April 29, 2007

TEACHER OF YEAR/HONOR ROLL TEACHERS

April 24, 2007: Our program focused on education support began with the recognition of the outstanding students of the previous three months from Fraser Middle School. It was a bittersweet moment when Dr. Maria Goodloe-Johnson introduced the Honor Roll teachers and the Teacher of the Year since it may have been the last time she will address us before leaving for her new assignment in Seattle. Not only will the members of our club, but all of Charleston County, especially the students and staff, will truly miss her compassion and competence.

The 2007 Honor Roll Teachers are Tara Mande from Stono Park Elementary, Deanna Mozingo from Mt. Pleasant Academy, Katherine L. Pyle from St. Andrew's School of Math and Science, and Rebecca Sue Kutcher, the runner up for teacher the year from Cairo Middle School. Teacher of the Year is Ms. Cassie Norvell, a K-2 Multiage Teacher from Jennie Moore Elementary School. The award recognizes her innovation and implementation of multiage classes, so young children can learn at their own pace, in their own style, and at their own developmental level. She is also a teacher leader of first-year teachers and works to reduce the gap between non-Title I schools and Title I schools.

Ms. Norvell shared her unique and innovative way of learning using active projects tying all subjects together. The Art Project connected all aspects of Art including history, painter, museum, and finally owner who appreciates the art. Students created their own work of art and displayed it at an art show for the parents.

The Shoe Project made learning both practical and fun. After learning the history of shoes the class actually designed a pair of shoes, visited a shoe store, and interviewed the shoe store manager. They applied for jobs in their "class shoe store" where they got to sell shoes, write up tickets, and participate in all of the aspects of a retail operation. The Weather Project connected weather forecasting and safety precautions culminating in students presenting a weather broadcast for their parents.

This is just an example of the innovation of talented teachers in the District such as Ms. Norvell. Her contributions extend far beyond the classroom to the entire county education system and all deserves our thanks.

Reported by Wayne Outlaw, Keyway Committee

April 22, 2007

Charleston area women in the lead

April 17, 2007: Today we were privileged to hear from one of our own, Jennet
Alterman, Executive Director of the Center for Women in the Charleston area. Jennet brought great experience to her position six years ago being a broadcast journalist and a member of the Peace Corp. In her presentation she gave us dazzling statistics about where women have been, where they now are, and where they are going.

· 27% of all households are single women

· In 55% of all households women contribute half or more of the income

· Since the 70's men's salaries have increased but 1%, while women's have increased
by 63% [they, of course, were way behind]

· Woman are a driving force in the economy in that:

- They buy 66% of all personal computers
- They buy 55% of all consumer electronics
- They contribute to 80% of all car sales
- They purchase 80% of all ride on lawn mowers.

In South Carolina there are 93,000 firms owned by women who have 11 billion dollars in sales. This state also ranks 13th in the nation in the growth of women in business.

· Women in Charleston County own 10% of the states businesses.
· BUT, overall women's salaries average 70% of their male counterparts.

ACTION RECOMMENDED BY Executive Director Alterman:

1. Support women owned small businesses.
2. Support efforts to achieve wage equality between the sexes.

Wage inequities include great deficiencies in medical insurance coverage for women workers and their children. Society must face up to the fact that women, in addition to working, are the chief caregivers of both children and their elders. Business leaders must plan for flexible schedules to meet the needs of women.

Reported by Fred Sales, Keyway Committee

April 15, 2007

SPAWAR: Vital to Our Troops and Our Economy

April 10, 2007: Today Rotarians learned more about SPAWAR from its Executive Director, James Ward. SPAWAR, which stands for Space and Naval Warfare Systems Center, provides Command, Control, Communications, Computers, Intelligence and Reconnaissance (C4ISR) solutions to naval, joint, and federal customers.

According to a recent study of the Charleston economy performed by Angelou Economics, Advanced Security was targeted as a market that the region should pursue for economic development. SPAWAR is a shining example of how advanced security naturally complements our economic efforts since the closure of the Navy Base. The military still has a huge presence in our community, and SPAWAR assists our troops by "meeting the changing needs of the warfighter" with information technology to create combat-ready naval and joint forces.

Ward prides his organization on its signature strengths, which include competency, business acumen, innovation, agility, and speed to capability. He is especially proud of his employees' ability to provide these strengths with limited resources, which he says stimulates innovation. In fact, SPAWAR receives no money from Congress, but is structured much like a not-for-profit business and runs on a $100 million budget. Most of SPAWAR's employees have an engineering- or computer-related degree: 250 have Masters-level degrees and 15 have Ph.D.'s. These employees are expected to invest in understanding their clients; this is how SPAWAR adds value because they now have a relevancy to their military clientele that allows the employees to really understand the needs of the warfighter in the field.

