[Nfbofsc] Positive Note 1521

[David Houck]

October 8, 2015

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

From:  Frank Coppel, President

Positive Note 1521

Greetings Fellow Federationists:

 

              Kudos go to Debra Canty, 2nd Vice President of the NFB of SC
and President of our Sumter Chapter, who is being featured on a video on
President Riccabono's weekly Notebook of October 5.  Debra Canty does an
excellent job describing how the NFB has been a source of encouragement to
her and how she believes it is her responsibility to extend this same
encouragement to her fellow blind.  If you wish to watch this excellent
video, you can go to, 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WggZwy5-mrE.

Debra Canty has also emailed me a note regarding the Sumter Chapter's Meet
The Blind Month activity which says in part, "The Sumter County Fair was
held during the week of October 5th and we hosted a booth inside the Civic
Center with heavy rain daily and the fair attendance was low, but, we were
still able to raise blind awareness for October and some funds as well. We
made contacts with several potential members. We collected old eyeglasses
for the Sumter Lions Club who sponsored the booth for us. The sporadic heavy
showers pushed the fair goers inside and we were still blessed during the
week as well.  Mega thanks to Della Sherod, Jazmine Holmes, Judy Simon,
Laura Skelton, Rosa Wells, Ruth Pressley and Shirley Abrams for their
participation and asking the fair goers for donations for the 2016 bus fund
tickets, so look-out NFB State Seminar!"

All of you by now should have received your 2016 Orlando national Convention
bus tickets.  Let's do all we can to raise the approximate $8,000 which will
be needed to charter one  bus to the National Convention in in Orlando next
year.  Remember, the winner of the winning ticket which will be drawn on
January 9, 2016 at the Statewide Seminar will win $300, the seller of the
winning ticket will win $300, and the Chapter selling the most tickets will
win $300. 

While all of us are trying to deal with the rain and flood damages across
the state, some of us have greater damages than others.  The Capps'
residence is currently dealing with tree and flood damage done to the home
and I am sure you will want to hold Donald and Betty Capps and Debbie
Manning up in your thoughts and prayers.  I have contacted many chapter
presidents and others across the state and most are doing well in dealing
with this "once in a thousand years" situation.  The Federation Center is
undamaged but, like the city of Columbia, has reduced water pressure and has
to boil water to drink or to cook.  The Center remains in operation although
the Columbia Chapter moved it's meeting from this Thursday to next Thursday,
October 15.

  Water went out over the weekend at Rocky Bottom but was repaired quickly
on Monday.  Lawton Hall is being restored by our contractor.  The Columbia
Chapter members at Rocky Bottom this past weekend extended their stay
because of the damage to roadways, lakes and rivers here in Columbia.  Many
streets are blocked and there are many detours.  Everyone did get home
safely on Tuesday.  It is hoped that by next week things will get back to
normal.  All things considered, we have weathered this event pretty well and
in good spirits.  As federationists, that's what we do.

The National Federation of the Blind knows that blindness is not the
characteristic that 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.  

              My thoughts have been with you across the state since the
flood which occurred over the weekend and is still causing havoc.  I hope
that none of you sustained any serious loss from the flood.  Our live in
caregiver had to move out of the downstairs bedroom which was flooded.  I'm
told that everything in the room including carpeting is lost.  However, I
feel that we were blessed as thousands of Columbians lost far more and our
prayers are with them as well.  They have referred to this as the "thousand
year flood" and while I don't know about that, I never saw anything like
this in my 87 years.  I want to apologize for this Positive Note being late
but our telephone was out of service from last Saturday until today,
Thursday.  I certainly feel lost without our telephone.  Good news from
Rocky Bottom.  We opted to employ a local contractor who was able to begin
work the end of last week.  We have been informed that work on the repairs
on Lawton Hall will be completed in a few days.  This has been a long and
drawn out project and I'm so thankful that it's nearing completion.  It will
be good for different groups, especially church groups who would enjoy the
newly renovated Lawton Hall.  This part of the Positive Note is shorter than
usual but David needs to get started in order to get the Positive Note in
the mail to all of you across the state.   Let's keep everyone in our
thoughts and prayers during the recovery process.

 

Final Thought:  "In theory there is no difference between theory and
practice. In practice there is." - Yogi Berra (1925-2015)

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