[Nfbofsc] Positive Note 1506

[David Houck]

June 25, 2015

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

From:  Parnell Diggs, President

Positive Note 1506

Dear Fellow Federationists:

 

              I begin this Positive Note with the important message that the
Columbia Marriott only has about twenty-five rooms remaining in our room
block.  Please call to make reservations for the 2015 State Convention
during the weekend of August 21 through 23!  Reservations for the Convention
should be made directly with Marriott reservations at (800) 593-6465 or
(803) 771-7000.

Every year, I receive calls from members who ask me to step in and secure a
room for them, but I am telling you now that I will not be able to help this
time because there are other events taking place as well during the weekend
we are in town, and the hotel really will be out of rooms.  I have given you
fair notice so please get this issue taken care of if you have not already
done so.

Pre-reservation is also open.  The very affordable price of $70 per person
will give you admission to all events and cover your meals from Friday
evening dinner through Sunday morning breakfast.  Please make checks out to
the NFB of SC and send them to the State Office noting which members are
covered with each payment.

We are tweaking the menu this year, and I hope people will like it.  For a
number of years, we have enjoyed fried chicken for lunch and country fried
steak for dinner on Saturday.  Sometimes it is good to change the monotony,
and we are working toward that in 2015.  There will be a complete meal on
Friday evening and a continental breakfast in the meeting room on Saturday
and Sunday mornings.  As to lunch and dinner, it will be delicious.

For those of you attending the National Convention, I hope you are planning
to participate in the GUINNESS WORLD RECORDST Attempt On July 8 beginning at
7:00 AM.  That morning, we will be attempting to create the largest umbrella
mosaic according to the Guinness Book of World Records.  Currently, the
record is 2170 persons, and we have a larger convention than that.  Thus, we
have a chance to pull it off but we need your help.  Please visit
www.nfb.org/gwr for more information.  It is hard to believe, but this
attempt will be made two weekends from the release of this Positive Note, or
two weeks from today!

Tiffany Mitchell has asked that I let you know that our Columbia Chapter
will be selling snack items on the morning of the chartered bus trip if you
would like to purchase something before departing for Orlando.  We usually
don't mention sells items because there is not sufficient space to list each
chapter's fundraising endeavor, however, since this is related to the bus
trip, we mentioned it here.

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.

              Recently I was talking with my good friends, Marshall and Lois
Tucker and Lois told me about a valuable service available to the blind.
Here is what Lois said, "Rick Duvall, the son-in-law of Marshall Tucker,
began some years ago to share with the Tuckers weekly sale ads from the
grocery store where they shopped.  After doing this service for some time,
it was suggested that Rick share this information with the blind statewide.
About three years ago, he began to share these weekly sale ads with Vicki
Phillips who in turn would email them on the NFB of SC list serve.  Today,
Vicki sends out weekly grocery store sale advertisements from four major
South Carolina grocery store chains.  These are emailed out weekly on
nfbofsc at nfbnet.org.  The response has been good as many federationists enjoy
knowing the in store sales before going shopping.  If you want to sign up to
receive these ads, go to www.nfbnet.org and sign up on the nfbofsc email
list."  I hope that you will take advantage of this service.

              For many years between the late 1950's and the year 2000, I
was at the State House lobbying for legislation that would be of service to
blind South Carolinians.  As a matter of fact, I was seen so much at the
State House that I began to be asked by legislators and others if I was
running for the legislature.  I had many experiences, mostly pleasant ones,
during the 40 years I called upon the legislature.  In the 1970's the
support of local government called "home rule" was the thing that most
legislators liked.  Since the vending facility law provides employment
opportunities for the blind, the federation wanted the bill to be as broad
as possible, creating the maximum number of job opportunities.    This bill
not only provided opportunities in state buildings but also in local
government buildings.  While I talked to a legislator on the bill I was told
that they did not support the legislation as they were for "home rule" and I
replied, how about the "golden rule."  Needless to say, the legislator
didn't stick around any longer.  Incidentally, we did get the bill passed.  

              We have now reached the halfway mark in contributions to cover
the much needed repairs to Lawton Hall.  The number of members and chapters
which have contributed to the fund is gratifying but we do need to hear from
other members and chapters.  I recognize that as members of the federation
we are called upon to support various causes but on the other hand we get
back far more than we give to these many federation and Rocky Bottom causes.
Lawton Hall is owned by all of us and supporters of the much needed repairs
are absolutely essential.  Incidentally, if you haven't gotten in your
reservations for the Labor Day Fun Day weekend at Rocky Bottom, you need to
do so as we have already heard from a number of members who want to attend
this most enjoyable Labor Day weekend.  

              I hope that Father's Day was pleasant for the many fathers out
there.  Our son Craig invited us to his apartment where we had a wonderful
meal and afterwards he played some of the music that he knows I would
appreciate.

Thursday the 25th is Betty's and my 66th wedding anniversary.  For nearly 65
years Betty drove me all over the United States attending federation
functions from national conventions to state conventions.  For about two
years she has slowed from health conditions but this has strengthened our
love for each other as every day goes by.  I hope that all of us continue to
pray for the victims of the terrible criminal activity which occurred in
Charleston. 

 

Final Thought:  "My father gave me the greatest gift anyone could give
another person, he believed in me."

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