[Nfbofsc] Positive Note 1564

[David Houck]

August 3, 2016 

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

From:  Frank Coppel, President

Positive Note 1564

Greetings Fellow Federationists:

 

              This past Friday morning, Shelley and I traveled to the SC
School for the Deaf and Blind where we attended the last day of the Braille
Enrichment for Learning and Literacy (BELL) Academy.  Shelley and I
thoroughly enjoyed interacting with the children and their parents.  A video
developed by Jamie Allison was shown which highlighted some of the
activities the children participated in during the past two weeks.  It was
very exciting to see the children confidently using their Braille, cane, and
other nonvisual skills throughout the video.  This is the third year the NFB
of SC has conducted the BELL Academy and State Coordinator, Jennifer
Duffell-Hoffman, and lead instructor, Jamie Allison, continue to do an
outstanding job heading up this program.  

              If you have not done so already, please make your room
reservations at the Ocean Dunes/Sands Resort hotel in Myrtle Beach the
weekend of October 28-30 for the 2016 NFB of SC state convention.  To make
your room reservations call the Sands Resort Central Reservations at
1-800-599-9872 and inform the reservationist you are reserving a room for
the National Federation of the Blind of South Carolina state convention.
All reservations must be guaranteed by check or credit card and received
within 5 days of reservation date. Advance deposits will be credited to the
last night's stay as indicated by individual reservation request.  Room
rates for this year's convention are very affordable.  The price of rooms
including taxes is $87 per night for ocean view and $99 per night ocean
front and can accommodate up to four in a room.  These room rates will be
available three days before or three days after the convention.  

              Also, please send in your $70 preregistration fee for this
year's State Convention.  Please send your $70 preregistration fee to the
Federation Center of the Blind, 119 S. Kilbourne Rd. Columbia, SC 29205.
All preregistration fees are nonrefundable and nontransferable.  As in past
years, the $70 preregistration fee will cover the reception on Friday
evening, continental breakfast Saturday morning, luncheon, banquet, and a
continental breakfast Sunday morning.  The deadline to accept your $70
preregistration fee is September 23.  If you wait until after the deadline
of September 23, the registration will increase to $85.  Save $15 and
preregister early!  

              We have an announcement from Shelley Coppel, President of the
Senior Division.  "The Senior Division is sponsoring a drawing to be held on
Sunday morning of our State Convention in October.  We are offering three
prizes: an afghan made by Emily McKenzie, an electric can opener, and a $25
gift certificate to Walmart.  Please help us to raise funds for our seniors.
Also, Chapter Presidents need to submit names to me, of blind seniors who
would like to attend this year's state convention and have never attended
before.  The names should be submitted to Shelley Coppel no later than
September 15th.  The Senior Division will cover the expenses of a deserving
blind senior.  This will include preregistration which includes the
reception Friday evening, continental breakfast Saturday morning, luncheon
and banquet, continental breakfast on Sunday and a 2 night's stay for the
convention. You can reach me at: 803-796-8662; or email at:
Frankandshelley51 at gmail.com.

 

 

              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.  

              With the arrival of August I get excited about football.  The
season is only about four weeks away.  I've always been a Gamecock fan but I
pull for Clemson when they are not playing the Gamecocks.  I believe Clemson
has a good chance of winning the national championship as it appears most of
their players are returning.  I hope the Gamecocks will win at least half of
their games.

              There's considerable federation activity in August as well.
The Columbia Chapter will meet on Thursday evening August 11 and the boards
of RBRCCB and the NFB of SC will meet on Saturday, August 20.  Two weeks
later on September 2, federationists from across the state will be traveling
to RBRCCB to participate in the Fun Day Festival.  Most of us will be
arriving on Friday evening, September 2.  

              Seven meals will be served including three on Saturday,
September 3, three on Sunday, September 4 and breakfast on Monday morning,
September 5.  There will only be a total charge of $40 for all seven meals
which is a real bargain.  As in recent years, $30 is charged for six meals
with $10 being charged for the special luncheon on Saturday featuring
barbecue with all the trimmings.  You will need to give $30 to Treasurer
Valerie Warringtom for the six meals and $10 to Lenora Robertson for the
Saturday luncheon.  Reservations are filling up quickly and, therefore, you
will need to get your reservation in now.  As always we are expecting a full
house.  Reservations are taken on a first-come, first-served basis.  As in
the past, it will be necessary for some sharing to be done but our
membership can always be counted upon to be cooperative.  I hope that you
are selling your $5 Fun Day tickets as this contributes to the profits.
Remember, the winning ticket drawn will yield $50 to the seller and $500 to
the buyer of that ticket (or $550 if you bought your own ticket), and the
chapter selling the most tickets will receive $300 for its treasury!  Also
remember Lenora Robertson has secured the help of local civic organizations
in selling these $5 tickets and it's not too late for you to do likewise.
We are looking forward to having Rickey Godfrey who will perform Saturday
afternoon September 3 between 3:00 and 4:30 p.m.  The concert will take
place in the renovated Lawton Hall.  Tickets can be secured from the state
office at 803-254-3777 and the RBRCCB office at 864-878-9090.  The cost of
the tickets are an affordable $10 each.  We want to fill up all of Lawton
Hall.  We need to bring auction items for the auction which takes place on
Sunday afternoon at 12:00 noon.  We are pleased that Columbia Chapter member
Jeff Bazer has very graciously agreed to serve as auctioneer.  Jeff was a
radio announcer and no doubt he will do an excellent job as auctioneer.  

              We have raised $1,250 for the mattress fund for Ellenburg
Lodge.  The balance to be raised is $7,233.98.  It would be very helpful if
chapters which have the means to do so would follow the lead of the
Belvedere Chapter which gave $500.  Also, we appreciate the $400 gift from
the senior blind.  The Fun Day Festival dates back some 35 years and no
doubt this promises to be one of the best.

 

Final Thought:  History of NFB of SC Legislative Victories:  #16.
1974 - Bill #S846 grants blind South Carolinians an exemption of $10,000 on
county taxes for their homestead.

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