[Nfbofsc] Positive Note 1586

[David Houck]

January 4, 2017 

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

From:  Frank Coppel, President

Positive Note 1586

Greetings Fellow Federationists: 

 

              Happy New Year!  I hope all of you had a wonderful Holiday
season and am now ready to begin 2017 with a great deal of enthusiasm and
energy.  

              You can now begin to make your hotel reservations to attend
the upcoming 2017 Orlando National Convention.  The dates for this year's
national convention will be July 10, to July 15, 2017 and will be held at
the Rosen Shingle Creek Resort.  The 2017 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 parents as long as no
extra bed is requested. Please note that the hotel is a no-smoking facility.

              For 2017 convention room reservations you can call the hotel
at (866) 996-6338. 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 Thursday, June 1, 2017, half of the
deposit will be returned. Otherwise refunds will not be made.  The schedule
of the convention is as follows; Monday, July 10, Seminar Day 

              Tuesday, July 11, Registration and exhibits 

              Wednesday, July 12, National Board Meeting and division and
committee meetings 

              Thursday, July 13, Opening General Session 

              Friday, July 14, General session 

              Saturday, July 15, Banquet

              It is not too early to begin to notify the Federation Center
as to whether you are planning to attend the Statewide Seminar on February
4, 2017.  Please do so as soon as possible.  This will help us to determine
the amount of food to purchase for lunch.  Remember we will be conducting an
auction throughout the day to raise money for the Federation Center.  Be
sure to bring items for the auction such as, cakes, pies, cookies, gift
baskets, and electronics.  Also, please 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.
Remember, tickets this year are selling for $2 for one ticket or $5 for
three tickets.  You can either mail your ticket stubs and money to the
Federation Center or bring them with you to the Seminar on Saturday,
February 4.  The drawing will take place at the conclusion of the Seminar.
The winning ticket will receive $300, the seller of the winning ticket will
receive $100 and the chapter selling the most tickets will receive $300.
Also, please continue to submit your state dues of $10 for 2017 to the state
office (Federation Center).  State dues must be received by the Federation
Center by January 31, 2017.  When you submit your dues, please provide
current contact information such as, name, address, phone number and email
address if you have one.  These things do change and if we do not have
updated information, we cannot keep you up to date on what's going on.  

 

              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.  

              It's a good way to start the New Year by doing a brief
biography on one of our superstars.  If you guessed David Houck, you were
right on target.  David was born in Panama.  His father was in the military
which resulted in David's extensive travels.  The following are some of the
places David lived:  Pensacola, Florida, Norfolk, Virginia Beach and
Staunton, Virginia, Millington, Tennessee, Waipahu and Ewe Beach, Hawaii,
Poway, California, Grand Blanc, Michigan and Mauldin, Easley, Liberty,
Anderson and Columbia, South Carolina.  David has three brothers (one
deceased) and one sister who reside in South Carolina and Ohio.  David is
married to Darlene (Merck) Houck of Liberty and is a wonderful assistant to
David and the NFB of SC.  They have two sons, Kevin and Carrie who have a
one year old daughter Leighann who live in Lexington and Martin and
Juilianna who live in Durham, North Carolina.  David is a graduate of the
Virginia School for the Deaf and Blind in Staunton.  He subsequently
received his B.S. degree in Business Administration from Bob Jones
University.  In 1974 the late Bob Bell visited David Houck inviting him to
attend the Greenville Chapter of the NFB of SC when Bob was President of the
chapter.  David served as chapter Treasurer for two years and Social
Director for two years.  Following his college graduation some three or four
years later in 1983, I was looking for an Executive Director of the
Federation Center.  Bob Somogyi was a staff person at the Commission for the
Blind and recommended David.  Center board members consisted of James Sims,
Marshall Tucker, Frank Coppel, Johnsie Watts, Edsel Doyle, Lavesta Johnson
and myself as Chairman.  After the board interviewed David with valuable
help from Darlene, we were convinced that David was the perfect person for
the Executive Director's position.  Incidentally, the Columbia Chapter was
in the midst of its annual barbecue during that time.  David pioneered a job
as the first blind Spinning Doffer at Wamsutta Mills in Anderson before
moving to Columbia.  Most employees have retired before their 34th year of
service, however, David states he has no immediate plans to retire as Center
Director.  He states that he has not missed more than five days due to
illness during his 34 years of service.  He reports to work by 8:30 a.m. and
leaves at 5:00 p.m. unless there are other activities, meetings or job
responsibilities to tend to.  David is in much demand by not only the
Columbia Chapter but also by chapters across the state.  The first Positive
Note began in August 1986 and the current one, week 1586, David has been
involved with all of them.  David has served in 30 NFB conventions, all of
the NFB of SC conventions and Fun Days at Rocky Bottom dating back to 1883,
Treasurer of Rocky Bottom and the NFB of SC for several years and on the
Rocky Bottom board since 1983, served on the Commission's Consumer Advisory
Committee and on a Task Force Committee, Rocky Bottom Children's Camp
Counselor from 1986 to 1995, and was Columbia Chapter President for two
years.  He is very knowledgeable about the federation and Rocky Bottom and
can be relied upon for valuable information upon request.  David and Darlene
are faithful church members at Grace Baptist Church in West Columbia.

 

Final Thought:  "What are your New Year's Resolutions in which you expect to
be Raising your own Expectations for 2017?"

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