[Nfbofsc] {Spam?} Positive Note 1580

[David Houck]

November 21, 2016 

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

From:  Frank Coppel, President

Positive Note 1580

Greetings Fellow Federationists: 

 

              With the start of the holiday season just around the corner,
there is no better time to make a contribution in honor or in memory of a
loved one to the NFB of SC, Rocky Bottom or the Federation Center.  We are
enclosing a letter you can share with family members, friends and business
associates to help raise funds for one of these extremely important programs
during this holiday season.  

              Now that the State Convention is behind us, I am beginning to
formulate committees for 2016/2017.   If you wish to serve on a committee,
please let me know by calling me at (803) 796-8662 or emailing me at;
frankcoppel at att.net 

               And I will place you on that committee.  NFB of SC committees
are extremely important as they carry out the business of the Federation
between Conventions and Board meetings.  The list of committees are as
follows; Legislative Committee, Resolutions Committee, Membership Committee,
Youth Recruitment Committee, Organizing Committee, Scholarship Committee,
Public Relations Committee, Finance Committee, Braille Literacy Committee,
Fund Raising Committee, Grants Committee, White Cane Walk-a-thon Committee,
Donald C. Capps Award Committee, Associate Member of the Year Award
Committee, Employer of the Year Award Committee, Educator of the Year Award
Committee, PAC Plan (pre-authorized contribution plan) Committee, and Sun
Shares (Shares unlimited NFB) Committee.  

              This is a friendly reminder to continue to sell your Orlando
National Convention bus tickets.  It is imperative we sell as many tickets
as possible to help cover the expense of the chartered bus to Orlando.  

              Finally, I want to take this opportunity to wish you and your
family a very blessed and Happy Thanksgiving.  Let's take a few minutes
Thursday to reflect and give thanks for our families, our country, and to
our organization, the National Federation of the Blind, who provides us with
the belief and philosophy that through love, hope and determination we can
change our dreams into reality.  

              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.  

              Happy Thanksgiving to all of you across the state.  We have
been blessed throughout the year.  I would like to give you some personal
history related to the NFB occurring over several decades.  I was elected to
the national board in 1959 and attended my first board meeting the following
year - 1960.  Until then I had never flown and as it developed, it was a
harrowing experience.  We boarded a plane in Columbia and traveled to St.
Louis.  As we arrived in the St. Louis area we ran into a snowstorm.  The
pilot alerted the passengers that there were some 12 planes trying to land
at the St. Louis airport and that we were working our way down to land.  The
plane circled the airport for what seemed to be an interminable period of
time.  It seemed that I was getting increasingly uneasy and sick from the
experience.  This was during the Thanksgiving season and Betty and I had to
leave our two children back home in the care of two wonderful ladies named
Aunt Mattie and Aunt Lelia.  For several years, Dr. tenBroek, the Founder
and President of the NFB, held annual board meetings in the St. Louis and
Chicago areas.  Dr. tenBroek passed away in 1968 and that year's national
convention involved a change in leadership with Dr. Jernigan being elected
President and I was elected First Vice President of the NFB.  For ten years
beginning 1968 to 1978, board meetings were held in Des Moines as Dr.
Jernigan was Executive Director of the Iowa Commission for the Blind.  By
now we had established a tradition of NFB board meetings being held during
the Thanksgiving season.  Almost invariably, it snowed in Des Moines during
Thanksgiving and we had to deal with that situation.  In 1978 the NFB
purchased land and buildings in Baltimore and since that time, meetings have
occurred at the National Center.  The Thanksgiving weather is better in
Baltimore and for some 30 years I attended the Baltimore meetings, retiring
from the board at the 2011 Orlando Convention.  

              I remember changing planes in Atlanta during a return trip
from Des Moines and about ten minutes into the flight, a spark flew through
the cabin whereupon the pilot tried to reassure all of us that everything
was all right. I turned to Betty and said, "Don't believe it!"    We then
returned to the airport.  Upon landing it was noted the runway was prepared
with all the usual emergency equipment including the fire department, etc.
Upon checking in with the desk clerk we were told we could board a plane to
Columbia within a half hour but I declined and asked the location of the
nearest hotel.  The following day we rented an auto and proceeded to
Columbia.  To this day I still dislike flying but during my long career I
have had many flying experiences.  My air travel has taken me to different
places such as Alaska, Hawaii, Melbourne, Australia, London, Paris, Madrid,
Cairo, Israel and several cities in the Untied States.  I hope all of you
have safe travels throughout the Christmas season.

 

Final Thought:  History of NFB of SC Legislative Victories:  #.39:  2003 -
Laylah's Law S.36 passed to protect guide dogs from abuse and neglect from
the general public

-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://nfbnet.org/pipermail/nfbofsc_nfbnet.org/attachments/20161121/4353c2a5/attachment.html>