[Nfbofsc] Positive Note 1481

[David Houck]

December 31, 2014

Memo To:  Executive Officers, Board Members, Chapter & Division Presidents &
Others

From:  Parnell Diggs, President

Positive Note 1481

Dear Fellow Federationists:

 

              Today, we come to the end of 2014 and look ahead to a shiny,
bright New Year.  2015 is getting off to a great start in the NFB of SC, and
I am looking forward to all of the things we will be doing together to help
blind people live the life they want in this big program of work with the
blind.  This is a good time to handle some housekeeping matters, as we move
into 2015.

For example, we need to be working on our $1 bus tickets.  For those of you
who are new to the movement, we use the bus ticket proceeds to pay for our
chartered bus to the National Convention.  We collect proceeds through the
sale of $1 tickets and conduct a drawing at the Statewide Seminar, which
will occur on January 31 in 2015.

The seller of the winning ticket will receive $300, the buyer of the winning
ticket will also receive $300, and the chapter which sells the most tickets
will receive $300.  The remainder will be held in a bank account to help
cover the cost of a chartered bus to Orlando.  We are also offering seats on
the chartered bus for those interested in traveling to Orlando on the
chartered bus at a cost of $70 per seat.

Bus tickets have been mailed to all of the chapters so you should be working
on this now.  Please let us know if you want more tickets, and please don't
wait until the last minute.  We have some additional time this year to sell
our tickets, and as I always say, if we sold enough tickets, the cost of a
seat on the chartered bus would be much less than $70.

We have begun receiving dues from some chapters, but we need to hear from
others.  Annual state dues are a very affordable $10 per member.  This is
also an excellent time to update your chapter rolls and tell us about the
contact information for your members.  Remember that state dues are late if
they are not in by January 1, and your membership is not in good standing if
not paid by January 31.

We are putting the Statewide Seminar program together, and I invite you to
make suggestions about program items.  If you would like to make a
presentation, or you believe someone would add something meaningful to the
Seminar, please get in touch with me.  I look forward to hearing your
suggestions.

We have been running an auction during the Statewide Seminar for the past
few years to raise funds for the Federation Center, and I am inclined to do
so again in 2015.  It would be wonderful if we could gather enough items to
auction something off between each presentation.  Please give this some
thought and try to come up with something great!  This will help the
Federation Center get 2015 off to a fabulous start.

Now, let me wish you a very happy and prosperous New Year.  I hope that 2015
will be the best year you have ever been a part of.  We are going to begin
2015 with a bang with hotel reservations for the 75th Annual Convention in
store and a great Statewide Seminar in January.  Let's build on the momentum
we ended 2014 with and propel ourselves to new levels of greatness and
achievement in the year to come!

The National Federation of the Blind knows that blindness is not the
characteristic which defines you or your future.  Every day, we raise the
expectations of blind people because low expectations create obstacles
between blind people and our dreams.  You can live the life you want:
blindness is not what holds you back.  Joining me for comments in this
Positive Note is the President Emeritus of the NFB of SC.  Here is Dr.
Capps.

              South Carolina has lost an outstanding statesman as Governor
James B. Edwards passed away on Friday, December 26.  I'm sharing the letter
we received from Governor Edwards during our 50th anniversary celebration in
1994.  "August 24, 1994   Dear Donald:  Thank you for the 50th anniversary
publication Under the Apple Tree.  Let me take this opportunity, personally
and on behalf of the Medical University of South Carolina, to congratulate
you on a job well done.  We certainly appreciate the historical perspective
of this wonderful publication.  You are to be congratulated on your
leadership of this fine organization.  Your kind words to me are also
appreciated.  Best wishes and keep up the good work.  Sincerely, James B.
Edwards, D.M.D., President."  Ironically, when Governor Edwards was in
office between 1975-1979, I received a call from a staff member that the
Governor wanted to meet with me.  During the meeting Gov. Edwards stated
that it was his understanding I was involved in a vendetta against the then
Commissioner of the Commission for the Blind.  I responded it was my
understanding he was involved in a vendetta against the head of another
state agency.  He stated that was different.  I responded with courtesy that
it was a bit different only in the sense that he was representing the Office
of the Governor in this matter and I was representing the blind of the
state.  The meeting ended on a friendly note.  Gov. Edwards supported the
several bills the NFB of SC sponsored during the 1970's.  As state President
I had the privilege of working with different governors for a half century
dating back to 1957 when Gov. Timmerman furnished us a letter of endorsement
for the first White Cane Week mailing which incidentally netted us a profit
of $1,000 on a limited mailing.  We worked closely with Gov. McNair
including participation in the signing ceremony on May 6, 1966 on the Bill
creating the Commission for the Blind.  The pen used by Governor McNair to
sign the Commission Bill was given to us by the Governor and is now
prominently displayed in the Legislative Hall of Fame.  Subsequently, the
governor appointed the three persons to the Commission for the Blind
governing board we recommended and this was important as the then candidates
for the Commissioner's position was based on a three to two vote.  When
Betty and I were honored in 2003 for 50 years of service to the blind, Gov.
McNair was present.  In 1981, Gov. Richard Riley appointed me to the Board
of Commissioners of the SC School for the Deaf and the Blind.  I served some
25 years on this board.  When Gov. Riley was Secretary of the US Department
of Education, Jim Gashel and I met with him and he agreed to withdraw
support by the Department in the NAC (National Accreditation Council)
matter.  In July of 1991 Gov. Carroll Campbell was the keynote speaker for
the dedication of the Conference Center at Rocky Bottom Retreat and
Conference Center of the Blind.  Five hundred persons filled all available
space in the dining hall during the dedication of this beautiful facility.
In Gov. Campbell's address he compared the origin and growth of RBRCCB to
that of an acorn which subsequently becomes a tall oak tree.  While our
overall relationship with different governors was exceptionally positive,
there were times we were not in agreement with legislative initiatives.
When restructuring of state agencies was a priority, governors who served
during that time supported restructuring and the NFB of SC gallantly opposed
restructuring of the Commission for the Blind which was in the best interest
of the blind.  Gov. Jim Hodges supported restructuring but he was kind
enough to confer the Order of the Palmetto upon me and the Order of the
Silver Crescent upon Betty during the 2000 state convention when I stepped
down as state President.  We are grateful for the opportunities we had to
work with different governors as this is reflected in the some 40 bills
signed into law in the NFB of SC's Legislative Hall of Fame located in the
board room of the Federation Center of the Blind.  Happy New Year to
everyone!

Final Thought:  "Consider 2014:  What were our strengths and accomplishments
and in what areas did we fall short.  Consider 2015:  How do we use our
strengths and accomplishments to overcome where we fall short."

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