[Nfbofsc] Positive Note 1547

[David Houck]

April 6, 2016 

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

From:  Frank Coppel, President

Positive Note 1547

Greetings Fellow Federationists:

              Tomorrow morning I will be attending another meeting of the
South Carolina Commission for the Blind's fiftieth Anniversary Celebration
committee.  As I reported in last week's Positive Note, plans are to hold a
banquet at the Embassy Suites Hotel for the purpose of celebrating the
fiftieth anniversary of the Commission for the Blind on Friday evening, May
6, beginning at 6:00 p.m.  The program is shaping up nicely, as many of our
members are going to be invited to speak during the banquet.  Because of
budgetary restraints, guests of the banquet will only include SCCB staff,
the NFB of SC Board of Directors, and other speakers who are participating
on the program.  If you wish to attend the banquet you can purchase a $25
ticket by contacting the South Carolina Commission for the Blind.  Tickets
must be purchased by April 10.  Since the NFB of SC played an instrumental
role in the creation of the Commission for the Blind, I strongly encourage
our chapters to assist their members in attending this very special
occasion.  I plan to share further details regarding this upcoming event
with the State Board Saturday afternoon and also have this information in
the Positive Note next week.  

              We have an announcement from Shelley Coppel, President of our
Seniors Division.  "The Second Conference Call sponsored by the National
Federation of the Blind's Seniors Division will be held on Wednesday, April
13, 2016 and it is entitled, "Churchgoing--Making Everyone more Comfortable
with Our Blindness" moderated by Tom Anderson, president of the national
Association of the Blind in Communities of Faith, Kansas.  Tom Anderson is a
longtime Federationist who has taught Braille for several years at the
Colorado Center for the Blind.  He now resides in Kansas and has been the
moving force behind the NFB in Communities of Faith group.  Please join him
as he moderates this all-important topic.  Share your thoughts and
suggestions and strategies.  The numbers to dial are the same:  712-432-1500
with access code: 759633pound.  You will then be asked if this is correct as
you hear the access code repeated that you just dialed.  You are prompted to
press (1) if the code is correct.  You then announce yourself by stating
your name, and, you are entered into the conference call.  The time for the
calls remains the same as well:  4:00 Eastern, 3:00 Central, 2:00 Mountain,
and 1:00 Pacific time."  

              I hope to see many of you at the State Board meeting on
Saturday afternoon, April 9, as we will have much to discuss.  The meeting
will begin promptly at 1:00 p.m. and adjourn at 4:00 p.m.  

              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.  

              Throughout several decades there have been many officials who
have worked very closely with the federation in numerous ways.  In the
1950's we established a Center fund totaling $300 from BBQ proceeds toward
the construction of a Center.  Today $300 is not much but 50 years ago it
was.  It represented a beginning.  However, we didn't have any land in
Columbia and this was a necessity if we were going to be able to construct
our own Center.  We knew that there was one individual who was Mayor Pro Tem
on City Council whose name was Hyman Rubin (now deceased) who had an
excellent reputation supporting civic causes.  We secured an appointment
with Mr. Rubin at his residence and I was joined by Lois Boltin Tucker and
the late Archie Nunnery as we approached Mr. Rubin for the purpose of
securing his cooperation in locating sufficient land for us to build a
Center.  Several months went by but in July of 1960 Mr. Rubin notified us
that a tract of land which had been used as a ballpark would be given to us
for the purpose of building a Center for the blind.  Some three months later
in September 1960, under Mr. Rubin's guidance with other civic leaders
joining him, a kickoff luncheon was planned at a downtown restaurant. The
kickoff luncheon was attended by several city officials and a good
representation of blind persons.  In April 1961 a groundbreaking took place
at the ballpark located at the corner of S. Kilbourne Rd. and Yale Ave.
Mr. Rubin was one member of a three member campaign committee and this
committee had the responsibility of recruiting other civic leaders which was
successfully carried out.  As construction of the Center neared completion
Mr. Rubin, who would soon be a member of the SC Senate, wanted to do
something to increase the safety and convenience of blind persons traveling
to the Center.  We knew that the city bus had a stop at the corner of S.
Kilbourne Rd. and Rosewood Dr., one block from the Center.  He knew that
there was no sidewalk from the bus stop to the Center.  Utilizing his
position and initiative, he arranged for the city to pave a sidewalk from
the bus stop to the Center.  As a matter of fact, he arranged for the
sidewalk paving to be continued across the entire frontage of the Center's
location.  Some of you may have wondered why the paving stopped at the end
of our property, and now you know the story.  Mr. Rubin served as Chairman
of the Center's Advisory Board for many years.  His company would always
contribute to the Center.  As a member of the SC Senate, Sen. Rubin was
highly instrumental in the passage of bills affecting the blind.  We shall
always be grateful to Mr. Rubin for his outstanding service to the
federation.  

 

Final Thought:  "You learn something new every day - but only if you are
looking for it."

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