[Nfbofsc] Positive Note 1613

[David Houck]

July 11, 2017 

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

From:  Frank Coppel, President

Positive Note 1613

Greetings Fellow Federationists:

 

              When you receive this edition of the Positive Note, Shelley
and I will be in Orlando, Florida attending the 2017 NFB national
convention.  We are arriving in Orlando Sunday afternoon, July 9, and our
plans are to attend the National Seniors Division seminar and the NF-BE
Healthy fair on Monday, July 10.  On Tuesday July 11, we are planning to
pick up our convention packet and spend the remainder of the day in the
Exhibit Hall.  If you are planning to arrive to the convention later this
week, and you did not pre-register, please be sure to register for the
convention which is necessary to receive the special hotel rates and any
other possible assistance.  I will provide you with more details regarding
the convention next week; so stayed tuned!  

              If you have not done so already, I would strongly urge you to
go ahead and make your hotel reservations for the 2017 NFB of SC State
Convention which will be held at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Greenville, SC
August 18-20.  Room rates are very affordable.  Rates for this year's
convention are $99 per night for up to four in a room.  In addition to the
room rates there will be a tax, which at present is 12 percent.  There are
still a limited number of rooms available for the $99 rate Thursday, August
17. The deadline to make reservations is July 27, 2017.  The Hyatt Regency
Hotel has set aside a block of rooms for the NFB of SC until July 27 which
is only two weeks away.  If you wait until after July 27, to make your hotel
reservation, the hotel may not have an available room for you and you may be
required to pay the standard room rate of $189 per night.  If you pay in
advance, your reservation will be guaranteed; however, you will not have to
pay as long as you arrive by 6:00 p.m.  Any amount you pay, of course, will
be applied toward your bill.  You can make your room reservations by calling
the Hyatt Regency reservation telephone number 402-592-6434 and inform the
reservationist you are reserving a room for the National Federation of the
Blind of South Carolina state convention.  

              Also, I would strongly encourage you to go ahead and pay your
$80 preregistration fee for this year's State Convention to the Federation
Center of the Blind, 119 S. Kilbourne Rd. Columbia, SC 29205.  For the 2017
state convention, we are offering families with children a discount
regarding the preregistration fee.  Parents will pay the $80 preregistration
fee and each child eight teen years of age and younger will pay $20.  All
preregistration fees are nonrefundable and nontransferable.  The $80
preregistration fee will cover the reception on Friday evening, continental
breakfast Saturday morning, the luncheon, banquet, and a continental
breakfast Sunday morning.  The deadline to accept your $80 preregistration
fee is August 9.  If you wait until after the deadline of August 9, the
registration will increase to $100.  Save $20 and preregister early!  

              I am very pleased to announce Ever Lee Hairston, NFB national
board member and state president of California, will be our national
representative for our state convention this year.  Ms. Hairston is an
extremely outstanding and dynamic individual and we in South Carolina are
very fortunate to have her as our national representative.  

              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.  

              Much of our federation family is in Orlando this week
attending the NFB Convention.  Perhaps this is a good time to share with you
information concerning some of my extended family.  In the federation, one
of the most highly recognized of my family members is Betty Capps' brother,
Gene Rogers.  For decades he has assisted the federation in a variety of
legislative and legal efforts, one of the most remarkable being the suit
which resulted in the stoppage of set-aside fees and the refunding of such
fees to the vendors from 2004 to 2006, representation of the blind in cases
involving child custody, discrimination concerning blindness and in several
other cases.  He has spoken before the state convention and he served as a
member on the Federation Center's Advisory Board for many years and he
assisted in barbecue sales over the years.

              Another close relative is my nephew, John "Laurens" Sanders.
He drove the Columbia Chapter van and he was active in the annual barbecues.
Laurens also drove the chapter van to the Washington Seminars on occasion.
He was very active with Senior Camps at Rocky Bottom and participated in Fun
Day activities.  

              Linwood Capps, Grace Capps and Loretta Capps-Collins all
participated in the federation by giving financial contributions.  They
helped to fund the annual Dr. Sheila S. Breitweiser Scholarship among other
projects.  Craig Capps, our son, was always interested in the federation and
moved from New York City to Columbia to be of service to his parents as well
as to the federation in several ways.  We cannot forget our grandson,
Michael Holdcraft who was instrumental in obtaining 20 mattresses and box
springs from Mattress Firm for quite a discount which were placed in the
Ellenburg Lodge bedrooms.  Of course, my wife Betty Capps has always been my
right hand in all aspects of the federation since the beginning of my
service to the blind.  She has made all my work in the federation a success
by being there for all I have accomplished over 50 plus years.  While I wish
everyone to have a good time in Orlando, please be careful including safe
travels.

              

Final Thought:  "Education is the gathering of information.  Experience is
the application of it."

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