Some of the innovative ideas that SPAWAR has provided to the warfighter include an inflatable antenna which is much lighter than its predecessor, thus saving the troops from carrying heavy equipment through the battlefield. The invention has proved so popular that the "kid" who invented it (as Ward affectionately called him) was recently selected as one of the Top 25 Scientists/Engineers in the U.S.

Another SPAWAR product is the up-armored High Mobility Multi-Purpose Wheeled Vehicle (HMMWV) which comes out of Charleston. Ward stated that Charleston has the capability to become the leader in vehicle integration for the nation. Not only does SPAWAR provide these integrated vehicles to the warfighter, but those responsible for the HMMWVs also send a personal note and care package to each driver of the vehicle. This has gone a long way with the troops, and Ward beams as he shares the letters of gratitude from those stationed overseas.

Ward was also excited to share SPAWAR's new "Purple Heart Professional" program, which will employ someone who has come back from combat injured and use their competency toward a meaningful career at SPAWAR. SPAWAR is fully-equipped to accommodate someone with disabilities, so this will allow someone to continue to serve their country although they are not able to be deployed into combat. The first candidate begins this month!

The economic impact of SPAWAR on the Charleston economy is close to $1 billion, but as we heard from James Ward, the intellectual capital generated is what is of most value to our region. We are proud to have such a tremendous organization call Charleston home, and it sounds like they will be here to stay if James Ward has his way!

Submitted by Amy Riley, Keyway Committee
SPAWAR: Vital to Our Troops and Our Economy

April 10, 2007: Today Rotarians learned more about SPAWAR from its Executive Director, James Ward. SPAWAR, which stands for Space and Naval Warfare Systems Center, provides Command, Control, Communications, Computers, Intelligence and Reconnaissance (C4ISR) solutions to naval, joint, and federal customers.

According to a recent study of the Charleston economy performed by Angelou Economics, Advanced Security was targeted as a market that the region should pursue for economic development. SPAWAR is a shining example of how advanced security naturally complements our economic efforts since the closure of the Navy Base. The military still has a huge presence in our community, and SPAWAR assists our troops by "meeting the changing needs of the warfighter" with information technology to create combat-ready naval and joint forces.

Ward prides his organization on its signature strengths, which include competency, business acumen, innovation, agility, and speed to capability. He is especially proud of his employees' ability to provide these strengths with limited resources, which he says stimulates innovation. In fact, SPAWAR receives no money from Congress, but is structured much like a not-for-profit business and runs on a $100 million budget. Most of SPAWAR's employees have an engineering- or computer-related degree: 250 have Masters-level degrees and 15 have Ph.D.'s. These employees are expected to invest in understanding their clients; this is how SPAWAR adds value because they now have a relevancy to their military clientele that allows the employees to really understand the needs of the warfighter in the field.

Some of the innovative ideas that SPAWAR has provided to the warfighter include an inflatable antenna which is much lighter than its predecessor, thus saving the troops from carrying heavy equipment through the battlefield. The invention has proved so popular that the "kid" who invented it (as Ward affectionately called him) was recently selected as one of the Top 25 Scientists/Engineers in the U.S.

Another SPAWAR product is the up-armored High Mobility Multi-Purpose Wheeled Vehicle (HMMWV) which comes out of Charleston. Ward stated that Charleston has the capability to become the leader in vehicle integration for the nation. Not only does SPAWAR provide these integrated vehicles to the warfighter, but those responsible for the HMMWVs also send a personal note and care package to each driver of the vehicle. This has gone a long way with the troops, and Ward beams as he shares the letters of gratitude from those stationed overseas.

Ward was also excited to share SPAWAR's new "Purple Heart Professional" program, which will employ someone who has come back from combat injured and use their competency toward a meaningful career at SPAWAR. SPAWAR is fully-equipped to accommodate someone with disabilities, so this will allow someone to continue to serve their country although they are not able to be deployed into combat. The first candidate begins this month!

The economic impact of SPAWAR on the Charleston economy is close to $1 billion, but as we heard from James Ward, the intellectual capital generated is what is of most value to our region. We are proud to have such a tremendous organization call Charleston home, and it sounds like they will be here to stay if James Ward has his way!

Submitted by Amy Riley, Keyway Committee

April 7, 2007

GSE visitors from Wales and Australia, and the Hat Ladies!

