[Nfbofsc] Positive Note 1535

Wed Jan 13 13:58:21 UTC 2016

January 13, 2016

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

From:  Frank Coppel, President

Positive Note 1535

Greetings Fellow Federationists:

OF SOUTH CAROLINA

           I want to thank all of you who attended the 46th annual Statewide
Seminar this past Saturday.  When Shelley and I walked into the Federation
Center at 9:15 a.m. Saturday morning, the meeting hall was already half
full.  Almost every seat in the room was filled when the Seminar was called
to order at 10:00 a.m.  All three heads of agencies who provide services to
the blind, Jim Kirby and along with Kyle Walker, from the SC Commission for
the Blind, Paige McCraw, from the SC School for the Deaf and Blind, and
Sandy Knowles, from Talking Book Services gave presentations at the Seminar.
Erica Powell, who recently was hired as an Employment Consultant with the
Commission for the Blind, spoke about her experiences as a blind cheerleader
for Clemson University.  Ed Bible was recognized for being responsible for
having a state map of South Carolina donated by 3d Photo Works to the
Federation Center.  Thom Spittle did an excellent job as auctioneer as we
raised $617 for the Federation Center.  Dr. Capps gave an excellent RBRCCB
report. The two Senior Camps will be held May 22-26, and September 18-22.
Children's Camp will be held the third week in July.  At the State Board
meeting, which was held during the two hour lunch break, the Board voted
unanimously to charge $100 for a seat on the charter bus going to the
National Convention in Orlando, Florida.  Congratulations to Trent Tedder as
he was the winner of the Orlando National Convention bus fund raffle.  Trent
won $600 as he was the buyer and seller of the winning ticket.  Also,
congratulations to the Columbia Chapter for selling 1,594 bus tickets and
finishing in first place.  The Sumter Chapter finished second selling 600
bus tickets and the Rock hill Chapter finished third selling 237 tickets.  I
want to take this opportunity thank Isaiah Nelson and his group of
volunteers for preparing and serving a delicious lunch.  I also want to
especially thank David Houck for all of his hard work prior to the Seminar
and all day Saturday to ensure the meeting was a success.  

Remember, the NFB of SC is planning a Sweetheart dance which will be held
February 12, 2016 at the Federation Center from 6:00 p.m. to 9 p.m.  The
evening promises to be a fun and enjoyable experience with a professionally
catered dinner, music, door prizes and dancing.  Tickets to this event will
only be $25 per person.  If you wish to purchase a ticket you can contact
Linda Dizzley at (803) 428-4273.  All tickets must be purchased by February
4.  We are also planning to reserve a block of rooms at a nearby hotel for
those of you who live outside of Columbia and would like to attend the
dance.  

The date of this year's national convention will be June 30, to July 5, 2016
and will be held at the Rosen Shingle Creek Resort.  The 2016 room rates are
singles and doubles, $83; and triples and quads, $89. In addition to the
room rates there will be a tax, which at present is 12.5 percent. No charge
will be made for children under seventeen in the room with their parents as
long as no extra bed is requested. Please note that the hotel is a
no-smoking facility.

For 2016 convention room reservations you can call the hotel at (866)
996-6338 after January 1. You may also write directly to the Rosen Shingle
Creek, 9939 Universal Boulevard, Orlando, Florida 32819-9357. The hotel will
want a deposit of $95 for each room and will want a credit card number or a
personal check. If you use a credit card, the deposit will be charged
against your card immediately, just as would be the case with a $95 check.
If a reservation is cancelled before Friday May, 27, 2016, half of the
deposit will be returned. Otherwise refunds will not be made.  The charter
bus will leave Columbia at 8:00 a.m. Thursday, June 30.  The bus will leave
Orlando at 8:00 a.m. and return to Columbia Wednesday, July 6.  We are now
accepting your reservation fee of $100 to ride the charter bus to Orlando.
Remember, this reservation fee is non-refundable and non-transferable.  

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.  

           Blind persons from throughout the state attended the 46th annual
Statewide Seminar.  The Federation Center which has hosted these annual
meetings from the beginning was filled to near capacity.  It is a credit to
our loyal members who made the sacrifice to be present for this highly
successful meeting.  We were also proud to have with us the heads of the
three state agencies serving the blind who addressed the seminar.  Several
members gave reports.  The Board of Directors of the NFB of SC meeting was
held during the luncheon period.  The board elected President Coppel as the
official delegate to the national convention with NFB of SC First Vice
President Lenora Robertson elected as the alternate delegate as these two
delegates will represent the NFB of SC at the Orlando Convention.  A very
important resolution was adopted by the NFB of SC Board of Directors calling
for equal participation of the NFB of SC in the 50th anniversary celebration
of the Commission for the Blind.  This position is highly understandable
since the NFB of SC was responsible for the creation of the Commission for
the Blind.  Without this initiative by the NFB of SC there would be no
Commission for the Blind.  The NFB of SC has even stepped in in recent years
to protect the autonomy of the Commission as the legislature was considering
combining the Commission with another state agency.  This occurred more than
once.  I am pleased that state President Frank Coppel appointed David Houck
as Editor of the Palmetto Blind.  David is very qualified and will make an
excellent Editor.  It has been my honor to serve as Editor beginning in the
1950's and stepped down as Editor after 60 years.  I have also worked
closely with David Houck during the past 30 years in the publishing of the
Palmetto Blind.  Already he has begun to put together articles for the
Palmetto Blind from several officers and I'm grateful to have David Houck
for editing in the soon to be released Palmetto Blind.  This was the first
time President Coppel presided over the Statewide Seminar.  There are a lot
of details to attend to during the Statewide Seminar but Frank handled these
details with great efficiency. Lenora Robertson handled the report on bus
ticket sales for the Orlando trip.  

President Coppel called on me for a Rocky Bottom report which I appreciated.
I encouraged chapters and individuals to utilize Rocky Bottom's facilities
which exist for the benefit of our members and others.  I thanked the
gathering for their continuing assistance.  I particularly singled out the
assistance of Mt. Hebron United Methodist Church of West Columbia.  Our NFB
of SC board member Ed Bible is a member of the church and his influence has
been beneficial.  In my report I referred to the unforgettable speech by the
late Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. in which he stated, "I have a dream."  From
the time I first visited Rocky Bottom in 1958 I also had a dream.  I was
tremendously impressed with the natural beauty of the area with the pristine
scenery being undisturbed.  My dream from the beginning has been to enable
the blind to have a place to go to for relaxation and leisure.  From time to
time all of us need a "get away" to renew our vigor and energy.  In 1967 the
Pickens County Health Department condemned the old 4H Club property as the
water system was inadequate.  The years went by but in 1978 or 20 years
after our first visit to the area, we contacted the Chairman of Pickens
County Council to see if we could secure the property for the blind of the
state.  I assured the Chairman that we would develop the property and mak
the county proud.  We had no money but we had a lot of faith.  Many people
pitched in and this tremendous success story is a reality.  I had a dream
for the blind to have their own facilities and thanks to so many of you,
this dream came true.  Dreams help us to go in the right direction.  We have
gone in the right direction in the creation of RBRCCB.

Final Thought:  Resolution:  When confronted by someone who is angry, I
might say something like "Marshmallow."  Reference Proverbs 15:1

16 ounce NFB of SC Coffee Thermos

$15 each

Payable to NFB of SC

119 S. Kilbourne Rd.

Columbia, SC 29205

"Live the Life You Want"

102_0134

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