeting, Sandy Gillis - Deep Well - also involved - to come up with ways to help. There are many services available for low income people, but no low cost housing. The eviction notices were eventually called off. They have been collaborating with the Town of Hilton Head to solve this problem. The town has various tracts of land that they are going to dedicate to low cost housing. Currently there are about 200 lower cost housing units but the goal is 1500. Speaker at 10/03 meeting: Charlie Clark from the Hilton Head Island Bluffton Chamber of Commerce gave us a Visitor and Convention news update. Charlie began by announcing to us that for the Seventh Year in a row Hilton Head Island was named the #1 Island in the U.S. She said that travel to Europe is up 30% and the world has reopened. She spoke about the strategies used to draw visitors to the island. They partner with the Kingdom Cup - a high end event which costs $3000 per person to golf, to promote golf. The average daily rate to stay here has risen. The Chamber does a great job getting people to talk positively about HHI. There are challenges with work force and the aging population. They are enhancing and expanding Low Country Jobs Now website. Low Country Low Down is another great resource of what is going on in one place. Our airport is also being expanded which will make flying here even more pleasurable. |
Meeting Notes, September 26, 2023Sonny Huntley, co-president, called the meeting to order and welcomed members and guests Kevin Courtney offered the prayer and led the pledge to the flag Announcements: Greg Wynn announced that the club received a check at the District Fall Seminar for $2500. This money is from the Rotary Foundation and is awarded to clubs for qualifying projects. Our check will be used to help fund our Thanksgiving and Christmas baskets that we distribute for Deep Well. The club was also recognized as a 2 Star Club for 2022-2023 and received a badge. Two stars indicate that annual contributions to the Rotary Foundation made by the club was more than $200 per member. Polio Plus Society Certificates and pins were presented to Polio Plus members - john Cunningham, John Farrenkopf, Sonny Huntley, Nancy Riedel, and Greg Wynn. Any other members wishing to support Rotary's Polio eradication efforts by joining the society, please contact Greg Wynn for the details. Rotary Social is at Roller's on Palmetto Bay Road Thursday October 5th. Cost is $10. Bruce Yeager inducted two new members - Pam Dwyer and Louis Wright. Pam is a transfer from the HHI Sunset club and is a retired banker. Louis is the Director of Community Engagement & Programs at the Island Rec Center. Please take time to meet and welcome Pam and Louis into our Rotary family. Suzi Oliver, Sergeant at Arms collected Happy $$. Speaker: Town Manager Marc Orlando and Deputy Town Manager and VLR member Josh Gruber were our speakers, giving us an update on the Town and the Strategic Action Plan for 2023 - 2025. Marc Marc went over a brief history of the town and who we are and what has been accomplished to date. We are driven by a strategic plan. He spoke of the HHI and Town Government, and the staff team. He also emphasized the Town's top priorities Earliest human habitation on HHI dates to 8,000 BC. The island was named by Captain William Hilton in 1663 when it was named as a navigational marker. 1862 Mitchelville is the first self governed Freedmen's town in America. Modern development began in the 1950's with the construction of Sea Pines Resort. 1956 the Bridge opened, connecting to the mainland. 1967 the airport opened, The town incorporated as a municipality in 1983. Josh The town's mission is to promote the health and vitality of the community through ethical and inclusive programs, policies and actions. Their vision for 2020 - 2040 is to reinvent sustainability - again. To focus on revitalization and modernization, and to build an inclusive and diverse community. Some of the 2023 Accomplishments are: adopted a strategic plan, adopted a budget, acquired land - over $19 million worth, some intentionally for work force housing, over 22,000 residential permits, 85 new businesses opened between January and June, economic growth, beach ambassadors, shuttles, recycle, accessible; volunteers donated over 400 hours, Top priorities are: short term rentals, workforce housing, capital improvement projects. Capital Projects : Corridor improvements, William Hilton Parkway Gateway, Park and open space investment. Visit the Town of Hilton Head Island's website to get more details. |
Meeting Notes, September 19, 2023Sonny Huntley, Co-President opened the meeting Kevin Courtney offered the prayer and led the pledge to the flag Welcome to guests - Ryan Larson, guest of Brian Neuman and Louis Wright, potential new member - posting Announcements Thursday October 5 there will be a social at Rollers on Palmetto Bay Road at 4:30pm. It is co-sponsored by Greg and Sonny. Cost will be $10 per person- invite spouse/prospective new members. Please let John Farrenkopf know if you are attending plus any guests. Suzi Oliver, Sergeant at Arms, collected Happy $$ I John Cunningham gave us a Cricket Lesson, explaining there are 3 types of Cricket and how they differ. Thanks John, we always enjoy learning about one of your favorite sports. Greg Wynn put his Foundation hat on and gave a presentation on our Charity, The Rotary Foundation. He explained how the monies that are collected are used and that 3 years after we have contributed, 1/2 comes back to the District (which allows us to get grants which support things like our holiday baskets) The Annual Fund funds everything - grants, scholarships, global grants, youth exchange, Greg discussed how our club awards Paul Harris Fellows and the fact that the Paul Harris Society is $1000 per year and there are various levels of Major Donors. One of the past projects that VLR did was a water project in Tanzania. Kevin Courtney explained the Scholarship Foundation which is a separate 501C3 that awards a four year scholarship to a graduating high school student. He gave a history of the foundation and the changes that have taken place. Currently the scholarship is for $10,000 which is paid as $4,000, $2,000, $2,000, $2,000 over four years. Donations to the Scholarship Foundation are tax deductible, and it is desirous to get up to $200,000 in the fund. Scott, the caterer, made everyone aware that he is looking for an attendant to work at USCB Monday through Thursday from 9 to 2:30. Let him know if you can recommend anyone for the job. |
Meeting Notes September 12, 2023Co President Sonny Huntley called the meeting to order Announcements: ROCS - Rotarians Offering Community Service - Saturday September 23 - opportunity for community service - Lunch to follow at Jarvis Creek Park. Mark your calendar for the Social at Rollers - October 5 Speaker: Dr. Matthew Adams - history professor at Savannah State University was the speaker. photo credit Suzi Oliver Dr. Adams program centered on Herbert Hoover's effort to feed millions of Polish and Ukrainian children after World War I. He commented on the fact that much of current Poland and Ukraine were part of Russian territory and much like the current fighting today, fighting has been going on in that region among those people for hundreds of years. He commented on the condition of the people as being much similar to the suffering that they experienced both in the past as well as currently. He discussed the fact that his charity program www.polafund.com is fashioned after the effort organized by Herbert Hoover after WWI because it was so successful. Hoover's program originally discovered that they could not be all things to all people in the conflict so they concentrated on helping feed the children and mothers with children. His charity program does the same thing. story contribution- Sonny Huntley |
Meeting Notes, August 29, 2023Sonny Huntley welcomed all to the meeting Kevin Courtney offered the prayer and pledge to the flag Nick Mihelic, filling in for Sergeant at Arms Suzi Oliver, collected Happy $$ Announcements: Pam Dwyer was in attendance and this was her third posting. Pam has submitted her application for membership - she is a transferring Rotarian. Mark your calendars for the October 5 social at Rollers - more info to follow. Speaker - Speaker was Chuck Swartz who told us about "Chuck's Lemonade Project" He offered us inspirational words about how to make lemonade when life gives you lemons. "Life doesn't always go as you planned or as you wished. It's what you do next that matters next!" - it is your choice what path you take when life gives you lemons. Chuck moved here in 2018 and shared some of the lemons in his life and how he was able to channel his energy to over come them. The way to make lemonade is to: 1. quiet the noise; 2. find inspiration, find your "beach"; 3. Practice service. Live gratefully, live gracefully, live the fruits of God's Spirit. He recommends watching "The Chosen". Practice positivity and gratitude. H-A-B-I-T-S are the ingredients of Chucks lemonade Life is what you make it. Chuck does a daily inspirational blog - every single day. For more information - read Chuck's book or check out his website - chuckslemonade.com |
Meeting Notes, August 22, 2023Members, visiting Rotarians and guest were welcomed to the meeting. Lynn King had two guests - Emily Kraus and Taylor Stokes, Dr. Wendy K was a guest of Eric Smith, Visiting Rotarian Chris Epps was joined by his wife and baby, Visiting Rotarian Maury Purcell was also in attendance. Kevin Courtney offered the prayer and pledge to the flag Past President Jim Dixon made a great find and discovered two citation badges from his presidential year -2005 -2006 which had been "missing in action". He presented them to the club. Jim and Sonny Huntly, Co-President are seen here displaying the Presidential Citation and District Governor Citation from 2005-2006. Speaker: Senator Tom Davis was our speaker. He presented a 2023 Legislative Update. ; Over 100 bills were passed and Senator Davis gave a list of some of the most significant: S39 Education Scholarship Trust Funds; S96 Boater Education; S108 First Responder Death Benefits; S164 Certificate of Need Repeal; S424 Abortion bans abortions after heartbeat detected; S381 Constitutional Amendments; S399 DHEC Restructuring; H3503 Fentanyl trafficking; H3532 Bond reform; H3553 Adoptions streamline proceedings - read the details of all online. He went over his priorities for 2024 and talked about the state budget - we are a conservative state for budgeting. Speaking of teachers' salaries, we are above the state average, however Senator Davis wants to be above the national average. He talked about the 278 corridor - funds are in place and the town needs to sign off - this fall? He also talked about the insurance problem - Congress stopped subsidy coming into FEMA. The Safe Home Program - for home improvements will drive the cost down. |
360/40 Celebration360/40 Celebration of the Town of Hilton Head The 40th anniversary of the town's incorporation and the 360 anniversary of the island's sighting The famous Vanlandingham Popcorn wagon was on hand to provide attendees with freshly popped popcorn
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Meeting Notes, August 15, 2023Greg Wynn, Co President, welcomed all to the meeting. The prayer and pledge - Kevin Courtney District Governor Lou Mello and Assistant Governor Dan Ciuffreda were introduced Announcements: There will be a social after the Board meeting on Tuesday August 22. The Board will meet at 5:00. All members and families are invited to attend the social starting at 6:00 pm at Mangiamo's. The Past presidents are sponsoring this event. Pizza, salads, and non alcoholic beverages will be served. A cash bar will be available. Volunteers are needed to man the Popcorn Wagon on Saturday August 26 from 3 to 8 at the Town's 360/40 celebration at Celebration Park. Email Sonny to sign up for a time. Help is also needed for setup and take down. Sergeant at Arms Suzi Oliver collected Happy $$ Speaker: Area 4 Assistant Governor Dan Ciuffreda, member of the Bluffton RC, introduced our speaker District 7770 Governor Lou Mello. DG Lou began with sharing this year's Rotary International theme - "Create Hope in the World". The theme was announced at the International Assembly by Rotary International President Gordon McInally and it calls for Rotary members to work for peace and mental well being. Lou's message was focused on the following areas: Membership - we need to become creative and flexible to attract new members. Consider offering various option of membership such as e-member, family memberships, corporate memberships. Also consider satellite or companion clubs. Foundation - he spoke about global grants - $30,000 for water, sanitation, etc. as well as district grants which receive a $2500 match and are funded by DDF which comes back to the district in 3 years. He spoke of the good that we are able to do in the world because of the Foundation and urged people to consider giving more. His goal would be to be a million dollar district again. Public Image - "Show and Tell" Take action photos, invite friend to join in service CART - all the money goes to grants for research. You can sign up on the CART website to do a recurring contribution Service Projects - He gave several ideas of service projects, such as Happy Feet where shoes and socks are giving to needy children in schools. His club takes two hours on a Saturday at Target to distribute the items at a cost of $8,000 - $9,000. He also talked about Free Libraries, Community Gardens, Trails, and Dictionaries. Developing Leadership - Need to have a succession plan. A good way to develop leaders is through the attendance at RLI . A few of our members have attended and we have a few graduates as well. Youth Services - Interact, Rotaract, Youth Exchange and RYLA. DG Lou has been involved with Youth Exchange for many years and spoke of the difficulty with getting host families. He wants to expand the program. District Conference - Will be held March 22 - 24, 2024 in Charleston at the Francis Marion Hotel. Registration will open in January. Registration for the conference is $300 and Room is $286 a night. |
Meeting Notes, August 8, 2023Co President Sonny Huntley welcomed all to the meeting Kevin Courtney offered the prayer and led the pledge to the flag Announcements: Answer to Sonny's question (not going to tell you the question - look it up - it was in an email from him) - catcher and umpire There will be a social after the board meeting on 8/22 at 6:00 at Mangiamo's. All are welcome. There will be a social on 10/5 at Rollers so mark your calendar for that. Lynn King announced that Hospice Care of the Lowcountry will be the recipient of $1,000 donation from VLR 8/26 we need volunteers for the pop corn wagon. Speaker: James Dismond, Executive Director of Hospice Care of the Lowcountry was the speaker Hospice Care of the Lowcountry has been serving the community for 40 years. It was started with 100% volunteers and was established to give comfort, honor and dignity to patients facing the end of life and their families. It is the leading independent non-profit Medicare certified hospice serving Beaufort, Jasper and Hampton Counties. They are only one of two not for profits with 16 other hospices in the area. Their symbol is a sunflower - patient in the center with the petals representing services. They get reimbursements from Medicare however need to raise funds for extra services. The "Yacht Hop" raises $40,000, Harmonions - Jazz raises $100,000. They also rely on grants, endowments and investments. They have no in-patient house, however have contracts with hospitals to provide services. In 2022 397 patients received hospice and palliative care, 124 volunteers dedicated 3,868 hours to serve patients, 13,729 visits were made to patients in their homes and facilities. For more information about this amazing organization visit www.hospicecarelc.org. |
Meeting Notes, August 1, 2023Co President Greg Wynn welcomed all to the club meeting Announcements: The first social of the year will be held on August 22 after the Board Meeting. It will be at 6:00 at Mangiamos, and sponsored by the Past Presidents. Jim Dixon found a place that we can store our popcorn wagon - it will save us $4,000 a year. Thank you Jim! August 15, District Governor Lou Mello will be here for his official club visit. He asks that board members stay afterward for a brief meeting. Bev James introduced two students that were awarded our scholarship. We award a $10,000 scholarship to a deserving student - paid as $4,000 the first year, and $2,000 in the next three years. Madeline Pollitzer updated us on her studies and activities. Camden Bernstein is this year's recipient and is looking forward to starting the school year. She will be going to the College of Charleston Membership - this is the second posting for Pamela Dwyer. She is currently a member of the HHI RC - Sunset and has applied to transfer to our club. Speaker: Speaker was Natalie Harvey, Director of Cultural Affairs, HHI. Natalie updated us on 360/40 which is taking place August 26 through September 16. It is the 40th anniversary of the Town's incorporation and the 360th anniversary of the Island's sighting. The event kicks off with a Community Picnic on August 26 from 4pm to 8pm at Lowcountry Celebration Park. It will feature live music, free food and entertainment. There will be one of a kind tours offered from 8/26 to 9/15. September 14 through 16, there will be 25 singer-songwriters performing at indoor and outdoor venues around the island. Some of the venues are: Coligny Theater, Liberty Oak, Poseidon, Ruby Lee's. The Community Concert on September 16 will be the finale. There will be other events as well such as "Chalk the Walk" sponsored by the Hilton Head Island Chamber of Commerce - it will be right after Labor Day. For a list of all the events, to learn more about our history, to share your memories visit hiltonheadisland360-40.org |
Meeting Notes, July 25, 2023Sonny Huntley welcomed all to the meeting Kevin Courtney offered the prayer and pledge to the flag Sonny encouraged members to check out The Rotarian magazine. Lots of interesting and valuable articles about Rotary in the world Scholarship recipient for the 22-23 year, Chris Crosby was in attendance. He goes to USC, had a 3.75 average last year and is going to be a sophomore. Great job Chris! Speaker Barbara Catenaci, Executive Director of the Heritage Library was our speaker She has been on Hilton Head Island for 39 years and has worked mostly with non-profits. She started with the Children's Center, worked at the Chamber and School District. The Heritage Library was organized in 1997 when the Hilton Head Historical Society and Hilton Head Genealogy Society combined under a shared mission. They are a history and ancestry research center and repository for H H Island history. They are located at 2 Corpus Christi, Suite 100. With only one paid staff they have more than 75 volunteers and are governed by a volunteer Board of Directors. The Library owns two historic sites - Ft. Mitchel and Zion Chapel of Ease Cemetery. Check out the Liberty Trail App which you can download to your phone - it connects the battlefields across South Carolina and tells the stories of this chapter of American history. "Genealogy is like doing a jigsaw puzzle without the box top" During Covid, people from 48 states and 5 countries attended online classes learning to do heir research. Ancestry research can be time consuming and can get pricey so start with the free options before investing. The Library, name by USA Today as one of the top 10 places in the world for family research, provides many resources to make the best use of your time and budget. Also, Google "free genealogy" and check out newspapers.com. For more information: heritagelib.org |
Meeting Notes, July 18, 2023Thanks to Lynn King for the pictures and notes for the meeting of 7/18. President Sonny Huntley welcomed all to the meeting Visiting Rotarian, Pamela Dwyer, a member of the HHI Sunset club attended the meeting. There will be a social on October 5 from 5 to 7 at Rollers Wine & Spirit Past President Kristin Keller presented the Spirit of Service award to Nick Mihelic. Congratulations, Nick! There was no speaker this week and President Sonny addressed club committee chairs. |
Meeting Notes, July 11,2023HAPPY ROTARY NEW YEAR! Co-President Sonny Huntley welcomed all to the new Rotary year. Kevin Courtney offered the prayer and lead the pledge to the flag. Sonny recognized immediate Club President, Kristin Keller for her leadership for two years as well as Lynn King who served two years as well before her. He explained the Co-President concept, and offered inspirational words for the new year. Sonny introduced the board: Co-President Greg Wynn (out of town for the birth of a grand child); Kristin Keller, immediate past president; Jacob Hunt, Treasurer and President Elect; Nancy Riedel, Secretary; Directors: Kevin Courtney, Co-President; Bruce Yeager, membership chair; Brian Neumann; Joe Rowey Vice President; Joah Etchells; Hal Wilson; Nick Mihelic and requested the members to support all. He also recognized the great job that the Sergeant at Arms, Suzi Oliver does in arranging the weekly speakers. Suzi Oliver collected Happy $$ and introduced the speaker Speaker: Tom Dunn, Emergency Management Director for the Town of Hilton Head Island updated us on this crucial department. He explained that the town is going through an accreditation process and will be the smallest (population wise) community to be accredited in SC - there are only two others in the state that are accredited. There are 77 standard each with several elements that have to be met. He spoke about the 2023 Hurricane forecast. The two sources used are NOAA and Colorado State. Preparedness - its about you. He had handouts of the Preparedness Field Guide - which is also available on the town website. Planning is the most important section of the department, always planning the day before what to do the next day. The Governor is the person that calls for evacuation and Tom spoke of the importance of heading the order as well as re-entry procedures. For more info, check out the Town of Hilton Head Island website. |
Founders Night 2023Founders Night was held Friday June 23 at Spring Lake. It was a wonderful night of celebrating the VanLandingham Rotary club and its accomplishments during the year. Presidents Awards: Rotarian of the Year - in recognition of Outstanding dedication and service to VLR was presented to Dave Pierce. The Spirit of Service Presidents Award of Excellence for Outstanding dedication and service to VLR was awarded to Eric Schmidt. Paul Harris Fellows were awarded to Hal Wilson, Joah Etchells, and Pat Zuk President Kristin was able to present the last payment of our commitment to the Island Rec Center. Pictured above, The "big check", representing the completion of our $200,000 payment is presented to Leah Arnold, Deputy Parks & Recreation Executive Director at the Island Rec Center and Reid Perry, Chairman of People for Parks. The drawing for the winners of our spring raffle took place. Winners were: $1000 - Grover Cleveland - sold by Barry Davis $500 - Bruce Yeager $250 - Josh Gruber $100 Billy Crumpton - sold by Henry Criss We netted about 9700. Area 4 Assistant Governor Dan Cuiffren installed the 2023-24 Co-Presidents, officers and directors. Officers and Board of Directors 2023-24: Co-Presidents - Sonny Huntley and Greg Wynn Past President - Kristin Keller President Elect/Treasurer - Jacob Hunt Vice President - Joe Rowey Secretary - Nancy Riedel Membership Chair - Bruce Yeager Brian Neumann Joah Etchells Kevin Courtney Hal Wilson Nick Mihelic |
Meeting notes, June 20, 2023Club President Kristin Keller welcomed all to the club meeting Kevin Courtney offered the prayer and led the pledge to the flag Filling in for Sergeant at Arms, Suzi Oliver, Kevin collected Happy $$. Speaker: Our own Ray Warco was the speaker. He is a member of CLOC - Citizens Led Oversight Committee for the local Bond Referendums. He updated us on the 2019 Bond Referendum as well as told us of the upcoming one in 2023. The 2019 Bond referendum for 342 million has been used for the safety and security upgrades at all the Beaufort School District schools as well as career and technology upgrades. So far, 92% has been spent with vast benefits received at the Hilton Head Middle School. Ray explained the finances of bond selling and how there was a $31 million in savings. The main purpose of his presentation was to make us aware of the 2023 Bond Referendum and what it will be used for. There is a 980 million dollar need, which has gotten down to $439 million. 30 - 40% of it will go the Hilton Head High School which has huge needs. There are other needs at schools in the district as well, including Bluffton elementary. Emphasis is on the fact that the new referendum will not increase property taxes because they are paying down the debt so fast. Check out beaufortschools.net for more information. This was the last meeting of the Rotary year and was a joyful one for President Kristin. After serving as Club President for TWO years, Kristin enjoyed the moments of adding her "past President" plaque to the Past President's banner. Congratulations, Kristin. Thank you for your outstanding leadership and dedication. |
Meeting Notes, June 6, 2023Members and guests were welcomed to the meeting by Club President Kristin Keller Kevin Courtney offered the prayer and led the pledge to the flag Announcements: Raffle tickets - all members are expected to sell/buy 12 tickets. The drawing will be held on Founders Night. If you haven't gotten your tickets, contact Kristin Founders Night is Friday June 23 at Spring Lake. If you haven't replied to the invitation, please do so. So far 51 are attending. Ray's is doing the catering. Speaker: Cherie Bronsky, Hilton Head Senior Center Director. A former owner of a fitness center, she told us about the activities available at the Senior Center. The Center was renovated two years ago. It has 422 members, however only about 90 attend per week. There are opportunities for fitness classes - one at 9:00, there is also a joint mobility class and exercise equipment in a back room. Other activities include card games like cribbage, hand and foot; mah jong; field trips, holiday parties, and line dancing. The average age is 78, with the oldest member being 102. The Center is non profit and membership is $35 per year with fee for classes. They are looking for more senior men to attend.
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Meeting Notes, May 30, 2023Members, visitor and guest were welcomed by Club President Kristin Keller Kevin Courtney offered the prayer and led the pledge to the flag. Welcome to guest Wendy Kloesz and visiting Rotarian Robert Reedy from Elizabethton TN Announcements: Kristin included the link in her weekly email to Karen (spouse of member Ron) Sandlin's Go Fund Me for those who wish to donate. Founder's night - June 23 - invitations have been sent out - please reply. Suzi Oliver, Sergeant at Arms, collected Happy $$ Speaker: Rich Thomas presented Hilton Head History. Mr. Thomas is Founder of Legacy Leadership of the Lowcountry. His first experience with Hilton Head was in 1965 and he and his family made frequent visits here until purchasing a home here in 1997. His knowledge about island history is amazing and he kept everyone interested with the fabulous pictures he had to share. Our island was not always named "Hilton Head" - here are the names through the years: 1526 - La Punta de Santa Elena; 1562- Le Grand Ile; 1663- Hilton Head; 1685- Altamaha Island; 1698-Bayley's Barony; 1722- Trench's Island; 1750- Hilton Head; 1862 - Port Royal; 1872- Hilton Head; 1983 - Town of Hilton Head Island. It was in 1740 that the Europeans started buying land here. We learned about the pre Revolution years and the Revolutionary war years. The shipyards which were flourishing before the war were destroyed. In 1813 ships were sent for the revenge of the patriots. In 1861 was the Battle of Port Royal Sound. Dawn of Freedom show pictures of the first armed black regiment in the US - June 25, 1862 After the war many began to work for the government. Time before the bridge 1917 - top center picture shows what is now 278. Lower left is a steamer that traveled between Savannah and Charleston. Lower right is the first bridge. Electric didn't come to the island until 1950. Interesting history lesson. |
Meeting Notes, May 23, 2023Club President Kristin Keller welcomed members and guests. The prayer was offered and the pledge to the flag was led by Kevin Courtney Welcome to Eric Smith, Fran Lefkowitz and Dr. Wendy Announcements: There has been a GoFundMe established to help with the medical costs of member Ron Sandlin's wife Karen. The Invitation to Founders' Night has been sent out. We will be presenting a check to the Rec Center for our final payment of our commitment. We will also be drawing the winning raffle tickets that night. The date is June 23 and will be held at Spring Lake in Hilton Head Plantation. Kristin collected Happy $$ Speaker: Our speaker was Barry Lefkowitz who is a member of our club. He gave us a biographical picture of his fascinating life. He shared the various things that he has done - from being a pitcher for the Phillies, a sports car driver, a diver, to being a lobbyist. He has been honored by many awards during his life and career, among them being named the 2019 Icon of the Year, having been responsible for over 400 laws in New Jersey. He is a past Rotarian and he led the lobby to allow women into Rotary in the late 1980s. Barry is still actively using his talents and spending much of his time in New Jersey. |
Meeting notes, May 16, 2023Meeting was called to order by Club President Kristin Keller Kevin Courtney offered the prayer and led the pledge to the flag Welcome to visitors - Ray Enstine and Eric Smith Announcements: Our Spring Raffle tickets are available. Each member is asked to sell/buy 12. Ticket price is $20 each. The drawing will take place at Founders Night Kevin Courtney provided an update on Karen Sandlin's condition. Keep the Sandlins in your thoughts and prayers. June 23 Founders' night will be held at Spring Lake on Hilton Head Plantation. Greg Wynn presented the District Veteran's Pin to Brian Goode. Brian served in the US Navy during the Viet Nam War. Thank you Brian, and all our club's veterans for your service. Sergeant at Arms, Suzi Oliver collected Happy $$ Speaker - Maury Purcell, a member of the HHI Sunset Club, shared information about John Edwards, his father-in-law. John Edwards led the largest air armada in the history of war. He was known as "Pappy" Edwards because he was the oldest of the crew - he was 23. He was considered to be one of the best pilots. People are unaware of much of this history - such as the Christmas Eve 1944 battle -because the war plans were filed away. Two books that tell more of the heroic efforts of this man and his crew during World War II are: "Hitler's Last Christmas - The Day the Entire Mighty 8th Air Force Entered the Battle of the Bulge" "Gentlemen from Hell- Men of the 487th Bomb Group: Leaders of the Largest Eighth Air Force Mission of World War II During the Battle of the Bulge" |
Meeting Notes, May 9, 2023Club President Kristin Keller welcomed members and guests to the meeting at USCB Hilton Head Kevin Courtney offered the prayer and led the pledge to the flag Announcements: Founders Night will be June 23 at Spring Lake. We will have the Spring raffle drawing that night. Tickets for the raffle will be available next week. Tickets are $20. The proceeds from this raffle will allow us to complete our debt to the Island Rec Center. We don't know how much we made from working at Heritage We made $2700 working at Wing Fest Member Ron Sandlin has retired and is relocating to NC. His wife, who also retired after many years of teaching, is very ill and is at MUSC. Chris Crosby - scholarship 22-23 recipient - was in attendance and updated us on his year. He is a sports and entertainment management major and made the Dean's List last year. He was striving for the President's List the last semester and missed it by a very small margin, however is striving for President's list for next year. Good Luck Chris and thank you for attending our meeting and keeping us informed of your studies Suzi Oliver, Sergeant at Arms, collected Happy $$ Speaker: Dr. Matthew Adams, Professor of History at Savannah State, spoke about modern European history/Poland and Ukraine Aid. Dr. Adams speaks 4 languages and is head of Poland based agency helping Ukrainian refugees.. His wife and children were born in the Ukraine and he lived there for a time. He has helped many of the friends he has made there. His in=laws were living in Ukraine just before the war started and initially wouldn't leave, but right before the war started they got on a train to Kiev. His in-laws are Russian speakers and were going to Moscow. While on the train, war broke out and they stayed at Kiev for a week and he flew over to Poland and eventually got them to the US. At the time, men under 60 were not able to leave the country. Dr. Adams told several stories of his friend in Ukraine and how his organization was able to find them places to stay and how they were able to come to the US. Some of the efforts were hampered by people refusing to leave their homes. Those that wanted to leave often had to follow perilous, non-direct routes, some through Moscow, others through Georgia and Turkey until they could be brought to the US. His organization is Polafunds and donations are monitored to make sure they are going to the right people. |
Meeting Notes, May 2, 2023Club President Kristin Keller Welcomed members and guests Kevin Courtney offered the prayer and led the pledge to the flag Visiting Rotarians Jane and Craig Stout from West Virginia were welcomed and asked to share information about their club. Announcements: Thank you to all who participated in the trash pickup at the high school Founders night will be June 23rd at Spring Lake at 5:30. Save the Date! Last raffle of the year - cash raffle - will complete our commitment to the Rec Center. Tickets coming soon Suzi Oliver talked about Heroes' Flight and Flags for Heroes Greg Wynn presented Henry Criss with the District Veterans Pin. Henry served in the Marines Suzi Oliver, Sergeant at Arms, collected Happy $$ Speaker Rose Ewing presented information about Hopeful Horizons and their mission. Hopeful Horizons is a children's advocacy, domestic violence and rape crisis center. Everyone is eligible for their services including legal counseling and shelter. The difference between their shelter and others is that the whole family can come to their shelter. Rose gave us a list of 49 names and asked what they had in common. They were all deaths because of domestic abuse in a year - 49 people from the age of 18 to 86!! The list, which is released in October each year and horrifyingly shows that the trend is increasing! It also shows the trend that there are more men victims. All services are free and confidential. Everyone is treated as a unique individual. Services include: children advocacy (forensic interview); domestic violence' sexual assault (up to a year to press charges). There are counseling service with Master counselors, and help for secondary victims, transitional housing to allow abused to stay away from the abuser, survivor support groups, and outreach. They provide information about prevention and education and go to schools. Hopeful Horizons relies on Federal and State grants, fundraisers and individual donations. For more information visit hopefulhorizons.org |
Meeting Notes, April 25, 2023Members and guests were welcomed to the meeting by Club President Kristin Keller Announcements: Saturday April 29th trash pickup at Hilton Head High school Monday May 24 several members attended the HHI Sunset Rotary Club to hear Grant Guess speak. He is a 17 year old high school student who delivered a great MLK speech. Scholarship - there were 6 outstanding students that applied. The scholarship committee, Sonny Huntley, Beth Kuzmick, Bev James and Nasser Shaheen had a difficult task, but ended up choosing Camden Burnstein who will be attending the College of Charleston. Sergeant at Arms, Suzi Oliver collected Happy $$ Speaker: Due to a mix up in communications, the scheduled speaker could not get to our meeting on time. Member Nick Mihelic stepped up to fill in, and what a great job he did. Dr. Nick, a retired orthopedic surgeon, who was born, raised, educated and began his practice and career in Pennsylvania, told us how it happened that he came to Hilton Head Island. His presentation included history about Hilton Head Hospital, interesting facts about some well-known individuals and politics. We learned about the controversial doctor from Yugoslavia, Dr. Medenica, and how he came to the island. Dr. Medenica was known for his success in treating cancer patients with untraditional methods. South Carolina Governor West brought him to the United States, however because he could not be credentialed, MUSC would not accept him. At the time, Hilton Head Hospital was not making money. Dr. Medenica came to Hilton Head and got on staff at the hospital, in spite of trouble being credentialed, and was instrumental in turning the hospital around. Dr. Medenica was also known for his famous patients, including Mohammed Ali who came to Hilton Head for treatments. Legal problems followed the doctor and was sued in the largest malpractice suit in South Carolina. Story has it that he eventually died in a hospital in New York and was cremated just a few hours later. Nick ended that part with a question mark. There was further member discussion about other controversial or "interesting" HHI events which happened over the years. More to delve into at a later date? |
Meeting Notes, April 18, 2023Members, guests and visitors were welcomed by Club President Kristin Keller Kevin Courtney offered the prayer and led the pledge to the flag. A video, featuring Lowcountry charities working at the Heritage was shown: check it out- https://www.wsav.com/video/lowcountry-charities-working-hard-cashing-in-on-big-rbc-heritage/8562232/ Kristin thanked everyone who participated in working at the RBC Heritage. The popcorn wagon made over $3,000 and we made $300 in tips. We will find out the total amount earned at a later date. Monday April 24 we are invited to attend the Sunset Club's meeting to hear a great speaker. The Meeting is at 6:00 at Hinchey's on Pope Avenue. Joah Etchells announced that Saturday April 29th we will do trash pick up at the high school. Meet at 8:30. VLR was honored to receive the 2023 Jim Ferree Legacy Award which was presented by First Tee at their awards banquet on April 11th at Sea Pines CC. Speaker: Tyler Weaver from the Sunset Club shared information about HHI Annual Flags for Heroes which will take place May 25 through 28 at Veterans Memorial Park "The Veterans Memorial Park in Shelter Cove will be transformed into a Field of Honor with hundreds of U.S. Flags! The Flags for Heroes will be posted in perfect rows and columns, honoring Veterans, First Responders, Military, Educational, Humanitarian and Home Town Heroes." Flags can be sponsored for $65 each which includes flying of 3' X 5' flag, name on honor program, mailer to honoree. The heroes recognition ceremony will be Monday May 29, 2023 at 10:30 am. For more information, contact the Sunset Club - 843-338-0869, hhisunsetrotary@outlook.com |
Meeting Notes, March 28, 2023Members and guests were welcomed to the club meeting by President Kristin Keller Kevin Courtney offered the prayer and led the pledge to the flag Announcements: Joe Rowey reported that slots for working the food tent at the Heritage are full, however he can use a few extra people. Contact him to see how you can help. The world-famous VLR Popcorn Wagon will also be there and there are still a few openings to help out. Contact John Farrenkopf. Scholarship applications are closed. There are six applicants this year. The Scholarship committee will be reviewing applications and conducting interviews. VLR is the recipient of the Legacy Award presented by The First Tee of the LowCountry. We are its second recipient and it will be presented to us at a banquet in April. Sergeant at Arms, Suzi Oliver collected Happy $$ Speaker: Steve Wilmot, Tournament Director of the RBC Heritage updated us on the tournament which will be taking place April 10th to April 16th. He shared that the pandemic provided some opportunities as well as learning experiences. For example, finding the best number of attendees has been beneficial. It is not about selling tickets, although this year's event is sold out, it is about elevating the experience. This year will see added transportation, added sky box space and spectator bleachers. The purse has been increased to $20 million and 18 of the top 20 PGA players have already committed. The players have options where to play and the 3 hour drive from Augusta is one reason we are a good draw. The course, the Island, accommodations, family friendly activities and well run tournament all contribute to making the RBC Heritage a player favorite. Get your plaid on.
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Meeting Notes, March 21, 2023Club President Kristin Keller welcomed members and guests. Kevin Courtney offered the prayer and led the pledge to the flag Heritage - we can use more volunteers, contact Joe Rowey to sign up Also need people for the pop corn wagon - contact John Farrenkopf Suzi Oliver, Sergeant at Arms, collected Happy $$ Speaker Joel Klock, spoke to us about mental performance. He went to Niagara University in Buffalo, coached middle school for two years and then went on to JV and Varsity. He is currently the Head Varsity Baseball Coach at Hilton Head High School. Through his experience working with the athletes he approached the question, "how to train athletes mentally as well as physically" What is Mental Performance? There are three goals: 1. Educate; 2. Empower; 3. Energize. He had all stand up And demonstrated how a game of "Rock-Paper-Scissors" spread good energy of competition throughout the room. The most lively this club has been at a 7:30am meeting for sure! You must determine - Where you are; Where you want to go; and What you can control. Be in the present moment, control the controllables, create a process and stick to it. There are six things to address to develop an elite mind set: 1. routines and habits; 2. Mental Imagery; 3. Self Talk; 4. Breathing/Mindfulness; 5. Awareness; 6. Confidence. 14-24 - Choose something that you want to make yourself better - do something for 14 minutes each day that will help you reach that goal. Coach Klock also spoke about developing leadership - building trust, building a relationship to get results. Developing an elite culture is important when choosing to live to be elite. Develop self awareness and control emotions. Totally interesting and engaging presentation. Visit teammentaledge.com to learn more.
