April 4, 2018
Memo To: Executive Officers, Board Members, Chapter & Division Presidents &
Others
From: Frank Coppel, President
Positive Note 1651
Greetings Fellow Federationists:
On Friday, March 30, the 18th annual Vision Summit was held at
the Archives building in northeast Columbia. Approximately 100 people were
in attendance which included teachers of the visually impaired, parents of
blind children, and other individuals who worked in the field of blindness.
The NFB of SC was well represented as Valerie Warrington and Casey Eubanks
participated on a panel entitled "from my prospective" which dealt with how
they successfully handled their a visual impairment on a daily basis. Other
members present were Ed and Julie Bible, Thom and Tracy Spittle, and David
and Darleen Houck. Our own Marty McKenzie presided over the conference and
did an excellent job. Each conference participant received a packet which
included information regarding the assistive technology training programs
offered at the Federation Center of the Blind. The NFB of SC is pleased to
see how much this conference has grown over the years as we were honored to
host the first Vision Summit which was held at the Federation Center during
the last 1990's.
We have an announcement from Debra Canty, President of the
Sumter chapter. "The Sumter chapter will have chicken and pork BBQ
sandwiches available for sale April 21, at the RBRCCB and NFB of SC board of
directors meetings. The BBQ chicken sandwich will sell for $5 and the pork
BBQ sandwich will sell for $6. If you are interested in purchasing a BBQ
sandwich, please contact Debra Canty at (803)775-5792 to place your order.
The Sumter chapter has conducted this event for many years as proceeds from
this fund raiser helps to financially assist chapter members to attend the
national convention. ."
We have an announcement from Tiffiny Mitchell, Chairperson of
the NFB of SC state picnic planning committee, regarding the Saturday, June
2, state picnic to be held at Saluda Shoals state park. "There will be a
teleconference held on Monday evening, April 9, at 8:00 to further discuss
plans regarding the state wide picnic. The number for the teleconference is
(862)902-0241. The access code is #3588716. Please join the teleconference
Monday evening and let's plan a great picnic!"
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.
I trust that your Easter was meaningful and uplifting. Over
the Easter weekend I reminisced regarding the many Easters I have
celebrated. During my early childhood my mother over Easter would take us
to Reedy Creek Baptist Church which is one of the oldest churches in the
state. My first away Easter was at the SC School for the Deaf and Blind in
1939. I recall that those students who lived nearby the School would be
able to go home for Easter but those of us who lived a distance from the
School had to stay at the School. I was at the School for Easter in 1939,
1940, 1941, 1942, 1943, and 1944. I chose to take my Junior and Senior
years at Mullins High School where I grew up. While I was a student at
SCSDB I never dreamed that I would later serve on the Board of Commissioners
of the School for a quarter of a century beginning in 1980 until 2005. This
was the period Dr. Sheila Breitweiser was hired as SCSDB President. It's my
understanding that all students at SCSDB today are bussed home for Easter.
That's certainly better than having to be away for this special Easter
season. Some time ago I was asked when my most meaningful decades in which
I served was and I promptly said, "the decades of the 1950's and 60's," as
both of my children, Beth and Craig were born in 1955 and 1958. My
federation participation first occurred in 1953. Beginning in 1959 we moved
into in our current residence in our frame house, residing there for some 60
years. We were able to enjoy picnics and other occasions with our children.
Of course Betty got new outfits for both children which we showed off at our
church - Kilbourne Park Baptist Church. One of the things we enjoyed doing
on Easter in the 1950's and 60's was holding an Easter Egg Hunt in the back
yard. Betty would color several eggs which were utilized in the Easter Egg
Hunt. In those days for a period extending for 25 years, we had two Cocker
Spaniels which were wonderful pets. Their names were Penny and they
participated in the hunt also. It didn't seem to matter where the eggs were
placed in the back yard to hide them from Penny as she always managed to
find the eggs before Craig and Beth would find them. One of the standards
during Easter was the chocolate bunny although it is not as prevalent today
as it was in the 1950's and 60's.
Final Thought: "Happiness is being content by not comparing what you have
with what others have."
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