[Nfbofsc] Positive Note 1474

[David Houck]

November 12, 2014

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

From:  Parnell Diggs, President

Positive Note 1474

Dear Fellow Federationists:

 

              The National Federation of the Blind knows that blindness is
not the characteristic which defines you or your future.  Every day, we
raise 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.  

This was the message recited by Kenisha Wilson, a member of the NFB of SC
Conway Chapter since June 28, 2014.  Already, she has learned the one-minute
message!  Congratulations to President Levern Wilson and our Conway Chapter
for working on this short message, which we are to recite verbatim when
talking to the public about the Federation.  You should learn it too.

It was a double-header day on Saturday, as I had the pleasure of attending
two chapter meetings in Horry County.  The first was the meeting of our
Grand Strand Chapter, and the second was the November Conway chapter holiday
kick-off, which is always so popular.  In the Grand Strand area, we are
making plans for the holiday season and beginning to collect State dues of
$10 per member.

Congratulations to our Grand Strand Chapter and President Terry Knox for
working on this in advance of January1.  Remember, dues should be in by
January 1 and are late if paid after January 31.  As to our Conway Chapter,
they sure know how to put on a holiday party.  Levern and his team do a
great job!  It was great to see members from across Horry County in two
meetings on the same afternoon.

Let me give you a reminder about the Christmas Board Retreat at Rocky Bottom
during the weekend of December 12 through 14.  Chapter Presidents are
requested to attend whether they are on the Board or not.  This will be the
first time all three Boards have met during the same gathering.  I am of
course talking about the Rocky Bottom Board, the State Board, and the
Federation Center Board, which became a statewide body at the first of the
year.

This will be a huge meeting in terms of planning, and we need your ideas, so
please plan to come and participate in all meetings.  We will also take time
to celebrate the Christmas season on Saturday evening with a holiday dinner
and Christmas party.

The Statewide Seminar will occur on January 31.  We have moved the Statewide
Seminar from its usual place on the first Saturday to the final Saturday of
January because of the late Board Retreat; however, we may find that we like
the new timing of the Statewide Seminar.  We will see how it goes.

Soon, we will start the process of transitioning many of our customary
mailings to the membership to email rather than hard copy.  This is because
of an obvious cost savings but also due to the way business is now
conducted.  If you would like to receive the Positive Note in hard copy
print or Braille, you may opt-in by calling the State Office and letting us
know.  If you don't mind receiving your Positive Note by email, you don't
need to do anything, and the change will occur at the beginning of 2015.
Joining me for comments in this Positive Note is the President Emeritus of
the NFB of SC.  Here is Dr. Capps.

              With Thanksgiving rapidly approaching our thoughts turn to
different Thanksgivings we have experienced over many, many years.  For
nearly 50 years I attended national board meetings over the Thanksgiving
holiday.  The first Thanksgiving board meeting I attended was in late 1959
and it was held in St. Louis. I was elected Second Vice President at the
1959 NFB Convention in Santa Fe.   Dr. Jacobus tenBroek was President at
that time and he presided over the board meetings.  This was the first time
I had flown and I didn't like flying then and I still don't enjoy flying.
Dr. tenBroek held board meetings in different cities including St. Louis,
Chicago, San Francisco and Los Angeles.  The last board meeting Dr. tenBroek
presided over was in early 1968.  This meeting was held at his residence in
Berkeley located near the campus of the University of California where he
was a Professor.  At this last meeting Dr. tenBroek was in considerable pain
as he was suffering from terminal cancer.  I marveled at his determination
and commitment to the federation.  After Dr. tenBroek died in March of 1968,
Dr. Kenneth Jernigan was the First Vice President and he assumed the
responsibilities of President.  I was Second Vice President from 1959 to
1968.  For ten years between 1968 and 1978, board meetings were held in Des
Moines as Dr. Jernigan was the Executive Director of the Iowa Commission for
the Blind for 20 years between 1958 and 1978.  I was elected First Vice
President in 1968.  Incidentally, that first plane trip in 1959 resulted in
an unforgettable experience as we arrived in St. Louis in a snowstorm and
the pilot told the passengers that there were several planes circling the
airport and that it would be some time before we could land.  In order to
attend board meetings in Des Moines we always had to change planes in
Atlanta and Chicago.  On several occasions it snowed in Des Moines during
the board meeting and sometimes we were considerably delayed in our return
flight.  For more than 30 years national board meetings have been held
during Thanksgiving in Baltimore at the National Center for the Blind.  I
served with many outstanding blind men and women at these board meetings and
my life was enriched by the experience.  I had the good fortune of serving
on the national board continuously longer than anyone else.  I still miss
participating in these annual meetings but Father Time brought this service
to a conclusion.  This is a special time as we express our gratitude for
bountiful blessings bestowed upon us.  Finally, there are not many others
left who had the wonderful experience as I did in serving under three NFB
Presidents, Dr. Jacobus tenBroek, Dr. Kenneth Jernigan and Dr. Marc Maurer.

 

Final Thought:  "Veteran's Day:  A veteran is one who serves their country
willing to sacrifice everything for love of God and country, freedom and
family; we salute their devotion and commit ourselves to preserve what they
fought for."

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