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Meeting Notes, March 14, 2023Kristin Keller welcomed all and called the meeting to order Kevin Courtney offered the prayer and led the pledge to the flag Discussed the success of our Round Up for Rotary launch and plans to continue the promotion of this new venture. Thanked participants: John Farrenkopf, Nick Mihelic, Eric Schmidt and wife Jodi (special shout out to this couple they bagged groceries the entire time), Beth Kuzmick, Hal Wilson, Lynn King, Kristin Keller, Bruce Yeager, Greg Wynn. Wingfest reminder - Saturday the 18th - email to come out with times and assignments. Pat Zuk spoke about the upcoming Banquet the Van Landingham will be the 1st Community Leadership award for an Organization. If you would like to purchase seats or a table he brought some brochures. Speaker: Dr. Dick Dubiel General Public Utilities at Three Mile Island Nuclear Station in 1974 as an engineer in the Radiation Safety & Chemistry Department Pennsylvania 1979. 3 Mile Island - Nuclear Power plant discussion on how the reactor tripped which in turn caused a chain reaction of events to happen on December 28th. Ultimately there was a pressure relief valve that was stuck open and nobody had any indication there was a problem Engineers can not predict multiple failures at the same time and this is what happened. 6 minutes into the problem they discovered the real problem. Overall, the way this failure was handled was a success. |
Meeting Notes, March 7, 2023President Kristin Keller called the meeting to order Kevin Courtney offered the prayer and led the pledge to the flag Announcements: Saturday March 11 is the official kick off for "Round Up for Rotary" at Piggly Wiggly. We will be on site to help bag. When doing your grocery shopping, don't forget to support Piggly Wiggly March 18 -Wing Fest - volunteers are needed to fill two shifts. There are no limits to how many members. We will get paid $150 per shift which goes to our commitment for the rec center Scholarship application is now available. $10,000 over 4 years for a graduating high school student from Hilton Head Island Trash pickup at the Hilton Head High School will be scheduled soon. Watch for information about this. Heritage - we will be serving pulled pork and tacos. More to follow - watch for the sign up sheet. Happy $$ - John Farrenkopf shared highlights of his Disney trip. Sonny headed to South America - other great shares. Speaker: Dr. Rich Gough, President of TLC provided an update: -things they are working on - TLC is one of 16 technical colleges in SC - has 2400 students - 60% of courses are online - 26-27 is the average age of students - 70% women from service industry - Beaufort, Hampton, New River & Buckwalter campuses - Offer Baccalaureate degrees - Affordable / 70% receive financial aide - Students come out without debt - 95% graduate rate/students remain in the area - Work force development is the main forcus - Culinary facility - built from local support - in year #2 with 125 students, looking to grow. Goal is to train culinary students who will stay in the area - 1 of 4 higher ed institutes to have all their programs' participants to pass their qualification tests. Dual enrollment - high school students can take college courses at no cost. Provides 1/2 of Baccalaureate to high school kids Credits transferrable to 4 year colleges - Enrollment is up 14% this year Trades programs are now getting some support from the state. ex: truck driver training, a newly established trade offering. |
Meeting Notes, February 21, 2023Members and guests were welcomed by Club President Kristin Keller Kevin Courtney offered the prayer and led the pledge to the flag Announcements: Welcome Eric Smith - Upper Arlington Ohio , Chris Epps - Bluffton RC, Ray Enstine March 11 will be our official kick off for "Round up for Rotary" at Piggly Wiggly. There will be two shifts of 4 to 6 members. Shift times are 1 to 4 and 4 to 8 Wing Fest - volunteers are needed to fill two shifts. There are no limits to how many members. We will get paid $150 per shift which goes to our commitment for the rec center Scholarship application is now available. $10,000 over 4 years for a graduating high school student from Hilton Head Island Trash pickup at the Hilton Head High School will be scheduled soon. Watch for information about this. Sergeant at Arms, Suzi Oliver collected Happy $$ Speaker: Maury Purcell presented information about Thornwell. Thornwell was founded in 1875 by Dr. William Plumer Jacobs in Clinton, SC to serve the children orphaned by the Civil War. It is a diverse non-profit ministry across Florida, Georgia and South Carolina committed to the most effective solutions to heal strengthen and empower children and families. There are 2400 in foster care in this state. In 2018 the Family First Act stated that if children are in crisis, they should be placed in extended family. Kindred care is the next step, the goal is to keep families together. They provide family services - building families through in home counseling; Care Services - foster care, transitional living; Academic services - child development center under the guidance of qualified teachers, learning center dedicated to providing academic support, read right - a reading intervention program. The organization runs "on love and donations" . "Thornwell believes in empowered communities in which all people can experience both life and love in abundance" |
Meeting Notes, February 7 and 14, 2023MEETING 2/14 Members and guests were welcomed by Club President Kristin Keller Ray Warco offered the prayer and led the pledge to the flag Announcements: Welcome Eric Smith - Upper Arlington Ohio and Chris Epps - Bluffton RC March 11 will be our official kick off for "Round up for Rotary" at Piggly Wiggly. There will be two shifts of 4 to 6 members. Shift times are 1 to 4 and 4 to 8 Wing Fest - volunteers are needed to fill two shifts. There are no limits to how many members. We will get paid $150 per shift which goes to our commitment for the rec center Scholarship application is now available. $10,000 over 4 years for a graduating high school student from Hilton Head Island Trash pickup at the Hilton Head High School will be scheduled soon. Watch for information about this. Auction committee has met with the people that possibly will help with an online auction fundraiser. Sergeant at Arms, Suzi Oliver collected Happy $$ Speaker: Scott Entrup updated us on the Hilton Head Wine and Food Festival which is held in March. The Festival was started 38 years ago and has grown to a multi day event. Over the years it has raised over $125,000 for the community. There are six events which are held over the course of a week March 15 it begins with "Uncorked", and event where you can share your favorite bottle of wine with others. March 19 is "Craft Beers at the Beach" 2-3PM, at the Westin. "Sip and Stroll" will be held March 22 at Shops at Sea Pines Center from 4 to 7pm. Gold and double gold wines will be featured at The Sonesta on March 23. March 24 is the Grand tasting at the Country Club of Hilton Head. On March 25 is the "Public Tasting" at Celebration Park from 12 to 3pm where the top wines from judging can be purchased for a reduced price - food is also available for purchase. Some of the events are already sold out but check online to purchase tickets for events that are still open. MEETING 2/7 Club President Kristin Keller called the meeting to order Kevin Courtney offered the prayer and led the pledge to the flag Announcements: Welcome Ray Enstine and Eric Smith We will be ordering T-shirts for the service that we will be doing in March - See above for info on the Round Up for Rotary kickoff and Wing Fest. Speaker: Shavonne Vasquez presented information about Circles Hilton Head She recently relocated here from New York to be the Manager of Deep Well's Circle Chapter. Circles, an international program, is a "Poverty reduction initiative". Many of the clients are regular Deep Well clients and the program helps them to get economic stability. Their goal is to inspire and equip the Hilton Head community to resolve poverty and thrive. In Hilton Head 6.9% are considered in poverty and 27% the "working poor". Currently there are 18 participants in the program Every week they meet from 6 to 8 at the Children's Center, share a meal (food is donated by Restaurants, businesses and individuals). There is 12 weeks of training for which attendance is mandatory and after that there is 18 months of meetings, which is the average time for a family to achieve financial stability. Circle Leaders are trained "graduates" of the program who help others to achieve the same success. The Hilton Head Chapter is doing better than most other chapters. You can learn more at the Deep Well website: www.deepwellproject.org. |
Meeting Notes, January 31, 2023Kristin Keller, Club President, welcomed members and visitors to the meeting Kevin Courtney offered the prayer and led the pledge to the flag. Announcements: Jacob Hunt's new baby has arrived! Lucy Kate arrived on 1/29/23 at 1:29pm. Congratulations Jacob, Catherine and Gracie Mae! Round up for Rotary at the Piggly Wiggly will be officially launched March 11. That is the weekend of the St. Patricks parade so expectation is that the market will be busy. March 18 is Wing Fest at Shelter Cove. We will be able to work some shifts to earn monies toward our Island Rec Center commitment. Welcome to guests Eric Smith, Cory Smith and Lew Wessel Suzi Oliver collected Happy $$. Speaker: Rose Fotia, the founder of The Children's Relief Fund was our speaker. The Children's Relief Fund was started as a result of the birth of Rose's special needs son. The first project that they tackled was to develop a special needs camp at the Island Rec Center. Called "Challenge Camp", it serves special needs persons up to 21 years old. Rose shared that when her son was born, his life expectancy was 5 years, however he lived to 12 years old. He had disabilities, plus many medical problems. He passed away in 2000, but his legacy lives on in the ongoing mission of the organization. On a visit to Charleston, Rose stayed at a Ronald MacDonald House and saw an accessible playground and brought that idea back to Hilton Head Island. The Rec Center built one. The original playground had to be torn down and has been replaced by a much better playground. The Children's Relief Fund is the main funding source for Special Olympics - they give $50,000 which stays here in the area. They get all the kids membership to the Rec Center so they can use the pool and facility to stay fit. The organization is run by all volunteers and no one gets paid. They have seen many miracles over the years. The organization used to have a large gala to raise funds with 300 - 400 people attending, but after many years have had to down size. They will be having a Wine Dinner and Auction Saturday February 11. They support many other children's organization, like $20,000 to Heroes on Horseback for scholarships. There are over 1,000 kids locally that have benefitted from this organization. For more information check thechildrensrelieffund.org for more information. |
Meeting Notes, January 24, 2023President Kristin Keller welcomed all to our club meeting at USCB Hilton Head The prayer was offered by Kevin Courtney, who also led the pledge to the flag Welcome to visiting Rotarians: Eric Smith (Upper Arlington, Ohio ) and Ray Enstine (Southampton NY) Announcements: We received a nice letter of thank you from Deep Well for our participation in holiday basket delivery as well as toys for Christmas. Over 800 children were served. Island Rec Center also expressed gratitude in a letter. The Scholarship application is available now with the deadline being March 20th to have it turned in. Our $10,000 scholarship is awarded to a graduating student of a high school located in Hilton Head Island. It is awarded over four years in the increments of $4,000, $2,000, $2,000, $2,000. Suzi Oliver, Sergeant at Arms, collected Happy $$. Speaker: Speaker this morning was Zachary Green who presented an interesting program titled "The Dachshund and the Devil Dog" He is an amateur historian whose hobby is the Marine Corp and WWI. He talked about the causes of WWI : The Alliances were explained - Triple Entente: Great Britain, France, Russia and Triple Alliance: Germany, Austria-Hungary, Italy. and a detailed color coded map of the European Alliances before World War I gave great perspective as to the situation in Europe in 1914. Zachary explained that gas warfare (chlorine gas and mustard gas) was not the worst - trench warfare was much worse. His exhibit of an authentic uniform was truly amazing and to be able to exam it and touch the fabric added so much to helping connect to the information Zachary presented. It was a fascinating and informative presentation. |
Meeting Notes, January 17, 2023President Kristin Keller called the meeting to order Kevin Courtney offered the prayer and led the pledge to the flag Announcements: Welcome to visiting Rotarians Ray Enshine and Ray Makoulos Our 2023-24 Scholarship Application is now available. Student applicant must be from a high school on Hilton Head Island VLR will be the recipient of the Legacy Award which is presented by The First Tee of the LowCountry. It is an award honoring individuals, families, organization and companies who have made significant contributions to First Tee. The club will receive this at their banquet in April. Piggly Wiggly is now doing Round up for Rotary. This will be a great supplement to our fundraising each year. We will officially kick off the program soon, however Piggly Wiggly is currently promoting at their registers. We will be presenting another check to Island Rec Center soon to go against our financial commitment to them. Wing Fest will be in March and we have another opportunity to work there to earn money to bring down our debt more. Sergeant at Arms, Suzi Oliver collected Happy $$ Speaker: Jim Smothers from Trail Life USA was our speaker. Trail Life was founded in 2013 because of what was happening with the Boy Scouts. It was started in and is headquartered in Belton South Carolina. It is Christian based and has over 40,000 members currently. It consists of troops which are sponsored by a church or Christian Organization. It has grown to be in 50 states with 900 churches supporting it. The cost for members is $36 per year and is for boys from K through high school. Core values are: Christ centered; Out door activities; meetings are opened with prayer, pledge to the flag and Trailman's oath. It is church owned and operated and 85% vote of leadership is required to make a change so very confident that the organization will be able to keep it's high standards. They are outdoor focused with 12 camp outs a year and participating in Wreaths across America. The troop meets twice a month. Two things required at the meeting is the Handbook and Bible. They do not fund raise and the church offers scholarships to boys that cannot afford to join, including for their uniform. When the boys get to be 18 they are eligible to become a leader - there is much leadership training involved throughout the years. To learn more about this organization, visit traillifeusa.com |
Meeting Notes, January 10, 2023President Kristin Keller called the meeting to order Kevin Courtney offered the prayer and led the pledge to the flag Announcements: VLR will be the recipient of the Legacy Award which is presented by The First Tee of the LowCountry. It is an award honoring individuals, families, organization and companies who have made significant contributions to First Tee. The club will receive this at their banquet in April. Piggly Wiggly is now doing Round up for Rotary. This will be a great supplement to our fundraising each year. We will officially kick off the program soon, however Piggly Wiggly is currently promoting at their registers. Greg Wynn, Foundation Chair, presented a PHF +1 pin to Ray Warco. Ray is a past club president and a super bicyclist, who pedals many miles in support of Polio Plus.. Congratulations, Ray! Thank you for your support of The Rotary Foundation. Speaker: Galen Miller, Chairman of the Board of the Hilton Head MLK Committee for Social Justice was our speaker. He is a busy man, as the IT director of the Cypress, owner of his own IT company, as well as involved with Deep Well, VIM, The Greater Island Committee, and VIM in addition to his position with MLK Committee. One of the reasons he volunteers so much is because someone volunteered and mentored him as he was growing up. It made a difference in his life and he gives back to the community in many ways. The Committee strengthens the community by promoting MLK's legacy of love, equality, peace, and civil rights. They perform service projects, for example, an annual Children's Center deep clean. They have a facebook page, website and are always interested in partnering with others to do community projects. The MLK month of events includes a January 12 Ecumenical Interfaith Service, January 13 Shabbat Service, January 14 Service project, and MLK tribute, , January 15 MLK Tribute, MLK March, Program, Luncheon on January 16. On Saturday January 21 from 12 pm to 4 pm they are holding a career information day at Hilton Head High School. High school students and their parents are invited to attend to meet with representatives who will give them information about two and four year colleges, first responders, public service agencies and different branches of the armed forces. Career planning, and other important information will be presented.. The calendar is rounded out with a Children's Fund day on January 28 with games, prizes, food and music at the HH Boys and Girls Club. To keep up to date with what is happening with this organization, follow them on facebook and check out their website - www.hiltonheadmlk.com |
Meeting Notes, January 3, 2023Club President Kristin Keller called the meeting to order Kevin Courtney offered the prayer and pledge Round up for Rotary has begun at Piggly Wiggly. This will be a great fund raiser for our club. Sonny Huntly introduced Chris Crosby, one of our scholarship recipients. Chris goes to USC and has a 3.6 GPA!!! - Awesome job Chris. He has worked at Dockside and his plans are to either be a sports attorney or go into sports marketing. Lynn King collected Happy $$ Speakers: The head coaches for USCB new men's and women's basketball program were our speakers. Coach Sharon Versyp, has come out of retirement to be the head coach of the women's program. Coach Versyp has a distinguished and impressive resume as both a player and a coach. Most recently she was head coach at Purdue University for 15 years. She is passionate about her job as well as giving back to the community and helping and mentoring students. She is excited to build the women's program, with recruiting and fund raising being among her first tasks. The challenge is to recruit talented students who are not all freshmen. The basketball facility is supposed to be ready by November. Coach Ron Fudala, Head Coach of men's basketball, comes to Sand Shark Athletics from Indiana University of Pennsylvania. He is passionate, energetic and positive with a love for helping others grow their own culture. His goal is to help the athletes become the best version of themselves. He spoke about the program's staples: Character, Commitment, Culture, Ownership and Appreciation. He also said that Adversity = Growth and that there will be some adversity involved in growing the basketball program. He also expressed the desire to build a community product. His goals - Connect, Serve, Learn, improve - all with love, passion and service. Exciting times for USCB as they launch these new athletic programs.
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December 13- Election Officers/DirectorsELECTION OF OFFICERS/DIRECTORS FOR 2023-24 The December 13th meeting was our Annual meeting with election of club leaders for the 2023-24 year. The following have been elected and will serve effective July 1, 2023. Co-Presidents - Sonny Huntley & Greg Wynn President Elect - Jacob Hunt Vice President - Joe Rowey Past President - Kristin Keller Secretary - Nancy Riedel Treasurer - Jacob Hunt Directors - Nick Mihelic, Hal Wilson Currently serving terms -Kevin Courtney, Joah Etchells, Brian Neumann, Bruce Yeager |
Meeting NotesKristin Keller, Club President called the meeting to order. Kevin Courtney offered the prayer and led the pledge to the flag The Christmas Party was held at Rollers on Thursday December 8. Members brought unwrapped toys for Deep Well - lots of toys! December 22 will be our Christmas basket delivery with social afterward at the Taste of Europe. Sign up with John Farrenkopf. Happy $$ were collected Speaker: Speaker was Coach Daniel Godsun from the Boys and Girls Club. Coach Daniel shared much about his background - you "have to know where you came from". The child of teenage parents, he lived in the hood and in spite of his background was able to become a success. He uses what he learned from his life experiences to help inspire and challenge the youth he works with. There are three things that are needed for a young person to become a success: 1. Have at least one person in the home that is respected - to learn values (his mom at one point worked three jobs); 2. Have 2 people outside the home that is respected (coach, teacher, etc.); 3. Be involved at 3 places - Like school, sports, clubs, Girls and Boys Clubs, YMCA, church, grandparents, youth group, Early Act, etc. All contributing to learning values and also often providing a challenge. You can't make a child learn, but you can take an interest and inspire them. Inspire - rather than kill the dream.
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Meeting Notes, November 29, 2022Kristin Keller, Club President welcomed all to the meeting at USCB Hilton Head Campus Kevin Courtney offered the prayer and led the pledge to the flag. Visiting Rotarian Tom Bozek from Williamsburg VA and guest Fran Lefkowitz were welcomed Announcements: December 8, Christmas party at Rollers - Wine & Cheese. Bring an unwrapped toy for Deep Well - see the list that John Farrenkopf has sent out. Raffle - winners were - $1,000 - Lynn King, $500 - Evan Jeffords, $250 - Lesley Green, $100 - Ron Sandlin. The club made $11,232 after payout. There were 571 tickets sold. In January we will present a check to the Rec Center . Thank you to Marco Sanchez for hosting the social event at his restaurant - The Taste of Europe - wonderful food! New Members - Director and Membership Chair Bruce Yeager inducted two new members Eric Schmidt, sponsored by Kevin Courtney, was a long time member of the Rush-Henrietta Rotary Club in Rochester NY. He is President of Kaplan-Schmidt Electric, Inc. an Electrical Contractor. He has served many positions in his former club. Henry Criss, sponsored by Lynn King, is a Department Director at Haig Point Club. Welcome to both!! Sergeant at Arms, Suzi Oliver collected Happy $$ Speaker: Scott Wierman, President and CEO of the Community Foundation of the Lowcountry was our speaker. Some of the non-profits: VIM on Northridge Dr. provides about $10 million in health care. They have 650 volunteers with 52,000 hours service and 27,000 patient visits Deep Well project - started in 1973 originally to dig wells for safe water, provides food and housing expenses of which 95% goes to the client. Starting in January they are starting "Circles" to help people become self sufficient. Memory Matters - offers day programs and other services Children's Center - has been here for over 50 years. Hours are 6:30 am to 6:00 pm Monday through Friday. They are currently serving 107 children Arts and Culture - there are many groups under this including Art League, Mitcheville, etc. Project SAFE - started in 2015, stands for Sewer Access For Everyone. The Foundation partners with the Town of Hilton Head for this project Public Art Project - large scale sculpture around the island Jim & Marge Krum Scholarship Foundation - last year over $800,000 in scholarships The Foundation was established from proceeds from the sale of Hilton Head Hospital 28 years ago. With assets of 85 million it has awarded over $100 million in the 28 years. Visit cf-lowcountry.org for more information about this organization. |
Thanksgiving Baskets and SocialTuesday November 22, VLR delivered 55 Thanksgiving Baskets and gathered at Taste of Europe for wonderful food and to draw the winners in our Raffle. Dave Martin at Piggly Wiggly threw in extra bags of food in addition to the turkey and box of regular fixings. His generosity made our deliveries even more special for the families receiving the food. Steve Stauffer's son Dylan assisted in drawing the lucky numbers. The winners were: 1st Prize - $1000 - Lynn King 2nd Prize - $500 - Evan jeffords 3rd Prize - $250 - Lesley Green (ticket sold by John Cunningham) 4th Prize - $100 Ron Sandlin Thanks to all the effort, the raffle was a success - we raised about $11,500 after the payout of the prizes! See photo journals for all the pictures |
Meeting Notes, November 15, 2022President Kristin Keller called the meeting to order Kevin Courtney offered the prayer and led the pledge to the flag Announcements: There is NO MEETING on Tuesday November 22. We will deliver Thanksgiving baskets 4:00 . Meet at Piggly Wiggly in Coligny to pick up the baskets - we have 55 to deliver. If you haven't signed up but can help, contact John Farrenkopf. Basket delivery will be followed by a social starting at 5:00 and Raffle drawing at Taste of Europe. The Oyster Festival November 12 was a lot of fun - thanks to all who came out. It turned out great and we made about $2,000 which will go against our debt to Island Rec. Welcome to visiting Rotarian Christopher Epps from Bluffton Christmas party will be held December 8 at Rollers from 5:00 to 7:00. Bring a gift for Deep Well - more information to follow This is the third post for Henry Criss. Past President Lynn King collected Happy $$. Speaker: Carla Raines from Pay Proudly was our speaker Pay Proudly is credit card processing service that each transaction triggers a contribution to the business owner's charity without extra expense to the business. Carla explained the ins and outs of merchant accounts and credit card processing. They have over 200 accounts and have given over $75,000. Proudly is not a non-profit but will be starting a foundation through the Community Foundation. Their motto is "payments with a purpose". For more information, see their facebook page, or check the website - www.payproudly.com
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Meeting Notes, November 8, 2022Kristin Keller, Club President welcomed all to the meeting at USCB Hilton Head Campus Kevin Courtney offered the prayer and led the pledge to the flag. Announcements: Oyster Festival Saturday November 12. Celebration Park, near Station 3. The weather cleared and the famous popcorn wagon was there too. VLR served the beer! photo credits - Lynn King, Steve Stauffer, Barry Davis, Kristin Keller Check out the photo album link for more photos of the Oyster Festival. Raffle ticket sales - turn in at the next meeting Committees - listings are available. You can also check them out on the club website. Holiday Baskets delivery will be on November 22 - a sign up sheet will be available. We will have 55 baskets to deliver. The raffle drawing will take place at the social afterward at Taste of Europe. Membership - this is the second posting for Henry Criss Suzi Oliver collected Happy $$ Speaker: Samuel G. Tooma was our speaker. He worked for the Navy as a civilian Oceanographer for over thirty six years. He worked on submarines, and civilian ships and spent time in scientific camps on the Arctic Ocean ice pack. He also worked as an editor for technical publications and has published six scientific papers in peer-reviewed journals along with many other scientific papers and articles. In 2021 he published the novel "The SOOF" which has been followed by its' sequel, "Assassin's Revenge". His main character, Dr. Samantha Stone, a woman of many talents, who could be described as a "super hero" has adventures and experiences based on Mr. Tooma's own experiences - she is his female counter part. He wrote the books with a female hero to appeal to women readers. The first book "The SOOF" is based on what he did for a living and is a successful mission because of Samantha. "Assassin's Revenge" is a continuation of her adventures. Samuel also shared with us information of how to actually publish a novel. Samuel Tooma is a very interesting man, having had six near deaths experiences, and experiencing several miracles. His novels, while fictional, include intriguing narrative about his own adventures as experienced by his cast of characters, especially Samantha. His books are available on Amazon and he is working on a third book. |
Meeting Notes, November 1, 2022Club President Kristin Keller welcomed members and guests to the club meeting at USCB Hilton Head Campus Kevin Courtney offered the prayer and led the pledge to the flag Announcements: Committees are set up and Kristin will be sending out the rosters soon Oyster Festival - November 12, we will be serving beer, selling popcorn at our popcorn wagon and filling in a few other positions as well. We are getting paid to fill shifts and this will help us pay off our commitment to the Rec Center. If you have not signed up but want to volunteer contact Kristin. There will be a Veterans Day Ceremony at Veterans Park at Shelter Cove. Wonderful way to honor our veterans and thank them for their service. Sergeant at Arms, Suzi Oliver collected happy $$ Speaker: Senator Tom Davis was our speaker. He presented his views on the Greenspace Sales Tax Referendum which is on our ballet November 8. The Greenspace Sales Tax will add 1% to our sales tax for a period of two years to collect up to $100 million to purchase land, conservation easement, the purpose to slow down and prevent development. The monies collected may also be used to pay off debt from past land purchases. Senator Davis presented a compelling argument why he believes that this is good for the Lowcountry and that we should vote in favor of it. Opponents of the bill argue that the same benefits to the Lowcountry can be achieved by other means, including zoning without the need to increase the sales tax. Most important is do your own research, educate on the issues, and vote on Tuesday November 8.
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Meeting Notes, October 25, 2022Kristin Keller, Club President, welcomed all to the meeting Kevin Courtney offered the prayer and led the pledge to the flag Welcome to guests: Henry Criss and Allison Etheridge Announcements: Raffle Tickets - let Kristin know if you need more tickets. Each member is asked to sell/buy at least 12. Oyster Festival - November 12 - If you have not signed up but wish to participate, let Kristin know. We will have our popcorn wagon there and will also be selling beer - there are other volunteer opportunities as well. We will be getting paid to man shifts and it will help pay down our obligation to the Rec Center. Run with Bernie challenge ended on World Polio Day - October 24, report your miles and turn in any donations that you have collected. Checks should be made out to: The Rotary Foundation with "polio plus" indicated. Past President Lynn King collected Happy $$ Speaker: Michael Persons, author and Black Belt Grand Master was our speaker. He spoke about his historical fiction novel "The 7 Secret Scrolls". It is based on Revelation 10: 3-4 - the Seven Thunders - in the Bible. It is the only Bible prophecy that God has not revealed to man. In preparation for writing this novel, he talked to two bible scholars for guidance. The story begins in 1912 with travelers from a Secret Christian Monastery in Tibet looking for the Seven Thunders scrolls, and the novel follows their adventures. Mr. Persons also authored "The Warriors of Chilandra", part one of the Beyond Shazandras Series, and "Sam Pai Kenpo" a Martial Arts instruction Manual. For more information, visit MichaelJPersons.com or The7SecretScrolls.com |
World Polio Day 2022TODAY, OCTOBER 24, 2022 IS WORLD POLIO DAY!!! Saturday October 22, local Rotarians gathered to celebrate World Polio day and add some miles to their Run with Bernie challenge. The Rotary Club of Hilton Head Island (the lunch club) invited the other local Rotary Clubs and Interactors to join with them for a beach walk and fellowship. It was held at Fish Haul Beach and it was a beautiful day. Attending from VLR were Suzi Oliver and Nancy Riedel The beach walk is a great way to make the public aware of our efforts to eradicate polio in the world. This wraps up the Run With Bernie - the Sequel challenge so make sure to turn in your miles and any donations designated for Polio Plus.
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Meeting Notes, October 18, 2022Club President Kristin Keller welcomed members and guests. Kevin Courtney offered the prayer and pledge. Announcements: Guests - Henry Criss and Eric Schmidt Hurricane relief - the lunch club has been collecting items. There is a problem with storing product, however can donate cash. Oyster Fest - November 12 - will be a cashless system. We will be pouring beer and our Popcorn wagon will be there. We can also sell raffle tickets. So far we will make $1750, however we can fill additional spots. Happy $$ were collected by Lynn King Speaker: Quin Monahan, Director of Athletics at USCB was our speaker. He is in his eleventh year at USCB after being at SCAD for many years and Belmont Abby previous to that. USCB was in the NCAA 2 which consists of small, and some unknown schools. Quin followed his dream to have them join the Peach Belt Conference. It was a daunting process and took two years, but have now accomplished that. USCB has a growing athletics program with Men's Baseball, cross country, golf, indoor and outdoor track & field; Women's Cross Country, golf, soccer, softball, indoor and outdoor track & field. One year from now they will be playing men's and women's basketball (23-24) and have hired a men's coach and will be announcing the women's coach soon. USCB will be building an arena, investing in their rec center to seat 900 +. Currently they play baseball at Hardeeville but will be starting a campaign to raise 4.5 million to build baseball and softball facilities on campus. They have the land and two million dollars. Their golf team is very competitive with 9 of the 11 men's golfers being international. Currently there is no tennis team, however open to it. They are very interested in starting LaCross. November 14 they are having a major fundraiser - a Golf Tournament at Palmetto Bluff. There will be 20 teams. The goal is to raise $50,000. Cost is $2,000 for a foursome. Proceeds go to scholarship. For more information and to follow USCB athletics, go to uscbathletics.com
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Meeting Notes, October 11, 2022Club President, Kristin Keller called the meeting to order Kevin Courtney offered the prayer and led the pledge to the flag Kristin welcomed Henry Criss, guest of Lynn King Announcements: Oyster Festival on November 11 and 12. We will be providing manpower on Saturday the 12, the proceeds to go toward our Island Rec Center debt. We will also have the popcorn wagon there too. We will be making $125.00 per shift which we will put towards our pledge for the walking track and equipment. Shifts are 9:30 - 1:30 and 1:00 - 4:30. We will be serving beer. Sign up with Kristin - we need to fill 10 spots. Lynn King collected Happy $$ Speaker: Louis Wright III from Island Rec Center was the speaker. Louis, Director of Community Engagement and Program Support, began by thanking the VLR club for our support, including our commitment that is paying for the indoor walking track - the only indoor track on the Island. He told us about the mission, facility and programs offered. The HHI Rec Association is a non-profit organization dedicated to improving the quality of life for people of all ages. Currently they provide service for members 6 months to 101 (Senior Center member) years old. It provides recreation to all people, inclusively. The newly renovated facility is 45,000 square feet with two gyms, meeting rooms, indoor walking track, fitness equipment and fitness rooms, and the only public swimming on the island. The pool is heated/cooled and can be covered for year round use. Pickleball is one of the fastest growing sports and there are about 40 people that use the courts daily(Pickleball Club) . Fencing, another fast growing sport has 60 members that participate. The Rec Center has an after school program where the children do homework then do outside activities like paddle board, fishing, and kayaking. At 7:00 am Mondays is a no charge yoga class. The center takes care of the scheduling for the town parks while the town maintains them. Funding comes from the Town (35%) and events and sponsors. Coming up in November is their Oyster Festival and we have the opportunity to work two shifts as well as have our popcorn wagon there to earn money towards our commitment to the Center.
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Meeting Notes, October 4, 2022Club President Kristin Keller called the meeting to order at the Boys and Girls Club/First Tee. Make sure to check out the photo journal on the website for more pictures of the facility. Kevin Courtney offered the prayer and led the pledge to the flag Announcements: Everyone is receiving 15 tickets for our Fall Raffle. Sell/buy 12. If you can sell more, more will be available. The drawing will be November 22 after our Thanksgiving basket delivery. Oyster Festival - November 12 we will be pouring beer and will bring the popcorn wagon. The event is a cashless event at Celebration Park. The monies we make will be going towards our Island Rec commitment. Committees: If you didn't sign up, you will be placed on a committee. A list will be coming out. Past President Lynn King collected Happy $$. John Cunningham shared that he and his bride celebrated their 56 year wedding anniversary. Happy Anniversary John and Celia!!!! Speaker: Kim Likins from the Boys and Girls Club and VLR member Pat Zuk from First Tee were the speakers. Our club purchased the land for the Boys and Girls Club, so are very proud of what the Club contributes to the community. B & G of America Comes periodically to evaluate how the club is doing- they look at everything. They came in spring and the report came back stellar, with our B & G being one of the top in the country. Kim attributes this to the community. They have a $1.2 million budget and they raise funds and do not take funds from the government. The B&G club has been recognized for its reading program and also its "Saturday School", which was focused on math, science and English. They will be doing this program again starting in October. They serve over 200 children a day with a wait list of over 100. The reason they cannot do more is because of a staffing problem - they require a 1 to 19 ratio and run 10 1/2 hours a day. "Thank you" to VLR. Tell people about this wonderful facility. Pat Zuk told about how First Tee not only teaches golf, but teaches core values to the student. Kids from FT are three times more involved in the community. They have changed the curriculum - it is now based on age. This year there were 5,000 visitors to use the driving range and par 3. Many locals are not aware of the facility and about 40% that visited were tourists. Donations (not mandatory) are - $10 for adults and $5 kids which give access to the facility. A family of 4 can use the facility, including stocked fishing pond for $30. The First Tee always needs volunteer coaches, office help and other volunteers. FT is an international organization of 125 chapters, 120 are in the US. It started as a way to develop Junior golf. Remember this beautiful facility when you want to hit balls or play a par 3 course. Make sure to check the photo journal on our website for more pictures. |
Meeting Notes, September 27, 2022Club President Kristin Keller called the meeting to order Kevin Courtney offered the prayer and led the pledge to the flag Announcements: NEXT WEEK -OCTOBER 4 - our meeting will be at First Tee. Pat Zuk said to bring your golf clubs to use after the meeting and sample the great facility there. Kristin and Nancy Riedel attended the Rotary District 7770 Fall Training in Orangeburg on Friday September 23. As part of their attendance they signed the MOU which is one of the qualifications needed to get a district grant next year. Kristin also received a check for $2500 which is for this year's grant. It was announced that Mike Jakovsky, member of the lunch club and in line to be District Governor 2023 -2024 has had to step down because of health issues. He will be replaced by Lou Mello who will be DG 2023-24. Past President Lynn King filled in for Sergeant at Arms Suzi Oliver and collected Happy $$ It was good to see Sonny Huntley back from his travels. Perhaps we could have a whole program "The Adventures of Sonny in Egypt"? It would be very interesting. Speaker Our speaker was Suzanna Eibuszyc who provided an excellent program about Jewish life in Poland during and around the war. Suzanna is a native of Poland who came to the US in the late 60's with her family. She has authored essays, stories, and the book "Memory is Our Home". Using her mother's diary and journals as well as her family's own experience, she tells her mother's personal story and "paints a portrait of Jewish life during the interwar years in Poland". Jews were deeply family oriented and that helped them through these times. There were many hardships and dire conditions, documented and described in her mother's own words. This very important part of history needs to be kept alive and never forgotten. Suzanna speaks to students and adults, book clubs, libraries and conferences. To learn more go to http://memoryisourhome.com" |
Meeting Notes, September 20Kristin Keller, Club President, called the meeting to order Kevin Courtney offered the prayer and led the pledge to the flag Announcements: ROCS held on Saturday September 24 - volunteer online Hilton Head Oyster Festival is Friday November 11 and 12. We have the opportunity to supply man power as well as our popcorn wagon to work off some of our remaining Rec Center debt. Anyone know of a student who is interested in becoming an exchange student? Contact Kristin for details. If you haven't signed up for a committee, please do so. Kristin has the signup sheets. Suzie Oliver, Sergeant at Arms collected Happy $$ Speaker: Speakers this morning were member Dr. Nick Mihelic and Craig (sorry missed his last name) from Charleston, representative and expert on OMNIBotics - robotic knee surgery. This was an extremely interesting presentation. Robotic surgery greatly improves patient satisfaction - to greater than 97% as compared to 81% satisfaction from traditional methods. Knee pain is often caused by arthritis caused by damaged cartilage. Arthritis being osteoarthritis, rheumatoid and post-traumatic. When pain affects everyday activities such as walking, driving, lifting, standing or exercising and treatment is needed, there are two options: non-surgical - weight loss, dietary changes, activity modification, walking aids. physical therapy. anti-inflammatory medication, anti-inflammatory injections, joint fluid therapy, acupuncture; or surgery. Surgery can be traditional or robotic. The results of robotic surgery are astoundingly good. There are different robotic companies - the one represented here was OMNIBotics. We saw a brief video which showed that robotics makes a difference in outcome satisfaction because of the greater accuracy. The surgeon is able to customize the knee replacement procedure to plan cuts and prosthesis before bone cuts are made. Robotic surgery does take longer - adds 10 - 20 minutes - because of the computer settings, but well worth the extra time. You, as a patient, have the ability to research and find a surgeon that uses this method to increase your possibility of a favorable outcome. For more information about this amazing option for total knee replacement, visit www.coringroup.com |
Meeting Notes, September 13, 2022WELCOME BACK TO USCB! Past President Lynn King called the meeting to order at our first meeting back at USCB Kevin Courtney offered the prayer and led the pledge to the flag Scott Entrup, Director of Catering at the 3 USCB campuses welcomed us, He and his staff look forward to providing us with delicious breakfasts at our meetings. Menus will change each week so be sure to check out the new feature in the newsletter "Breakfast Menu" to see what you have to look forward to at the next meeting. Announcements: Welcome to Scott Baker, guest of Kevin Courtney. Rotary ROCS is 9/24 - mark your calendar - more info is coming. Hilton Head Oyster Festival is Friday November 11 and 12. We have the opportunity to supply man power as well as our popcorn wagon to work off some of our remaining Rec Center debt Run with Bernie goes through10/24 - keep track of your miles and get donations. Sergeant at Arms, Suzi Oliver collected Happy $$ Speaker: Merry Harlacher, Chairman of the Concours d'Elegance & Motoring Festival was our speaker. The mission of the Concours is : "The Hilton Head Island Concours d'Elegance and Motoring Festival is an unique, nationally recognized, multi-day "lowcountry" motoring experience that entertains, educates and supports our community." The 2022 event lineup is: Lowcountry driving tour - Friday; Women Driving America Events (effort to draw out women car collectors) ; Driving Young America Boulevard; Design Among the Stars - Saturday; Seminars; honored Collector; Pinnacle Award; Best of the Life Exhibits; Best in Show Hall of Fame. This year the Concours is featuring German cars and is celebrating 20 years of shows. Associated Events this year are: Grand motoring film festival; legends of the Autobahn East; Austin Healey Southeastern Classic; Micro Cars Parade. Cars are organized in three groups: Road & Track; Rolling Art; and Production/Performance. Driving young America supports education, inspiration and creativity of youth who have an interest in "pursuing a future in the automotive, aviation and/or mobility industries". It also gives back to the community by supporting youth programs and organizations. The Concours is held the first weekend in November - this years event will be held November 4 - 6. Visit hhiconcours.com to learn more about this fantastic event.