April 3, 2007: We were overwhelmed with friendly visitors at our meeting this week. The Group Study Exchange teams from both Wales and Australia visited us to brighten up our day, and the Hat Ladies made their presence known! The Wales team was composed of Mike Parry, the team leader, and team members, Edward Longbottom, Leigh Caveney, Rachel Lewis, and Amanda Aldridge. The team members represented a very diverse element, ranging from Amanda Aldridge, a psychiatric nurse from Cardiff who says she cannot cook, to Leigh Caveney, a professional working in the Housing department, who hates to iron! Rachel Lewis is a website editor and rock climber, and Edward Longbottom is a dentist from Pontllanfraith, South Wales, who also teaches martial arts. Each of the team members has been sponsored by a Rotary club in Wales. Mike Parry is a Rotarian of over 18 years, in the Rotary club of Cardiff Bay.

The team from Australia was composed of team leader Geoffrey Inman, and members Andrew Bushnell, Michael Hill, Elizabeth Gardner, and Jessica Johns. This cheerful bunch was quick to say that they hail from the state of Western Australia, which they call the best part of their country. "WA" is a whopping 965,000 square miles of diverse terrain, with a population of only 2 million people. WA. The team members all have outdoor hobbies, such as surfing, various other water sports, and equestrian sports. Geoffrey Inman is a retired police inspector, and former Rotary club President. He hails from the city of Albany, in WA.

I would be remiss not to mention our other visitors last week, the Hat Ladies! Aside from looking splendid and fashionable, this group of ladies is also committed to doing good in the community. The Hat Ladies will be having their 6th Annual Easter Promenade this year. The Hat Ladies began as women who enjoyed wearing hats. From there it evolved into a "society" of like minded women who think of themselves as fashionable ambassadors who do good. The Hat Ladies support causes such as the Center for Women, and MS. When they look good they do good! Just as they are making a difference in our community through fashionable public service, wearing hats made a positive difference to those sporting them in our audience. For more information on these fashionable ambassadors, log onto www.hatladies.org.

Submitted by Jackie G. Grau, Keyway Committee

April 1, 2007

Force Protection CEO Tommy Pruitt Visits our Rotary

March 27, 2007: If you keep up with the local papers, you know Force Protection is an organization that is growing fast. We were fortunate to have Tommy Pruitt stop by and bring us up to speed on their company, the growth they have experienced over the last few years and their future plans.

Force Protection is the manufacturer of ballistic and blast protected vehicles, which have been used to support armed forces and security personnel in Iraq, Afghanistan and other hot spots around the world. Their vehicles provide the highest level of protection against roadside bombs, land mines, IEDS (Improvised Explosive Devices) and hostile fire.

Because modern warfare has drastically changed and continues to evolve, there is an increasing need for these vehicles to protect our armed forces. The company produces three vehicle types. They are the 26 ton Buffalo (which they brought along and is pictured on page 2), the Cougar and the Cheetah. Currently, the company is producing 60 vehicles per month, by summer they expect that number to increase to 200 vehicles per month and by years end, they are predicting 400 vehicles per month.

Force Protection has gone from employing a few hundred people and net sales of $10 million in 2004 to employing over 800 people and net sales of $196.0 million at the end of 2006. Headquartered on the outskirts of Charleston, they currently have 400,000 square feet of manufacturing space with plans to have more by the end of the year.

Pruitt answered a few questions after his presentation. Some highlights are below.

How much of a blast can one of the vehicles withstand?
The most they know of is equal to about 50 tons of TNT. That doesn't mean it can't withstand more.

With Congress trying to pull troops out of Iraq by 2008, will and how will that impact the company's future growth?
The urgent need of vehicles will go down once the war is over. However, 70% of war casualties are now caused by IEDS and this method of fighting is here to stay. These vehicles are needed to protect our armed forces against the new warfare wherever there is conflict. Unfortunately, when this war ends, that doesn't mean the military can relax. It's typical that once a war ends, the US military will replenish their resources so they are prepared and ready should the need arise. So, many vehicles will still be needed long after the war ends.

When the company sells the vehicles, do they know who the end user is?
Yes, every contract goes through and is approved by the US Defense Department and State Department and the company is fully aware of who is getting each car and what part of the world it will be in.

Keeping soldiers safe is the company's number one priority, and in this era of new warfare, these vehicle are doing just that. Said by one Fore Protection employee," We can't wrap our arms around our soldiers to keep them safe, but we can wrap our metal around them."

Submitted by Darby Hand, Keyway Committee