[Nfbofsc] Positive Note 1683

[David Houck]

November 14, 2018 

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

From:  Frank Coppel, President

Positive Note 1683

Greetings Fellow Federationists:

 

              Friday, November 9, I had the pleasure of being the guest
speaker at the first annual Donor Appreciation luncheon hosted by the
Belvedere chapter of the NFB of SC.  Approximately thirty to thirty-five
individuals consisting of chapter members and sighted persons from the
Belvedere community were in attendance.  The program was excellent as it
provided the audience information regarding the purpose and programs of the
NFB and the NFB of SC as well as the important work the Belvedere chapter
was doing to educate the surrounding community about the true nature of
blindness.  As stated to me in an email written to me by Constance Miller,
"Events like these give message to those who do not know much about the
National Federation of the Blind, and helps to build momentum. And
hopefully, bring in new membership."  

              I am certain by now Board members of RBRCCB and the NFB of SC
as well as Chapter and Division Presidents have received their letter
regarding the Rocky Bottom Christmas Board Retreat on November 30-December
2.  Please notify the State Office as soon as possible of your intentions
for attending this Retreat, in order that we may have an accurate head count
to purchase food for the four meals being served (Saturday breakfast, lunch,
dinner, and Sunday breakfast) as well as making the necessary sleeping
accommodations.  We will celebrate the Christmas season together on Saturday
evening.  If you would like to participate in the gift exchange, please
bring a gift with a value of at least $10 to be placed under the Christmas
tree.  Men should bring a man's gift, and women should bring a woman's gift.
Additionally, it would be wonderful if people would bring baked items for
the Christmas party such as cookies, cakes and pies.  

              We are also planning to invite the members of the Rocky Bottom
Baptist Church to our Christmas festivities Saturday evening for the purpose
of recognizing and thanking them for their generous financial support to
RBRCCB this past year.  Additionally, we are asking each board member and
chapter president who will be attending the Board Retreat, to contribute
such items as Toothbrushes, toothpaste, Kleenex, shower jell, shampoo,
lady's and men's socks, and candy.  

              These will be placed in gift bags and will be donated to
residents of a small assistive living facility located in Pickens and which
is owned and operated by Jimmie Masters a member of the RBRCCB Advisory
Board.  I am confident we will have near 100 percent of our board members in
attendance and we will have an excellent turnout of Chapter and Division
Presidents present for the weekend.  

              I trust all of you are continuing to work extremely hard
selling your 2019 Las Vegas National Convention tickets.  As has been the
case in previous years, the costs of each ticket is $1.  The drawing will be
held at the conclusion of the Statewide Seminar scheduled for Saturday,
January 5, 2019.  The individual who purchases the winning ticket will
receive $300, the seller of the winning ticket will receive $100 and the
chapter who sells the most tickets will receive $300.  If you are lucky and
purchase bus tickets yourself, you could win a grand total of $400!  We are
expecting a large turnout of our members to attend the 2019 national
convention in Las Vegas so Let's work very hard selling these bus tickets in
order that we may be able to provide transportation to as many of our
members as possible. 

              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.  

              There are several members in the NFB of SC who are ordained
ministers.  In this week's Positive Note we are featuring Rev. Charles
Cauthen, age 84, who resides in Kershaw and is Chaplain of the Chesterfield
County Chapter.  Rev. Cauthen was born and raised in Lancaster County and
attended the Lancaster County public schools.  Following high school he went
to work at Grace Bleachery, where they bleach cloth, for seven years.  Then
he took a job as a Sears's service employee until 1960 when God called him
into the ministry.  He enrolled in and graduated from Fruitland Baptist
Bible College in Hendersonville, NC.  In 1970 he first pastored the
Charlesboro Baptist Church in Charlesboro, SC.  Then he pastored Bethel
Baptist Church until 1977 when he moved to North Carolina where he preached
at Beachland Baptist Church for 21 years, located between Monroe and
Waynesboro, NC.  After that he retired and moved back to South Carolina.  He
then pastored at Deep Creek Baptist Church in Chesterfield and he still
preaches today although he lost his vision in the year 2000.  He has been
married to his wife Vergie for 63 years and they have three daughters, eight
grandchildren and sixteen great-grandchildren.  Rev. Cauthen first found out
about the Federation when Cathy Thompson worked with him after losing his
sight while preaching at Deep Creek.  Ms. Thompson was able to secure a
number of adaptive technologies for him which enables Rev. Cauthen to
continue on in the ministry.   The Cauthen's first joined the Kershaw-Heath
Springs Chapter when it met in the bowling alley in Kershaw.  After that
they joined the Chesterfield County Chapter where he remains the chapter's
Chaplain.  They have attended one Columbia NFB of SC Convention.  He tells
me that some of the members still converse with the former Chesterfield
County Chapter President Dorcas Campbell who now resides in Las Vegas and
will turn 97 in December.  Nancy Reyes, the new chapter President is dealing
with some health issues, however, they had 13 members at their November 8
meeting and two new members joined the chapter which is still very active.
When Rev. Cauthen had sight, his hobby was oil painting and he enjoyed golf.
He states that his lovely wife Vergie is always faithful and supports him in
his ministry as well as in service to the blind. His life's verse comes from
Philippians 1:21, "For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain."  Let's
give thanksgiving for faithful members like Rev. Charles and Vergie Cauthen
for their service in the ministry and to the blind.

 

Final Thought:  Are you old enough to remember when each public school day
began with the Pledge of Allegiance, a patriotic song, a short scripture
reading and a prayer?

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