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Meeting Notes, August 30, 2022Kristin Keller, Club President called the meeting to order Ray Warco offered the prayer and led the pledge to the flag Announcements: August 30 is the last club meeting to be held at Palmera Inn and Suites. We have been so fortunate to have had the opportunity to meet at this menu when we had to find a location when USCB had to close because of Covid. We are grateful for all that the staff at Palmera have done for us. September 6, Tuesday after Labor Day there is NO MEETING September 13 we will be returning to USCB for our meeting. We will be having the benefit of a great breakfast prepared on site and comfortable meeting area and state of the art presentation capabilities. Visiting dignitaries: District 7770 Governor Bob Gross, Area 4 Assistant Governor Mary Briggs, Past Area 4 Assistant Governor Dot Jeger November 11 & 12 we have volunteer opportunities; The Island Rec Center is having an Oyster Festival and we can man some of the shifts to "work off" our debt to them. We will man the beer truck and there are 2 shifts to cover. Our pop corn wagon will also be at the event and we will need ten volunteers. Watch for more information Past President Lynn King collected Happy $$ John Farrenkopf gave us a cryptic string of numbers - but we must WAIT until our first meeting at USCB to find out the answer. The numbers are: 86 68 27 45 81 36 Does anyone know what they mean????? Speaker AG Mary Briggs introduced our speaker DG Bob Gross, bringing the message from RI to the clubs came to give us information about what is happening around the district and the world. He began with reminding us of the vision statement of Rotary: He also talked about the theme of RI President Jennifer Jones. "Imagine Rotary" The theme urges all Rotarians to "dream big and take action, uniting to work toward positive global changes". President Jennifer encourages many "imagines" but "Imagine a world that deserves our best where we get up each day knowing that we can make a difference" is inspiration to all of us. The 2022 Theme logo is significant: The circle represents on mankind ; the seven dots are Rotary's seven areas of focus ( Peace and conflict prevention/resolution, disease prevention and treatment, water and sanitation, maternal and child health, basic education and literacy, economic and community development, environment); the colors - purple for polio eradication, green for the environment, white for peace. DG Bob brought us up to date with polio efforts and statistics and that 20 million people did not get polio because of the efforts of Rotarians. Clean water, another topic and the fact that in many countries you can not safely use water from the tap. Our district has sponsored many water projects, including in Peru, Dominican Republic and Ghana. The Rotary Foundation, our charity was another topic he covered, emphasizing that we get 1/2 back. Foundation funds district grants, ambassadorial scholars, and exchange students, so he asked us to please meet our giving goal. DG Bob also talked about how Rotarians are helping in Ukraine by using grants for fire engines and ambulances and contaminated water. Shelter Boxes are tailored to specific needs and there have been 114 of them ear marked for Ukraine. He left us with several inspiring quotes, urged us to get involved and broaden our horizons and not to forget that his District Conference will be March 24 - 26 in Myrtle Beach. |
Meeting Notes, August 23, 2022Club President Kristin Keller welcomed members and visitors to the meeting at Palmera Inn and Suites Visiting were Don and Melody Kensey and Vicky Beyerle Kevin Courtney offered the prayer and led the pledge to the flag Announcements: Run with Bernie - the Sequel - is having an area beach walk. On September 3 at 10:00 at Fish Haul Beach. All are welcome to participate - walk as little or as far as you want. Wear your polio shirt to create awareness. Invite family and friends. Bruce Yeager inducted two new members: Nick Mihelic (right) transferred to our club effective June 1 from the lunch club and was formally inducted into our club. Barry Lefkowitz (center), a part time resident of the island, was a Rotarian in New Jersey many years ago. Sergeant at Arms, Suzi Oliver collected Happy $$. Program: State of the Club President Kristin started this informative meeting, sharing goals and ways we can get more involved in the club. She presented "Fundraising 101" and the current status of our pledge to the Rec Center. Our original pledge was for $200,000 and we still owe $34,500. Our fundraising ability has been impacted by the elimination of our TV Auction as well as Covid, but we are getting back to normal as well as looking for better ways to fund raise. Over the years we have raised over $1.5 million for our charities. Committees are a great way to get involved and help the club. Every member should be on at least one committee - and don't hesitate to sign up for more than one! Sign Up! Financials were presented by John Farrenkopf and Jacob Hunt. At the end of the year we had $32,000 cash with net income of $16,000 for the year. It was also explained that the move back to USCB was based on the expense that we are incurring to hold the meeting at our current venue with a catered breakfast. Our first meeting at USCB will be September 13 with a great speaker and a great breakfast. Nancy Riedel talked about three online resources and why you should use them. Our club web site members only area, the district website and database and Rotary International - my rotary. Members were given a "homework" assignment: to log in to the members area of our website (vanlandinghamrotary.org), and check the accuracy of your profile information. Make any additions or updates. This will insure that your contact information is current and that you won't miss any important information from the club. For extra credit - do the same thing on dacdb (the district database). Should you need any assistance or have questions, contact Nancy. We ran out of time, but there is more information that you won't want to miss to be shared - it will be covered at future meetings, so stay tuned. The meeting on August 30 is the District Governor visit. |
Meeting Notes, August 16, 2022The meeting was called to order by Club President Kristin Keller Kevin Courtney offered the prayer and led the pledge to the flag Announcements: It was announced that the balance left on our pledge to the Island Rec Center is $34,500 This is the third posting for proposed new member, Barry Lefkowitz. Orientation will be held Monday August 22 at Frankie Bones. Any planning to attend, let Kristin know. John Farrenkopf filled in for Sergeant at Arms, Suzi Oliver and collected Happy $$. Music trivia, commemorating that 45 years ago Elvis died. Also on December 1 1969 was the first draft based on birthday. Speaker: The speaker was Jean Beck, CEO of the Hilton Head area Association of Realtors. She brought us up to date with what is happening in the real estate market locally. There are 1700 members in the organization. She addressed the inventory problem and people moving out of areas. 83 Million people own property and 65.5% of Americans own a home. 2019 saw a pretty normal steady market Nationally, the market has 3 months of inventory - 6 months is considered to be good. South Carolina has 1.9 months of inventory, below the national average. Residential sales by municipality shows what is happening locally. There are a lot of sales in Margaritaville - but it is taking up to 18 months to get in the home. Locally about 50% of the sales are cash. Interest rates are currently around 5% - if financed now, if they drop to 3% can refinance, if they go up to 7% - you missed it. Emerging trends: metaverse - virtually live in the house before you buy; Blockchains; $31 billion invested in real estate technology; crypto conversions. Important to remember: supply and demand sets the price.
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Meeting Notes, August 9, 2022Club President, Kristin Keller called the meeting to order and welcomed members. Kevin Courtney offered the prayer and led the pledge to the flag Announcements: Rotary ROCS is 9/24 and there will be many opportunities to volunteer and provide community service along with other Rotarians. Watch for more details. Rotarian of the Year 2021-22 Kristin recognized Jon Eggert as being the VLR Rotarian of the year. Jon served as Membership Chair, and Board Director, giving exemplary service to the Club. Congratulations Jon on this well-deserved award! John Farrenkopf, filling in for Sergeant at Arms, Suzi Oliver provided music as a clue for recent musician/singer deaths, along with some interesting trivia. John collected Happy Dollars. It is always a pleasure to have John Cunningham attend a meeting, one reason being that we always enjoy his reporting on Cricket and Soccer. He did not disappoint and as part of Happy $$ he provided us with these sports facts: Worldwide rankings/fans : 1. Association Football (soccer) - 4 Billion; 1. Cricket - 2.5 Billion; 3. Hockey - 2 Billion; 4. Tennis - 1 Billion; 5. Volleyball - 900 Million; 6. Table tennis - 875 Million; 7. Basketball - 825 Million; 8. Baseball - 500 Million; 9. Rugby - 475 Million; 10. Golf - 450 Million. USA stats: 1. American Football - 114 Million; 2. Baseball - 40 Million; 3. Basketball - 36 Million; 4. Ice hockey - 28 Million; 5. Tennis 23 Million; 6. Soccer - 16 Million. Speaker: Dr. John Newman from Volunteers in Medicine was our speaker. The mission of VIM is "To understand and serve the health and wellness needs ot the medically underserved and their households, who live or work on Hilton Head and Daufuskie Islands" Their vision is: "May we have eyes to see those rendered invisible and excluded, open arms and hearts to reach out and include them, healing hands to touch their lives with love and in the process heal ourselves." VIM was started in 1993 by Dr. Jack McConnell and a pioneer group. It is the largest free clinic in SC with over 27,000 visits annually and over 50,000 volunteer hours annually. There are 110 physicians and 23 dentists representing 23 medical specialties. There are now over 100 VIMS across the country which have been modeled after HH, which was the first. To be eligible to receive medical care from VIM, 1. Must live or work on HHI or Daufuskie, 2. Be uninsured or underinsured (no usable health insurance), 3. Be below 250% poverty level. The need is great and they get around new patients a month. VIM does not take government funding - it is funded by private donations and grants. Hope, Purpose and Love - ingredients for a happy life. They have started a hydroponics Farm-acy. The entrance to VIM and parking lot is being planted with edible plants and fruit trees for all to have access to healthy food, emphasizing the importance of fruits and vegetables to wellness. Visit their website for more information: vimclinic.org |
Meeting Notes, August 2, 2022Club President Kristin Keller called the meeting to order Kevin Courtney offered the prayer and led the pledge to the flag Announcements: This is the first posting for Barry Lefkowitz There was $15,000 left over from last year's budget which will be given to Kevin for scholarships. RI dues have gone up $2 a quarter. Club will have a dues increase Run for Bernie - keep track of your miles - walk, run, swim, row, whatever. If you haven't as yet, contact Suzi to join the team - or make a pledge. The board is reaching out to members who haven't been attending meetings to encourage them to attend. Happy $$ were collect by Past President Lynn King who filled in for Sergeant at Arms Suzi Oliver Speaker: Tom Henz, Director/Facilitator and Ray Warco, Facilitator from the USCB Center for Strategic Planning were our speakers. The mission of the Center is "To empower businesses and organizations to achieve their vision". Ray talked about pushing the pause button and asking questions such as: "are we going in the right direction?"; "are we prepared for the next big thing?". The best thing is to have a plan but have to have the correct information. A good way to do that is do a good honest confidential survey, assemble a team, think about what you are doing, push reset! USCB provides planning services for businesses and organizations. They 1. Work with you and your team to facilitate the development of the strategic plan through their 10 step process called "Bridge to Better" 2. Facilitate your board meetings, workshops and retreats 3. Deliver the AMP (Entrepreneurial Mindset Profile) to help leaders assess the degree to which they are utilizing an entrepreneurial mindset and provide resources to leverage their competitive edge. For more information see uscb.edu/csp
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Meeting Notes, July 26, 2022President Kristin called the meeting to order at Palmera Inn and Suites Kevin Courtney offered the prayer and led the pledge to the flag Announcements: Run with Bernie - register with Suzi Oliver to be on the team - keep track of your miles. Walk, run, swim, cycle, row!!! Get pledges to raise money for Polio Plus. Suzi Oliver, Sergeant at Arms, collected Happy $$ Speaker Speaker this morning was Virginia Henneberry, Director of Development for Friends of Caroline Hospice - Caroline's Cottage. It is the oldest hospice in the state and was founded in 1977. It was founded and named for its first patient, a 31 year old woman with breast cancer who wanted to spend her last days at home. Her friends, to honor her wishes, provided companionship and medical care for her founding Friends of Caroline Hospice. The mission of the organization is to provide "quality of life care that offers hope and encouragement to those nearing the end of life's journey and support for their family, friends and the community" . The services that are offered are: palliative care; hospice care; grief support; and starting in the summer of 2022, Inpatient care. They offer care for patients regardless of their ability to pay and follow the family for 13 months after the patient passes. They have support groups which are open to the public at large. Student bereavement is something else that they handle, help facilitate their grief and have a once a year camp - Camp Caroline for which there is no charge. New line of service coming this summer is Carolines Cottage which is the areas first inpatient hospice house. Caroline's Cottage will open as an 8 bed inpatient facility and will offer 4 levels of care: residential; transitional- like coming from a facility while preparing the home; Acute - currently in home setting; Respite - can be transported to cottage for 3 - 5 days to give care giver a break, it costs $300-$500 a day for respite care elsewhere. Two things it will not have are: set visiting hours and age restrictions. The cottage does not replace current services but is an extension of them. There is no charge for services, and FOC has two fundraisers: a BBQ and a Butterfly release ($10 /butterfly). They are in the home stretch and are at 90% of their $5 million goal (started 35 months ago). 98% have been donated by individuals and have received two grants. The 20,000 sq ft facility will open this summer. For more information, visit fochospice.org |
Meeting Notes, July 19, 2022Past President Lynn King called the meeting to order Kevin Courtney offered the prayer and led the pledge to the flag Announcements: There will be a Board Meeting Tuesday July 26 Run with Bernie is in full swing. Contact Suzi to join the team and start recording your miles. Walk, run swim, row, anything that can be translated into miles - and get pledges to raise money for End Polio Now. Sergeant at Arms Suzi Oliver collected Happy $$ Speaker: Journee Orage, accompanied by her mother Eugenia Orage, was our speaker. Journee is an 11 year old entrepreneur. She is starting Middle School (sixth grade) this year and is a Girl Scout and ballerina! Her company is called Poppin Lips. She showed a video and told us how she makes lip gloss which is a time consuming process. There is Vitamin E and a grape seed base as part of the ingredients. Most of her sales come from Pop Up Shops She has a facebook page and has plans to put her products in a local store. This young lady started her business when she was just nine years old and has made a nice profit so far.
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Meeting Notes, July 12, 2022President Kristin Keller welcomed all to the meeting at Palmera Inn and Suites Kevin Courtney offer the prayer and led the pledge to the flag Announcements: Run with Bernie is under way - contact Suzi Oliver to be on the team Past President Lynn King recognized Dave Pierce by presenting him with a pin celebrating 52 years of 100% attendance (btw, Dave has already achieved 53). Congratulations Dave!! Lynn King, filling in for SAA Suzi Oliver, collected Happy $$ Speaker: Charlie Clark from the Hilton Head Island Chamber of Commerce was the speaker and updated us on what is happening on the Island and with the Chamber. Our Chamber has 1,350+ members and has been name the National Chamber of the Year three times and is in the running again this year. It is a 5 Star Accredited Chamber and is Accredited by Destinations International. We are safely getting back after Covid with many people coming to the island and then not leaving. Working remotely and schooling remotely has made that possible. Rates at hotels are up, with post pandemic 2021 rates up 19% over pre-pandemic rates (up 14% over 2020 rates). The Chamber is often asked who funds the island's marketing - it is not funded by property tax so residents are not doing the funding, but it is funded by tourists through the charging of the hospitality tax. Data is tracked which tells where the visitor has been, how they got here and where they are going. Visitors are comprised of 67.4% women, 32.6% men, 76.7% are married with income of $150K+, 59% have an undergraduate or higher degree, stay for an average of 7 nights and make 2 - 4 trips per year. The Chamber gets 3.4 million visitors to their website per year. They make use of paid media partnerships as well as keep our town in front of travelers using various media like msn, Forbes, Today, Garden & Gun, Mens Journal, the knot, Travel & Leisure, etc. Charlie showed a video of a segment of the 3rd hour of Today show which featured Hilton Head. The awards that the Chamber receives, which are many are people - generated. Visit hiltonheadisland.org for more info about our paradise island. |
2022 Founders NightFounders Night was held on June 24 at Spring Lake. Outgoing Board members were recognized - Greg Wynn,, Jon Eggert, John Farrenkopf and new board members introduced - Sonny Huntley, Joey Rowey, Joah Etchells, Brian Neumann. President Kristin presented 3 "Spirit of Service" awards to: Joey Rowey, Suzi Oliver & Lynn King. A Paul Harris fellow was presented to Joey Rowey. The First Annual "Eugene Martin Circle of Service Award" was presented to Dave Martin. David Lauderdale helped present the award by giving a history about the Martins. Here are a few pictures from the evening, but check the website (vanlandinghamrotary.org) for lots more pictures (46) in the photo journal section. |
Meeting Notes, July 5, 2022Happy Rotary New Year!!! Club President Kristin Keller welcomed all to the first meeting of the new Rotary year at Palmera Inn and Suites Kevin Courtney offered the prayer and led the pledge to the flag. Welcome Visting Rotarians - Vicky Beyerle from Bluffton and Don Kensey from New Jersey Announcements: Run with Bernie - start tracking your miles! Installation: AG Mary Briggs was in attendance to install the officers and Board of Directors for the 2022-2023 year ; Photo credit - Angie Stone The Board for the new year is: Kristin Keller, President; Lynn King, Past President; Suzi Oliver, Sergeant at Arms; Jacob Hunt, Treasurer; Nancy Riedel, Secretary; and Directors Kevin Courtney, Brian Neumann, Sonny Huntley, Joah Etchells, Joe Rowey. Sergeant at Arms, Suzi Oliver collected Happy $$ Speaker: Barry Lefkowitz provided an informative program about human trafficking. Just last year there was a 15% increase in human trafficking in South Carolina. Many are not aware that it is an epidemic in the US and world-wide. There are 20 - 40 million people involved in this very lucrative "business". In the US we average about 50,000 cases a year. There are three types of trafficking: forced labor; forced marriage & prostitution; organ removal. Organ removal is a very profitable industry making billions of dollars and in high demand. Sex trafficking starts at 12 - 14 years old and its victims are both male and female. They are often children who are runaways and in some cases it is parents selling their kids into HT. In South Carolina, labor HT is big in the hospitality, agriculture, and construction industries. Sex trafficking has been aided by the internet. In NJ a ring was broken up where high school classmates were helping to recruit. Often an older gentleman will befriend, shower gifts on a potential victim then the victim becomes obligated to that person giving in to sex or other demands. South Carolina is #11 in the nation for HT Gerorgia is #7, with Atlanta being a huge area. Delaware is #2 with a good location right on I95. HT is prevalent wherever there are major events involving a lot of money - for example, Clemson/Gamecock game. photo credit Angie Stone We as organizations, as human beings must be aware and vigilant concerning this problem There are a lot of myths about HT: #1 - it is not in the US - it DOES occur in every large city, area #2 - victims are foreign born - NOT ALL - rings in high schools are being broken up #3 - there is a difference between smuggling and trafficking Up until recently laws did not treat those victims as victims - so they were afraid to get out of their situation. Some states are now taking a very hard stand against traffickers. In NJ they are starting to prosecute those who have sex with the victims. South Carolina needs to step up legislation, needs to "get it". We need to speak up, educate, help victims and speak on their behalf. Organ donors - money talks - there is a long waiting list of those needing organs. People are desperate. The HT have their own medical network that does this - all for high profits. Our own Suzi Oliver who donated a kidney shared her experience with the offers that were made to her previous to the actual donation. Very, very eye-opening. The #1 location for HT is Washington DC. There is a Rotary action group - Rotary action against slavery. Also investigate the Red Sand Projectg. |
Meeting Notes June 14, 2022The June 14 meeting was held at Mitchelville Freedom Park with a tour led by Ahmad Ward, Executive Director. We enjoyed seeing the Park as well as hearing plans for the future. For more information about Mitchelville Freedom Park visit exploremitchelville.org |
NO MEETING 6-21 AND 6-28There will be no regular club meeting on June 21 or June 28. Friday June 24 is Founder's Night at Spring Lake |
Meeting Notes, June 7, 2022Club President, Kristin Keller welcomed all to the meeting at Palmera Inn and Suites Kevin Courtney offered the prayer and led the pledge to the flag. Announcements: Next week's meeting is off site at Mitchelville Freedom Park. June 24th is Founders Night - all members and spouse/guest are invited. Invitations with details will be coming out. During the month of July we will be meeting at Palmera Inn and breakfast will be catered by Roy. This will be a trial to see how it works out. Sergeant at arms, Suzi Oliver collected Happy $$ Speaker: Speaker this morning was Bernie Riedel, End Polio Now Coordinator for Zone 33. Bernie is a member of the Rotary Club of Hilton Head Island (the lunch club) The Rotary Foundation was started in 1917 and in 1929 gave its first grant which was $500 to the International Society for Crippled Children which later became known as Easter Seals. Fast forward to 1979 when Rotary became involved in the eradication of polio - we viewed a video. Why was polio chosen? At the time, there were 1,000 cases a day; there were proven vaccines that had been tested and effective; the oral vaccine could be administered by people other than medical personnel. Rotary did a pilot project in the Philippines and proved that it could be done. 1985 Polio Plus began and at the end of 3 years $247 million was raised (the goal was $120 million). In 1988 partnership was formed with WHO, Unicef and GPEI. Today there are 6 organizations involved. The following chart shows the current status. Our club was number 4 in the District for Total Polio Giving this year - $10,496, which is 638% of the goal of 1645! The Run with Bernie challenge had only 23 teams participating raised $103,000 and clocked 56,595 miles. Our club did 6,730 miles and raised $2,708. Bernie expressed appreciation for all the support that the club gave. The new Rotary year Bernie will be doing - Run with Bernie, the Sequel and is encouraging all to participate. Raise money for polio, participate and walk/run/row/bike/swim, etc.- anything that can be measured in miles. More details will follow - it will begin July 1 and run to October 24 - World Polio Day- watch for opportunities to sign up with the team.
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June 14 MeetingNEXT MEETING - JUNE 14 is OFFSITE!!!! Program is Mitchelville Tour Location is Mitchelville Freedom Park
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Meeting Notes, May 31, 2022President Kristin Keller welcomed all to the meeting at Palmera Inn and Suites Kevin Courtney offered the prayer and led the pledge to the flag. Announcements: Orientation meeting at Mangiamo's held Wednesday June 1 at 5:45 Founders night will be held June 24 at Spring Lake, more details to follow. Past President Lynn King, substituting for Suzi Oliver, Sergeant at Arms collected Happy $$ Speaker: Dr. Jean Fruh, Executive Director of the Outside Foundation was the speaker. A 501C3, the Outside Foundation has been around for over eight years. Its mission is to get kids outside and to preserve and protect the local environment. To accomplish that, the Foundation has many programs: Kids in Kayaks; Learn to Paddle with HHI B&GC; Charter Fishing with HHI B&GC; Kayak based clean ups of local waterways; beach and park clean ups - "plogging"; annual "keep the Broad Creek Clean" water festival; Community based oyster shell recycling and bed restoration; EarthdayHHI ; Toast to the Coast. Last fall 540 kids participated in kids in kayaks. The Island wide litter sweep resulted in 5,456 pounds of litter being picked up. Water way clean ups provide a great way to involve the whole family. Beach clean ups - the number one thing found on the beaches are cigarette butts, with plastic bag numbers going down, but straws still a problem. The second Saturday in June there will be a plogging, sponsored by Palmetto Running Co. 2022 had 10 litter clean ups. Earth Day 2022 had 23 different groups sweeping 18 different locations on the island - resulting in 127 bags of trash! July 27 is the Keep the Broad Creek Clean Water Festival from 4 to 7 at Shelter Cove Community Park. There will be music, crafts, critters and interactive things to do. There will be a kayak based cleanup in the afternoon. In 2018 the oyster shell recycle program and bed restoration was started. It is all volunteer and in 2022 there were 5 bagging events. Reefs were built (taking 400 - 500 bags each) for ecological purposes only. New oyster reefs are for: habitat, erosion control, food, clean water. June 8th and 9th will be the first ever Harbor Town reef build. There will be 1,000 bags dropped at high tide off the 18 hole. Schedule is: June 8 1:00 load bags; 2:30 off-load at the Quarter Deck; 4:00 high tide oyster shell bags will be dumped in the water; June 9th 9:30 walking out to rearrange the bags. The Foundation has many opportunities to participate in various projects. Visit OutsideFoundation.org to see upcoming events.
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Meeting Notes, May 24, 2022President Kristin Keller called the meeting to order. Kevin Courtney offered the prayer and led the pledge to the flag. Announcements Wednesday May 25 a social was held at Taste of Europe 4:30 to 6:30. Fantastic food and cash bar. Wonderful to see members and spouses. June 24 is Founders Night at Spring Lake Pavillion Sergeant at Arms, Suzi Oliver collected Happy $$ Speaker - Our speaker was Mark McCain, Shelter Box Ambassador. He is a member of the Sea Island Rotary Club in Beaufort and told us about this great organization. Shelter Box fills the gap between short term and long term needs of the victims of war, natural disaster, etc. . It provides hope and gives families a place to call home. It has been helping people in places like Syria, Cameroon, Ethiopia, Nigeria, Yemen, Burkina, Faso, Mozambique, Haiti, Ukraine. They have responded to over 300 disasters worldwide, helping greater than 2 million people The Box contains 145 pounds of materials such as: tent, cooking supplies, tool kit - with packages customized and made as multi purpose as possible. ShelterBox only goes into areas that they are invited, they land in the country and meet with Rotarians, community leaders, government officials, arrange the transportation, and return to assist. They are currently in Ukraine and consider that it is going to be a "long haul" need to help transient families who are moving to another location with the intention of returning. The decision to respond is based on: government response; number of families affected; type of aid needed; length of time needed; speed of recovery; ShelterBox resources; safety; global development index rating. 91% of the money goes back in. To learn more check them out on facebook. The cost of a Shelter Box is still $1000, costs have been kept down made possible by donations. Volunteers are also needed and would like to have each Rotary club have someone involved - Club Champion.
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Meeting Notes, May 17, 2022Kristin Keller, club president welcomed members and guests to our meeting at Palmera Inn and Suites. Prayer was offered by Joah Etchells, who also led the pledge to the flag. Announcements: 5/21 - Family event starting at noon at Celebration Park. Dave Pierce needs help with setting up the pop corn wagon and tearing it down at 6pm 5/25 - VLR Social at Taste of Europe from 4:30 to 6:30. Transferring Rotarian Nick Mihelic and potential new member Barry Lefkovitz were in attendance. Past President Lynn King collected Happy $$. Speaker: Ahmed Ward, Executive Director of Mitchelville Freedom Park was our speaker. Mitchelville is the first self governed town of enslaved individuals. The park is established on 33 acres on Beach City Road. We learned the history of Mitchelville and the fact that in 1893 a hurricane destroyed the buildings. From Folly Field to Coligny was under water. They are able to build on 24 acres and have done archeology on the site. It is believed that they have found a church - "blobs" match to a map. A hearth has been uncovered - it was used to cook tabby - not food. The Park will contain an 18,000 sq ft interpretive center and the importance of Gullah will be in evident. There is a need to raise $23 million, and need not just donators, but cheerleaders as well. The goal is to make everyone aware why this property is so important. Visit Exploremitchelville.org to learn more.
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Meeting Notes, May 10, 2022The club meeting at Palmera Inn and Suites was called to order by Club President Kristin Keller Kevin Courtney offer the prayer and led the pledge to the flag Announcements: Rotary Family festival is May 21 noon to 6. Our popcorn wagon will be in attendance and will need volunteers to help set up and take down. June 24 is Founders Night at Spring Lake Pavillion VLR Social - May 25 - Taste of Europe 4:30 to 6:30 Suzi Oliver, Sergeant at Arms collected Happy $$ Speaker: Josh Gruber updated us on what is happening at the Town of Hilton Head. Town Council will have four positions up for election this year. The Strategic Action Plan is what is to be accomplished in one to three years. There are 60+ strategic initiatives that they are working on. Strategic plan goals within that have initiatives for each goal. All can be found on the Town's website and there will be monthly updates for each area, so if there is a particular area you are interested in, you can track the progress on the site. Some of the big issues: short term rental policy; adopt beach master plan; develop island brand strategy - how we project image and value; beach management plan; property the town owns - information maintained online; mid island redevelopment; master plan - growth of island and land use.; workforce and affordable housing - not just housing, but transportation, salary, etc; Hilton Parkway/gateway corridor plan - plan is to go into Main street area (town is acquiring all properties) This year's tax bill will go down 5 mil - after Hurricane Matthew 5 mil was put on taxes for 5 years - this year it is up. Josh updated us on the improvements and projects related to: Parks, Roadways, Pathways, Gateway Corridor Project, and the Beach. Visit the town website for details. |
Meeting Notes, May 3, 2022Past President Chuck Wiseman filled in for Club President Kristin Keller. Kevin Courtney offer the prayer and led the pledge to the flag. Visiting Rotarian Nick Mihelic was in attendance for his third meeting. Announcements: Founders Night will be held June 24 at Spring Lake. More details to follow. May 21 is a community event at Celebration Park. We will be having the Popcorn wagon there Speaker: Angie Brown from Safe Harbour was the speaker. Safe Harbour is a non-profit membership organization that helps people to safely age in their own home. It is membership driven and typically run by volunteers and paid staff. It was started in 2009 and has helped more than 150 members. Members range from the age of 26 to 100. Most are in their 80's. Services are based on member needs. Some of the services are: transportation to physicians offices, stores, social events; Assistance with household chores and maintenance; help making appointments, regular phone calls and visits; technical help with TV, DVR, Computer; companionship or respite; access to a network of local vendors. Individual and dual memberships are available. Membership cost is $50, however no one is turned away. About half the members are on scholarship which is funded by grants, donations, fundraising. Volunteers are always needed. Check their website for more information: www.hhisafeharbour.org |
Meeting Notes, April 26, 2022Kristin Keller, Club President, welcomed members, guests and visitors to the meeting. The prayer was offered by Kevin Courtney who also led the pledge to the flag. Rick and Connie Molland were recognized as visiting Rotarians from NC near Asheville. Beverly James introduced our scholarship winner, Chris Crosby. His proud mother Andrea Murry was also in attendance. Chris is a talented young man both scholastically and athletically and we wish him much success during his college years. A Community event will be held May 21 at Celebration Park. The lunch club is organizing it and we will be providing pop corn from our famous pop corn wagon. Watch for opportunity to volunteer at this family-friendly event. Sergeant at Arms, Suzi Oliver collected Happy $$. Speaker: Zachary Green, a motivational speaker, originally from Ohio, shared stories and experiences which gave him the knowledge to write "Warrior Entrepreneur". In his youth Scott wanted to join the military, compared all the "offers" from various branches of the service and took the challenge to be a US Marine in spite of the fact they provided no incentive other than a challenge to prove himself. Through his observation and personal experience he found that adversary and challenge makes the warrior better. Hardships prepare you for your "crucible" - the crisis that changes your life. He had difficulty cutting it, he reasoned it was because of his background of having parents that always took care of everything - he needed to conquer it, and wanted to live a life of virtue and service. He joined a fire department and his experience in training for fire fighting, his frightening experience of losing direction in a burning building motivated him to find a solution. He developed a glow in the dark product which became popular with other fire fighters/stations and he made $5,000 in 6 months. He took his product to trade shows and booked $100,000 worth of business in 3 days. He also saw a need and invented and patented exit signs which use batteries, not electricity. That product is distributed by Home Depot with a huge array of major corporations purchasing it. He has received many recognitions for his success. A US Marine, Firefighter, and Entrepreneur, he conveyed to us the lessons learned from his life experiences. Fascinating. His book "Warrior Entrepreneur" is available on Amazon and at Barnes and Noble. You can learn more about him and the book by visiting: www.warriorentrepreneurbook.com PS - wish I would have taken a picture of his car in the parking lot - oh my!
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Meeting Notes, April 19, 2022Club President Kristin Keller welcomed members, visiting Rotarians and guests to the meeting at Palmera Inn and Suites. Visiting Rotarian gave us an update what his club - Rotary Club Geneva - is doing to help Ukrainian refugees. There are 3 clubs involved in the effort, with the goal to ship more goods into Ukraine - food, medicine. The Rotary Club in SW Ukraine, about 45 north of the border is still functioning. Goods are taken in via train. They have a website and appreciate donations. (url forth-coming). Bev James reported that recipient of our scholarship has been chosen. It is Christopher Crosby from Hilton Head High School. He has been accepted at USC. Rob Bridgers was our speaker. He served as pilot for Marine One during the Reagan and Bush era. He has over 8,000 hours flying various aircraft. The first time a US President flew in a helicopter was 1957 - President Eisenhower. The Air Force was the first to fly a President - Marine and Army shared the helicopter while the Air Force had Air Force 1. President Ford, in 1976, as a cost saving cut the Army out of its share with Marines. We learned much about military protocols when transporting the President as well as the equipment used, and heard entertaining stories and anecdotes. Interesting, informative and entertaining presentation. |
Heritage 2022Hilton Head Island was getting their plaid on for the RBC Heritage Golf Tournament. VanLandingham Rotarians were manning a concession stand and the famous VLR Popcorn Wagon was popping corn. Proceeds go to our commitment at the Island Rec Center. The weather was beautiful and it was a great week. Here are some shots of the happenings - thanks Suzi Oliver and Barry Davis for the photos. |
Meeting Notes, April 5, 2022Past President Lynn King, filling in for Club President Kristin Keller welcomed all to the meeting at Palmera Inn and Suites Announcements: THERE IS NO MEETING TUESDAY APRIL 12 - RBC HERITAGE WEEK There was a good turnout for the John Myer Celebration of Life. There will be a public Celebration of Life for Gene Martin this Friday April 5 from 5:00 to 7:00 pm at Celebration Park. Gene has done so much for the community and always was a suppporter of VLR it would be wonderful if many of our members could attend all or part of the celebration. Scholarship: Bev James reported that we have received 10 applications for the scholarship that we give annually to a deserving high school student. There are 6 applicants from HHH, 1 from Heritage, 3 from Prep. There are several outstanding students. Heritage Golf Tournament: Joe Rowey still has a couple slots open. Fritday afternoon and Saturday - contact Joe if you can help out. Joe's cell phone is 843-422-2563 - all who have signed up should have this. Also need help putting the Pop Corn wagon in place on Saturday morning at 9:00. Sergeant at Arms, Suzi Oliver collected Happy $$ Speaker: Speaker was Peter Nardi, General Manager of Hilton Head Island PSD There used to be 10 private water companies on the island, but now there are 3 PSDs - HHI PSD, Broad Creek PSD, South Island PSD Water Demand - 5 - 6 million gallons per day. There are still fresh water wells but have lost some to salt water intrusion. The PSD has the capacity to do 12 million gallons per day. Sources: Floridan Aquifer system runs from Beaufort through the Florida Everglades. It is one of the largest in the world. It is a limestone, freshwater aquifer located 50 to 150 feet underground and requires little treatment. It has been impacted by saltwater intrusion. The PSD also purchases wholesale water from the mainland some of which is treated water from the Savannah River. This water enters the PSD's storage tanks via a large pipeline located beneath the Intercoastal waterway. The US 278 Corridor project will cause this 24 inch pipeline to have to be relocated - DOT will have to do that. 40 to 60% of drinking water is used for landscape irrigation. There is an irrigation law which says to only water 2X a week. This is not monitored, but if home owners abided by this it would help the problem. PSD has a recycled water program which provides irrigation water to 12 golf courses. Recycled water also is used to nourish wetlands in Palmetto Hall and HHP. Water and sewer costs a fraction of the penny delivered. Sewer - 95% of water customers are connected to sewer. It is a gravity systems. PSD has a program to help those that are not connected to sewer to do so. Deep well offers help to income-qualified homeowners to connect with their SAFE project.
