[Nfbofsc] Positive Note 1693

[David Houck]

January 23, 2019

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

From:  Frank Coppel, President

Positive Note 1693

Greetings Fellow Federationists:

 

              This past Saturday, January 19, I had the pleasure of
attending the monthly meeting of our Charleston chapter.  Newly elected
President LaVern Addison, appears to be doing an excellent job as there were
approximately twenty people in attendance.  The Charleston chapter will be
attending the Leadership Seminar on March 16, and they will also be
attending the 2019 NFB of SC state convention in August.  I was very pleased
to hear ten members are planning to attend the NFB National Convention this
summer.  

              You can now begin to make your reservations for the upcoming
2019 Las Vegas National Convention.  The date of this year's national
convention will be July 7, to July 12, 2019 and will be held at the
beautiful Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino. Unlike in years past, the same
enviable rate of $99 per night applies to singles and doubles as well as
triples and quads. Hotel and sales taxes are 13.38 percent and 8.25 percent,
respectively. The resort fee (normally $37 a night) will be waived for NFB
convention attendees. However, fees for internet access, local and toll-free
calls, and fitness center access may apply.  To make reservations for the
2019 convention, you can call the hotel at 877-632-9001. The hotel will take
a deposit of the first night's room rate for each room and will require a
credit card or a personal check. If you use a credit card, the deposit will
be charged against your card immediately. If a reservation is cancelled
before Friday, June 1, half of the deposit will be returned. Otherwise
refunds will not be made.  

              Schedule for 2019 NFB national convention:  Sunday, July 7,
Seminar Day.  Monday, July 8, Registration and Exhibit Hall opens.  Tuesday
July 9, NFB national Board meeting and division meetings.  Wednesday, July
10, Opening General session.  Thursday July 11, general session.  Friday,
July 12, Banquet. 

              The Kenneth Jernigan Scholarship committee is now accepting
applications for the 2019 National convention in Las Vegas, Nevada.  The
Jernigan scholarship program is sponsored by the NFB and is designed to
financially assist first time attendees to attend the NFB National
Convention.  To apply, you must complete the necessary paperwork with a
letter of recommendation from your state president and submit this
information to the Jernigan Scholarship committee by April 15, 2019.  If you
are selected, you will be notified by the committee by May 15, 2019.  For
more information, please read the article in the December issue of the
Braille Monitor which describes the process in more detail.  

              In last week's Positive Note I wrote that Lorreta Green, NFB
of SC District one state board member, conducted a tele-conference with
chapters in her district to discuss how best to financially assist Rocky
Bottom.  I failed to mention the Grand Strand chapter, led by its President
Charlis Borodin, also participated in this meeting.  The Grand Strand
chapter pledged $200 to assist Rocky Bottom during this meeting and I was
informed by Charlis Tuesday morning that a check for this amount has already
been written.    

              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.  

              This week we are spotlighting another fine federationist from
the Laurens Chapter. I am referring to Ginger Landreth. She was born Laurens
where she currently resides and works.  Ginger has three grown daughters and
two sons which are still at home. She also has five grandchildren that spend
part of their weekends with her as she does a lot of baby-sitting!

              Ginger Landreth graduated from Laurens High School in 1989.
She attended Piedmont Technical College in Greenwood for an Associate's
Degree in Building Construction. She left when she was one semester short of
receiving her degree due to financial reasons.  Before Ginger came to work
at the Bell Federation Center of the Blind in 2006, she operated an in-home
daycare facility and sat with several of the elderly in the Laurens area for
twelve years.

              She became involved in the Federation when she answered and ad
Mr. Bob Bell placed with the SC Work Force/ Job Service. She went for the
interview with him and Mrs. Doris Bell, and was hired of course.  She fell
in love with her clients and the services they offered to the community
immediately. It was like she was "called" to work in a field of community
service.  She writes grants to the City, County, Private Organizations and
the United Way, filed quarterly taxes, and helped the blind community with
housing. She also had a free transportation program (as she is the driver)
for all the blind and legally blind in Laurens County. Transportation needs
included: Doctor's appointments, grocery shopping, and trips to the
pharmacy, Dialysis, banking, funerals and anywhere a blind person needs to
go. Ginger performed all office duties needed to run our Center under the
direction of Robby Bell. She helped the Chapter President organize the
Chapter's monthly meetings and took our Chapter members to the State and
National Conventions. She also takes Chapter members to social activities
such as going out to eat, trips to the beach, trips to the zoo, fishing, to
picnics, to museums and aquariums etc. She organizes (makes appointments and
drives clients) to the Gift of Sight Program for the Center which pays for
those who have financial needs to have an eye exam and purchase glasses. She
helps to organize school screenings in partnership with The Laurens Lions
Club and keeps count of the numbers of those who are screened for grant
purposes. This program allows them to go into all the schools and daycares
in Laurens County and screen for vision and hearing. She also helps to
organize quarterly Community Health Screenings. The Bell Center and Laurens
Chapter partners with the Presbyterian Pharmacy School and the Bell
Federation Center Advisory Board offers these screenings free to the public.
The Community Health Screenings check for vision, hearing, height, weight
BMI, diabetes and cholesterol.  She has attended fifteen State Conventions
and three National Conventions over the past fifteen years

              Her hobbies include cooking, fishing, playing guitar, singing
and spending time with her family.  She also volunteers to help children get
to and from City baseball practice during the spring months and she is
always on call for any blind or legally blind person 24/7.We salute Ginger
Landreth for your years of dedicated work with the blind in Laurens County
so that they too can "live the lives they want."

 

Final Thought:  If you are an NFB of SC District Board Member, have a
teleconference with the chapter presidents in your district or schedule a
group activity to bolster enthusiasm and member participation.  Better yet,
make it a point to visit each chapter in your district in 2019.

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