[Nfbofsc] Positive Note 1685

[David Houck]

November 27, 2018 

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

From:  Frank Coppel, President

Positive Note 1685

Greetings Fellow Federationists:

 

              We are writing this edition of the Positive Note earlier than
usual in order that you may receive it prior to the Christmas Board Retreat
which will be held this weekend, November 30, December 1, and December 2, at
Rocky Bottom.  Saturday, December 1, promises to be a very busy day.  We
will kick things off Saturday morning with the Rocky Bottom Retreat and
Conference Center of the Blind Board of Directors meeting at 9:30, followed
by the National Federation of the Blind of South Carolina Board of Directors
meeting which will begin at 2:00 p.m.  We will have our holiday dinner at
6:30 Saturday evening and immediately afterwards we will gather around the
Christmas tree and celebrate the Christmas season as we sing carols,
exchange gifts, fellowship, and sample a variety of delicious desserts which
I am certain many of you are planning to bring.  If you wish to participate
in the Christmas gift exchange Saturday evening, ladies will need to bring a
ladies' gift and men will need to bring a men's gift.  I am asking Julie
Bible and Dianna Singleton to be responsible for the distribution of the
Christmas gifts Saturday evening.  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.  The schedule for meals
throughout the weekend are as follows: Saturday morning breakfast will be
served at 8:30 a.m., lunch at 1:00 p.m., dinner at 6:30 p.m. and Sunday
morning we will have a continental breakfast at 8:30 a.m.  

              The month of December is a busy time in the NFB of SC as many
chapters hold parties to celebrate the Christmas season.  If you would like
for me to attend your Christmas party please contact me at (803) 796-8662 or
you can email me at frankcoppel at att.net and I will try to attend.  

              As we approach the end of 2018, I would like to remind
everyone that this is a great time to pay your 2019 state dues of $10.
Article XII of the NFB of SC state Constitution states "The dues of this
organization shall be $10 per year, payable during the month of January.  No
person may vote who is delinquent in the payment of his/her dues."  The dead
line for submitting dues is January 31, 2019.  

              We have an announcement from Constance Miller, President of
our Belvedere chapter.  "For the second year in a row the Belvedere Chapter
will be participating in our community parade, which will be held December
2nd, at 3 p.m.  Our chapter will decorate our van and walk. We had a great
time last year!  Looking forward to being among our community participants
and spectators alike, meeting new people to show that blindness is not what
holds us back, we can live the life we want, and have FUN!"

              Finally, I hope all of you had a blessed Thanksgiving.  We
currently are expecting approximately forty people to attend the Board
Retreat. Remember to check in with our Resident Manager, Linda Bible, for
your room assignment Friday evening.  Shelley and I look forward to seeing
many of you this weekend and as always, we are looking forward to
celebrating the Christmas season at Rocky Bottom with our federation family.


              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.  

              Now that the 2018 Thanksgiving holiday is history, we will be
busy full-time with the Christmas season.  I wish it were possible for me to
attend the annual Christmas board retreat at RBRCCB but that is not
feasible.  RBRCCB is celebrating its 40th anniversary this year.  The annual
board retreat will once again be hosted by RBRCCB the first being before the
Conference Center was constructed in 1991, as the first one was held in
1979.  Travel with me down memory lane to touch base on some of the early
federation activities.  In 1953 I joined the Columbia Chapter which was
known then as the Aurora Club.  The original chapter was founded by Dr. Sam
M. Lawton in the summer of 1944 in Spartanburg.  The third chapter of the
Aurora Club was organized in 1955 in Charleston.  Incidentally, the Columbia
Chapter was established in 1947.  Dr. Lawton and I met in Charleston in 1955
and we were successful in organizing the third chapter.  The three chapters
came together in Columbia in April 1956 and elected a constitution and
elected state officers.  Virtually all of us have been approached by some
blind person to join the Aurora Club.  I remember in the 1950's a very nice
but also very shy young lady who was a student at SCSDB when I was there in
the early 1940's.  This was Mildred Yon Kirkland who became elected as
President of the Charleston Chapter.  Incidentally, a significant event had
just occurred as our own Marshall Tucker has just celebrated his 95th
birthday.  I believe Marshall is the only surviving charter chapter member
still living.  Thank you Marshall (and your dear wife Lois) for all you have
done for the blind throughout the years.  I have been thoroughly blessed by
my participation in the organized blind movement throughout the years.  I
have met some wonderful persons who happen to be blind.  I'm sure the
average federation member would acknowledge that the NFB of SC has enhanced
our well-being.  There are too many to report on everyone but I do recall at
least one who got their beginning from attending the week set aside at
RBRCCB for blind seniors.  I refer to Dorcas Campbell who became acquainted
with the NFB of SC by attending the week long senior camp.  She then
attended the Chesterfield County Chapter and helped in its development.  Ms.
Campbell who just celebrated her 97th birthday recently moved to be with her
son in Las Vegas, Nevada.  The Chesterfield County Chapter continues to do
well as the result of Ms. Campbell's leadership before she moved away.  I
would also like to thank President Frank and Shelley Coppel for heading up
the successful NFB Senior retreat hosted by the NFB Senior Division which
included persons from nine states.  My thoughts will be on the Christmas
Board Retreat at RBRCB this weekend and no doubt this will be an excellent
event.

 

Final Thought:  During Thanksgiving we are grateful for what we have.
During the Christmas season we share our thankfulness with others.

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