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Meeting Notes, March 22, 2022Kristin Keller, Club President welcomed all to the meeting at the Palmera Inn and Suites Announcements: Sign up sheet for the popcorn wagon is being circulated. Also sign up for helping in the booth. Need Sunday coverage Sad news - John Myer II, a member of our club since 2003 passed away on March 18. He served as Club President 2008-09 and was sponsored by Greg Wynn. There will be a Celebration of Life on April 3 from 2:00 - 4:00 at Spring Lake Pavillion. PHF +2 Presentation- Foundation Chair Greg Wynn recognized Past President Lynn King by presenting her with a Paul Harris Fellow +2 pin. Thank you Lynn for your continued support of our charity, The Rotary Foundation. Who are these happy Kids? Happy Anniversary to .............???? **Scroll down to see! Lynn King collected Happy $$ and welcomed guests. Speaker: SCORE has been in the LowCountry since 1989. It offers business mentoring and workshops for business owners. They offer help to businesses and non-profits in all stages, helping early with startups as well as help with exits. Nearly 40% of their team is women and nearly 50% of their clients are women. Workshops help veterans transition from being in the service to owning a business. There are over 1500 non-profits in the area and many of them have benefitted from the non-profit workshops that SCORE runs. Their service is free and confidential. While face to face was always SCORE's method, because of Covid, they developed virtual workshops and mentoring as well which has added to the people that can be helped. 90% of clients need digital marketing help, as well as help figuring out how to survive during these unusual times. There are more requests for help than there are resources so they are always looking for qualified volunteers. Anyone can access the free work shops which are on their website. To learn more, to volunteer your expertise or to access workshops visit their website.- sclowcountry.score.org **AND THE ANSWER IS: Happy Anniversary to John and Linda Farrenkopf! They were married on March 21, 1970 and celebrated 52 years of marital bliss this past week. Awesome picture of you kids. Wishing you many many more years of health, happiness and love. |
Meeting Notes, March 15, 2022Club President Kristin Keller welcomed all to our club meeting at Palmera Inn and Suites. Announcements: Our club, as part of ROCS, did our spring High School Campus clean up on Saturday March 19. It was a beautiful day to be outside to clean up the trash on the school campus. Fellowship, community benefit and education (interesting things were found) all wrapped up into a short morning's work. The project was organized and led by Cory Malphrus - thanks, Cory - great job! Watch for the next time we do this and join in! Our club - received recognition at the All Club Conference held March 11 - 13 at the Sonesta. We were named Medium Club of the Year for Polio Plus! We will be having a speaker in the future about Shelter Box as it might pertain to Ukraine situation. Suzi Oliver, Sergeant at Arms collected Happy $$ Speaker: Kathy Chittenden, General Manager of Hilton Head National RV resort was our speaker. The up-scale RV resort opened on December 27. It has 341 sites and is located on 97 acres next to Hilton Head National Golf course. The resort can handle all types of RV's with concrete pads that are 70 feet long and 20 feet wide, with pull-ins, back-ins and pull-thrus. There are loads of amenities such as a clubhouse, beach entry pool, heated spa, adult only pool, splash pad, laundry facilities, fitness facility, dog park and dog wash. There are 2.1 miles of walking trails, a retail store, fire pits, bocce, pickle ball, lazy river, cable TV, high speed Wi Fi, on site restaurant, along with the regular electric, water and sewer hook ups which are included in the price. Interesting fact learned that in Beaufort County you can only stay at such a facility for 28 days at a time. Prices are $109 - $169 per night. Looks fantastic! For more information visit HiltonHeadRV.com |
Meeting Notes, March 8, 2022Members were welcomed by Club President Kristin Keller Announcements: Trash Pick Up will be 3/19 at 9:30. Will have sign up sheet next week. Heritage - Sign up to work shifts ( 8 to 12, 11 to 6) We will have the popcorn wagon, selling just popcorn for $4. This will be a separate sign up to staff that. John Myer is in the hospital awaiting surgery. He recently had two heart attacks. Keep him in your thoughts and prayers. Jon Eggert welcomed a son recently and Lynn King welcomed a new grandchild. Congratulations!. Happy $$ were collected by Sergeant at arms, Suzi Oliver Speaker: Sheriff P J Tanner was our speaker. Sheriff Tanner was a member of VLR in the 90's ( '93,'94, '95). He provided updates on various categories of crime in our area and answered many questions. He talked about immigration, crime trends and human trafficking. -One of the challenges of the Sheriff's Department is recruiting new deputies. Salary has been increased to be competitive, but affordable housing remains to be a problem. A one bedroom apartment costs on the average $2000 monthly in Bluffton. Starting salary is dependent on formal education, LE experience and ranges from $47,000 to $73,000. Procedure to become a deputy is : application; background check, vetting; 6 month training; takes about a year before can go out alone. -Our area compares favorably to the national average of violent crime which is 3.89%. Based on population 200,000 we are at 3.1%. Considering the population that is serviced (250,000 which includes 20 to 25,000 commuters) it is 2.7%. -Of the calls that are responded to, domestic violence is the most dangerous. -The most consistent crime is car break-in. Steps to take to lessen this crime: lock car, do not leave valuables visible, remove firearms from the vehicle. -Question about drugs in the county: 98% of overdoses are fentanyl caused. Drugs come from China, across the border brought by the Mexican cartels. 100s of pounds per day. There is no border security and the "Mexican cartels are running the show". -LE's job is further challenged by leniency with 70% of gun charges being dismissed by solicitor's office and 68% of domestic violence cases being dismissed.
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Meeting Notes, March 1, 2022Members and guests were welcomed by Club President Kristin Keller Announcements: The All Club Conference, March 11 - 13 is full, registration is closed. Let Kristin know if you had planned to register but could not. Dick Storm is looking for middle school mentors. It is not a long term commitment, need extra hands on Wednesdays March 9 to April 6 Next week there will be sign up sheets for Heritage. New member induction - Bruce Yeager inducted new member Gary Ostroski. Gary (right) who is manager at the Grennery, is pictured above with his sponsor Greg Wynn. Welcome Gary! Speaker: Dr Sheryse Grant DuBose, of the Historic Neighborhoods Permitting and Design Studio, was our speaker. She is a native islander and works in this department of the Town of Hilton Head. They help the property owners of the historic neighborhoods to do development plans. There is a historic neighborhoods staff which provides the checks and balances. This department gives the town the opportunity to develop relationships with the native islanders, gain their trust and improve communications. The plans for the bridge improvement will affect the historic neighborhood of Stoney and they are looking at how to best preserve the cultural aspects of the neighborhood. No private dollars go into this venture. Dr. DuBose explained the complicated situation caused by Heirs Property. The Town works with the Heritage Library to clear titles on heirs property. |
Meeting Notes, February 22, 2022Club President Kristin Keller presided over the meeting at Palmera Inn and Suites Announcements: The All Club Conference (District Conference) is March 11 - 13. The registration is closed. The Town of Hilton Head has launched a new app - My HHI Sergeant at Arms, Suzi Oliver collected Happy $$ Speaker: Randy Voigt, Retired FBI Supervisory Special Agent was our speaker. He moved here 3 years ago. He creates Emergency Management Plans for Businesses and Individuals. He explained the difference between crisis and emergency: time frame, crisis is something you can prepare for. There are three levels: 1. Incident; 2. Emergency; 3. Crisis. Some history: 1803 Congressional Act First National Disaster; 1941 Office of Civilian Defense; 1950 Federal Civil Defense Administration; 1979 FEMA created; 2001 Sept 11; 2002 Homeland Security; 2003 President Bush National Response Framework. He stressed the need to have a plan for both business and personal. He practices what he preaches and is prepared and carries supplies in his car - like blanket, water, first aid kit, flash light. A good resource from FEMA is: www.ready.gov
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Meeting Notes, February 15, 2022Club President Kristin Keller welcomed all to the meeting at Palmera Inn & Suites Announcements: The All Club Conference is March 11 - 13 and we still need more people for the committee to handle door prizes. It is the third posting for prospective new member Gary Ostroski We will be able to have the Popcorn wagon at the Heritage however it will be located across the street from where it was located in the past. Sergeant at Arms, Suzi Oliver collected Happy $$ Speaker: John O'Toole, Executive Director of Beaufort County Economic Development Corporation. He is responsible for business, retention, expansion and attraction to Beaufort County. The mission of BCEDC is to "engage key stakeholders to diversify the County's economy, attract investments, create well-paying jobs, respecting the natural environment". John was hired to focus on economic development but needs to focus on all spokes of the wheel. Their approach: Marketing, networking, product development, workforce (Marines especially), Branding, Teamwork. They partner with many in the county: He spoke of the diverse businesses that are involved. 75% of the leads come from people that are here and 98% of completed projects are local. Some of the projects are: Custom Woodworking, Glassworks, MRG, MIRA foods, Stone Works, Burnt Church Distillery, Salt Marsh Brewery, Magnus - spec building, RX Industries moving from Spanish Wells, Knights Company to hire 80 people, Lot 9 Brewing wants to expand, etc. "Any kind of business challenge send" their way. |
Meeting Notes, February 8, 2022President Kristin Keller welcomed members and guests to our meeting at Palmera Inn and Suites Kevin Courtney offered the prayer and led the pledge to the flag Announcements: We need additional people to volunteer to help at the All Club Conference on March 11 to March 13. Our club is responsible for managing the door prizes and needs volunteers to work assigned shifts. Joe Rowey reported on meeting with Heritage. Our involvement will be service, point of sale. We can keep the pop corn wagon and sell beer and wine. It is anticipated we will earn about $10,000. Looking for ideas to let people know where the tip money goes - rack cards. We will be able to volunteer for 5 hour shifts. Suzi Oliver, Sergeant at Arms, collected Happy $$ Speaker: David Nelems, Interim CEO of the Don Ryan Center for Innovation was our speaker The Don Ryan Center for Innovation provides startup and growth assistance to Beaufort and Jasper County entrepreneurs. It gives guidance to anyone who need support when starting or running a business. It is part of the Town of Bluffton. Clemson University developed and ran the program for 3 years and Bluffton was the first incubator. They bring economic opportunity through three main programs for business: Programs; Membership, over 1,000 members; Mentorships, two mentors on each company team, there are 63 mentors with a lot of talent. Some programs are free others are paid for. One free program is "Resiliant" established in March 2020 to help with Covid - most businesses do not know their numbers. Start up Programs (paid), have 50 companies. This is the core of what they have been doing since 2012. It is a 12 month program. Large sampling of companies - everything from chocolates, toilet seats, quilting. They do not guarantee success, just gets you to success or failure sooner. Growth is a Paid Program which helps companies with the next step - to meet their goals. Heroes initiative supports military and first responders who innovate. Launched via a grant from South Carolina. Mentors work with the company. If you want to be a mentor, apply on the website. TDRC is located at "The Hub" Buckwalter. Next is "The Fab" (short for fabrication). which provides a concept to product solution. They make small proto-types of the product to see how it works. |
Meeting Notes, February 1, 2022Members and guests were warmly welcomed to our meeting at Palmera Inn and Suites by President Kristin Keller Steve Stauffer offered the prayer and led the pledge to the flag Kristin introduced Jackson Puckey from Congresswoman Mace's office who was visiting. He arrived early to meet with interested members Announcements: It was the first posting for Gary Ostroski who has submitted an application for membership. Gary, sponsored by Greg Wynn, is with the Greenery and has attended several meetings. Any questions or concerns about his membership please contact membership chair Jonathan Eggert. The All Club Conference is March 11 to 13 at the Sonesta in Hilton Head. Our club has been asked to be in charge of door prizes. Each club in the district (there are 74 clubs) will be bringing gifts for door prizes which need to be gathered, organized, and presented for raffle at various times during the conference. Our club needs a Chair and volunteers to work on this committee. Respond to President Kristin if you can participate. Registration for the conference is on DacDB Sergeant at Arms, Suzi Oliver collected Happy $$ Speaker: Steve Wilmot, Tournament Director of the Heritage Classic Foundation, was the speaker. The Tournament has been getting the Plaid on since 1969 when the first event was won by Arnold Palmer. It has changed times played over the years: 1969 - 72 it was played over Thanksgiving; 1973 was played in the summer; 1974 played in March; and from 1975 until today it is played the second full week in April right after the Masters. In 1987 the Heritage Foundation was created with Joe Frazier as Chairman. The bottom line is they do it for charity. The Foundation is a 501 C3 nonprofit organization which supports educational and charitable initiatives "to enhance quality of life and economic vitality by hosting the RBC Heritage Presented by Boeing, South Carolina's only PGA TOUR golf tournament". Since it was founded the Foundation has donated $45.8 million to people in need and gives to over 100 charities. The license plate program provides a check each month from the DMV which goes to the scholarship program. Steve talked about the changes which have taken place over the years and the things that have been learned especially because of the restrictions of the pandemic. The limiting of number of attendees is one. This year's attendance will be limited to 80% of what it used to be and that should be beneficial to all concerned. The Serg Group is in charge of concession operations and bring a professionalism to that area. Negotiations are going on with RBC, Boeing, the Town of HHI, etc. for future contracts. The purse this year will be 8 million. Another change is the tickets are going digital which is a big undertaking and two have been hired to make this happen. Our venue has special challenges for implementing this program since we have multiple access points around the course. There will be wearables. There will be ambassadors, volunteers, kiosks and scanners. Attempting to eliminate Will Call. One BIG change is years ago NO phones were allowed on the course, now you will NEED TO HAVE your phone on the course. Lots of changes, but the "good out-weighs the bad" ! |
Meeting Notes, January 25, 2022Members and guests were welcomed to the meeting at Palmera Inn and Suites by President Kristin Keller Announcements: Bluffton Oyster Roast this weekend - Saturday January 29. Tickets can be gotten online at Blufftonrotary.org or at the "door". District Conference - the All Club Conference will be held March 11 - 13 at the Sonesta here in Hilton Head Island Visitors Brittany Anderson and Corey Smith from the Leadership class were welcomed. The Club Foundation Chair, Greg Wynn recognized John Farrenkopf as our newest Major Donor. A Major Donor has contributed $10,000 to The Rotary Foundation. Congratulations John and thank you for your support of our charity, The Rotary Foundation. Scholarship applications will be available. This is for Hilton Head Island students only and is for $10,000 over 4 years. Suzi Oliver gave an update on the National Cemetery. Suzi, the Sergeant at Arms collected Happy $$$. Speaker: Our speaker was Jessica Kochman, Naturalist and Education Coordinator from the Port Royal Sound Foundation. The mission of the the foundation "is to preserve the Port Royal Sound for the environmental, cultural and economic well-being of our area." It is a 501C3 non-profit. Nearly halt of South Carolina's marshes, and estimated 200,000 acres are in the Port Royal Sound area. On average, salt marshes in Beaufort county provide $363 million/year in coastal protection by reducing the impacts of storm surge and flooding. We are unique in that the area is an "inland Sea". There are many rivers, but not really rivers, they are "salty fingers" reaching in 20 miles. The economic impact is the Beaufort county's thriving tourism industry generated $1.48 billion in economic impact by bringing nearly 3 million visitors to the region in 2018. A healthy Port Royal Sound equals a healthy community affecting home values, businesses, jobs, environment, recreation and way of life. The Maritime Center opened in 2014 and is focused on Education, Research and Preservation. Education - field trips,daily programs, Sound vision webinars, summer camp, story time, art programming, and events. Research - offering money for researchers to come and learn what is happening here, recently became part of the Adopt a Stream program, MOTUS wildlife tracking system, 2022 PRS Research Symposium and 2022 State of the Sound report which will be on February 11. For more information visit: www.portroyalsoundfoundation.org |
Meeting Notes, January 18, 2022President Kristin Keller welcomed members and guests to the meeting at Palmera Inn and Suites. Announcements: All Club Conference will be held March 11 - 13 at the Sonesta here in Hilton Head Island. Bluffton Rotary Oyster Roast is January 29. You can purchase tickets online at Blufftonrotary.org. Our club was recognized by District 7770 as being one of the top super five clubs for giving to Polio Plus. We were #3 by achieving 552% of our Polio giving goal; #3 in total polio giving; and #4 in per capita giving. Thank you all for your contributions, support and participation in raising funds for polio. Congratulations on these significant achievements!! Next Week the speaker will be from Port Royal Sound Dick Storm reported on his and Sonny Huntley's participation with the Middle School - School Improvement Council. They voiced their concerns about math and science at the school and the teachers came up with a wish list which included: mentoring programs; "Inspiring Fridays"; and Adopt a Class. There are opportunities for volunteers to support the school by adopting a class, the cost would be about $1,000. Sergeant at Arms Suzi Oliver collected Happy $$. Monies collected go to CART - Coins for Alzheimers Research Speaker: Andrea Sisino, OLLI Director was our speaker. OLLI - Osher Lifelong Learning Institute is a program of the University of South Carolina for adults age 50 and over. It's mission is" devoted to providing quality, intellectual/educational opportunities and experiences specifically developed for adults of the Lowcountry who are age 50 and older". It opens the mind and opens the brain. Andrea explained how as we age and retire our thinking becomes "small" Things take on a different value later in life. OLLI reverses small thinking with learning. Annual membership is $40 which has many benefits including ability to participate in courses, free pop up lectures, some free summer courses, USCB library membership, etc. It is a non political program and all will not agree. There are 125 OLLI programs in the US and all are independent. In addition to courses, there are trips, music concerts, etc. The local OLLI shines because of the life experiences of the people who moved to the area. Volunteers teach classes with diverse expertise from Rocket Science to Brain Surgeon. There are in person classes as well as Zoom classes. There are term fees ($15 per course) or Unlimited ($125) allows you to take as many course as you wish through the term. Visit www.uscb.edu/olli to find out more about the offerings or register at www.olli.uscb.edu |
Meeting Notes, January 11, 2022Author - Lauren Holley Announcements: Tickets are on sale for the Bluffton Rotary Oyster Roast January 29th 5:00 - 8:00 pm at Oyster Factory Park. $45 in advance and $50 at the door Foundation Chair Greg Wynn recognized Dick Storm and presented him his Paul Harris +6 pin. Thank you Dick for your support of our charity, The Rotary Foundation. Two new members were inducted: Marco Sanchez who is sponsored by Kevin Courtney and Sandy McGuire who is sponsored by Kristin Keller. Please make sure to meet them and welcome them to VLR. Speaker: Mary Doyle from Memory Matters was the speaker. - Memory Matters started in a church basement as a place for caregivers to take their loved ones for respite - They are considered an expert in Brain Health - knowing there is no cure, but promote ad teach lifestyle changes to prolong healthy and quality of life. - In 2020 an estimated 5.8 million Americans age 65 and older have some type of memory care need
- They have a focus on brain health that includes promotion and education around: Exercise, the Mediterranean lifestyle, lifelong learning, socializing, tearfulness and brain boosters -50% of their clients come from off island - They offer various classes for both clients and caregivers, including counseling, Brain Booster classes, day programs, support groups, etc. - Their day program is primarily for Alzheimer's, Stroke, and Parkinson's clients and they average about 15 clients per day - 75% of their revenue is from grants and donations. - They are always looking for volunteers and support for their facilities as well as for their Board of Directors |
Meeting Notes, January 4, 2022Author - Lauren Holley Announcements: -Christmas basket delivery went well -Auction Committee starting soon. One volunteer has already responded to Kristin's email. - Gary, one of Greg Wynn's guest joining us this morning. The Greenery's Branch Manager on the commercial side Guest Speaker - Frank Babel - Biking advocate - Hilton Head resident since 2005
- Has played an integral role in the development of pathways on Hilton Head Island - Hilton Head has a Gold-Level standing for being a bike friendly community http://www.bikeleague.org/community - For the past 7 years, recreational biking has been rated the #1 thing to do in our area - 1970 - the first bike path in Sea Pines was created to mainly provide a method of transportation for labor workers - Then came HH Plantation's development of paths - 1983 when Hilton Head became a town, the hospitality tax started to help in providing funding for pathways, but there were still a lot of issues with them not connecting, safety, and maintenance. - 2005 Frank was greatly involved with advocacy - pushing for better maintenance, connecting pathway gaps, providing better maps and helped start the Pedal for Kids for the Boys and Girls Club - Bike Advisory Committee formed to specifically focus on Safety, Education, and Access - they collaborated with the town. This allowed for the improvement of the pathway network for multi-use and the maintenance budget improved. - They evaluate every crash every year and determine where improvement is needed. They help with getting safety signals in place where needed, crosswalk medias called "safety islands" for walking or biking across the street, boardwalk bridges over waterways, pathway kiosks with maps, safety vests for workers in the area who bike to work, etc. Their efforts have also helped increase amount of bicycle parking in the area. - Hilton Head Bike Ambassadors are volunteers who help those using the pathways with direction, first aid, and minor bike repair. They have trained over 100 ad have 50 active. - In the future, their focus will be on improving and implementing pathways that can help more people utilize for use of getting to work and school. There would need to be a larger culture shift of using bikes for more day to day activities. They are also working with the town to figure out a way to have the use of e-bikes be safe because of their speed imposes risk. - There is also a lot of input going into the new bridge project in regards to how it can better accommodate bikers in the new plans to ensure safety and proper bike facilities for people to get back and forth from the mainland - They are also trying to partner with local POAs to improve some of their paths - HH Plantation is in need of redoing a lot of their paths - There is a lot the Bicycle Advisory Committee still funds on their own so they are always looking for donations and support in their projects - you can donate to the Bike Walk Hilton Head Island Support Fund - VanLandingham Rotary Club has committed to helping them update and improve their Safety fact sheet. |
Meeting Notes, December 14, 2021Author - LAUREN HOLLEY ANNOUNCEMENTS: - Christmas Gift Baskets has been MOVED to Tuesday December 21st!!! Same time. Social after, location still TBD. - NO MEETING 12/21 or 12/28 - Final Posting for Marco MEETING NOTES - State of the Club - PRESIDENT KRISTIN KELLER: wants the main focus for Spring to be on committees, ex: auction, fundraising, raffle, recruitment/membership, etc. - JOHN FARRENKOPF & JACOB HUNT (Financial): John created a one-page financial update passed out at the meeting, including status of Cash on Hand, Rec Center Pledge status, Fundraisers for fiscal year and budget - GREG WYNN: Update on The Rotary Foundation - both Paul Harris Fellow and Paul Harris Society Members and what contributions qualify for each. -KEVIN COURTNEY: Zach VanLandingham Foundation vs. scholarship - goal to have it go back to not being supported by the club. Scholarship is a charitable organization for tax deductions, so keep that in mind during the giving season. Scholarship is now up to $10k for each recipient, $4k at first year, and $2k for the next 3. Applications begin again in January. - SUZIE OLIVER: has speakers booked through early February. Jeff Bradley tentative for summer. *Encouraging us to think of anyone we know who would be a good speaker - let her know - LYNN KING (for JON EGGERT): Commending Jon for his membership efforts during COVID. He has also created a flier for prospective members, designed to have our individual contact information to provide when discussing with people who are looking for more information. -LYNN KING: Focusing on the Past President's Club level of involvements with new membership, which is the life-blood of the club. Hoping we can all set a goal to bring 1 person with us to a meeting after the 1st of the year. Wanting to shoot for 10 new members by the end of Rotary year. - KRISTIN KELLER: Fundraiser updates - wants to start getting creative with the way we fundraise ex: doing online auction. She has historical notes of anyone who has contributed or were sponsors in the past as well as saved all email addresses from raffle tickets to reach out for fundraising efforts. Wants to really gear up and get going with these efforts in January. - LYNN KING: Board update 2022-2023 Members staying on the board: Kevin Courtney Jacob Hunt (Treasurer) Suzie Oliver Nancy Riedel (Secretary) Dick Storm Nominations: Kristin Keller ( President) Suzi Oliver (President elect) Lynn King (Past President) Members new to the board: Sonny Huntley Lauren Holley Brian Neumann |
Meeting Notes, December 7, 2021Story author - Lauren Holley Meeting 12/07/21 Announcements: Christmas Party last Saturday 12/4 was great - good food and a lot of toy donations for Deep Well, filled up Lynn's trunk! Holiday/Christmas Gift Basket Sign Up sheet at meeting. Set for Wednesday, 12/22 at 4PM. Event after TBD, Planning on doing 55 baskets! Guests: Dot Jeger visiting today; Sandy (Kristin's guest) - First Posting Speaker: Joel Taylor - Marketing Chief Executive Officer for HHI Regional Healthcare photo credit - Lynn King - 1200 total employed - He helps with Physician Recruitment for the area - They come here because they like the smaller community feel - Covered the various locations/facilities under the umbrella of the HHI Regional Healthcare - Newest addition being the Tidewatch ER at the back gate of Sun City - They assisted this year in bridging the gap to more rapid/at-home testing and no longer directly providing COVID tests - Over 41,000 vaccines administered - Big struggle during COVID was people who needed to go to the hospital avoiding the hospital - Review some of their specialties at their facilities and various doctors who cover - 2nd leading in Urology, which a lot of people do not realize - Future holds some additional research in stroke care, infectious disease program, and trying to identify best ways to take care of the sicker people in the community. photo credit Lynn King |
Meeting Notes, November 30, 2021Social November 23 and Raffle Drawing After delivering Thanksgiving baskets, VLR members and guests gathered for a social at Taste of Europe. Thanks to Marco and his wife Timmy for hosting this event. The food and hospitality at their restaurant was fantastic! The drawing for the raffle was held. President Kristin had three helpers pull the tickets. The raffle made $11,000 which will be used against our commitment to the Island Rec Center. Winners are: 1 - $1,000, Jack Watt sold by Dave Pierce 2 - $500 Jordan Schumacher sold by Kevin Courtney 3 - $250 Sandy McGuire - sold by Kristin Keller 4 - $100 Greg Wynn sold by Greg Wynn November 30 Club Meeting Speaker was Senator Tom Davis. He provided updates of the South Carolina Government Senator Davis puts the issues of Beaufort County and the LowCountry first in the State House. |
Meeting Notes, November 16, 2021President Kristin Keller Welcomed members and guests to the meeting. Kevin Courtney offered the prayer and led the pledge to the flag Announcements: NEXT WEEK - Tuesday November 23, there is NO MEETING at 8:00am. That day we will deliver 50 Thanksgiving food baskets. Meet at Piggly Wiggly in Coligny at 4:00 pm to pick up baskets and assignments. There will be a social after basket delivery at Taste of Europe located in the Northridge shopping center. The club will furnish food and there will be a cash bar. Drawing of the raffle ticket winners will take place at this gathering. Dick Storm reported that he and Sonny Huntley attended a meeting relating to our mentoring project at the school. He feels that there is a problem with student proficiency. The fact that at this time of the school year there is no math or science teachers yet is contributory to the problem. If you are interested in mentoring students and making a difference, contact Dick. The District All Club Conference, held in Hilton Head Island is in March and Kristin asked the membership who was planning to go. Kristin will be giving a guestimate of how many will go. The Christmas Party will be December 4 at Spanish Wells Club. It will include tasty game selections from hunter Jacob Hunt as well as traditional choices. Sergeant at Arms Suzi Oliver collected Happy $$ Speaker: Michael Beaumont, Executive Director presented information about the Live Oak Performing Arts Center. He moved to the LowCountry in 2008 and is also the lead pastor at Live Oak Christian Church. The mission of the Live Oak Performing Arts Center is to "bring people together through inspiration and entertainment. He showed a video giving an over view of the Center which is currently in the "permitting stage" with the Town of Bluffton. Drawings are done. It will be an 18,000 square foot facility with seating for 400 and full theatrical capability. The Live Oak Church envisions the facility as a gift to the community, with the building to be used by the church and for theatrical and other community events. They would like to have 10 to 12 non church events scheduled per month. It is not an equity based theater and it does not want to compete with the Arts Center or other theaters in the area. The Church owns the building and another organization that the church does not have authority over will be scheduling the community use of the center. The Building will cost about 6.5 million. The church is going to invest 1.5 million and finance 2 to 3 million. The remaining 2 to 3 million will hopefully be public funds. |
Meeting Notes, November 2, 2021Members and guests were welcomed by Club President Kristin Keller Kevin Courtney offered the prayer and led the pledge to the flag Announcements: Jon Ludin is out of the hospital. He appreciated the card and messages that we sent to him. Dick Storm reported that there are still openings for volunteers to mentor students. Commitment is one hour a week to meet with the student in the school library or cafeteria. You don't need to be a teacher, just someone wishing to help students. Many students have been saved from dropping out by a mentor program. See Dick if you would like to become involved. Sign up to participate in the delivery of Thanksgiving baskets to take place on Tuesday November 23 at 4:00 at Piggly Wiggly. After social and raffle ticket drawing at Taste of Europe. Sergeant at Arms, Suzi Oliver collected Happy $$. She is co-captain for the VLR Run With Bernie Polio Challenge and she announced that our team raised over $2700. The star of the team as far as fund raising was Beth Kuzmick - she raised $800 of the that!!! Way to go Beth! Thank you to all that participated, racking up the miles and spreading awareness about polio. Thank you to all who donated and supported our club's effort. Speaker: Peter Cooper from the World Affairs Council was our speaker. Peter talked about the speaker program that is presented by the organization. From October to May, there are fourteen programs that are held at First Presbyterian Church from 11:00 to 11:30. Two of those are global speakers, from other countries. The non-global speakers usually are paid about $1,000 and the global speakers more since their expenses are greater. One of the criteria that is used to choose speakers is that they are indeed good speakers, not just knowledgeable experts in their field. New this year, is a sponsorship program which gives the sponsor many benefits depending on the level, including access to the speaker. In 2019 the Council had 1100 members, however currently membership is less than that. Membership has the benefit of a Fall Forum, Great Discussions, a Book Club, and evening speakers series. Note that you do not have to be a member to be a sponsor. This year, the first Friday speaker on October 1 was John Bolton. To find out more details about the World Affairs Council of Hilton Head and upcoming speakers visit www.wachh.org, or call 843-384-6758 or email wachhi@gmail.com |
Meeting Notes, October 26, 2021Meeting Highlights- Beth Kuzmick Club President Kristin Keller welcomed all to the meeting at Palmera Inn and Suites photo credit Lynn King Assistant Governor Area 4, Dot Jeger, presented a district grant check of $2500 to President Kristin. This will be matched with funds from VLR for a total of $5000. The grant check helps to fund our holiday food basket program. Speaker: Speakers were Hilton Head residents Jim and Carol Alberto. Jim wrote the book, "Daufuski Daze" that chronicles his and Carol's 9 years as teachers on Daufuski Island in a two room school house heated by a wood burning stove. photo credit Lynn King He answered a newspaper ad in 1974, which led to the many adventures. They shared stories of their initial experiences on the island: Jim's first home on the island was a rusted out two hundred square foot trailer.. a Rust Bucket with bad water - the water, coming from a shallow well was undrinkable and was so corrosive it made a hold in the tub and shower...made taking showers very interesting according to Jim as he wondered if he'd get a visit from the island's reptiles. He related stories of his wrangelings with the school district to get supplies for their school...example - getting a 16 person school bus. They were first offered a station wagon that would only hold 7...Jim's answer, to paraphrase: the station wagon would sit and rust as it would go unused! They had 13 students at that time and thus, would have to make two trips to pick up kids. They could not afford the precious gas or time to do so! Official called him "cheeky", they eventually got their bus. Jim and Carol would always read to the children. Jim would read the "Hobbit" to his older students, Carol taught the little ones. The kids didn't exhibit a desire to read in those first days. One day, a student names Daryl, asked if he could read from the book in front of the class which surprised Jim but, even more, the other students! Jim and Carol discovered that the kids thought only white children could read, not them. This was a defining moment for the students. Daryl went on to become a writer himself and now lives in Atlanta. GREAT STORY! Other facts: Jim graduated from University of South Carolina in 1973 He and Carol had to learn quickly how to survive on an isolated island by fixing up and using delapidated old cars and boats After his 9 years on Daufuski, he went on to teach history on the mainland Jim and Carol live in Hilton Head Plantation Pat Conroy was on Daufuski from 1969-1970 and Jim and Carol inherited his boat Carol had Arthur Ash in her class at one time. The Daufuski Kids Magazine - their first edition, 800 copies. The money they made from selling the magazines was put in a college fund. The Today Show came to the island after hearing about the Kids' Magazine and did a 10 minute spot about the school and the island. The story was in the Top 10 Charles Kuralt Type stories that were replayed at the end of the year. |
Beach Walk for polio 2021October 24 is World Polio Day ! On October 23, many from the five local teams that participated in the "Run with Bernie" challenge to raise awareness and funds for polio plus gathered for one last walk. VanLandingham members Beth Kuzmick and Nancy Riedel joined Rotarians from the other two Island Rotary Clubs to add some more miles to their score sheet. Both Beth and Nancy had achieved their goals of 500 miles each earlier in the month. The five local teams - three from the Rotary Club of Hilton Head, one from VLR, and one from Rotary Club of HHI - Sunset racked up over 20,000 miles during the challenge which began July 1. $$ Contributions are still coming in. Thanks to all that supported this effort. |
Meeting Notes, October 19, 2021Members and Guests were welcomed by President Kristin Keller. Kevin Courtney offered the prayer and led the pledge to the flag. Announcements: Jon Lundlin has been in the hospital. He recently was released. Dick Storm attended a ZOOM meeting with the school as part of our literacy service. There is an opening for one more community rep, which means a commitment of a once a month meeting. There is a need for mentors. Area student are 37% competent in reading and 33% in math. Contact Dick if you would like to become involved in this important community service. If you haven't gotten your raffle tickets yet, contact Lauren Holley. Kristin advised that we will be having assistance with tickets sales from the Island Rec Center. Suzi Oliver, Sergeant at Arms, collected Happy $$. Speaker: Speakers were mother and daughter Nell and Ora Smith. They are dynamic pioneers who moved to Hilton Head in 1963 and are authors of "Paradise: Memories of Hilton Head in the early days". Nell helped start the first Sunday school at St. Lukes Episcopal Church, a cub scout troupe, the PTA and library. Ora worked with her mother at Nell's Harbour Shop- the oldest gift shop in HHI, which they sold in 1996. The shared much information about early Hilton Head and what is was like to live in this paradise in the 60's. They had to learn to treat snake bites, didn't have personal washers and dryers and no one locked their doors. There were no movie theaters and time was spent learning to shrimp and harvest oysters and enjoying the bounty of the beautiful environment. In 1963 there were only 12 residents in Sea Pines. In 1969 was the inaugural Heritage Classic golf tournament which put Hilton Head on the map. Tennis was getting popular and the first Family Circle tournament was held here in 1973. It is the oldest women's tennis tournament in the U.S. and it began here. The ladies brought several of the jackets of the original sporting tournaments for us to see. Hurricane tracking was not as sophisticated as it is today. There were only 3 TV channels out of Savannah. They did evacuate a few times and the neighbors would speculate how serious the hurricane was based on if they saw the Smiths loading their van with their prized oldest pieces of furniture. So many fascinating stories of early HHI - worth the read - "Paradise: Memories of Hilton Head in the Early Days".
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Meeting Notes, October 12, 2021President Kristin Keller welcomed members and several guests to the meeting at Palmera Inn and Suites Kevin Courtney offered the prayer and led the pledge to the flag. Announcements: Education committee chair, Dick Storm reported that he would be attending a meeting today and there will be a lot of opportunities for volunteers soon. Thanksgiving baskets will be delivered on November 23 and we will hold the raffle drawing that night as well. Immediate Past President Lynn King filled in for Sergeant at Arms Suzi Oliver. She collected happy dollars. Guests: Ed Barnhart, guest of Bev James, Marco Sanchez, guest of Kevin Courtney; Sandy Mcquire, Olivia, and Lucas O'Nan guests of Kristin Keller. Speaker: Today's program was Zoara, Comfort Dog Zoara is a trained Lutheran Church Charities Comfort Dog at Island Lutheran Church on Main street in Hilton Head Island. She interacts with people at churches, schools, nursing homes, hospitals, and in disaster response situations to bring comfort and a calming influence. She brought her friends Larry and Terry along to give us a very informative presentation about the work of these dogs. There are two LCC Comfort dogs in SC, two in GA and one in FL. The five dogs sometimes work together. LCC comfort dogs are all AKC Golden Retrievers who begin their training at 8 weeks old. The receive 2,000 hours of training over two years and are all owned by a church or school. Zoara came to Hilton Head Island in 2018. We learned the difference between: Service dog, works with one person often to assist with a medical condition, red vest - do not pet when they are working; Emotional Support Dog, works with one person, assisting with emotional issues such as PTSD; Comfort Dog, works with many people giving comfort and calmness, has 2,000 hours training, blue vest with "please pet me" since they bring comfort to all; Therapy dog, receives 6 hours of training. In Zoara's case, she has 5 people who work with her and THEY must be trained to all use the exact same commands and gestures to remain consistent. Comfort dogs respond to about 35 commands to adapt to two different situations - normal school, nursing home, etc. visits and disaster situations. Every dog in this ministry has a biblical name, their own bible verse, and facebook page. Zoara's verse is Psalm 32:8 and you can find her on facebook at "ZoaraComfortDog". Covid-19 has caused the ministry to make some adjustments like not visiting the hospital, but having Zoom meetings, meeting outdoors, including outdoors during medical workers shift changes. Locally Zoara has visited St. Francis Catholic School, Greets visitors to the Island at the Airport, First Presbyterian Day School, Christ Lutheran day school, among many others. When able to get back into hospitals they can resume military ministry at the Naval Hospital and graduation at Parris Island.
