[Nfbofsc] Positive Note 1557

David Houck nfbsc at sc.rr.com
Wed Jun 15 12:56:53 UTC 2016


June 15, 2016 

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

From:  Frank Coppel, President

Positive Note 1557

Greetings Fellow Federationists:

 

              By now, all of you should have received your State Convention
letter.  During the past few months, I have visited quite a few chapters and
I have noticed a great deal of excitement and interest regarding the 2016
State Convention.  This is the first time ever the convention will be held
in Myrtle Beach and I believe this is the first time the convention will be
held during the month of October.  The dates for the 2016 State Convention
are October 28-30 and it will be held at the Ocean Dunes/Sands Resort Hotel
in Myrtle Beach.  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.  Amenities include in-room safes, refrigerators, microwaves,
coffee pots, irons, ironing boards, hair dryers, electronic door locks,
wireless Internet connections, and telephones with voice mail in all
sleeping rooms.  We are expecting a large turnout of our members to attend
the 2016 state convention, so I would encourage you to make your
reservations early.  

              We are also now accepting 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. Killbourne Rd. Columbia, SC
29205.  All preregistration fees are nonrefundable and nontransferable.  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
Seniors Division.  "We are   selling chances on a drawing to be held at our
State Convention.  There are 3 prizes: an afghan made by Emily McKenzie,
Kelly green; second prize is an electric can opener; and third prize is a
$25 gift card for Walmart  The cost of tickets are: 1 ticket for $2; or 3
tickets for $5.  Contact Shelley Coppel if your chapter would like to sell
them, and also if you would like to purchase one, find a member of the
Senior Division Board.  I hope you all win!!"

              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.  

              Our Hilton Head Island Chapter with its distinguished longtime
President, Bob Martin, was the first to send in payment for their Fun Day
ticket allotment.  We appreciate the quick response by this chapter.  For
nearly 20 years this chapter has been a loyal member of the NFB of SC,
always paying their dues on time and responding to different notices mailed
out of our state office.  Incidentally, the Hilton Head Chapter has existed
for 20 years as the late Beulah Sawyer of our Beaufort Chapter was very
helpful in our organizing the Hilton Head Chapter before I stepped down as
state President in the year 2000.  Subsequently, our former state President
Parnell Diggs also paid a visit to the chapter.  It would be beneficial to
all concerned if our Hilton Head Chapter could manage to have representation
at our state conventions and other state functions including statewide
seminars.  Some may have the attitude that our Hilton Head Chapter is
"tucked away," located just north of Savannah.  This year, with the state
convention being held in Myrtle Beach, it would be ideal for the Hilton Head
Chapter to have representation at the convention.  

              The maximum distance between two chapters involves the Hilton
Head Chapter and 300 miles away, our Oconee County Chapter.  Thus the NFB of
SC stretches from the Atlantic coast to the Blue Ridge Mountains in Seneca
and Walhalla.  There is considerable excitement over the first convention to
be held in Myrtle Beach.  In the past, NFB of SC conventions have been held
mostly in Columbia, Anderson, Greenville, Spartanburg, Rock Hill and
Charleston.  Columbia has been the site of the most state conventions as it
is centrally located.  The first state convention was held in 1957 but a
constitutional convention was held a year earlier so that a constitution
could be adopted and state officers could be elected.  

              Incidentally, how many of you know that the NFB held its
national convention in Columbia in 1969.  The convention was hosted at the
Wade Hampton Hotel which no longer exists.  The Wade Hampton Hotel could not
accommodate everyone with convention delegates having to stay at another
Columbia Hotel and at USC.  There is a lot of excitement at this particular
time as South Carolina is taking a good turnout to our national convention
in Orlando the first week in July.  I attended national conventions between
1956 and 2011 but I haven't been able to attend for the last five years.  I
know that national conventions have a festive atmosphere and it's a
wonderful time to greet friends from across the country, many of whom have
not seen each other since the previous convention.  The comradery is
something that you can't duplicate anywhere else.  NFB national conventions
are the biggest gathering of the blind and are tremendously beneficial to
those who attend.

              Jennifer Bazer, this year's Director of Children's Camp,
reports that this year's Children's Camp is shaping up nicely.  We
appreciate the leadership of Jennifer.

 

Final Thought:  History of NFB of SC Legislative Victories:  #9:  1968 -
General Appropriations Bill - Reflects a provision conditioning the
appropriation to the Association of the Blind of South Carolina upon its
admitting to membership all qualified blind South Carolinians.

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