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Meeting Notes, October 5, 2021President Kristin Keller called the meeting, held at Palmera Inn and Suites to order. Speaker: Carol Clemens, Lowcountry Master Naturalist, and area coordinator for the Christmas bird count presented "Every Bird Counts". This year is the 122nd annual Audubon Christmas bird count and will be held on December 15 rain or shine. Teams as well as home birders can participate. It is the longest running citizen-science bird project. The data provided allows scientists to study the long term health of the birds and shows how the bird population changes over time and areas. In 2019 Hilton Head Island ranked Number 4 in participation in the world in this event. We had 346 birders!! In 2020 349 birders participated! Find out more about local birds and learn to identify them by visiting https://hiltonheadnature.shutterfly.com |
Meeting Notes, September 28, 2021President Kristin Keller called the meeting to order and welcomed all at Palmera Inn and Suites The prayer and pledge to the flag was offered by and led by Kevin Courtney Announcements: Former VLR member Ivan Bennett's wife passed away. Many in the club knew her. The Social scheduled to be held in October may be moved, it will be taken up at the board meeting. Raffle tickets are not here yet but will be available next week at the meeting. Foundation Chair, Greg Wynn recognized Dick Storm and presented him with a PHF+5 pin. Thank you Dick for your continued support of The Rotary Foundation and membership in the Paul Harris Society. Sergeant at Arms, Suzi Oliver collected Happy $$$. Speaker VLR member, Angie Stone who is the Assistant Town Manager of the Town of Hilton Head Island was our speaker. Angie has worked for the Town of Hilton Head Island for 20 years, in various positions. She was a Senior Human Resources Administrator for 16 years, served as Human Resources Director for almost 3 years, and this year in April assumed the Assistant Town Manager position. With her specialty being HR, her focus is naturally on people. She says that the new town manager brings a different perspective to the town. Her presentation " Improving Access...Building Community" emphasized that everything that is done at the town is tied to a strategic plan and the need to bring our residents together. She discussed the organization changes at the town. The need to improve access to government participation, information, services, employment, facilities and arts, culture and recreation are all part of the goal. The Town website has been improved with this in mind. It now has a "translate" button, and includes meeting calendar, videos, minutes, financial data, online services and even information about building, streets, repair, Social media is used to communicate town initiatives, job postings, and informative videos. Angie spoke of the many services that are available to our residents, online and mail in as well as service by appointment and walk in. The town seeks ways to make facilities available to residents as well as visitors. Some which are coming: overlook at Islanders Beach Park, improving accessible beach access points (we are one of the first to use beach mats); providing beach wheelchairs for use for no charge. Other initiatives: public art displays, drive thru lantern parade, free symphony performance, inclusive playground equipment, free little art galleries, lantern making workshops and mural projects. All focused on improving access to build community and bring people together. Angie is always open to suggestions - you can contact her via her email (angies@hiltonheadislandsc.gov) or phone 843-341-4622 . Check our the town's website: hiltonheadislandsc.gov
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Meeting Notes, September 14, 2021President Kristin Keller called the meeting to order. The meeting, held at Palmera Inn and Suites is the official District Governor Paul Walter visit. Kevin Courtney offered the prayer and led the pledge to the flag Announcements: NO MEETING next week - September 21. The meal packing scheduled for Saturday 25 has been cancelled. The money the was appropriated for this project will be used for Haiti relief project. Sergeant at Arms Suzi collected Happy $$ Member David Pierce was recognized for his 52 years of 100% attendance. A fantastic video of congratulatory messages was shown, Dave's wife Ellie was present and President Kristin and immediate past president Lynn King presented him with a beautiful trophy. The District Governor was on hand to offer his congratulations on this impressive achievement. President Kristin introduced the District Governor. Paul began by telling all that in March of 2022 the All Club Conference is still planning to be held in person at the Sonesta. He challenged the club to assess where we are in the community since the current needs of the community may be different because times have changed. We were told to take a look at the club and its engagement and include partners and non Rotarians. Be ambassadors - wear pin, wheel and branding to enhance the perception that others have of us. Grow more, do more - it is the impact that is important. He relayed the messages from Rotary International President. The theme, "Serve to Change Lives" should inspire us to service, think about others before ourselves, find need, plan a solution; look at the big picture. He encouraged each member to bring in one new member this year, saying it is not about the numbers but the impact of the club. We are challenged to make connections with fellow Rotarians and potential Rotarians. By doing so may allow us to grow and do more. Mentoring is another thing we should consider - to offer free, the gift of our experience. Find your WHY - that keeps you in Rotary. Be aware that your why can change. He mentioned the Run with Bernie challenge - raising money for polio - helping folks we never have met. Paul's final emphasis was = Do all the good you can. |
Meetidng Notes, August 24, 2021President Kristin Keller called the meeting to order at Palmera Inn and Suites The prayer was offered by Kevin Courtney and he also led the pledge to the flag. Announcements: Next week's meeting, August 31, will be held off site at the Solicitor's office in Okatie. The address is 108 Traders Cross and the agenda will be coming out this week.. Also on August 31 at 5 to 7pm we are invited to tour the Sandbox September 3/4- Oyster Reef project. Looking for volunteers with boats to help on the 3rd at high tide to drop bags of shells off the side of the boat in the area where the reef will be built- along the 18th fairway of Harbortown. On the morning of Sept 4, volunteers will be transported to the build site to create the reef. If you can help, respond to Jean Fruh. Raffle tickets for our fall raffle will be available next week. Guests Bill and John from the Sunset Club shared information about their third annual Golf Tournament which will be held Saturday September 18. It is held at Pirates Island, tickets are $15 each. Buy four get one free. They do accept online payment. Sergeant at Arms, Suzi Oliver collected Happy $$. Above, Dick Storm is Happy because he and his beautiful wife Ginny are celebrating their 57th wedding anniversary on August 29. Speaker: Our speaker was Kalaylah Chisolm who was a VLR scholarship recipient three years ago. She is a senior at Winthrop University and presented a slide show of her past three years and what is next for her. She has been on the Deans list and has also been a Winthrop Ambassador. She is a Winthrop mentor to first year students. Kalaylah is pursuing a BA in Theatre - Performance and a minor in Educational Studies. She is an Actor, Director, Educator, and Stage Manager. She is a member of the Theater honor society and received a scholarship because of the promise she shows in directing. Kalaylah will be directing two shows in spring and will be applying for Winthrop's Accelerated Masters Program for a Master in the Arts of Teaching. She has a sweet new puppy named Omicron. You can visit this very successful young lady's website at kchisolm.com.
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Meeting Notes, August 17, 2021President Kristin Keller called the meeting to order. Ray Warco offered the prayer and led the pledge to the flag. Announcements: The August 31 meeting will be off site at the Solicitor's Office in Okatie. September 4 Oyster Reef project September 4 Frances Ferene Memorial First social originally scheduled for September 13 has been moved to October 18. Watch for more details. Past President Lynn King filled in for Sergeant at Arms Suzi Oliver and collected Happy $$ Speaker- Kristin introduced speaker Scott Stephens, Vice President of Development of the South Carolina Historical Society. The SC Historical Society was established in 1855. Its mission is "to expand, preserve and make accessible our collection; to improve knowledge of and encourage focus, interest and pride in the history of our state". The first president of the society was an ardent unionist, and one of the big voices of staying in the union. SC was being over looked in the history of the nation and so he wanted to focus on it's part in the nation. Henry Laurens 1724 - 1792 was, among other things, minister to Holland. Eliza Pinckney at the age of 16 took over her father's plantations. She found a strain of indigo that would grow here as well as in the upstate and SC became the third largest exporter of indigo. The state flag background is the color of indigo. Robert Mills was the best known architect in the state at the time. His works include two Washington Monuments as well as the Fireproof Building in Charleston which was built to protect documents. The museum today contains 3,000 collections, maps, and other historical items. The photo above shows the Fort Walker Flag, which was taken as a prize and has pieces missing which were taken by the soldiers. Next to it is the Secession Banner which was flown in front of homes that wanted to leave the union. Another interesting fact that Mr. Stephens talked about was that in the mid 1700s the Capital of SC was in Charleston. There are many maps in the museum and we heard how the borders were determined and that there are still disputes with Georgia over the boundary of the Savannah River and the Islands within. In 1811, Slave badges were given to slaves when they were rented or loaned out. In 1867 was the SC legislation Reconstruction, there were 50 from the north, 50 African Americans, of which only 8 who knew how to read or write participating. Steve presented so much fascinating information about our state, but you can learn even more by visiting the museum or their website: www.schistory.org |
Meeting ;Notes, August 10, 2021President Kristin Keller called the meeting to order The prayer was offered and pledge to the flag led by Kevin Courtney Announcements: Jon Eggert's birthday Run with Bernie, our polio fundraiser is in full swing Social - the first social of the year will be held on September 13 at Spanish Wells Club. Watch for more info September 4 at 3 pm a Celebration of Life for Dr. Frances Ferrene at First Presbyterian Church will be held. Afterward there will be a Celebration party at The Taste of Europe, all are invited. Rise Against Hunger Meal Packing - September 25 at the Rotary Community Center in Bluffton. Sign up to participate at a two hour shift. Our meeting that week will be canceled so that all can attend this event. Lynn King announced that on Saturday September 4 there will be an opportunity to participate in Oyster Reef Building. Looking for people with boats. More details will follow. Committee Sign up - Next week there will be sign up sheets to sign up for committees. Committee chairs will be contacted this week . Share your talents with the club and sign up Bev James shared a letter from scholarship recipient Madeline Politzer. She thanks the club for the scholarship and is looking forward to the school year at Clemson. Sergeant at Arms, Suzi Oliver collected Happy $$ Speaker: Suzi introduced the morning's speaker, Roy Brown Jr. who is the Chairman of Operation Patriots FOB and his service dog Mya. Roy has an impressive military record and experience with working with dogs. In 2002 he attended working dog canine class and in 2003 worked with drug detection dogs at the border. He deployed in 2004. He has transitioned to training dogs to be service dogs. He founded Operation Patriots FOB because he has lost more friends to suicide than during deployment. The mission is to "create and foster positive experiences for combat Veterans by connecting through outdoor and recreational activities." They "create and alliance through peer engagement in a comfortable and relaxed environment." The intent is to serve Beaufort County Veterans (there are 25,000 plus in the county) and their families and to save lives through their programs. The facility is in Ridgeland where they have many acres and can offer things like hunting, fishing, recreational shooting, golfing, ATV trail riding, hands on activity and peer engagement. When veterans return home they often feel isolated and have difficulty adjusting. According to Roy, 22 veterans a day commit suicide. By offering "outdoor therapy" and the ability to engage with their peers Roy is hoping to save as many lives as possible. He and his wife Stephanie have personally invested a large sum of money in the organization and developing the facility. They always can use financial support. One fundraiser will be held on October 8, 2021 which will be "Concert for the Heroes" which features Mark Chesnutt with Walker Montgomery. There are sponsorship opportunities for this event as well as tickets for purchase. Contributions to the organization, which is a 509(a)(3) nonprofit will help keep these services free to our local Veterans and their families. For more information, visit their website: www.OPFOB.org |
Meeting Notes, August 3, 2021The meeting was called to order by President Kristin Keller. Nasser Shaheen offered the prayer and led the pledge to the flag. Announcements: There will be no meeting on September 25, and will be replaced by Rise for Hunger. Guests were welcomed: Julie Smith, guest of Brian Neumann; Javier Korneluk, guest of Angie Stone; Ed, guest of Beverly James. Sonny Huntley filled in for Sergeant at Arms, Suzi Oliver and collected Happy $$. He is pictured below finding out why John Cunningham is Happy. Speaker: Andrea Hattler Bramson from Full Spectrum Studio was the speaker. The studio is for artists with disabilities. The mission is: "To provide our artists with an environment that is safe and supportive, where they can come to develop, create, and sell their art. " "Your cognition does not impact creativity" says this energetic lady. Collaboration with other artists is important and they strive to have their pieces hand along side other artists. The venue is setup for 12 full time artists. Every item is tracked, they set prices and sell. The artists are given the opportunity to order materials, engage in sales, and have exposure to conducting business. Every piece that is produced is unique - and cannot be duplicated. In addition to the pottery kiln, they have gotten a glass kiln so they will be making wind chimes and other glass items. Plans are to expand. There will be an Open House on September 10 which is a good opportunity to learn more. Two artists accompanied Andrea and they had several beautiful examples of their work to show us. Visit fullspectrumstudio.org for more information. |
Meeting Notes, July 27, 2021President Kristin Keller called the meeting to order Kevin Courtney offered the prayer and led the pledge to the flag Announcements: Celebration of Life Service for Francis Ferrene will be September 4 at First Presbyterian Church. Francis, who was an important participant in VLR activities and service, wanted all Rotarians to be invited to celebrate her life. President Kristin shared a letter from Nancy Mace to Suzi Oliver, acknowledging her selfless gift of donating a kidney to someone she did not know. Suzi you are an exemplary Rotarian and humanitarian, thank you for all your contributions. Run with Bernie still in progress. The VLR team is racking up the miles for polio. There will be a ROCS coming up soon. Social - First Social of the 2021-22 year will be on September 13 at Spanish Wells Club. Watch for more information. Sergeant at Arms, Suzi Oliver collected Happy $$. Speaker: Dr. Mercer Brugler, USCB was the speaker and his topic was "Oyster Reef Biodiversity". Dr. Brugler is passionate about growing the USCB Marine Biology program and developing a Masters Program. He presented information about Oyster reef eDNA, Leech biodiversity, Black coral legevity; horseshoe crabs and climate change. He educated us about Environmental DNA (eDNA) which refers to all of the DNA that is shed or released currently or recently by organisms into the environment. Samples of sea water are collected and they try to match the DNA to the sea animals that are potentially in the area. DNA of animals can also be collected from air sampling. There are potential issues with the DNA collection processes: incomplete reference databases; high sequence similarity between species; false negatives; false positives. The Oyster Reef project is funded by the Spring Island Trust. The Oyster reef is very important: creates complex 3D habitat for associates (fish, crustaceans, worms, etc); during low tiede provides abundance of food; filters water; dissipates wave energy, carbon sink- use atmospheric CO2 to make CaCO3 shell. There are many known habitants of the oyster reef. Student Kristin Mullins assisted by sharing her favorite inhabitant which is the Sea Slug. She favors them because they are rare, they are grazers, eat algae and she wants to become an expert on them. The researchers go out on boats, deploy a horizontal water bottle, trap 2 liters of water, take back to lab to analyze. Leeches are another target of research with a grant to study them from USC. Interesting to learn that it has been 50 years since local leeches have been studied. They are found on sea turtles, sharks, skates, rays. Their blood is analyzed to see who they are feeding on. Black coral is 4265 years old and is being used to study longevity. Horseshoe crabs are used to harvest their blood for the medical field. Interspecies communication continues to be studied. You can find out more about this at: www.projectceti.org |
Meeting Notes, July 20, 2021Members were welcomed and the meeting called to order by President Kristin Keller Ben Shelton offered the prayer and led the pledge to the flag. Announcements: Social - will be held September 13 at Spanish Wells Club. It will be a "wild" time with Venison and Pork from Jacob Hunt. Mark your calendar and watch for more details. Lynn King shared that she was able to collect $250 just by putting out a jar for others to make a contribution to our Polio Challenge. VLR team - "Just Bern It" is on a roll!! Lynn King filled in for Sergeant at Arms Suzi Oliver and collected Happy $$ Speaker: Sally Krebs was the speaker. She talked about the reptiles of Hilton Head Island. There are about 34 species of reptiles on the island. Reptiles are ectotherms, their body temperature is gotten from the temperature of the air/surface/water. They must constantly move from cooler to warmer areas to keep their body at the right temperature to be active. They do hibernate in the winter. She explained what "keystone" species is - it provides services and habitat for all others. Alligator is one of the keystone species - they are environmental engineers - for example, during dry spells they will dig a hole to provide fresh water to others. She also shared information about turtles. The largest is the Leatherback which can be up to 8 feet in length and weigh up to 2 tons. There are questions if they are really reptiles because there are indications that they might really be warm blooded rather than cold blooded. There are many varieties of turtles: Green, Loggerhead, Diamond back Terrapin, Snapping Turtle, Mud Turtle, Box Turtle, etc. The largest snapping turtle is 125 pounds and spends a lot of time thermal regulating. Tortoises dig burrows and there are 101 different species that use these burrows. Lizards are another reptile abundant on Hilton Head Island. The biggest one is the Broad Head Skink. They are our friend because they love roaches! Snakes are another reptile that provide a service. The Yellow Rat Snake can get to be 7 feet long. Copperhead snakes are poisonous but are extremely docile and they will try to avoid you if they can. Other snakes you might spot are: garter, black racer, corn snake, scarlet snake, scarlet king, coral (very toxic venom) |
Meeting Notes July 13, 2021President Kristin Keller called the meeting to order Kevin Courtney offered the prayers and led the pledge to the flag Announcements: Run With Bernie is in full progress with the VLR team racking up the miles and getting pledges for polio plus. The event runs from July 1 to World Polio Day, October 24. Several club members have already pledged financial support to this initiative - thank you so much for your donations, they go against our club's polio goal. Anyone who still wishes to pledge support either by the mile or one time donation still has plenty of time to do it - contact one of the team captains or team member for pledge forms. Team members are: Lynn King (Co-captain); Suzi Oliver (Co-captain, goal - 500 miles); Kristin Keller (goal 35 miles per week - 560 total miles); Beth Kuzmick (goal - 500 miles); Dick Storm; Ray Warco (goal 2,000 miles); Nancy Riedel (goal 500 miles). John Farrenkopf and Jacob Hunt announced we will be having a social at the Spanish Wells Club - watch for the date and more details. Board members: first board meeting will be Tuesday July 27 District Governor Paul Walter will be visiting our club on September 14. He would like to meet with the board after the meeting. Filling in for Sergeant at Arms, Suzi Oliver, Lynn King collected Happy $$. Speaker: Kristin Keller was our speaker. She presented interesting information about her employer Palmetto Electric Cooperative. She showed a film commemorating Palmetto Electric's 75th Anniversary (2015). A wonderful and revealing quote describing what it was like getting electricity on the Island was - it "was like leaving the Stone Age". In 1950 electricity was brought to Hilton Head for 30 families. There was no bridge. In 1965 there were 3500 members in the co-op. By 1989 it had grown to 33,000 members. Operation Round Up was started and $300,000 was generated through it. When electricity was first brought to the island, the members had to read their own meter and submit it. Now, meters are read remotely, not even needing a "meter reader" in person. Renewable energy is a focus. Palmetto Electric Co op was first formed in 1940 with 104 members, bringing power to the rural area; 1945 the first annual meeting was held with 25 in attendance, the last meeting had 5,000; 1979 they were recognized with an Energy Efficiency Award; 1989 Operation Round Up started. 340 Co Ops in the US have adopted Operation Round Up.; 2002 $1 million Hole in One Shoot Out; 2003 Implemented Green Power Program. Kristin also talked about alternative power sources such as solar. There are 2 solar farms - can pay an initiation fee and monthly fee to invest in solar. There are strict rules when there are solar panel on a home. There is not enough wind here to use wind. She talked about the different programs available for the members which are meant to save electricity and money. During Hurricane Matthew in 2016 there were 61,000 out of power and within 5 days, 60,000 had power back. Our last storm, Elsa, had 20,000 without power. This outage was caused by a problem in transmission from Santee Cooper. When big storms hit, the Electric Co-ops work together. Workers have stripes designating how many storms they have worked. We are fortunate to have a well run efficient electric cooperative in control of our power needs. |
Meeting Notes, July 6, 2021Club President Kristin Keller called the meeting to order. She welcomed all to the start of a new Rotary year. Kevin Courtney offered the prayer and led the pledge to the flag. Lynn King, Immediate Past President, presented Creighton Stuckart with a "President's Sprit of Service" award. Sergeant at Arms, Suzi Oliver introduced the speaker, Major General Craig Whelden. Craig has served over 30 years in the Military, has retired to Bluffton in 2019and is an award winning and best selling author and Fortune 500 speaker. The title of his book is "Leadership: The Art of Inspiring People to Be Their Best", and that was the basis of his presentation today. He told many of the stories that are in the book which are leadership and life lessons to be learned. One story was the "next rung on the ladder". First you need to figure out what is an attainable goal and be happy when you get there. The rung above that may be too difficult or impossible to attain so be happy the the goal you have attained. The message of the story is not to strive for mediocrity, but strive for realistic goals. There needs to be a balance. Other messages he relayed through story were to be careful of your priorities, make sure you put the right rocks in the jar. . He shared a personal story of a low point of his life when, after moving to Fort Hood as a young married couple, his wife left him. A senior leader mentored him telling him about his own challenges and that "there is light at the end of the tunnel", which in time became evident to Craig. Other lessons and inspirations about leadership, teamwork value, and life were shared through stories based on his years of experiences. For more inspiration, read his book - "Leadership The Art of Inspiring People to Be Their Best". Also visit his website: CraigWhelden.com Craig generously donated a copy of his book to be raffled off. Lucky John Cunningham was the winner!!!
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Meeting Notes, June 22, 2021President Lynn King called the meeting to order and rang the bell the last time. Dick Storm offered the prayer and led the pledge to the flag. Announcements: NO MEETING JUNE 29!!! Founders Night -Thanks go to Steve Stauffer for planning and executing a wonderful Founders Night. PHF were awarded to Jacob Hunt, Suzi Oliver, Lynn King, and Nancy Riedel. There is one more which will be awarded at a later date. Presidential Service awards were given to John Cunningham and John Eggert. Rotarian of the Year is John Farrenkopf. Congratulations to all Next meeting will be July 6 - invite a guest and share Rotary with a friend! Sergeant at Arms, Suzi Oliver collected Happy $$ Assistant Governor of Area 4, Dot Jeger was on hand to install President for 2021-2022, Kristin Keller Dot also installed the Board. Pictured above are Dick Storm, Nancy Riedel, Suzi Oliver, Lynn King, Kristin Keller, John Farrenkopf, Jon Eggert, Jacob Hunt. Speaker PDG Bernie Riedel, District End Polio Now Co-chair and District 7770 Million Dollar Campaign Chair was the speaker. He first shared information about the Million Dollar Dinner which is going to be held November 15 at the Francis Marion Hotel in Charleston. RI President Shekhar Mehta and Past RI VP Anne Matthews will be in attendance. It is a by invitation only event. To qualify, a Rotarian must make a single NEW Major Gift or Bequest of at least $10,000. Bernie explain there are several options how to meet this qualification. One can consider: cash, life income agreements, stock transfers, Charitable Gift Annuities, Estate planning, include in will, no cash required.. To make the gift confidentially or to have questions answered you can contact the Senior Major Gifts Officer, Carl Davis. He is an employee of RI and a Rotarian in NC. You can contact him at: 773-949-5243. Bernie can also help you - his number is 843-816-4451. The Goal was initially One million dollars, however the event has been delayed a few times and moved forward so the goal has ben adjusted to two million dollars. Currently $1,806,281 has been received with $115,000 pledged for a total of $1,921,281. Thank you for considering making a major gift to the Foundation. Bernie then spoke about the current situation of polio in the world. So far this year there has only been a total of two wild polio cases. One in Afghanistan and one in Pakistan. Last year Bernie walked 500 miles during the month of October to raise money and awareness for polio eradication. This year he has challenged others to join him in "Run with Bernie" , starting July 1 and ending October 24 which is World Polio day. The goal is to Raise dollars and awareness for polio, achieve the club polio goal, have fun, get healthier. Individuals or teams can participate and raise funds by getting pledges for their performance. We have a team of seven that will start tracking our miles July 1. Team captains are Lynn King and Suzi Oliver. Other team members are Kristin Keller, Beth Kuzmick, Ray Warco, Dick Storm, Nancy Riedel. If you are a walker/runner, biker, swimmer or rowwer and would like to join the team, let one of the captains know. Also your shirt size so you can get the free shirt and hat while supplies last!. If you aren't into the activity, consider making a donation to the team or pledge to support the miles of one of the team members. It all will go to our club's credit!. Thank you to those that already have made pledges! There will be more information about the World Polio Day Celebration and Awards coming soon.
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Founders Night 2021Founders Night was held Saturday June 19 at Spring Lake Pavilion. It was a wonderful evening of food, fun and fellowship. Thank you Past President Steve Stauffer for planning a wonderful event. President Lynn King announced the VLR Rotarian of the Year award. John Farrenkopf was the recipient in recognition of his exemplary contributions to the club, especially during the past COVID year. His efforts were above and beyond and all members congratulate and celebrate John for his contributions. Paul Harris Fellow awards were presented to Suzi Oliver, Jacob Hunt, Lynn King, and Nancy Riedel. There is another PHF recognition which will be made in the future. Susanna Cook, General Manager of Palmera Inn & Suites was on hand with her husband David and she was recognized for her support in helping us get back to regular club meetings. Outgoing board members Cory Malphrus and Steve Stauffer were thanked for their service. President Lynn presented Presidential Spirit of Service awards to John Cunningham and Jon Eggert for their contributions to the club. Kristin Keller, President 2021-22 addressed the gathering and introduced the board. Leadership for 2021-22 are: Kristin Keller, President; Lynn King, Immediate Past President; Nancy Riedel, Club Secretary; Jacob Hunt, Treasurer; John Farrenkopf, Asst. Treasurer; Suzi Oliver, Sergeant at Arms; and directors Kevin Courtney, Jon Eggert, Dick Storm, Greg Wynn
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Meeting Notes, June 15, 2021Our June 15th meeting was held at the Island Rec Center. We gathered with fellowship, coffee and donuts. Club President Lynn King welcomed all. Kevin Courtney offered the prayer and led the pledge to the flag. Announcements: Founders Night, Saturday June 19th at Spring Lake is expecting a good turnout. The first meeting of the new year the board and officers will be inducted. VLR presented a check for $33,000 towards our club's pledge to People for Parks. It is part of our commitment for the second floor of the gym. The second floor of the gym consists of a walking track and exercise equipment. $10,000 of the amount is the result of our fall raffle and $23,000 is from the Cares grant that we applied for. Receiving the check from President Lynn are Frank Soule (Island Rec) and Alan Perry (People for Parks). Past President Steve Stauffer and President Elect Kristin Keller look on. Frank Soule provided some history of organizational giving and how the Rec Center and People for Parks have benefited. He expressed appreciation for the support and donations which enable the Center to provide the best services to the community. The exercise equipment is the best available, the basketball program is strong, and the Rec Center has one of the fastest growing fencing clubs in the country. Pickleball is very popular but tennis is making a comeback with a great program at Chapin park. The Senior programs are coming back and they were able to hire a great director to grow that program. There have been many new memberships purchased and many renewals. This year the dome was not put up over the pool, but it has been very busy. He talked about LowCountry Celebration Park and the Sailing and Rowing Center on Squire Pope Road which are both great facilities. Child care, after school program, Smart Start Program, Summer Camp, etc. are all operational and serving the community. Leah Arnold shared the information about the children's programs as well as talked about the teen room which is an interactive exercise room. Membership is coming back, and the festivals are coming back. "Party in the Park" Thursday 5:30 - 8:00 at LowCountry Celebration Park and the Fireworks at Shelter Cove Park on Tuesdays is going to be resuming. VLR can be proud of the support that we give to this wonderful organization that does so much for the community.
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Meeting Notes, June 8, 2021President Elect Kristin Keller, filling in for President Lynn King, called the meeting to order and welcomed all. Kevin Courtney offered the prayer and led the pledge to the flag. Announcements: Founders Night - June 19, Spring Lake - Steve Stauffer has sent out invitations via email and needs to know how many are coming so he can give a count to the caterer. Please respond asap. If you have not gotten the invite, check your spam, otherwise contact Steve. Scholarships - Bev James reported that there were two applicants. Both applicants were very impressive, being well rounded, poised and very deserving. The scholarship was awarded to Madeline Politzer (spelling???). She is very excited and appreciative and has chosen to attend Clemson. She will be attending one of our meetings in the future. Sergeant at Arms, Suzi Oliver collected Happy $$$ Speaker: Suzi introduced our speaker Al Stokes. Al is the retired Director of Waddell Mariculture Center. He retired after more than three decades of working with shrimp. He began by speaking of the population growth in our area and the challenge of treating our drinking water to remove many toxins such as pharmaceuticals. The City of Atlanta GA is looking to also get water from the Savannah River. An expert on shrimp, he told us there are more than 3,000 species of shrimp!! There are 3 species that are native - brown, white, and pink. The Waddell Mariculture R&D Center has studied and produced eight species, including the three, to determine shrimp performance and production potential. The US consumes 1.5 billion pounds of shrimp a year and about 90% is imported from places like China, Thailand, Viet Nam, Taiwan, etc. Red Lobster and Darden purchase 5% of all farmed shrimp. Good quality shrimp food is expensive, and must be used to produce healthy shrimp. Bloodworms is one thing fed because it is high in amino acids and is required to reproduce. Females are tagged and monitored. If they are not producing, they are removed (and become dinner). Mr. Stokes showed many pictures of shrimp farms, including the pristine Waddell Shrimp farm which produces three crops a year. They have also grown Tilapia fish which is another product that is only as good as the food that it is fed. Fascinating subject and much to know about quality shrimp and fish farming. You can learn more by visiting the Waddell Mariculture Center website : www.dnr.sc.gov/marine/mrri/waddell |
Meeting Notes, June 1, 2021President Lynn King welcomed all to our first "all in person" meeting since Covid at Palmera Inn. Full breakfast of eggs, potatoes and BACON was served! Almost back to normal. Wearing of badges, and "bingo" will return in July - for the new year. Kevin Courtney offered the prayer and led the pledge to the flag. Announcements: Founders Night will take place June 19 at Spring Lake. Social time - 6 to 7, dinner (catered by Roy's) 7 to 9. Casual dress. Steve Stauffer will need help setting up - contact him if you can help. He will be sending out an email to see who will be attending so he can give the count to the caterer. Next few week schedule: June 8 - meet at PALMERA - (speaker - Al Stokes - US marine shrimp farming technology}; June 15 - meet at ISLAND REC CENTER - (All About Island Rec); June 22 - meet at PALMERA (speaker - Bernie Riedel - Foundation Million Dollar Dinner & Polio Challenge); June 29 NO MEETING. Sergeant at Arms, Suzi Oliver introduced two guests and collected Happy Dollars Speaker: Duffie Stone, Solicitor of the 14th Circuit was the speaker. He took over the position of Solicitor in 2006 - he was appointed by Governor Mark Sanford to fill the unexpired term of Randolph Murdough III, who had taken it over from his father. He has been reelected three times. He is credited with the creation of a Career Criminal Unit which targets the most violent and habitual offenders; Intelligence-led prosecution which uses techology and information sharing. In 2015 he was appointed to Governor Nikki Haley's Domestic Violence Task Force and currently serves as Chair of the SC Domestic Violence Advisory Committee. A native of South Carolina, he is a graduate of Wofford College and the University of South Carolina School of Law. For 86 years the Solicitor's office was located in Hampton. Duffie moved it to Beaufort. The building had extra space and he was able to put it to excellent use to streamline handling of child sexual assault cases. When a child is sexually assaulted, there is a forensic interview (Hopeful Horizon) and then a physical examination. In the case of the exam, the child had to be driven to Charleston, which after such a trauma was not the best situation. Because of the extra space in the office they were able to set up a child friendly interview room as well as an exam room. As bad as the situation is, they have been able to reduce the trauma to the child. He also talked about domestic violence and the fact that 80% of the victims do not want to prosecute. Women can't just leave a violent situation. Most times the abused person is dependent on the abuser and can see no way to survive on their own. Part of the new office is set aside for agencies that deal with victims of criminal and civil court. He spoke of the importance of Intelligence led prosecution. In 2005 when Katrina hit New Orleans, the entire criminal justice system was washed away because the records were in the basement of the court house. In 2006 when Duffie began his position he realized the need to get everything web based. They started with a case management system and four years ago got Law Enforcement to send information electronically. Last April during shutdown, staff was able to take lap tops home to work. Preparation for a hurricane resulted in being prepared for a pandemic. The goal is to have victims have speedy trials, however there was a one time a backlog of 5,000 cases. This was being worked on and every year the backlog was decreasing. Because of the pandemic and not having court, the backlog now has 5600 pending cases. Moving forward the goal is to decrease this again. The biggest change in criminal justice is the use of technology by the criminals. That creates the need to adopt the same technology. The Family Justice Center is the only one in South Carolina. He invited us to see the facility.
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Meeting Notes, May 25, 2021President Lynn King called the meeting to order and welcomed members both in person and on Zoom Kevin Courtney offered the prayer and led the pledge to the flag Announcements: Thanks to Cory Malphrus for organizing and thanks to all who participated in the Hilton Head High School clean up on Saturday. Founders Night will be held on June 19 at Spring Lake on Hilton Head Plantation. Past President Steve Stauffer will be sending out an email to find out how many will attend to provide a number to the caterer. Happy Hour will be from 6:00 to 7:00, followed by dinner. The club is hosting this event with no charge to members and their guest. Please reply to Steve's email when it is sent. Last Hybrid meeting - this was the last Hybrid meeting. Starting June 1, in person at Palmera Inn is the option. Suzi Oliver, Sergeant at Arms collected Happy $$. A total of $52 was collected for the CART Fund - Coins for Alzheimers Research. Speaker: Lynn introduced the speaker, Cinda Seamon. Cinda is the Fire and Safety Educator at the Hilton Head Island Fire Rescue. She has a long and impressive history of service in the community and many charitable organizations. She is a CPR instructor and car seat tech. photo credit - Lynn King She has been honored with many awards including Zonta Woman of the Year in 2008. She has everything to do with the public and safety education. Fire Rescue has 145 employees, 7 stations, and a head quarters. They serve UP TO Windmill Harbour. Everyone at Fire Rescue is cross trained. Most communities have separate fire and EMS, but all are cross trained which is why our ambulances are red - and why fire trucks respond to medical emergencies too. Hilton Head Island has its own dispatch - local 911- there are more medical calls than fire. . The pandemic required creativity to come up with new ways to serve the community. Drive by birthday party was one new service, and a Zoom class "Safe at Home" for youngsters that have to stay at home alone. The Zoom class is free, and there is a book for $10. Last year the pancake breakfast couldn't be held because it draws up to 800 people wo they came up with a scavenger hunt through "goose chase" app. Missions were inputted about fire safety the top winner won pizza delivered by a fire truck. It was a big success, so starting July 3 they will be running another scavenger hunt - Summer Safety Quest. Winners will get a gift card for ice cream. Educational and fun activity for families. Cinda's job is to find ways to educate and she does a fabulous job being creative and responding to sometimes different circumstances. This year the Pancake Breakfast at Station 4 will be back in October. It is a community event and great way to kick off fire prevention month. There will also be "Fire in the Streets" - where fire alarms are install in homes. Fire rescue also installs and does battery changes. Cinda emphasized the need to have an escape plan, to practice a fire drill, and make sure all in the family know it. Teach all where to go when the escape. "Don't Hide - Get Outside". You should know two ways out - with today's homes synthetic materials that are used, the fire burns hotter and spreads faster so there is less time to evacuate. "Stove top fire Stop" is for those that have someone in the home that cooks and shouldn't. Install over the stove and activates when the flames get to it. Unattended cooking is one of the biggest causes of fires. Other education that Fire Rescue offers is : CPR training - classes limited to 6 or 7 people, online class is optional too; Fire extinguisher training; File of Life; Safe Sitters; car seats.
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Meeting Notes, May 18, 2021President Elect, Kristin Keller, filling in for President Lynn King, called the meeting to order. Ray Warco offered the prayer and led the pledge to the flag. Announcements: Saturday May 25 - High School Campus Cleanup. Meet at the HHH Athletic building at 9:30 am. RSVP to Cory Maphrus - 8433840394 Steve Stauffer, past President, reminded all of Founders Night which is June 19. The club is hosting member and spouse/guest. It will be held at Spring Lake. Sergeant at Arms, Suzi Oliver collected Happy $$$. Speaker: Steve Stauffer introduced the speaker, Charlie Clark, who is VP Communications at the Hilton Head Island Chamber of Commerce. She has been there 19 years. The Chamber recently did a membership survey which asked what is the biggest benefit of Tourism to a resident of the Island. The number one answer was surprising, but it is the amenities. There will be another resident survey coming out soon. Keep a look out for it because your feedback is important. Charlie gave an over view of the past year. 2020 was an interesting year and this time last year there were a lot of unknowns. Safety has been a major concern. New procedures and programs were put in place. Wednesday power calls have been a good success. They developed a Path Forward Readiness plan which encompassed nine segments of Island life and a task force worked on this. They took each segment and figured out what are the best practices for that industry to keep it safe. It was very successful and won an award and was recognized as an effective program for recovery. Last year 2.56 million visited the Island and was only 70,000 less than came in 2019. Numbers were down in April and May, but in July 2020 occupancy was up The Lodging performance chart shows the effect of the pandemic. Hotel occupancy was down, primarily because of loss of corporate travel. She noted that visitors pay to bring more visitors to the island and it does not come out of taxes. Tourism pays for itself. Visit HiltonHeadIsland.org to see more information. There were 2.5 million visitors and the are able to track that 1.2 million of the is conversion to partners. The website tracks inquiries, if they visit, where they stayed, etc. Hilton Head Island is an award winning destination and has been #1 Island in America based on polls. The Chamber also does media tracking every day to see how often Hilton Head is in the media. Air travel is very important. Over half the people coming into the Savannah Airport are coming to South Carolina. The increased service to the Island airport and expansion of the terminal will also have a great effect. The HGTV Dream Home also has done great for real estate. Charlie shared some amusing things that tourists say: "Do you let sharks in your ocean" and "Does anyone actually live on the Island" are just two of the gems. |
Meeting Notes, May 11, 2021President Lynn King called the meeting to order and welcomed members and guests. The prayer was offered by Kevin Courtney who also led the pledge to the flag. Announcements: High School Clean up is scheduled for May 22 at 9:30. This effort is coordinated by Cory Malphrus. Text him to let him know if you will help at this hands on service project. Founders Night is June 19th. The club is hosting this, providing food, beverages, music and location - Spring Lake. Past President Steve Stauffer is heading this up. President Elect Kristin Keller attended the area President 2021-22 meeting at Dot Jeger's home. Paul Walter (DG 21-22) was there. Kristin met the other area Presidents and got her manual - she is ready to lead us to a successful year. Suzi Oliver, Sergeant at Arms, asked John Cunningham to introduce his guest. His guest, from Ontario, shared with us the problems of travel between Canada and the US because of COVID 19. Suzi collected Happy $$$ Speaker: Sally Krebs, the Sustainable Practices Coordinator Hilton Head Island was the speaker Sally has a Zoology degree from Rutgers and has been the Natural Resources Administrator for the town of Hilton Head Island before her current title. She spoke about the Audubon International Sustainable Communities Program. Sustainable means meeting the needs of the current generation without destroying natural resources for the future. The Town of Hilton Head achieved this certificate because of its commitment to creating a sustainable future by developing and implementing sustainable management practices around the three pillars of sustainability: healthy local environment, quality of life for citizens, vital economy. She talked about various parts of focus. Urban forestry canopy analysis is one that has many benefits. Migratory birds is another huge area of interest. Some of the birds migrate 18,000 miles per year. Many of the birds that are observed are banded with numbers on the bands. Attempts to read the numbers from 100 to 300 feet away provides a challenge. Some of the birds are endangered and information that is collected is used in recovery of the species. Nesting turtle is another focus. It is loggerhead season right now. Ms. Krebs said we haven't had our first nest yet, however since her speech we have had our first nesting. It takes a loggerhead 25 to 30 years to mature. The turtle must survive for that length of time which is quite a fete. It is estimated that only 1 in 10,000 make it to sexual maturity. Hilton Head has various other turtles that nest here as well. They record the data and create nesting maps. Port Royal is a large nesting area because there aren't many people nor lights. Transportation is another area and a trolley was started in 2018. There is a tracking app. In 2018 there were 5500 riders and in 2019 there were 13,000 riders. She also talked about the bike paths. Other ways the community is helped is educational slides are made for the hotels. This educates our visitors about our environmental concerns, like the sea turtles. They also work with the marinas to help protect the manatees. She mentioned the oyster shell bagging and reef restoration that the Outside Foundation does. There is also a clean up twice a year, creek clean up. In summary, why is this all important - Quality of life - quality air, water, etc. for today and the future. **photo credits - Lynn King
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Meeting Notes, May 4, 2021Members and guests were welcomed by President Lynn King. Kevin Courtney offered the prayer and led the pledge to the flag. Announcements: Membership Chair Jon Eggert welcomed guests Joyce Westgate and Chandler Vilchek Oyster bagging was a great time. See separate article for picture and future opportunity to do an "on the water" service project to help bring the oyster shells to their future home. Sad announcement that Francis Farrene, wife of member Otto Farrene passed away. Otto was the first President of our club and a founding member. Otto and Francis started the "Rotary Reader" program. Greg Wynn told the membership about Francis, describing her as a sweetheart and a friend to all. Many members who knew her gave tributes, sharing what a wonderful lady she was. Members were asked to sign a card to be sent to Otto. Lynn sent a link to a video which shows when Francis was honored with a garden in 2019 at Hilton Head Elementary. It is: https://www.islandpacket.com/news/local/obituaries/article251133054.html Francis was a wonderful, talented, giving lady who will be missed. Founders Night will be hosted by the club on June 19th. An event to celebrate the end of the Rotary year, recognize Members of accomplishment, and induct the officers and board for the new Rotary year will be held at Spring Lake. Organized by Past President Steve Stauffer, the event will be catered by Roy's Place Catering. There will be appetizers, lowcountry fare, beer and wine. Service project - May 22, 9:30 am - high school clean up President Elect, Kristin Keller substituted for Suzi Oliver, Sergeant at Arms and collected Happy Dollars. Speaker: This morning, Amanda Williams-O;Nan, owner and Head of School, of the Heritage Academy was the speaker. Thanks to Beth Kuzmick for much of the content and to Lynn King for the photos. A former Principal of Hilton Head High School, at under 30 years old she became the youngest Principal in the state. She now owns and is the Head of the Heritage Academy. It is a private school for grades 6 to 12 and holds about 160 students. Its mission is to afford students with out of school experiences (internships, etc.) that will expose them to all kinds of possible life/career choices in the future. The school is fully accredited - SCISA, COGNIA and a member of NAIS. She is convicted that her students find what they are passionate about and pursue those paths, wanting to find what makes their heart "pitter patter". The schedule is arranged so the student can complete core subjects before noon and afternoons are open for the students to either stay at school or do chosen electives of go out in the community to be involved in activities like internships, sports, jobs that revolve around their interests. Since many of the students are following athletic interests, one of the important classes that are offered is Sport Psychology Class. There is also a Leadership Program. The sports offered at the academy are: Cross Country, Sailing, Golf, Tennis, Swimming, Basketball and Track. You can learn more about the academy by watching this commercial: https://youtu.be/-HUAciMRkZU |
Oyster Bagging May 1From President Lynn King - Saturday May 1 Van Landingham Rotary joined forces with THE OUTSIDE FOUNDATION for another oyster bagging effort at Honey Horn. Our group, guided by "veteran baggers" JOHN CUNNINGHAM and BETH KUZMICK logged 100 BAGS in just an hour. KEVIN and SANDY COURTNEY and GREG WY NN helped round out our bagging troupe. We had a lot of laughs, probably a few aches and pains afterward, but rewarding time giving "service above self" OUTSIDE FOUNDATION director JEAN FRUH appreciated our Club's support and shared news that there will be "on the water" service opportunity very soon where these bagged oyster shells will be placed for reef building in the local waters. How fun it will be to get on the water as a Club and be a part of this environmental effort.
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Meeting Notes, April 27, 2021President Lynn King welcomed a large crowd attending at the Palmera Inn and Suites and via Zoom. The prayer was offered by Kevin Courtney who also led the pledge to the flag. Announcements: Oyster bagging will be May 1 - it would good to have at least ten members participate. 10:00 am Honey Horn. Cory Malphrus announced that the clean up of the High School campus will be May 22 at 9:30. Text Cory to let him know if you can help. It will take an hour to an hour and a half. Founders Night will be June 19th at Spring Lake. We will utilize the outdoor spaces. This year there will be no charge for member and guest. Also, we will not be able to accomodate children. President elect Kristin Keller, filling in for Suzi Oliver, Sergeant at Arms collected Happy $$. Speaker: Kristin introduced speaker Kim Likns who is Director of Boys & Girls Club of Hilton Head. The Mission of the Boys and Girls Club of Hilton Head is: "to enable all young people, especially those who need us most, to reach their full potential as productive, caring, responsible citizens". The club is located in a 29,000 square foot multi purpose building located on 15 acres on Gum Tree Road. The building was built in 1999 and the cost was paid 100% by donations from local organizations and private donors. In 2016 they raised $2 million and began to invest in the building. The gym was remodeled, a one acre pond was fully stocked for fishing. In addition, the facility has: a learning center, technology room, reading center, game room, drama and multi purpose room, K2 play room, kitchen and serving area, admin offices, two age based playground, soccer field, basketball court, picnic area, pickle ball courts, fishing pond, open playground, and pavilion. Programs it offers are: Academic support which is a particular challenge for children who have English as a second language, Power Hour Homework support, reading enhancement, math club which builds confidence -first place in SC to be a beta site for ABii,; STEM based education - robotics, 3D printing, coding, website design, maker space; Arts Enrichment and Sports & Recreation. Teen programs teach life skills, how to look for a job and write a resume. Pre Covid 300 to 350 children per day were served with 90% of the families being low to moderate income, Latino being the largest ethnic representation followed by African American. Because of Covid, the Club closed in March 2020, however reopened in June for Summer Camp. They were able to have 100 children and implemented complete Covid protocols. In September they opened as a Beaufort County School Learning POD and afterschool enrichment program. They served 79 children full day and operated with no closures all fall. January Distance Learning Assistance Program and After School Program were operational with 19 participants in distance learning and 86 in after school. The Boys and Girls Club of Hilton Head does not receive subsidies from any governmental agency. They do have three fundraisers: Candy Cane Golf & Tennis Tournament; Spring Gala; and Pedal Hilton Head.
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Meeting Notes, April 20, 2021Members and guests were welcomed by President Lynn King Kevin Courtney offered the prayer and led the pledge to the flag Announcements: Founders night will be June 19th held at Spring Lake. Spouse/partner are welcome. This year will not include children because of the extra considerations needed. We will follow all guidelines, including social distancing to insure the safety of all. Oyster bagging will be Sunday May 2. Members, family and guests welcome. There will be more information coming. Membership - Jon Eggert announced that this is the second posting for proposed new member Joe Kyle. Orientation will be next week. Joe is owner of Kyle Realty Company and his industry is commercial real estate. John Cummingham is his sponsor. Greg Wynn shared that at next year's Heritage the Serg Group is going to do the cooking and bring the food in. They will be using volunteers for serving. This means that we will not be making as much money since we will not have our own booth. The monies from the Heritage Foundation will go directly to the charities. Kristin Keller, filling in for Sergeant at Arms Suzi Oliver, collected Happy $$ Speaker: Rachel Price, AmeriCorps Program Director spoke about the Palmetto Trail. The Palmetto Trail, established in 1994, when completed will be 500 miles of continuous opportunity for outdoor activities like hiking, biking, horse back riding, some water sport areas and some urban areas. There are 375 miles already completed. It goes Mountain to Sea, through forests, towns, mountain ridges, paths beside lakes, and across swamps, from Walhalla in the Blue Ridge Mountains to Awendaw on the intracoastal waterway. There are 26 passages ranging from 1.3 miles to 47 miles long and are of various degrees of difficulty - easy, moderate and strenuous levels. It is a non-profit organization and is free for all to use. There are only three full time staff members, with some others who are part time. There are also many volunteers. AmeriCorps is the domestic version of the Peace Corps and Rachel oversees the program.. It is a six month to a year long opportunity to maintain the trail. Volunteers can work on the trail with a team, be the "eyes" , passage monitor, walking certain parts of the trail regularly and submitting a report each time, or be a passage stewart, leading a team to work on the trail. It is a 501C3 and holds several events to raise funds: True to the Brew 10K, in fall a half marathon, with the goal to have a 15K. A Women's Outdoor Adventure Weekend is held in November at Table Rock State Park. There is something for everyone on the trail with rail to trail, urban walking, and natural trail types of trails. National Trails Day is the First Saturday in June and there will be guided hikes. For more information about this phenomenal resource in our state visit: palmettoconservation.org/palmetto-trail |
Meeting Notes, April 6, 2021President Lynn King called the meeting to order The prayer was offered by Kevin Courtney who also led the pledge to the flag Announcements: NO MEETING APRIL 13! - Heritage week Mark your calendars for Founders Night, Saturday June 19. Founders Night is when the officers/directors for next year (July 2021 - June 2022) will be inducted and other members recognized. Service: Outside Foundation is coming up with a date for oyster bagging - we plan to have a social afterward. Cory Malphrus is organizing a Hilton Head High School trash pick up. Watch for more details - both events will take place end of April - beginning of May. Membership - Jon Eggert announced the first posting for prospective new member Joe Kyle. Orientation will be held in two weeks President Elect Kristin Keller presented a check to Frank Soule from the Island Rec Center. This goes toward our pledge of $200,000 to pay for the walking track when the Rec Center was being rebuilt. The check was from the proceeds of our fall raffle which raised $10,000. Frank gave an update about the Rec Center: More people are returning to the center, summer camp is almost sold out, the Senior Center is starting up, and coming soon to the Fitness Center is two new pieces of equipment. Kristin pointed out that the raffle was an easy way to make money and we want to do another before the end of the year. We are looking for a volunteer to get involved and learning to run it. Kristin will help and Palmetto Electric can still be the drop off. If YOU would like to get involved with this great fundraising opportunity, please contact Lynn or Kristin. Suzi Oliver, Sergeant at Arms, collected Happy Dollars. Speaker: Quin Monahan, USCB Director of Athletics was introduced by Suzi. USCB athletics has a unique purpose in the area. He was proud to report that in spite of the restrictions caused by Covid, their conference completed all their championships. While USCB sports are "not the Game Cocks", the students deserve the opportunity to compete at collegiate level while preparing for the future. They are known as the Sand Sharks, team colors being Navy and sand, with the mascot Finnegan. USCBAthletics.com broadcast sporting events online free of charge and all are invited to attend. They often get 1,000 views per event. They have a four camera system, do replays, cover, etc. Currently USCB is affiliated with the Sun Conference which is mostly small schools in Florida and the NAIA, which is a good fit made up of over 300 mostly small independent schools. While NAIA has great leadership, USCB is looking to make a transition. On April 14 they will be announcing a transition to the Peach Belt Conference which includes strong institutions that they want to look like. One provision of joining Peach Belt is that they will be adding basketball. Currently USCB has 11 sports all of which are held out doors. Along with the Conference change, they will be applying to be accepted to NCAA Division 2 next February. The application process is vigorous and if accepted will start competing in Fall 2022. Monahan would also like to add volleyball. The expansion of the sports program has them working toward building a 50 million dollar facility on the Bluffton Campus. Will be using the new facility for basketball, camps, clinics, community concerts, etc. Another goal is to have baseball and softball on campus (currently played in Hardeeville). They have the land in Bluffton and there is plenty of room to move these sports on campus. USCB sports and its expansion brings much to the community. |
Meeting Notes, March 30, 2021President Lynn King Welcomed a great crowd to the Palmera Inn as well as Zoom and called the meeting to order. The prayer was offered by Kevin Courtney, after which he led the pledge to the flag. Announcements: The latter part of April will have opportunities for service: oyster shell bagging, a beach sweep, and another High School Clean up to be planned. Watch for details There are six high school students that are working on the application for our scholarship. Deadline is the end of May. Suzi Oliver, Sergeant at Arms, collected Happy $$ Speaker: Suzi introduced Tallulah Trice, Director of Beaufort County Animal Services and Control. She talked about the importance of their program that helps animals when their owners are incapacitated. The program registers animals, and they are working to get stickers for windows. Fix it or ticket is another program that works to help fix animal violations before giving a ticket and taking legal action. BFTDOG.com. The Beaufort County Animal Services and Hilton Head Humane work together to provide services. They have spayed/neutered over 5,000 animals in 2020. Over population is a problem. Because the shelter has so many pit bulls it is mandatory to spay and neuter them. The county also has a mandatory licensing which many do not know. It is a one time chare of $5. The spay/neuter program has been very successful and has seen 54% less in take. There is an Administrative Citation which is an alternative enforcement tool that may be used instead of a criminal citation, saving taxpayer dollars. Another focus area of the BCAS is disease protection. Beaufort county horse tests positive for mosquito born illness that can be deadly to humans - one of the reasons the county sprays for mosquitos. Rabies is another disease that is monitored, racoons being the main cause, but foxes have also tested positive. They control wild life rabies using raboral V-RG which is dropped in areas that show high incidents of rabies. The organization does not just do puppies and kittens, but gets involved with animal problems involving: chickens which have been released (tractor supply sells them cheap to make money on the accessories); reptiles; mice; rabbits; goats; horses; birds of prey dying because of poisoning - using cats to control them. She and one other person are on call when a pet owner dies, is in an accident, involved in drug bust, etc. to rescue the animal. |
Meeting Notes, March 23, 2021Members and guests were welcomed by President Lynn King. Kevin Courtney offered the prayer and led the pledge to the flag. Announcements: Lynn told all that the club has had a request from Outside Hilton Head to participate in Earth Day which is April 22. There will be several opportunities to volunteer including there will be another oyster bagging. More information to follow. There was an online memorial service for Pete Adams who was known by many of our members. Many testimonies were shared and he was known as "one super guy". RIP, Pete Adams. President Elect Kristin Keller collected Happy $$. Speaker: Lynn introduced our speaker, Dr. Mercer Brugler, Associate Professor of Marine Biology at USCB. He is a lecturer, adjunct professor, and conducts deep sea research. His academic missions is "to recruit, inspire and retain historically underrepresented minorities in the Marine Biology Program at the University of South Carolina Beaufort by leveraging priceless supoort and generous funding from USCB, the American Museum of Natural History, the Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of Natural History, the National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration and the Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary. Undergraduates from 'Team Black Coral' have participated in NOAA funded research cruises, continued onto Masters Programs at Cornell University, Yale's School of Forestry & Environmental Studies, the University of Maryland Eastern Shore, the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, and Brooklyn College and are employed by Cold Spring Harbor's DNA Learning Center." Dr. Brugler tries to recruit minority students to the Marine Biology field. They learn how to extract DNA and sequence it. The environment in which the research takes place is located between 30 and 150 m depth which is where corals, sponges and algae are the dominate creatures. Twice a year Dr. Brugler brings minority students with him to Flower Garden Banks where they collect samples. After the research cruises they set up exhibits and present their findings both locally and internationally. The Deep Sea covers 65% of the earth's surface and starts at 200 m depth and extends to 11,000 m. So far only 5% of it has been explored. He shared a photo of the effect of pressure in the sea on a styro foam cup. He also talked about the vehicles used to perform deep sea research. One of them, "Alvin" costs $65,000 per day to go down. In addition to the areas that we might suspect to find deep ocean depths, the Hudson River has cut the largest canyon in the continental shelf, with depths of 200m to 4,000m and it is largely unexplored. It is known as "Hudson Canyon" We also learned that before they go to the sea floor they map the area, sending out sound waves. Typically they see so many animals that it is difficult to know where to start collecting. He talked about some of his favorite fish, the Blob fish: being his favorite. He also showed fantastic pictures of several more, including the Angler fish which he explained its life cycle; snail which is endangered; giant squid which has 8 arms and is carnivorous, etc. He spoke of corals, black coral being one. They are upwards of 4,265 years old and the deepest coral fount at 8,600 m is called spiney coral. Worms and crabs all want to live on corals and the anatomy of black corals change based on what has lived on it. Black coral DNA changes super slow. He spoke of future plans, and has received a grant from NASA. There is a project going on to decode interspecies communication and it can be followed at projectceti.org. Local projects that he is working on is studying leeches and well as researching environmental DNA and oyster reefs which are bio diverse. Fascinating information .
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Meeting Notes, March 16, 2021President Lynn King welcomed all and called the meeting to order. A hybrid meeting with members attending both in person at the Palmera Inn and Suites and via Zoom The prayer was offered by Kevin Courtney, who also led the pledge to the flag. Announcements: Member Jacob Hunt and his wife welcomed a new baby - Gracie Mae. Congratulations and wishes for many blessings to the Hunts. We will be giving our $23,000 CARES grant to the Rec Center to help with the extra expense of sanitizing the center because of COVID. We will also be presenting money from the raffle, all of which will be going to reduce our commitment to the center. We will be scheduling an onsite meeting there in the near future. Welcome to guests and visitors: Visiting Rotarian Ray Enstine Guests: Joe Kyle, guest of John Cunningham; Jenna Leeds, guest of Angie Stone Suzi Oliver, Sergeant at Arms collected Happy $$. Note: Happy dollar money is contributed to CART - Coins for Alzheimer's Research Trust, which is a charity started in our Rotary district. It provides seed money to researchers working on solutions, both treatment and cure of Alzheimer's. Speaker: Mark Lawson, Beaufort County Councilman of District 9 was our speaker. District 9 covers Bluffton/Pritchardville/Daufuskie Island. He serves as a member of the Executive and Public facilities Committees and is the Chair of the Financial Committee. Originally from western Pennsylvania he moved to the area in 1990. He updated us on what is happening in Beaufort County. The big project of replacing the bridges has brought attention to the fact that the traffic on 278 is similar to that of the traffic traveling the border of SC/GA. He talked about the importance of the parks, landings and preserving property. He also explained the fee that the county charges the Town of Hilton Head Island for police services. The county makes decisions based on what is best for the whole county. The county's priorities are: Infrastructure, Parks and Recreation, youth sports. He ended with answering members questions. |
Meeting Notes, March 9, 2021President Lynn King welcomed all to a very well attended meeting at Palmera Inn and Suites as well as on Zoom. The prayer and pledge to the flag was offered and led by Kevin Courtney. Announcements: We received a lot of thanks from the organizations which were served at ROCS (Rotarians Offering Community Service) which was held on Saturday March 6. VLR members participated in bagging oyster shells as well as working at Memory Matters. Here are a few scenes of the oyster shell bagging at Honey Horn. . photo credits Beth Kuzmick We will be doing another High School clean up soon - there is an area that really needs it - so watch for more information to sign up. USCB really wants us to come back and we will probably be go back there starting the new Rotary year. We will stay at Palmera Inn until then since they have done a great job hosting us. We got a CARES grant for $23,000 as a result of Treasurer John Farrenkopf applying through the state of South Carolina. It must be used for COVID health related projects. The Rec Center has had to spend $5,000 a month extra for sanitizing because of COVID and Greg Wynn, in talking to them was able to arrange that we can use this grant money to help them. This will also be applied to our commitment to the Center which is at about $100,000. We will plan to have a remote meeting at the Rec Center and present them with a check in the near future. Membership - any member who might know someone who might be interested in knowing more about Rotary, please invite them to a meeting. We have had three new members inducted since January and all three participated in ROCS. Great job!!! Keep the momentum going! Jacob Hunt is currently on baby watch. photo credit Lynn King Sonny Huntly recognized Dick Storm, Paul Harris Society member, by presenting him with a Paul Harris +4 pin. Paul Harris Society members have pledged to support the Rotary Foundation with $1,000 a year for as long as they are able. Plus four indicates that Dick has contributed for the fourth year in a row. Thank you Dick for your commitment to our charity, the Rotary Foundation, congratulations! Suzi Oliver, Sergeant at Arms collected Happy $$ and introduced visitors and guests. Speaker: We had three speakers this morning presenting information about Real Champions. photo credits Lynn King They were : Dr. Carl Martin, Executive Director; Ned McNair - Chairman of the board and co founder; Richardo Perry, Program Director. Real Champions exists to eliminate the circle of generational poverty in South Carolina by providing paid, full time professional mentors and volunteer supports for highly vulnerable children starting in kindergarten through high school graduation. They shared that the poverty rate in America hasn't changed in 56 years, the graduation rate has gotten worse since the 1970s, and the inequity gap is getting worse. Children need "soft skills" to be successful and full time mentors can offer this. . photo credit Lynn King The pilot was started in Jasper County with other counties wanting them to come to their counties too. They are working on perfecting the program before expanding. Qualifications for mentors are that they are in their 20s or 30s with experience to relate to children and with stability to the area (since it goes from kindergarten to high school graduation and the same mentor stays with the child). They emphasized the need for financial support. One child can be supported for one year for $6,000. $50,000 is the cost for an advocate mentor. When you provide some support as an individual or organization you can change a child's life. You can learn more about the organization at: RealChampionsinc.org . |
Meeting Notes, March 2, 2021The meeting was called to order by President Elect Kristin Keller who was filling in for President Lynn King. Lynn was out of town and enjoying the addition of a new grandson, Harry. Congratulations Lynn and family! Kevin Courtney offered the prayer and led the pledge to the flag. Announcements: Kristin shared that she attended two days of President Elect Training over the weekend in preparation for the 2021-2022 Rotary year. RI president "Zoomed in" from India. Saturday March 6 is ROCS - Rotarians Offering Community Service. Kristin collected Happy $$ Speaker: Jen Gaitlin, director of Volunteers in Medicine shared information about the clinic. The mission of VIM is "to understand and serve the health and wellness needs of the medically underserved and their households who live or work on Hilton Head and Daufuskie Islands.". It was started in 1993 by Dr. Jack McConnell and a pioneer group of physicians. Dr. McConnell's wife is still active. The clinic performs over 50,000 volunteer hours annually with 27,000 visits annually. There are 110 physicians, 27 dentists, 23 medical specialists, and 500 nursing and lay volunteers. VIM receives no federal funds and operates with contributions and grants. Patients come mostly from off-plantation areas such as Gum Tree Rd,, the airport area, Cordillo Pkwy, Spanish Wells and Daufuskie. They serve only people who live or work on Hilton Head Island or Daufuskie. The services that are provided are: medical, dental, vision, pharmacy, pediatrics, gynecology, diabetes and hypertension clinics, wellness and support groups (they partner with the Island Rec Center. Jen also spoke about how COVID-19 has affected the clinic and its services. Project Isolate Safe is a program where the clinic provides free housing, isolation supplies and food for COVID patients. the objective is to reduce the spread of the virus within the lower income population. It is a collaboration between VIM, Deep Well, Greater Island Committee and HUD. The food is provided by Deep Well. The clinic was approved in December to administer the vaccine and they are currently waiting for their supply. They will be offering the vaccine to their current patients first. In two to three months it is expected that there will be a surplus of the vaccine. Interesting reading would be "Circle of Caring" by Jack McConnell which tells how VIM was founded. Our clinic, the original VIM, has since been replicated 92 times. There are over 10,000 patients that have been served by the clinic. Qualifications are that they live or work in Hilton Head or Daufuskie Islands, and must be below 200% of the income poverty level, and must provide proof. Covid has made it necessary for them to do deep cleaning every night. Screenings are also done in the parking lot before entering the building and 6 foot spacing is maintained. The goal is to keep patients out of the hospital ER and VIM has been successful in saving the hospital $5 million per year. You can find out more by visiting vimclinic.org |
Meeting Notes, February 23, 2021President Lynn King welcomed all to the meeting, remarking what a great crowd we had. Kevin Courtney offered the prayer and led the Pledge to the flag Announcements: Lynn announced that former member Maxine who moved to Asheville NC has joined a Rotary Club there. ROCS - Rotarians Offering Community Service will be held on Saturday March 6 and if you have not as yet signed up, you can do so at https://signup.com/go/vymddcq If you tried to sign up previously and all slots were taken, check back again as some new slots were open. There are also other projects to sign up for. Board meeting was held Tuesday February 23 Rise Against Hunger project has been pushed out to September 25. More details will follow. The Scholarship application has been updated and is available. The deadline has been extended to May 31 for response. Corey Malphrus is working on another High School Cleanup, watch for date and opportunity to participate. Suzi Oliver, Sergeant at Arms, Collected Happy $$. Speaker: Speaker for this meeting was Jon Rembold, Beaufort County Airports Director. He was introduced by Suzi Oliver. photo credit - Barry Davis Jon resides on Lady's Island, father of four children, and is very active in the community and his church. He is a former Rotarian of twelve years, however had to leave because of the demands of the airport job. His wife is an Assistant Principal. Jon presented an update on the HHI Airport. The entrance has been redone with major renovations continuing. He pointed out that not many airport offer the community the ease of use and close proximity that the HHI Airport does. July 5, 2018 the airport welcomed the first regional jet service. Since these jets have come into use, the numbers of travelers has doubled. They are very reliable with no cancellations. After American came, United joined and will be back in May. Daily service to Laguardia is resuming in March. The ramp area is going to be expanded and then the terminal. It all started with one airline and a connection to Charlotte, NC. American has brought flights to Regan National and last year flights to Dallas Ft. Worth, Philly, were added - which will be kicking back up in March. In April and May they will be doing a trial to Boston. The terminal construction will take a couple years as they renovate what is there then expand. The design has grown since the project has started. The building size has increased by 15 - 16% and is going to be triple the current size. It will have a "Country Club" look. The Savannah Airport is the nearest competitor, but work together. The airport is applying for a small community airport development grant. Covid has made airline scheduling difficult. Parking at the airport will be increased including covered parking and extra spaces for car rentals which is a big business. Because of Covid, every 90 days the airport goes through a complete sanitation procedure. It has been done three times so far. The airport is clean, air planes clean, and air recycled. Science has shown air travel is safe. In the new airport there will be an area for local art and culture to be displayed. As far as travel numbers, while the industry took a hit when locked down, it has been recovering ever since. and locally we are better than the national average for recovery. Private plane traffic has been very heavy and General Aviation has been busy. People with the ability to travel via private air craft have been using that option often. |
Meeting Notes, February 16, 2021President Lynn King called the meeting to order and welcomed everyone who attend in person and zoom. Our hybrid meeting continues with both options available for members and guests. The prayer was offered by Kevin Courtney and he led the pledge to the flag Announcements: Sign up to participate in ROCS - Rotarians Offering Community Service - which will take place on Saturday March 6. Our fun project, oyster shell bagging, has been added to the ROCS schedule. All slots had been full for this event but more have been added. If you tried to sign up before and it was full try again - quickly. The link is: https://signup.com/go/vymddcq There are many other worthwhile projects as well. Ray Warco made the club aware that the Beaufort County Supervisors are embarking on a new program which is looking for volunteers who are interested in spending time in the classroom working with students. Call to apply to volunteer (sorry, don't have the number - contact Ray) New member induction photo credit Barry Davis Bruce Yeager (right) inducts new member Lauren Hollis as membership chair, Jonathan Eggert (left) looks on. Lauren is sponsored by Kristin Keller. She works at Fidelity Investments as a Private Wealth Planning Consultant. Make sure to meet Lauren and welcome her to the club. Welcome, Lauren! Suzi Oliver, Sergeant at Arms, Collected Happy $$. Speaker: Suzi introduced our speaker, Chris Kehrer. Chris is a Naturalist and Education Coordinator at the Port Royal Sound Foundation. He was raised in Savannah, obtained a BA in Biology from USCB and volunteered with SC DNR. The Port Royal Sound Foundation became a non profit in 2011 and the Maritime Center opened in 2014. Its mission is "to preserve Port Royal Sound for the environmental, cultural and economic well-being of our area". photo credit - Barry Davis South Carolina has 400,000 acres of Salt March and half of that, 200,000 resides in Beaufort County. The Port Royal Sound is an inland sea. Its rivers and creeks are the salt fingers of the Atlantic Ocean. It extends 20 miles inland. The "rivers" like Broad, Colleton, and May are not really rivers, they are tidal inlets, saltwater "fingers" extending inland whose flow is fed from the ocean via the tides. The PRS is the deepest natural harbor of 30 to 60 feet with high salinity and is unique in many things, including it is the only inshore breeding area in the world for many marine animals. Another unique feature is the tidal range of 8 feet and can exceed 11 feet. Most areas of SC the tide range is 1 foot, NC it is 2 1/2 feet, but because of where the PRS is located, it is 8 1/2 feet. The Maritime Center which opened in November of 2014 has had 92,622 visitors to date. In the past 6 years 11,024 students have visited. The Center is open Tuesday through Friday 10 am to 5 pm and Saturday 10 am to 4 pm. Admission to the Center is free. There are programs for which there are charges, like : field trips, activities like nature hikes, squid dissections, bag oysters, animal classification, recycling, fish printing, build a buoy; ZooZooms which are virtual field trips. There is also a Talk Lecture Series webinars.. There are many other activities and programs. The PRSF is able to do this through grants and donations and the fact that they have over 80 active volunteers. Visit their website for more information: portroyalsoundfoundation.org |
Meeting Notes, February 9, 2021President Lynn King welcomed all and called the meeting to order. Meeting format is Hybrid with some members attending via Zoom and some members attending in person at Palmera Inn and Suites. The prayer was offered by Kevin Courtney and he led the pledge to the flag. Announcements: Membership chair Jonathan Eggert announced that it was the third posting for Lauren Hollis. Her orientation was held Wednesday night and she will be inducted at the meeting on February 16. Lynn announced that she sent the link out for ROCS (Rotarians Offering Community Service). You can go to the link to sign up for an activity. One of the options that has been added is Oyster Shell bagging. ROCS is Saturday March 6 and you can sign up at: https://signup.com/go/vymddcq Suzi Oliver, Sergeant at Arms, collected Happy $$ Speaker: Suzi introduced speaker Mike Bennett who is the CEO & Owner of i2 Recycle. His presentation goal was to talk about the current waste options: landfill and recycling, issues, economic influences and the next steps (future initiatives). photo credit - Barry Davis i2 is based in Bluffton and has been in business since 2011. According to their website i2 is "Helping local businesses focus on recycling and creating a healthier environment for our current and future generations." He talked about what is going on in Beaufort County with recycling and how it is connected to the economy. He went over a definition of terms: Single Stream or Mixed Recycling - the process of collecting aluminum/tin, paper/cardboard, glass and plastic being sorted for recycling at a separate facility; MRF - Material Recovery Facility - where waste materials are collected, sorted and shipped to to be processed into new items; Class 2, Class 3 Landfill/waste - landscape debris, construction debris, municipal solid waste; Contamination - when polluting or poisoning which causes the material to be not recovered. The current waste options are a solid waste landfill Hickory Hill, construction debris landfill at Oakwood and Recycling Processing MRF. One issue is life cycle, for example, Hickory Hills has 7 to 11 years left. Another issue is there is no industry standard as to what is to be recycled, lack of continuous education is needed. There are multiple waste carriers (6 - 7 in the area) with different requirements. The county is trying to solve these issues. The next steps are to invest in infrastructure, Simplify and consolidate hauling, Incentivize, Promote and educate. He shared picture of Gibson Island MRF as an example of future vision. The company website is: i2recycle.com photo credit Barry Davis
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Meeting Notes, February 02, 2021President Lynn King called the meeting to order. Kevin Courtney offered the prayer and led the pledge to the flag. Announcements: Lynn reported that she recently attended an area president's meeting and learned that some of the other clubs are not doing as well with hybrid meetings. Our club has been very successful with its meetings. Membership chair Jon Eggert - last week Beth Kuzmick was inducted as a new member. This week is Lauren Hollis' second posting. He will be conducting her orientation. ROCS - Rotarians Offering Community Service - is scheduled for 9 to 11 on March. Everything will be outdoors, socially distanced. Will send out link to sign up to participate. USCB is really working to get us back there. For time being we will be staying at Palmera Inn and Suites. Scholarship Committee - Bev James will chair the committee. Plans are to push the application end date to May 31. Note that the scholarship applicant must be from a Hilton Head School (Hilton Head Christian Academy is not in Hilton Head any more). The Heritage golf tournament will be held with allowing only 25,000 spectators. The Serg group will be involved and we won't be able to have our concession stand. We are hoping that will will be able to have our pop corn wagon. This has a big impact on our fund raising so if you have any ideas please let Lynn know. Founders Night - if we do have it, it will not be handled as in the past - members will not be billed for it if not in attendance. Suzi Oliver, Sergeant at Arms collected Happy $$. Suzi introduced our speaker, Michael Murphy of Preservation Tree Art. Mr. Murphy is a Board Certified Master Arborist. He was a Rotary member in Beaufort from 1994 to 2013. He creates art forms using wood native to the Lowcountry. His hobby is extremely dust intensive and has to wear a mask and shield plus has a dust vacume at each work station. He showed us the steps to take a piece of raw wood and make a bowl. The most asked question that he gets is - how long does it take to make a bowl? In spite of making many many bowls, there is no definitive answer. The lathe is the center of creativity and sharp tools are essential. He uses templates which he makes but the templates are refined as he goes along. Using a piece of firewood with the bark on, he showed the steps to create a live edge bowl (one with bark on the edge). He uses wood found in the lowcountry, some which has been a victim of hurricanes or storms. Exotic wood in the lowcountry consists of wood from rare trees. His art can be seen at various locations including a shop next to the Juice Hive and he is a member of the Art League of Hilton Head. To learn more about this art form, visit PreservationTreeArt.com |
Meeting Notes, January 26, 2021President Lynn King welcomed everyone and called the meeting to order. Ray Warco offered the prayer and led the pledge to the flag. Announcements: photo credit Lynn King On Saturday January 23, club members gathered to do trash pick up at the Hilton Head High School campus. It was a great day to be out doors, have fellowship, and do good for the community. Membership - Monday January 25 Orientation was held for Beth Kuzmic with several members attending. Today is the first posting for prospective new member Lauren Hollis. photo credit Barry Davis Area 4 Assistant Governor Dot Jeger was on hand to induct new member Beth Kuzmick. Beth is sponsored by Nancy Riedel. If you haven't met Beth yet, please make sure to do so and welcome her to the club. Welcome, Beth! Sergeant at Arms, Suzi Oliver collected Happy $ and introduced the speaker. Speaker: photo credit Lynn King Dr. Richard Gough, President of Technical College of the Lowcountry was the speaker, updating us on what is happening at TLC. He began by showing a brief marketing video. Two points of his presentation were: 1. the Value of TCL and 2. the pandemic's impact. TCL is Accessible, Affordable, Targeted and Relevant. Accessible - (55%) - it is an open enrollment college. If you have a high school diploma or GED you will be accepted - maybe not to all programs. Many students require additional classes to qualify for some programs. Affordable (34%) - Tuition is about 1/3 of other local colleges Targeted (96%) - 96% of the students come from the Lowcountry. Most stay here after graduation. Relevant (94%) - 94% of graduates are placed in jobs for what they were trained for. The average USC/Clemson student walks away with about $40,000 debt. About 20% of TCL students do transfer to university.. TCL was recognized as the best two year college two years ago. It is a military friendly school. There are about 1,000 to 1,500 military leaving active duty and want to stay in the lowcountry and TCL offers education and training to allow that. All credits can be used to transfer (some will transfer as electives). TCL have over 400 dual enrollment students - that means high school students also taking classes at TCL. There is a vision to expand health science programs for which there is a need. The school is adding a "Work Force Training Center" at the New River campus, it is in the planning stage. The new program is the Culinary program. TCL worked with the County, town of Bluffton to develop this 15 million dollar 28,000 sq. ft facility in Buckwalter. It will have non credit courses, an auditorium for things like Iron Chef competitions, and will open in the Fall of 2021. Covid 19 had an impact on the college and required an operational response. They had to pivot to online training. The problem is that a large amount of students do not have the resources to participate in this manner. Over 70% of students are part time, some are lacking computer and connectivity, and for some their home environment is not conducive to this option. Enrollment was down 10%, in Fall - some students working two jobs or have children at home and it becomes difficult. Free tuition for both credit and non credit courses helps. A program that has done well is one for over the road truck drivers. It normally costs $5,000 and TCL found a way to pay for the students. For more information about the college visit www.tcl.edu |
Meeting Notes, January 19, 2021Club President Lynn King welcomed all and called the meeting to order Ray Warco offered the prayer and led the Pledge to the flag. Announcements: Cory Malphrus told of the service project this Saturday, January 23. Hilton Head High School trash pickup at 9:30 am for an hour to an hour and a half. We will meet at the HHH Athletic Field House behind Island Rec Center. Bring gloves - trash bags and pickup tools are provided. Call/text Cory for more information and to let him know that you can help out. 843-384-0394. Six to ten people would be perfect. This is a great project to get family members involved. Jonathan Eggert, membership chair announced that this is the third posting for Beth Kuzmick. He also received an application from Lauren Hollis. Steve Stauffer reported that the past President's committee met (also the nomination committee) and have nominated Creighton Stuckart to the President Elect for the 2021-2022 Rotary year. Election was held with no nominations coming from the floor and Creighton was elected unanimously. Steve had announced the other officers/directors at a previous meeting. Sergeant at Arms, Suzi Oliver, welcomed guests Ray Enstine (zoom), Lauren Hollis. Suzi collected happy $$ and introduced the speaker. Speaker: Amber Kuehn who enlightened us about Sea Turtles and the 2020 nesting season. photo credit Barry Davis Amber, who manages the Sea Turtle Patrol, grew up in Bluffton SC and has studied marine biology and received a Masters in 2005. She also has a 100 ton Master Captains license. She has lived in Ft. Lauderdale, Maui besides the lowcountry. Amber worked as a scuba instructor and dive boat captain in the past. The Sea Turtle Patrol's mission is to "monitor Hilton Head Island beaches for sea turtle nests and hatchling activity May through October to promote the existence of these endangered species and to spread awareness of their struggle through public education and outreach.". In SC, in 2020 there were 5551 Loggerhead nests, 3 green turtle nests, 1 leatherback nest, 1 Kemp's Ridley nest and 2 unknown. On HHI since 1991 there has been 1 Kemp's Ridley, 5 Greens, 6 Leatherbacks, and 5,648 Loggerheads. Turtle Trackers HHI is a separate organization. Besides monitoring the nesting, they also look for dead ones, and keep track of the results of necropsies. Starting May 1 they start looking for nests. Sometimes they have to move the nests above the tide line. They also do DNA testing to determine the number of each sex and can actually pinpoint which turtle laid the eggs. The texture of the sand enters into the success of nesting. The north and south ends of the island have different textures, with the south end having finer sand. They have done a 3 year study of sex determination and have found that temperature at which the eggs incubate at is a deciding factor. Hilton Head Island has been shown to produce more females than males. The leading cause of the hatchlings not surviving long enough to enter the ocean is misorientation, with last season being the highest. Covid has made a difference in the attitudes of visitors and it has become very important to emphasize "lights out" on the beach rules as well as filling holes and not leaving items on the beach. Trash is also a problem. They do patrol and try to work with renters to comply with the regulations. The "Myrtle Project" is named after an actual turtle that has been nesting on HHI every other year. She is over 60 years old and unfortunately did not come back in 2019. Amber also told of another turtle "Stumpy" that had difficulty digging her nest because of an injury. Amber was able to help her and Stumpy laid her eggs at marker 73B There was 70% emergence but sadly 93 were lost to misorientation. More information can be found at: www.SeaTurtlePatrolHHI.org Also check out Amber's business -Spartina Marine Education Charters -SpartinaCharters.com which is her source of income which allows her to volunteer working with the turtles. Coastal Discovery Museum has an adopt a nest program and you can see more about that on their website. |
Meeting Notes, January 12, 2021President Lynn King welcomed all and called the meeting to order Kevin Courtney offered the prayer and led the Pledge of Allegiance. photo credit Barry Davis New member, Joah Etchells (left) is inducted by Bruce Yeager (right) as membership chair Jonathan Eggert looks on. Joah is sponsored by Julie Camp-Tome and he is President of Perfect Painters & Paper Hangers, Inc. He has been attending meetings and helped with holiday basket delivery. Please make sure to meet Joah and welcome him to the club. Jon announced that this is the second posting for Beth Kuzmick. Kristin Keller introduced her guest Lauren Hollis Greg Wynn recognized John Farrenkopf who is a Paul Harris +8. Greg thanked John and all members for their support of our charity - The Rotary Foundation. Next Saturday, January 23 we will do clean up at the high school Corey Malphrus will send out details. This is a good project to get the family involved. Sergeant at Arms, Suzi Oliver welcomed visitor Ray Erstine who visited via Zoom. She also collected Happy $$. President Lynn emphasized the importance of membership and encouraged all to share Rotary with others. A good way to introduce them to our club is to invite them to a meeting or to participate in a service project. Speaker: Suzi introduced the speaker Tom Henz and shared his bio. He has been very active in the community and several community organizations and has recently retired from banking and wants to teach more at USCB. His topic was Early reading. While not having a lot of experience, he said he was talking from the heart. photo credit - Barry Davis He began by stressing the importance of early grade reading and the need to learn to read before Fourth Grade. It is critical to learning and is the cornerstone of educational outcomes and directly correlates with high school graduation rates. Two thirds of American fourth graders are not reading at grade level and 1/3 of them are below basic. Third grade reading scores are a predictor of life success, but 18 month vocabulary is a predictor of third grade reading scores. The number of books in a home correlates significantly with higher reading scores and children who are read to at least three times a week are almost twice as likely to score in the top 25% in reading. Mr. Henz shared the good news that while children do not come with instructions, there is a booklet that will help Beaufort County parents and parents to be - "Collaborate from Birth to Eight for Early Grade Reading". He read the forward by Bruce Marlowe. Reading is the gateway to magic....... The booklet is a guide for parents of young children. It has been shown that babies begin learning while in the womb. The booklet provides many resources and lists the seven programs of the partners in early reading. The partners are: Beaufort County First Steps; Beaufort County Library; Born to Read; Boys & Girls Club, Bluffton; Boys & Girls Club, Hilton Head Island; The Children's Center; and United Way of the Lowcountry. He told of his experience mentoring children in the United Way program. There are five pillars of literacy: Phonemic Awareness - Learning the sounds of one's language; Phonetic decoding-connecting letters and sounds; Vocabulary - building children's word power; Reading fluency - read naturally; Comprehension. He spoke of "The McGuffey Reader" and his proud association with three others from Miami University. The goal of Collaborate is to get this information out to the parents. The plans are to produce the booklet in Spanish and if it is successful, create booklets for other areas. He stressed that there is no substitute for parent/care giver participation. All the partners often can use volunteers. If you know children, encourage them to read. Children are our greatest treasures. You can learn more about each of the partners' reading programs by visiting their websites.
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Meeting Notes, January 5, 2021Rotary Meeting 1/05/21 Author - Suzi Oliver Unfortunately, due to technical difficulties, we were not able to have our Zoom attendees share the day with us. After a warm "Welcome Back" from President Lynn King, Kevin Courtney started us out with a morning prayer and the Pledge of Allegiance. Steve Stauffer announced that during Kristin Keller's Presidency, Nancy Riedel will continue as Secretary, Suzi C. Oliver will continue as Sergeant-At-Arms, Jacob Hunt will be our new Treasurer with John Farrenkopf being his assistant, and Dick Storm and Kevin Courtney will be Board members. Jon Eggert updated us that today Joah Etchells will be posting for the third time and this Thursday, 6pm at Mangiamo's will be his orientation and all Rotarians are asked to join if possible. He apologized for the late announcement of this orientation. Nancy's friend Beth Kuzmick has her first posting today and Kristin has a friend who would also like to join. Lynn and Steve reminded the Club that we need to increase our membership by encouraging others to join. Sonny presented John D. Cunningham with his 8 year Paul Harris Fellow pin and thanked him for his generosity as a sustaining Foundation Member. He reminded us that it is a $1,000/year (or $84/month) commitment to be a Paul Harris Fellow and that you can cancel at any time. Congratulations John! January 23rd will be the first litter cleanup of the year at the Hilton Head school campus. School is now in session so we anticipate there will be litter to remove. All members are encouraged to pitch in. Lynn announced that John Farrenkopf was successful at obtaining a grant for $23,000 from the CARES ACT that we will be able to use for our commitment to the Island Rec Center in lieu of decreased fundraising opportunities due to the pandemic. And speaking of fundraising... Kristin Keller, who has been a dynamic fundraiser for our Rotary, is seeking a member to take over this task for the coming year. Kristin also provided an update on this past fundraiser. The club sold 480 tickets. Some members had not paid their funds so $1800 had to be billed to the members. Nasser paid an extra $200 to help with this effort as he is usually our highest ticket seller. All in all, $9,550 was paid to the winners and the remaining balance will also be used toward our Rec Center commitment. Suzi C. Oliver asked for Happy Dollars and we had many happy Rotarians today! photo credit Suzi Oliver Our guest speaker was Barbara Catenaci, Executive Director for The Heritage Library here on HHI. Her passion for helping others and fundraising started back when she was in the second grade with lemonade stands and bake sales, advanced to an on-campus fundraising group for Special Olympics at UConn and she has never looked back! She joined the Beaufort County School District in 2003 and it is she that we can thank for the first one-to-one laptop computer programs for middle school students. This endeavor led her to work in a leading video conferencing manufacturer in a grants management role in the for-profit technology world. Fast forward to 2018, not quite ready for retirement, she returned to the non-profit world working with The Heritage Library as Executive Director, where she has grown the mission, preserved historic sites owned by the Library, expanded community outreach and education and made learning about local and family history fun and meaningful, all with the support of the Board of Directors and amazing volunteers. The HL is a 560 member strong organization (with 30% of the members living outside SC and one in India!) that is the history repository for HHI, keeping track of everything going on in town. She updated us on Fort Mitchell and Zion Cemeteries, both owned by the HL and a Rotarian reminded the Club that former Rotarian (and Past President of The Heritage Library) Lou Benefante was responsible for much of the HL obtaining these National Historic Sites and was very active in the HL. As for the Baynard Cemetery, 27 more graves have been discovered. At Fort Mitchell, the Boy Scouts painted handrails and safety stripes. Barbara stated that The Heritage Library's classes are all online and membership has increased this year. Teachers are now able to obtain lesson plans on HHI history, which has been very helpful. They host events to raise money for the Library, such as Ghosts and Myths tours, Historic Holidays on HHI, the Gullah Celebration (and on that day the Gullah community is able to do free research on their Gullah descendants), and the Revolutionary War Forum in the late fall, to name a few. Due to Covid-19, the Library will build upon a program started by the town of HHI on the community response to the pandemic - on how well we handled it, such as were there more family dinners, more phone calls, etc. It will be used for further research down the road. Barbara is proud to announce that The Heritage Library is one of the TOP TEN places in the world to trace history! Lynn closed out the meeting reminding everyone of this Thursday's membership orientation for Joah! |
Meeting Notes, December 8, 2020President Lynn King called the meeting to order Kevin Courtney offered the prayer and led the pledge to the flag Announcements: The Past Presidents met last week to nominate the officers and board for next year. Past President Steve Stauffer will be presenting the nominations to the Board of Directors and subsequently to the club membership for vote. Lynn provided an update on her family's experience with Covid-19. Her mother has gotten out of the hospital and is making progress. The rest of the family is recovering. Today's scheduled speaker had to cancel due to Covid-19 Holiday gift baskets will be delivered on December 22. Membership - It is the second posting for Joah Etchells. Guests - Beth Kuzmick (has applied for membership) and Lauren Hollis Julie Camp-Tome filled in for Sergeant at Arms Suzi Oliver and collected Happy $$ Speaker: Sandy Gillis, Executive Director of the Deep Well Project was our speaker. She addressed how the pandemic has affected the operation of Deep Well. photo credit Barry Davis Covid has stretched the staff and their database of 8,000 has grown to 10,000 because many have lost their jobs. In Spring on one day they received the over-whelming number of 330 calls. The shut down resulted in people needing to work but cannot work. Through all this, she has seen example after example of generosity and people stepping up to help. She told the story of a land lord who offered his tenants two months free rent so that Deep Well would not have to pay their rent. Donations even come in from people from out of state who come here to enjoy our island. Also during the shutdown when there were food shortages and they had to get creative with how to find food, Dave Martin from Piggly Wiggly generously was able to get them food and sold it to them at wholesale prices. They also received other food donations which saved their budget and could keep money for emergency, like utilities and rent. Covid-19 has also affected the way that Deep Well can serve their clients. Instead of having people come into the pantry, they have had to adopt curbside pick up in the parking lot. Between March and August: 2,975 people received a weeks worth of groceries - over 62,000 meals; 590 emergency rent payments were made to landlords keeping about 2,000 people safe in their homes; $465,662 in rent/mortgage payments and over $25,000 in emergency utility bills were paid. Sandy also expressed she is grateful for our partnership with them and that we help with holiday food delivery. Thanksgiving they were able to deliver food to a total of 300 between us (we delivered 55) and other organizations. Thank you Sandy for filling in at the last minute and providing an excellent presentation. To find out more about Deep Well Project visit www.deepwellproject.org |
Meeting Notes, December 1, 2020President Elect, Kristin Keller called the meeting to order. Kevin Courtney offered the prayer and led the pledge to the flag. Announcements: Kristin is filling in for President Lynn King who is in quarantine due do her family contracting Covid-19. Affected are Lynn's husband and her parents with her mother having been hospitalized. Best wishes for a speedy recovery for all. The raffle is going well. If you need more tickets, let Kristin know. The drawing will be on December 22. Comments were made as to how very well run the Thanksgiving basket pick up was handled. Great job. December 22 will be our Christmas basket distribution. Steve Stauffer announced that the Past Presidents committee, will be meeting to finalize the board nominees for next year. Jon Eggert, membership chair, reported that proposed new member Joah Etchell's application for membership has been approved by the board. This is Joah's first posting. Beth Kuzmick who has attended two previous meetings has also submitted an application. All members are encouraged to invite potential members to our meetings and contact Jon with any who show an interest in joining. Sergeant at Arms Suzi Oliver collected Happy $$ Speaker: PDG Bernie Riedel, District 7770 Polio Chair and a member of the Hilton Head Island Rotary Club was our speaker. photo credit Barry Davis Bernie began by sharing the great news that Nigeria has been declared wild polio virus free. A country must go three consecutive years with no cases and then be certified free. The entire African continent is now declared wild polio virus free. There are still two countries that are wild polio endemic - Afghanistan and Pakistan. There is a serious problem with circulating vaccine derived polio as the above slide shows. Bernie discussed the difference between wild and vaccine derived and the different types of polio.. He also explained that oral vaccine is cheaper than injectable, which requires medical personnel to administer, and costs ten cents a dose. There is a new oral vaccine - NOPV2 which is genetically stable and approved for emergency use to address Type 2 outbreaks. Because of Covid-19, a lot of resources were redirected from polio vaccine administration so it was expected that polio cases would go up. VLR's polio goal last year was $1800 and we surpassed that. This year's goal has not been met as yet as shown in the above slide. Our district was number one in polio giving of seventeen districts in Zone 33. District 7770 was also number one in zone 33 in contribution to the annual fund. PDG Bernie thanked the VanLandingham Rotary Club for our support of the Foundation and specifically for our contributions for the eradication of polio. |
Meeting Notes, November 17, 2020President Lynn King called the meeting to order at the Sand Box in Celebration Park Kevin Courtney offered the prayer and led the pledge to the flag Announcements: Creighton Stuckart reminded everyone that Wednesday November 18 the club was bagging oyster shells at Honey Horn from 3:00 to 4:30 Next Tuesday there is no meeting in the morning. We will be delivering 55 Thanksgiving food boxes. Meet at Piggly Wiggly at 3:30. Informal get together at Mangiamo's afterward. Kristin Keller - raffle sales - drawing to be held on December 22. Barry Davis is in the lead with sales. Speaker Jim Gant provided an update on the progress of the new Sand Box He thanked the club for our support. The new building is 4,000 square feet which is 60% larger than the old Sand Box. They would like to open in 60 to 90 days however are experiencing some Covid related shortages. Most of the existing exhibits will be brought from the old building. Gulfstream has donated an actual cockpit from one of their planes. There will be a sand castle, toddler area, reading area, play area - the theme is "imagination play" and was designed with that in mind. The Rotary room in the far right will house arts as well as maker space. The Sand Box normally has 25,000 visitors per year but this year there have been only about 500. Now and will continue to limit attendance to 3 or 4 two hour sessions. We were able to see the inside of the building. Member and Deputy Town Manager Josh Gruber updated us on the construction of Celebration Park. The playground contains a replica of the ship that William Hilton arrived on Hilton Head Island in. There is a water feature as well as other playground equipment. A soft opening is planned for December 10 and will be live streamed to the public. In spring a more formal kick off is planned. The park allows for large public meeting space, free public WIFI with plugs built into the benches. Josh also talked about the parking situation in the area and the possibility of needing to shuttle in for some events. . The parks are open dawn to dusk. We were able to walk through the playground area. Following are a few pictures - all photo credits - Barry Davis:
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Meeting Notes, November 10, 2020President Lynn King called the meeting to order and welcomed all to the Palmera Inn and Suites and Zoom Kevin Courtney offered the prayer and led the pledge Announcements: Next week, November 17, our meeting will be held at the Sand Box The following week there is no meeting in the morning. we will be delivering holiday baskets at 4:00 from Piggly Wiggly. We will deliver 55 baskets. Meeting on December 1 is at Coastal Discovery Museum Creighton Stuckart - water service project - November 18, 3 to 4:30, meet at Honey Horn to bag oysters to help the Outside Foundation. Wear long pants and closed toe shoes, bring gloves and mask. Kristin Keller - raffle tickets. A sign has been made for the Rec Center, they have been asked to sell 100 tickets. A lot of members have not picked up their tickets yet. We will have a table set up at the Island Rec Center oyster fest to sell tickets. Sergeant at Arms, Suzi Oliver collected Happy $$ Speaker: Suzi introduced the speakers from Palmetto Breeze. photo credit Barry Davis Mary Lou Franzoni and Brian Sullivan Palmetto Breeze was started in 1978 to serve Beaufort and Jasper County. Its mission is to provide transportation to bring people to Hilton Head Island for jobs or other reasons. They have responded to needs of the community, based on the 2010 census and studies done by Hilton Head concerning traffic and congestion. There are seven commuter fixed routes to and from Allendale, Beaufort, Colleton, Hampton and Jasper Counties to Hilton Head Island. Nine routes provide demand response, contract and coordinated transportation service. The service area is 3,267 square miles. Riders say the transit system gives them better employment opportunities, benefits and salaries. In 2020 Breeze has been able to fulfill their mission to connect local residents with their jobs and have continued service despite the pandemic. They follow extra precautions like sanitizing the busses every day, requiring masks to be worn (and offer masks to those that don't have them), having plexiglass panels, and offering hand sanitizer. photo credit Barry Davis The Breeze Trolley is seasonal - April through September. One route is followed from Shelter Cove Towne Centre to Coligny. Cost is normally $1 per trip, however during 2020 no fares have been charged. The trolley is funded by the Town of Hilton Head Island and did have some changes to operations this year. Breeze also provides transportation during evacuations, taking residents to shelters. Palmetto Breeze is planning for the future with new routes, with their main purpose being to get people from home to work. Fares are $2.50 to $4.00 one way, with some employers paying this for their employees. They have 38 buses, 10 very large and 4 trolleys. The state DOT is paying for 2 new buses. They are funded on a reimbursement basis on a percentage basis, as well as funds from partners. In the future, if can get dedicated funding, they can move forward with plans. A side benefit for some of their riders is every Thursday Second Helpings donates food which helps riders feed their families. This program started two years ago is is very much appreciated by the riders. For more information about the trolley and Palmetto Breeze services, visit: www.breezetrolley.com and www.PalmettoBreezeTransit.com |
Meeting Notes, November 3, 2020President Lynn King called the meeting to order. She welcomed everyone to the Palmera Inn and Suites and Zoom. The prayer was offered and pledge to the flag led by Kevin Courtney. Announcements: Polio - Nancy Riedel told all about an easy way to meet our polio goal. October and November are designated polio months and we have polio masks for sale for $10 and polio socks for $20. Contact Lynn or Nancy for masks or socks. District Polio Chair Bernie Riedel is also raising funds for his 500 mile walk/run challenge. If you wish to contribute, see the article following this for links and pictures. Creighton Stuckart - in two weeks on November 18th we will be doing a water project. Oyster shell stuffing will take place at Honey Horn from 3:00 to 4:30. Bring your own gloves, masks, wear long pants and closed toe shoes. All other necessities will be furnished. Christmas cash raffle - Kristin Keller - drawing will be held December 22. If you need more tickets, please see Kristin. Happy $$ were collected. Lynn shared some of her experience with Covid-19 testing. HH Hospital has free Covid-19 tests. They call with positive results or email if negative. Speaker: Speaker was Vitaliy Bezrodnov with information about The Rotary Children's Fund. The fund "exists to promote good will between countries by funding organizations that contribute to peace, cultural understanding and appreciation through the arts. Funding young artists, performers and musicians worldwide to share their cultures through their performances and workshops which features their talents, traditional costumes and individual personalities. Improving good will between the people of America and other countries. Developing a better understanding of cultures, music and traditions. Building Cultural bridges." photo credit Barry Davis Vitaliy Bezrodnov is one of the founders and he told about the history of how the fund was started. He also explained the program Golden Gates by reference to the Rotary Four Way test, taking it point by point. Mr. Bezrodnov, having had a music education, became part of the Moscow Nights, a music group which entertained and traveled around the world. When in the USA, was invited to Denver CO Rotary. Eventually Vitaliy moved to Cleveland OH. Is it the Truth : When Russians and American began to participate in exchange it did away with sterotypes. Golden Gates not named for the bridge, but named for young people, sincere and truthful. Since 2003 over 40 groups have presented to over 1,000,000 people in the US, in public schools, Rotary clubs, Boys & Girls Clubs, etc. it "Connects the World". The program builds good will by improving relationships. All concerned are benefited by the exposure to different cultures and it does a good job promoting the image of Rotary. It is funded by donations from Rotary Clubs, RI, and other sponsors. No matter where you go, there are Rotarians ready to offer assistance if help is needed. Often the group is in need of accomodations in the area in which they are doing a concert. Rotarians can help in this area. The program is an opportunity for "Service above Self". You can learn more about this by going to RotaryChildrensFund.org |
Easy Polio FundraiserPresident Lynn has some polio masks for sale. Also Polio socks- for those contact Nancy Riedel Masks are $10, Socks are $20. All monies go toward our club's polio goal. From PDG Bernie Riedel - an easy way for our club to make strides towards meeting our polio goal: Need an EASY Polio Fundraiser? Join My “500 Mile Polio Walk/Run Challenge”. I do all the work!!!
My Goal is to walk/run 500 miles from now through November 30, 2020. October & November are our Rotary District 7770 Polio months and all $'s raised will go to meeting our District's Polio $25,000 DDF Challenge! Just click the following link to donate: *To ensure your donation counts for You, your Club and our District, use the email address associated with your "My Rotary" account at Rotary.Org. Or use the attached “Donating by Check” form. Thank You for everything you do to support the eradication of Polio in the world. |
Meeting Notes, October 27, 2020President Lynn King called the HYBRID meeting to order. In person held at Palmera Inn and Suites Lynn offered the prayer and John Cunningham led the pledge to the flag Announcements: The November 17 meeting is planned to be held at the Children's Sand Box Museum. It will be held outside. The Sand Box has been the recipient of our donations which have supported the "Rotary Learning Room". This is a perfect opportunity to invite potential new members to the meeting so they can see what we do in the community. There will not be a full breakfast, but coffee and donuts will be served. Kristin Keller discussed the "Christmas Cash Raffle" and distributed tickets to members. Members not at the meeting can pick up their tickets from Kristin at the Palmetto Electric Drive through window on Mathews Drive (contact Kristin to make arrangements) The club is gathering information about members that are veterans. We need to know Years of Service, Rank, and Branch of service. This is for the district for the purpose of acknowledging members service to our country. Sergeant at Arms, Suzi Oliver collected Happy $$ and welcomed guests. Guest were : Tommy Reitz, and Joah Etchells (this is his third visit to the club, having been introduced two weeks ago by Julie Camp Tome. Speaker: John Cunningham introduced the speaker Nate Jones. photo credit Barry Davis Nate spoke about Broad Creek Marina, the new Electric Go Cart track and Adventure Park. Broad Creek Marina, in addition to having dry dock and docking facilities, has a restaurant - Up the Creek Pub, Zip Line and aerial adventure. It is a seasonal business. The new project, and electric go cart track is projected for completion in April or May of 2021. The town of Hilton Head initially said the track was not allowed, however the board of zoning said it was. The challenge has been to design it to make sure that there is no damage to nearby oyster beds. The track will be concrete and only run 25 cars at a time. There will be over 60 there, while one group is running the others are charging. The Electric Go Cart track brings to the property a cheaper alternative of activity for a shorter time frame. Zip Lining costs $89 for 2 hours, while Go Carting only lasts 12 minutes, going 5 to 6 laps. There will be 40 single seaters and 20 dual seaters so the whole family can participate. Safety will be practiced with a sound barrier system, 4 point harnesses, and two to three spotters on the course. All the carts are remote controlled and helmets are not necessary. Covid-19 has not affected the marina business adversely - business has been better than ever. The restaurant has done well following social distancing and proper cleaning guidelines. Zip Line had to close because cannot social distance and the aerial adventure is limited.
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Meeting Notes, October 20, 2020President Lynn King called the meeting to order Kevin Courtney offered the prayer and led the pledge to the flag. Thank you Suzi Oliver for the flag and Dave Pierce for the pole. Announcements: Creighton Stuckart and Suzi Oliver have been working on a water project. Suzi explained the oyster bagging project and there are possible dates that we can do it. Wednesday Nov 18, or December 9 from 3:00 TO 4:30 pm. They furnish the supplies we fill the bags. We need to bring masks, wear closed toe shoes and long pants. More information to come. Kristin Keller - the raffle tickets will be available next week. The raffle will take place on December 22, which will give members additional time to sell tickets. Evan Jeffords and Brian Neumann are finalizing the holiday basket project. Deliveries (to 50 families each time) will take place on November 24 and December 22. Plans are being made for an off site meeting in November - to be held at the Sand Box. Member Bev James will be out of town until after Christmas. She is reachable via email. Christmas party plans are still being considered. Possible that it will be an Oyster Roast. We will have a meeting on election day - November 3 Sergeant at Arms, Suzi Oliver collected Happy $$ Speaker: Suzi introduced the speaker - VLR member Dick Storm. photo credit Barry Davis Dick worked for over 50 years in the Electric, mining, and power industry. His engineering firm, Storm Technologies is located in North Carolina. He tries to inspire young people because he feels there is a disconnect between education and employers. Dick shared his wealth of knowledge about energy with us. Total energy consumed is about 90% from heat engines: Coal plants, nuclear plants, internal combustion gas turbines, internal combustion reciprocating natural gas , Bio-mass and landfill gas burning steam plants, diesel generation. Heat Engines are at the heart of driving the economies of both developed and developing countries. The US Government Department of Energy keeps track of energy produced and how it is utilized - which sources and where our energy originated and how and where it is utilized. Each American citizen on average uses about 330 million BTU's per year. There are about 100 Quadrillion BTU's total energy used per year. It is used for Transportation (28.2%), Electricity Production (37%), Industrial Production (26.4%), Residential (11.9%), and Commercial (9.41%). Cost of energy is a big deal. The cost of fuel has a lot to do with the cost of electricity. South Carolina is number 3 in the nation for nuclear power generation. In SC, nuclear power is 56.9% of the total energy - natural gas is 23.3%, coal is 13.3%, renewables 7.4% and oil is 0.1%. SC has 7 nuclear power units, four plants. One third of SC electricity is consumed to make metal - steel and aluminum. By comparison, China's capacity for steel and aluminum is more than 50% of the entire rest of the world. Jobs in energy production are important. Energy independence is important for National Security. Energy = quality of life. Follow Dick's blog: dickstormprobizblog.wordpress.com |
Meeting Notes, October 13, 2020The meeting was called to order by President Lynn King. She welcomed all to the meeting at the Palmera Inn & Suites as well as those attending via Zoom. Kevin Courtney offered the prayer and led the pledge to the flag Announcements: Finance - Rotary dues have not increased, however starting October 1, we will resume including meal charges for all, in attending in person or not. This is necessary to "help stabilize the club financially and help us engage and attract members" - Lynn King. Kristin Keller gave an update on the raffle. The tickets have been proofed and we should have the tickets by next Tuesday, October 20. Members will be receiving 10 tickets each to be responsible for selling (more is encouraged). The raffle will be held on Tuesday November 24th. Lynn has a few of the special Rotary masks available at $10 each Christmas Party - is a possibility and research is being done for the right venue to enjoy socially-distanced fellowship. More info to come. Julie Camp Tome introduced her guest - Joe Echols Sergeant at Arms, Suzi Oliver collected Happy $$ Speaker: Suzi Oliver introduced Dr. Jean Fruh who is the Executive Director of The Outside Foundation. She has been with Outside HH for 15 years and has served in many capacities, including: kayak and paddleboard instructor, retail manager, internship supervisor, teambuilding facilitator and guide. She created and fostered Outside Hilton Head's internal, staff-led sustainability initiative "The Green Team". She is a South Carolina Master Naturalist. photo credit - Barry Davis She spoke about the projects of the Foundation. The Foundation's focus is on getting kids outside as well as protecting the environment. The "kids in Kayaks" program's goal is to get every middle school child in Beaufort County out kayaking. It provides education about the salt marsh. Groups of 40 to 50 students go on a 2 hour kayak tour led by a professional guide. This program has about 1,000 seventh graders participating in a year. There is a "learn to paddle" program which is offered to the Boys and Girls club and this gets them out on paddle boards. "Waterway Clean ups" is another project. There are kayak based clean ups of the waterway as well as beach and park clean ups. The next one is to be held on November 9 from 11am to 4pm at Shelter Cove Marina. It is free and a great family activity. Reservations are necessary and can be made by calling 843-686-6996. Since 2014 over 500 volunteers have participated. Beach cleanups are held the second Saturday of every month. The Keep the Broad Creek Clean Water Festival is held in August. Another project is the "Recycling Program". The community based oyster shell recycling program began 3 years ago and has been very successful and is recognized as a model program. Currently there are 15 restaurants participating - they scrape the shells into buckets and they are picked up every Tuesday. When oysters are harvested, it is important to put the shells back in for continued oyster growth. This year they are planning to build 5 reefs. The 2019 HHI Oyster Fest recycled 5.8 tons of shells which were saved from land fill. By comparison the 2018 fest saved 3.7 tons from the land fill, so the results are growing. All the shell stays here in the area. In and hour or hour and a half 100 to 200 bags can be filled so it is a great volunteer activity. 400 bags of shell will attract 100,000 larval oysters, so it is an important effort to keep our oyster beds productive. You can read more about what the foundation does by visiting www.outsidefoundation.org |
Meeting Notes, October 6, 2020President Lynn King welcomed everyone to the meeting held at the Island Rec Center and called the meeting to order The prayer was offered by Kevin Courtney who also led the pledge to the flag Announcements: The board met last week, and discussed the following: We will continue to offer ZOOM meetings through the last quarter Financially it is prudent to return to our normal policy of billing for meals even if you do not attend the meeting in person. Beginning October 1 we will return to that policy There is no word on moving back to USCB yet so our in-person meetings will continue at Palmera Jim Keith, assistant treasurer has requested and been granted a Leave of Absence. Jacob Hunt has stepped up to fill that spot. Jon Eggert, membership chair reported that over the last few months the club has lost some members and we have seen less engagement of current members. The plan is to encourage current members to re-engage, as well as put an effort into growing the club. His committee is reaching out to those that have not been in attendance, as well as trying to bring at least one new member in by the end of the year. You do not need to be on the committee to do this, it is important for all to share Rotary with others. We will be delivering Holiday baskets this year the Tuesdays before Thanksgiving and Christmas. We plan to deliver 50 baskets each time. We continue to need to raise funds to meet our charitable commitments. Kristin Keller talked about our first major fund raiser this year - a raffle. It will be the same as last year with cash prizes but more time to sell the tickets. The goal is to raise $10,000 and all members will be given tickets to sell/buy. The drawing will be on November 24 and be live on facebook. Sonny Huntley emphasized that it is important for us to attend meetings and be together. Lynn reported that we are tentatively planning a Christmas Party perhaps an outdoor Oyster Roast - stay tuned for more information We are also planning to have a remote meeting in November and one in December at Coastal Discovery. Regular meetings continue at Palmera with the exception of these two. Speaker: Frank Soule, Executive Director of the Island Rec Center was our speaker. photo credit - Barry Davis He expressed appreciation for the support that VanLandingham Rotary Club has given to the Rec Center. Our contributions and financial commitment has allowed them to purchase the best equipment for the workout area. He also said that during this time, to be CDC compliant some of the equipment had to be moved and some had to be removed to achieve the spacing required. January the remodeled facility celebrated their one year anniversary and also opened the playground. Mid March because of Covid-19 all operations were closed down. During the close, they kept working and making improvements. Since that time, the Center has reopened with new guidelines and has seen good results- had great summer swimming program - the pool area being very successful. In May, full day camp was opened and had great success. The fall programs are showing that people are wanting to get back to normal activities. The Senior Center reopened in August and started Zoom classes. Now there are in-person classes as well and exercise classes are going well. There still is impact in that the big events are not being held, the Turkey Trot is being limited to 500 people. The center is also trying new things as well. The dome is not going up this year, which is a change, and hours have changed. One new program is a fencing program - fencing is the fastest growing program in the country. Pickleball has been playing outdoors since May. Fitness classes have continued to grow. Basketball will be held but parents will not be allowed in the gym. photo credit Barry Davis President Lynn King and President Elect Kristin Keller present a check for $40,000 to Alan Perry and Frank Soule. This represents part of our financial pledge for the second floor of the gym which includes the walking track and fitness equipment area. You can see the walking track at the top of the photo. |
Meeting Notes, September 29, 2020Meeting was called to order by President Lynn King Kevin Courtney offer the prayer and led the pledge to the flag Announcements: Lynn King and Suzi Oliver participated in Rotary ROCS this past weekend. Lynn encouraged other members to participate when another one is held. ROCS is an opportunity for Rotary members (and potential members) to do hands on service in the community. Watch for the next one. Sunset Rotary Club is having a mini Golf Tournament NEXT MEETING - OCTOBER 6 IS AT THE ISLAND REC CENTER!! Same time - 8:00 am, Holiday Basket delivery has been arranged with Deep Well. We will be delivering 50 baskets each time. Save November 24 and December 22 to participate. There will be no regular club meetings those days. Membership needs to be a focus during this next quarter. All members are encouraged to introduce others to Rotary. Speaker Rhonda Lowther, an assessor for the Council on Aging was the speaker. She is a retired RT who went back to work for the Lowcountry Council of Governments Area Agency on Aging in the Aging & Disability Resource Center. photo credit Barry Davis The state of SC has an amazing program for people over 60 years old. It is designed to help seniors stay at home and is need based. the Area Agency covers Hampton, Jasper, Beaufort and Colleton counties. They cover a variety of needs and provide services such as Meals on Wheels, personal care aids, home maker aids (simple household chores). In the last 3 months there has been an increased need because of people pulling their senior family members out of facilities because of COVID-19. One program has a whole team of people who help senior understand the October open enrollment for medicare. Another program provides funds to make safety improvements in the home, such as ramps and railings. There are many programs available and some of the services have waiting lists because of the increased number of people that have come out of facilities. Volume has increased almost triple. |
Meeting Notes, September 22, 2020President Lynn King called the meeting to order. Kevin Courtney offered the prayer and led the pledge to the flag Announcements: Saturday September 26 is Rotary ROCS. Hands on service projects at four locations. Hope more people will sign up. October 6 our meeting will be held at the Island Rec Center. We will be presenting them with our 2020 contribution towards our commitment. Meeting will be held in the spacious gym with social distancing. Brian Newman has set up for us to do our annual holiday basket devliveries. Dates are November 24 and December 22. There will be no regular club meetings on those days. News: the hot water heater was sold, with funds going to the CART Fund. Greg Wynn got a hair cut and John Farrenkopf is going to. Sergeant at Arms, Suzi Oliver collected Happy $$ Speaker: Suzi Oliver introduced our speaker J.T. Coyne who presented information about Adaptive Golf. photo credit - Barry Davis J. T., a retired Navy Captain, is a past president of his Rotary club prior to moving to this area. He had a hand injury which prevented him from playing golf. He was introduced to Adaptive Golf at Parris Island and after not being able to play for twelve years, he was able to play again. The mission of Adaptive Golf is "To help those with disabilities discover their abilities through the therapeutic activities of Adaptive Golf". It has been around this area since 2014 and helps those with spinal chord injuries, amputation, difficulty standing. It helps to not only strengthen muscles, but helps pyschologically as well. It gets people back to the game of life. The organization is always looking for volunteers (they will be trained) and donors. Monthly workshops are run by golf professionals and physical therapists with doctors and nurses involved as well. The workshops are free and open to civilians, veterans, and active military. Specialized equipment is used, like a special chair which allows the golfer to go around the course, and assists in standing. Special clubs and grips are also used. Many golfers require a full time assistant (volunteers do that) but some only need adaptive golf temporarily and "graduate" to regular golf eventually. Last workshop there were 50 participants. The most common injury is stroke, where one side is weaker than the other.. The workshops are free with most funding coming from an annual tournament. The last one, scheduled for March had to be cancelled. They are going to have a November event, volunteer appreciation limited to 24 people and 3 holes. Right now the hours that they can use the base golf course has been limited to 8am to 1 pm. Workshops are the 3rd Saturday of the month at Parris Island. The organization is trying to have adaptive golf included in the Olympics, with grouping by type of injury. It is great to see individuals improve and enjoy this sport.
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Meeting Notes, September 15, 2020President Lynn King called the meeting to order Bruce Yeager offered the prayer and led the pledge to the flag (great job on the spot, Bruce) Announcements: The speaker scheduled for today had an accident and will not be able to be here Rotary ROCS - will be held on Saturday September 26 on Hilton Head Island. There are four venues for the projects, all of which will be outdoors. Masks will be required. The link to sign up is https://signup.com/go/zaBBnPc. President Lynn will be sending out a separate email. Island Rec Center - Frank Soule is our speaker at the October 6 meeting. At that time we will be presenting him a check towards our commitment to the Center. Stay tuned as we may meet at the Rec Center on that day. Sergeant at Arms, Suzi Oliver collected Happy $$. Reminder that our Happy $$ contributions go to CART. Discussion on the need to raise funds. Looking for ideas from all The board has discussed and feels that in these times a raffle works well. Kristin Keller reported that last year our raffle raised $10,000. This year want to do a couple raffles. This year sill have a longer time to sell the tickets and want to have social media sales as well. Can't do trips, so a cash raffle works better. Jim Keith suggested to encourage the Rec Center to participate in selling tickets since they are the recipient. Also a possibility to get sponsors for the raffle, but need to figure out what value we can give to the sponsors - like a commercial on facebook or instagram. Other suggestions included a golf fund raiser and a virtual event (similar to the triathalon done by Memory Matters where they raised $25,000) Filling in for the speaker, Suzi Oliver presented a history of Rotary International. Suzi presented many interesting personal facts about Paul Harris, like he lived with his grand parents and his grand father was a great influence on his life. Did you know that Paul met a woman on a hike and eventually married her? He also had many occupations prior to the one we are all familiar with. The first meeting was held February 23, 1905 and in 1907 the first service project - a public comfort station. In 1910 PH met his wife, 1911, the motto "Service Above Self" was introduced. By 1912 there were 50 clubs and growing. In 1914 spouses could participate in the "Rotary Anns" because women were not allowed in Rotary until 1987. 1932 the Four Way Test was introduced, Friendship trees was started and the Rotary wheel was amended. There were 5,000 clubs in 1939. Did you know that on July 20, 1969 The Four Way Test was planted on the moon? Great presentation of Rotary trivia - thanks Suzi. |
Meeting Notes, September 8, 2020President Lynn King called the HYBRID meeting to order at the Palmera Inn & Suites Kevin Courtney offered the prayer and led the pledge to the flag Area 4 Assistant Governor, Dot Jeger was on hand to present the District Grant check to the Club. photo credit Barry Davis Assistant treasurer Jim Keith accepted the check which will be used to repay the club for a portion of the monies spent on the Rotary Relief Project. Member Greg Wynn had suggested the project, to establish a Rotary Relief Fund, which allowed us to provide gift cards from Piggly Wiggly to those in need because of COVID-19. John Farrenkopf administered the project. District grants are funded by money which is donated to The Rotary Foundation and some of which comes back to the District three years later. Sergeant at Arms, Suzi Oliver collected Happy $$ President Lynn encouraged attendees to look around, see who is missing and to reach out to them to encourage them to attend meetings. Speaker: Suzi Oliver introduced our speakers - Lynn and Cele Seldon. photo credit Barry Davis The Seldons, Lynn and Cele are travel journalists and have been for over 25 years. Their books "100 Things to do in Charleston Before You Die" and "100 Things to do in Savannah Before You Die" are guides to our closest cities. They have traveled to seven continents and focus primarily (but not exclusively) on culinary travel and cruise ship travel in the Southeast, Mid-Atlantic, Alaska, Europe and cruise ship destinations. They love what they do. Lynn developed an interest in travel and writing about it 32 years ago while in the Army in Germany. He began writing for the Stars & Stripes. He writes for newspapers, magazines, including Southern Living. Cele joined Lynn in the business 19 years ago after leaving a corporate job at AT&T. They both write and edit and Cele also does marketing and research. The second edition of "100 things to do in Charleston Before You Die" came out in March 2020 and contains many updates. The Charleston and Savannah book are broken down into five sections: Sports and Recreation; Food and Drink; Music and Entertainment; Culture; Fashion and Shopping. Lynn writes fiction now, having been mentored by Pat Conroy. His first novel, written in 2014 is "Virginia's Ring". They gave tips on touring during these COVID-19 times, with suggesting that it is best to call ahead to see if venues are open, rules and times of operation, outdoor activities are good like Savannah Wildlife. Most of Savannah restaurants are open in some way. Their favorite restaurant in Savannah is The Grey, with Squirrels having the best pizza in the southeast. They may do a book on Hilton Head Island and surrounding area including Bluffton and Daufuski Island. You can visit their website at: SeldonInk.com |
Meeting Notes, September 1, 2020President Lynn King called the meeting to order. Announcements: Creighton Stuckart has confirmed a trash pick up partnering with Outside Hilton Head at Pinckney Island. This great opportunity to participate in a service project will take place on September 13. Watch for more information . Cory Maphrus is going to check on opportunities to clean up the school campus Rotary ROCS will be held on the morning of Saturday September 26. Watch for more information and sign up for a great way to help the community. There were $45 of Happy Dollars collected. Speaker: Suzi Oliver introduced our speaker Senator Tom Davis. Senator Davis resides in Beaufort. He graduated from Furman in 1982 Magna Cum Laude and the University of Maryland School of Law in 1985. He was elected state senator in 2008 and to a second and third four year term. He is married and has three children. This was the first in-person speech that Senator Davis has given since March. He left general session in March. A budget wasn't passed in May, but on September 15 the budget will be debated. The last six years he has been advocating for the use of medical marijuana. He spoke of the use of a strain of cannabis, Charlottes Web and its efficacy with epileptic seizures. In 2014 he drafted a bill which opened the door to use cannabis to epileptic patients. He also explained how its use affects the body and addresses the underlying causes of the illness. He is following up on the 2014 bill , focusing on the medical conditions that it helps. It is a challenge because South Carolina is a conservative state. The bill likely will wait until January. There are thirty four states that have authorized medical cannabis. Senator Davis believes that in addition to epilepsy, PTSD is another medical condition that would derive benefit from it. Hopes are that South Carolina can be a model for other state in this area. The Corona Virus has evolved over the last six months. Ever since March Senator Davis has been involved with the COVID committee. Starting in ernest in June there have been twelve mass testing events. Some held by DHEC, others by local hospitals. The average people tested at a single event is 750 to 1,000. A new testing method has been very promising- a saliva test. USC tests large amounts of students a day and this method has proven to be reliable and results are gotten quickly. The state is looking at the success of USC and are going to take this testing all over the state. Testing serves: 1. Want to have schools open. By ramping up with the saliva test this will help this goal. 2. It is important for businesses. There is a fear that they will be sued, liability insurance doesn't cover pandemics. The easy saliva tests allow them to test employees getting results quickly, able to isolate employees and protect the business. 3. It also helps keep the demand down for hospital beds and buys time until a vaccine is developed. He also briefly spoke of the 278 bridge project and its financing and benefits for the area. Hurricane evacuation is another area that special considerations may have to be taken because of COVID Senator Davis does not see South Carolina going to a mass mail in election. He believes it will be safe for all to vote in person on election day, but for those that wish and have reason, can use the absentee ballot method. Last May, COVID =19 was added as a reason to request and absentee ballot and he believes it will also be a valid reason for the November election. Absentee ballot requires request, identity and witness so it is safer that mail in ballots which are sent out to all. We do not have the infrastructure in place to handle mail in voting. A suggestion was to have extended time available at the polls on election day (or days) which may be something to consider. |
Meeting Notes, August 25, 2020DISTRICT GOVERNOR VISIT Meeting was a HYBRID meeting with the District Governor, Assistant Governor, and some members attending on ZOOM while other members (10) attended in person at the Palmera Inn & Suites. President Lynn King presided over the meeting. She announced that USCB will not be having guests on campus at least to October 1. We will continue to meet at Palmera Inn & Suites, which has worked well and all that have met there like it. Our appreciation to Palmera Inn & Suites. Lynn introduced Assistant Governor Dot Jeger. AG Dot introduced District Governor Pauline Levesque who is a member of the Rotary Club of Myrtle Beach. She has been a Rotarian for over 30 years with an impressive Rotary bio. Pauline talked about the long term goals of Rotary International, strategic plan and mission statement. She said that RI President Holger Knaack emphasizes that the clubs need to "increase our ability to adapt" in this current world situation. The challenge of attracting and bringing in new members and thoughts of moving to new types of meetings, as well as how to adapt for people's work schedules. New types of meetings - like HYBRID ZOOM are popular. Another aspect is how to be creative with fundraising. There is a new club - a ZOOM club. She emphasized the need to review a strategic plan. The District has taken steps to try to keep Rotarians engaged by creating CWRAP meetings every Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Wednesday is the district all club meeting where all are welcome to attend. Third Thursday is Happy Hour with no formal program, just an opportunity to meet other Rotarians to chat and connect with them. This year is the "Year of Millions" - three different focuses 1. Meal packing - "feed 10 million" - Last year Zone 33 (we are in Zone 33) exceeded 10 million meals and that is our goal. Bob Gross will help clubs quantify what they are doing - for their own benefit and to qualify for grants. Pauline is asking every club to do a "blessing box" project. This is something that the community can also join in and support. Visit the town to find out a good place to place one. The Foundation turned around a distribution of 25 million for COVID. Jennifer Jones did a marathon and raised $600,000. Our area submitted for a grant for $25,000 which was divided among several worthly charitable organizations. The need for food is great. 2. Polio exceeded $1,000,000. Polio vaccine distribution was impacted by the pandemic, but they will be back soon. 3. Million Dollar Campaign - emphasis on raising a million dollars through contributions made by individuals who want to leave a legacy by supporting the Rotary Foundation. There are various levels of giving that qualify Rotarians to join this campaign. It can be through major gifts giving or benefactor gifts. Contact PDG Bernie Riedel for specifics. DG Pauline spoke about the Paul Allen Ten Star program. Paul passed away this past year, a great Rotarian with a heart for membership. There are 22 items that are required to be a Ten Star Rotarian. There was to be a video, however it will be emailed out. Pauline emphasized the need to develop a strategy to deal with COVID-19. "Rotary Opens Opportunities". Pauline referred to this year's logo. Doors open the first time you are asked to join Rotary. It is our job to keep the doors open. Opportunities to help neighbors and invite others to join. Every time you help someone else you open the door for them. Think about your own personal walk through the doors and how to help others. DG Pauline, while attending club meetings via ZOOM for the time being, hopes to visit all the clubs in the district in 2021 between April and June. The Club will meet next week - September 1 speaker is Senator Tom Davis- and weekly thereafter until further notice. Meetings will be HYBRID with ZOOM and Palmera Inn & Suites being the meeting place. |
Member Jon Eggert -in the newsAt the August 11 meeting, member Jon Eggert shared with the club that he was married on August 1. That in itself is not such an unusual announcement, but the fact that the wedding date had to be changed so many times is. Theirs is an amazing story that the Island Packet has documented. Four wedding dates, changes that all were things beyond Jon and his lovely bride Shannon's control, but success at last! Check out the great story - https://www.islandpacket.com/news/local/news-columns-blogs/untamed-lowcountry/article244927487.html Congratulations and best wishes to the newly weds, Jon and Shannon Eggert
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Meeting Notes, August 11, 2020The Tuesday August 11, 2020 meeting was held at Palmera Inn & Suites. A HYBRID meeting, there were 13 plus speaker in attendance at the Inn and 8 members on Zoom. The meeting was called to order by President Lynn King at 8:06 Kevin Courtney offered the prayer and led the pledge to the flag Announcements: Still on hold with USCB. We will continue to meet at Palmera Inn & Suites for the time being There will be NO MEETING next week - August 18. The following week, August 25 we will meet and the District Governor Pauline Levesque will be visiting us via Zoom. Please plan on attending on August 25 to hear the District Governor's message. The website has been updated with speakers through September. We have some interesting programs coming up that you won't want to miss. Happy $$ returns - We had great participation from both those attending the meeting in person and members on Zoom. Monies raised by Happy $$ benefits CART. Speaker: Suzi Oliver introduced our speaker Tom Dunn. Tom is Emergency Management Coordinator of the Town of Hilton Head Island. He covered two aspects of the town's current challenges: the 2020 Hurricane Season and COVID-19. Hurricane Season - he gave the statistics from last year. Named storms forcast - 14, actual 18 Major storms forcast - 2, actual 3. He uses forcasts from the National Hurricane center as well as from Colorado State which he feels is more accurate. This years predictions have already been increased and anticipation is that it will be an active year. The categories of hurricanes which all are familiar with only apply to wind and does not cover potential water involvement. Tom shared a storm surge graphic. The EOC hiarchy structure puts the town of HH EOC at the bottom of the chain under State EOC and Beaufort County EOC. COVID-19 Primary EOC under renovation, held virtual meetings, opened alternate EOC on March 17, Closed alternate EOC on May 11, Recovery plan activate on May 4, Recovery Action Plan August 2, Dispatch Occupying EOC until 8/11. EOC is back and fully functional. The four areas of EOC are: Operation, planning, logistics, and finance The plans section: for hurricanes, have a daily plan - EVERY DAY they plan for the next day. For COVID-19 plan weekly The Logistics section - already have a lot in place because of previous hurricane experience. For COVID-19, 5 - 6 people spent every day to try to find the masks, gowns, gloves, etc. that were anticipated to be needed. Safety in the fire station: Screening process and temp checks; Screen, temp checks, boot covers, and masks for contrators; no visitors; no boots in station; removed personal laundry; wear masks in the station Safety on calls: response changes; develop PPE use guidance; negative pressure for ambulance (use when nebulizer in use); Guides and videos of PPE and new equipment use; shower trailer at the hospital; maintaining PPE levels; Support at community testing: There were five events that were supported which took place at HH middle school, Lady's Island, and Bluffton. Events were logistically heavy. You can watch EOC meetings on You tube He also talked about the app - Pulse Point Learn CPR and get the app EOC has gotten several designations: Storm Ready; Tsunami Ready; and Hurricane Strong Members had many good questions for Tom Time it takes to get COVID test result back - varies from 48 hours to 4 days depending on the surge of testing How are results given - negative - text, postive - phone call Hurricane activity is cyclical. Thank you Tom Dunn for an informative and timely presentation Next meeting - August 25, District 7770 Governor Pauline Levesque visit |
VLR August 2020 MeetingsAUGUST MEETINGS: There will be two HYBRID meetings during August. Please attend in person - at Palmera Inn & Suites on Tuesday August 11 and Tuesday August 25 OR attend via ZOOM (Greg Wynn has furnished the ZOOM link) There will be a speaker (TBA) for August 11 and August 25 is the District Governor Visit. DG Pauline Levesque will "visit" on August 25 and you will not want to miss the meeting. There are more Rotary opportunities via ZOOM with every Wednesday being a district all club meeting, always with a great speaker and Mondays and Fridays CWRAP meetings. Check your email for communications from Mary Gasque to connect to these meetings. Apologies that we haven't had photos included in the newsletters. There is a problem interfacing with the software which causes the images to be displayed in a rotated position. As soon as that is all resolved, there will be a special newsletter including all the images that you have missed. Thanks for your patience. See you at the August meetings. |
Meeting July 28, 2020July 28 meeting was held at Palmera Inn & Suites at 8:00 am. It was a HYBRID meeting with 13 members attending in person and 10 members attending via ZOOM. President Lynn King called the meeting to order. Kevin Courtney offered the prayer and led the pledge to the flag. Announcements: USCB - awaiting more information - still operating that the first Tuesday after Labor Day will be the earliest we can meet there. Suzi Oliver stated that the school is doing a 1/3 rule and that it is not looking good to get back to USCB, might just do coffee. President Lynn asked Dave Pierce to update us on what he has been doing. He moved a month ago from Palmetto Hall to the Cypress. Good to see you Dave. PHF Presentation - Foundation Chair, Greg Wynn recognized Dick Storm by presenting him with his Paul Harris Fellow +3. Thank you, Dick for your support of our charity, the Rotary Foundation. Dick offered a few comments. Speaker This morning's speaker was Assistant Town Manager Josh Gruber. The first time he spoke to us he talked about the 278 corridor. He began by updating us on this project. It is a $240,000,000 project which covers the area between Moss Creek to Squire Pope Road. It is now fully funded with $120 million state grant approved; $80 million local; and $40 million SC DOT. They are still in the middle of looking at the area it will be going. DOT and contractors have narrowed it down to a preferred alternative and will present it to Town Council then there will be opportunity to comment. A third party is being considered to do a peer review and want to confirm that it is the best alternative. Being fully funded has the advantage that we can apply for Federal funding. The Town's continued response to COVID-19 - Still in Phase 2. The Town is open for business but must have an appointment. There is concern about large groups gathering so no Special Events are being approved. The CDC does not recommend groups larger than 10. Coligny Celebrations Park is on time and on budget. Since large gatherings are not approved, there will be a soft opening (beginning of October) and the public will be able to start to use it. The playground and rest rooms will be the first to open. Operating under emergency ordinance, and Beaufort Country being labeled a "high transmission" area, the mask ordinance will probably be extended another 60 days. School is scheduled to start September 8 to buy time for the numbers to go down. If going to do virtual schooling it will be different. It will be much more like a virtual class room, more organized. Challenge is that not all students have internet access. The majority of the island has high speed, but rural areas do not. The Town is finishing Comprehensive Plan - projects for the next ten years - will set the tone for the the island. The value of real property is going up, business license revenue is expected to go down, and probably have a 5% impact. Won't know the impact of current conditions on business until business licenses come up for renewal. Fourteen restaurants have closed between March and now, however there is more spending at grocery stores. According to DHEC, while there are significant increases in positive cases of COVID, there is not that large an increase in hospitalization. Hurricane season - it is a significant challenge to plan to a possible storm/evacuation. The closest shelter when leaving is in Jasper County and it will not be able to take as many people. |
VLR Newsletter July 21, 2020BACK TO BIZ First Meeting of 2020-2021 Rotary Year was held at Palmera Inn & Suites at 8:00 am. with a grab and go breakfast and Starbucks coffee. It was a HYBRID meeting with 11 people attending in person and 9 members on Zoom. President Lynn King called the meeting to order. A prayer and pledge to the flag opened the meeting. Announcements: USCB our normal meeting venue will not be available until after Labor Day. The first time we may be able to meet there would be the first tuesday after Labor Day. The board will convene next week so we will know more then. Sonny Huntley provided comments about the recent Scholarship process. This year being different since interviews were conducted via internet. There were five wonderful, poised, smart, thoughtful students who applied (all girls). The recipient, Olivia Waters is a great choice. Initially there were three applicants (ironically Olivia was the first) and then the deadline was extended and we got two more. Olivia is going to go to USC. One scholarship winner (last year) is not going back to school. President Lynn thanked those who worked on the scholarship committee for their excellent work: Bev James, Lauri Davis, and Sonny Huntley. Kristin Keller gave an update on the auction. Question was posed if there would be a second auction. No, there is not enough to auction and this is possibly not the right time to have one. Lynn reported that all the clubs are being faced with fundraising challenges because of the current situation. Membership is another area that is challenged by the times. Jon Eggert is going to be the membership chair this year. Assistant Governor Dot Jeger, a member of the Bluffton Rotary Club, was on hand to induct the officers and board for this year She inducted President Lynn King first. Lynn then introduced the rest of the officers and directors. The are: President Elect - Kristin Keller; Past President-Steve Stauffer; Treasurer- John Farrenkopf; Asst. Treasurer - Jim Keith; Secretary - Nancy Riedel; Foundation Chair - Greg Wynn; Membership Chair - Jon Eggert; Directors - Cory Malphrus, Creighton Stuckart, Jacob Hunt; Sergeant at Arms - Suzi Oliver. Next step will be to convene as a board and get committees together. Lynn thanked John Farrenkopt for his work on the Rotary Relief Fund - final figure $14,500. We still can accept donations for this cause. Thanks also to Greg Wynn who was also involved and delivered the gift cards to Deep Well. Thanks also Greg for setting up the Zoom meetings. Don't forget about the District's weekly "all club" Zoom meetings which are on Wednesdays at noon. Also you won't want to miss some of the great speakers at the CWRAP meetings on Monday and Friday at 11:00. Speakers for the rest of July are: July 27 - Deborah DePaoli, Save the Children Action Network; July 29 - PDG Tiffany Erwin, Rotary Geek; July 31 - Ahmad Elzoghby, Cross Egypt Challenge. See y'all Tuesday July 28, with Speaker Josh Gruber, Asst. Town Manager and VLR member with Town Talk updates. This will be a HYBRID meeting so look for Zoom info if that is your preferred mode of attendance. |
Newsletter June 30, 2020TUESDAY JUNE 30, 2020 - ZOOM MEETING - "WHAT'S UP, VLR?" President Lynn King opened the meeting. Members observed a few moments of silent meditation followed by the pledge to the flag, led by Sonny Huntley Lynn thanked those who are rotating off the board - Julie Camp-Tome, Chuck Wiseman, Jim Dixon and Alicia Powell Bev James announced the scholarship winner - a very deserving student, Olivia Waters. Sonny and Bev conducted the interview process. John Farrenkopf, Treasurer, reported that a total of $14,500 in gift cards were given to Deep Well for distribution. The cards which are for food purchases are a result of out Rotary Relief fund raiser and the District 7770 Covid-19 Grant. While we have not been meeting, leadership have been busy closing out the old year and preparing for the new Rotary year starting July 1. Some have attended Zoom or virtual training sessions. Our club has completed the child protection form making sure all our members are approved to work with children. The Area4 Presidents met four weeks ago to discuss plans. Sunset is the only club that has been able to meet in person, with the other club's having difficulties because of our venues. The concept of "hybrid" meetings has been developed, where those who wish, meet at a designated venue and the meeting is also available on Zoom. USCB is not going to open the campus until the last week in August. When our meetings do resume, breakfast will not be served as a buffet. Options are still being discussed. Save the date - July 14 we will have a Hybrid meeting. New officers and board will be inducted. More details to follow Currently District attendance requirements are waived. Each Wednesday the District will have an "all club" Rotary meeting in place of the normally scheduled C-Wrap. This is for any clubs that are not currently meeting in person or virtually on a regular basis. You should get email notice of C-Wraps (Monday and Friday are still regular C-Wrap meetings) with directions how to link in. District Governor Pauline Levesque (2020-2021) will begin the new year by making her club visits via Zoom. She still wants to visit each club personally and will do so as soon as it becomes safer. About 20 members were in attendance at our "What's Up, VLR" meeting and shared updates on what is happening with them. Bottom line, it was great to see so many and hope that we can get back to normal soon! |
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UPDATE ON RE-INSTITUTING WEEKLY MEETINGSVan Landingham Rotary Club enjoys a beautiful venue for our weekly meetings. Since January 2020, our breakfast meetings each Tuesday morning at 8:00 AM have been held at the USCB-HHI campus, One Sandshark Drive, just off Pope Avenue. on the Island's southend. The hospitality shown to our Club by the leadership at USCB-HHI has been heartwarming and their efforts to put forth outstanding food and beverage service have been most welcomed by our members. However, COVID-19 has caused our meetings to be suspended since the middle of March. In addition to the guidelines for public safety set forth by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), DHEC (Dept of Health and Environmental Control) and regional and local leaders, public gathering were suspended and as of June 1 parameters still exist with regards to safe public distancing and public gatherings. In addition, the University of South Carolina system is still working to establish when their campuses, including USCB-HHI, will re-open to the public. We hope to have some guidance and information to be able to make decisions in June with regards to reviving our weekly meetings to coincide with the NEW Rotary year 2020-2021 which begins July 1st. Stay tuned and until then - stay safe and Be Smart - Stay Six Feet Apart! |
VAN LANDINGHAM ROTARY MEETING SITEVan Landingham Rotary Club enjoys a beautiful venue for our weekly meetings. Since January 2020, our breakfast meetings each Tuesday morning at 8:00 AM have been held at the USCB-HHI campus, One Sandshark Drive, just off Pope Avenue. on the Island's southend. The hospitality shown to our Club by the leadership at USCB-HHI has been heartwarming and their efforts to put forth outstanding food and beverage service have been more welcomed. However, COVID-19 has caused our meetings to be suspended since the middle of March. In addition to the guidelines for public safety set forth by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), DHEC (Dept of Health and Environmental Control) and regional and local leaders, public gathering were suspended and as of June 1 parameters still exist with regards to safe public distancing and public gatherings. In addition, the University of South Carolina system is still working to establish when their campuses, including USCB-HHI, will re-open to the public. We hope to have some guidance and information to be able to make decisions in June with regards to reviving our weekly meetings to coincide with the NEW Rotary year 2020-2021 which begins July 1st. Stay tuned and until then - stay safe and Be Smart - Stay Six Feet Apart!
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Meeting Notes May 22, 2018President Ben called the off-site meeting to order at the Coastal Discovery Museum. VLR provided monies to start the Discovery Lab on the Museum property and will have a tour of the facilities after the breakfast and meeting. Otto Ferrene offered the prayer and led the pledge to the flag Announcements: Tim Ridge circulated sign up sheets for Founder's Night which will be held Saturday June 23 at Shipyard. There will be a joint board meeting (outgoing board and incoming board) on June 19th Thank you Lynn King for arranging the food for this meeting and Jennifer Stupica for arranging the room Sergeant at Arms, Chuck Wiseman collected Happy $ Speaker: Rex Garniewicz, President and CEO of the Coastal Discovery Museum was introduced by Jennifer Stupica who is an employee of the Museum. Rex gave a history of the museum which was founded in 1985 and was located at two separate locations prior to its move to Honey Horn in 2007. Honey Horn, a historical property was purchased by the town in 1990. Pictures from long ago show that there were not many trees, but much has grown up over the years. The property contained several historical buildings which have been restored. The new mission and vision of the museum is: The Coastal Discovery Museum inspires people to care for the Lowcountry. When Rex came to the museum, the "Supervisor's House" was in very bad shape. In January 2015 he provided a program to VLR which made the club aware of the needs and the desire to renovate the house, which led to VLR making a donation to help make the Discovery Lab a realization. The Discovery Lab opened September 29, 2016 right before Hurricane Matthew hit. The Lab made it through the hurricane, but Rex's house was destroyed. Access to the lab was limited for quite a while because the Honey Horn property was used to grind up the island's fallen trees and was full of large equipment. Since that time, more and more programs have been added, with the lab providing a multitude of learning experiences. The museum, in spite of being a small museum, has been named a Smithsonian Affliliate because of the unique programs that are offered, based on our island location. Rex named many of the popular programs and some of the exciting up coming summer programs. There are currently forty programs per week!! Rex gave a tour of the Discovery Lab and provided many fascinating facts. For more information about the Coastal Discovery Museum and all the wonderful features and programs that it offers, visit: www.coastaldiscovery.org |
High School Clean UpOn a recent Saturday Morning some members of the VanLandingham Rotary club gathered at Hilton Head Island High School to get the grounds in order for graduation. Rotary in action ! |
A tribute to Jennifer DeHartAlright! In case you were not in attendance last Tuesday, you missed a nice tribute to Jennifer DeHart (Leaving soon for a promotion to Fidelity's Jacksonville office. We don't want to keep you in a state of perpetual disappointment so here is a replay of the tribute. Thanks to Ronzo for editing this short video. Alrighty? |
Meeting Notes, July 18, 20178:00 Opening Bell 8:10 President Ben called the meeting to order Brian Goode offered the prayer and led the pledge President Ben announced that this is a club assembly and will be passing out sign up sheets for the various committees. Two committees need chair people - Vocational Service and International Service John Farrenkopf reported on the successful social event on July 12. Members, family and friends boarded a bus at the high school and left at 4:15 to see a Savannah Bananas game. Thanks to Ray Makalous for arranging the trip and to John Farrenkopf for arranging the refreshments en-route. All had a great time. Check out all the photos in the photo gallery on the left. Photos are courtesy of Ray Makalous, Ivan Bennett and Barry Davis. Ben handed out sign up sheets for the following committees - chair is listed following: Social - John Farrenkopf; Membership - John Carroll; Program - Chuck Wiseman; PR - Lynn King; Vocational Service - needs one; Auction - Kristen Kelly/Matt Murphy; Popcorn - David Pierce; Heritage - Alicia Taylor/Matt Murphy; Service - Maxine Parsons-Kogut; International Service - needs one; Scholarship - Ivan Bennett; Youth Programs - Ivan Bennett There is still time to volunteer for various committees, so if you didn't get a chance to sign up today, let Ben know how you would like to be involved. Sgt. at Arms Chuck Wiseman introduced visiting Rotarians, collected Happy$, and told a "bad joke of the day". He also introduced a new feature "Rotary Karaoke" featuring the voices of Ben, Jennifer, John Farrenkopf and John Meyer. Visiting Rotarians: Richard Rorschadte and Ken Nykiel Ben spoke of the good works that the VLRC has done over the past year and the fact that it has donated over $140,000 to local charities. He named many of the recipients of our efforts. Speaker Barry Davis, web master was our speaker today. He relayed to the members that our website has a new design - a clean, modern look and the reviews have been favorable. He explained how to use the email function in ClubRunner - which makes it easy for you to email any of the members. He also showed how to look at and print the club directory which is always a handy tool. All members are encouraged to login and check their profile information and make any updates as needed. If you have forgotten your password, contact Barry. |
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Friends of VLRWe would like to send our weekly bulletin to friends and visiting Rotarians, and to that end we are inviting those interested in receiving club news to provide an email address. Forms are available at the check-in desk at every meeting. You can also sign up at the bottom of the home page or click the Subscribe button at the top of each bulletin. |
Meeting Notes, July 11, 2017HAPPY NEW ROTARY YEAR! 8:00 Opening Bell 8:10 Past President Brian Neumann, filling in for Club President Ben Shelton, called the meeting to order. Nasser Shaheen offered the prayer and led the pledge. Ivan Bennett reported on the sign ups that have been gotten thus far for the Rotary Reader program. Remember that spouses are welcome to volunteer as well. If you have questions or wish to sign up see Ivan. John Carroll, who is the new membership committee chair, shared that there will be three areas of focus for the new year. They are: Recruitment; Less involved becoming more involved; and Engagement satisfaction. If you have suggestions, please contact John. Tomorrow, Wednesday July 12, is the Savannah Bananas event. It is a double header but probably will only be staying for the first game. The bus will leave at 4:15 from the baseball field at the high school. There is still time to sign up. There are 33 going, but there is room for more. Cost is $15 per person which includes tickets, snacks and transportation. Next week, Tuesday July 18 the meeting will be a Club Assembly. There is also a board meeting at night at the Hickory Tavern. Tim Ridge reported that Roger Burns fell last Friday and broke his femur. He is now at MUSC where a successful surgery was performed. Roger is up and about and in good spirits. He will be at MUSC for a few days yet before returning home. Keep him in your thoughts and prayers. New Sgt. at Arms Chuck Wiseman started off the year by introducing visiting Rotarians, announcing important milestones, collecting Happy $, and telling a "bad joke of the day". Visiting Rotarians: Dick Blankenbeher (North Little Rock); Richard Rorschadte (Kilgore TX); Jackie Minotas (Cleveland, Ohio) Birthdays: Ron Dziekan, Mike Davis, Brian Goode, Lynn King Anniversaries: Mike and Jeanette Davis Rotary Anniversaries: Neil Castelland (4), Otto Ferrene (34), Jim Rowe (34), Bob Jones (2) Speaker: Special Agent George E Graves, Jr. from the FBI Columbia Field Office was our speaker. He is a twenty one year veteran with the FBI and is assigned to the Columbia Field Office, Hilton Head Resident Agency. He is a native of New Jersey and has conducted complex white collar crime investigations, which included public corruption, bank fraud, mortgage fraud, securities fraud, health care fraud and civil rights. Special Agent Graves has investigative responsibility and Beaufort, Jasper, and Hampton Counties. An expert on fraud, Special Agent Graves began by putting $5 in Happy$ because he said these days he is happy "just to be invited anywhere". He has spent most of his career working on fraud and spoke of how technology has contributed to the crime of fraud. He gave several examples of scams, particularly related to our area, as well as some "red flags" that you should watch out for. One scam is the IRS scam - a phone call is made telling you that your taxes have not been paid and unless you pay them you will be arrested. First red flag is, the IRS would not make this accusation over the phone. They would come to your door and make the charge. Second red flag is they will tell you to make payment by using a "green dot" card. This is a card that you put money on and they will be able to get the money when you give them the number. Not traceable to them. Another red flag is if they ask for you to wire the money via Western Union - money gram. If you get a phone call from the IRS - don't panic - that is not how they do business. Another local scam which took place 2015-16 was the "jury Duty Scan". Again a phone call telling you that you missed jury duty and need to pay the fine. This particular scam was being pulled off by inmates at a correctional facility in Georgia. Several correctional officers smuggled smart phones into the inmates who then extracted real names of law enforcement and judges in the lowcountry and used this information to attempt to get payments wired to them. Many were arrested in this case and it involved hundreds of thousands of dollars. Another scam locally was an online dating scam, dubbed the "lonely heart romance scam". The perpetrator created a profile on a dating site, and for months developed a relationship with a wealthy lady. After gaining her trust, he told her about a business venture that he had needing money. He asked her to wire money to a third party (again a red flag). Several payments were made to him totally almost a half a million. After his guilt was revealed to the lady she found it difficult to believe. Realtors and lawyers are another target for scammers. A phony email page will be sent to the business, with an appealing service or something related to business. When the link to the "information" is followed, malware is introduced and the frauder captures the email and begins monitoring email traffic. Eventually will take over the account at an opportune time to change links to forward payments to. Hundreds of thousand of dollars have been scammed in this way. Always DOUBLE CHECK who the emails are coming from (every single character in the email) before following payment information. Some tips from Special Agent George Graves: Don't respond to account requests to update information Change passwords regularly When traveling, do not use kiosks to check bank account or enter other login information Be aware that skimmers often attempt to get your info when you are charging a purchase at gas pump Credit cards offer more protection than debit cards Watch for the red flags : Green dot cards, request to wire money, request to send money to third party Phone call (fraudsters use phones that cannot be tied back to them Lots of great information - be aware! |