[Nfbofsc] Positive Note 1714

Wed Jun 19 14:07:39 UTC 2019

Good morning!  Sunday’s date is June 23rd.  Thank you!

Tiffiny

> On Jun 19, 2019, at 8:57 AM, David Houck via NFBofSC <nfbofsc at nfbnet.org> wrote:
> 
> June 19, 2019
> Memo To:  Executive Officers, Board Members, Chapter & Division Presidents & Others
> From:  Frank Coppel, President
> Positive Note 1714
> Greetings Fellow Federationists:
>  
>               This past Saturday evening, Shelley and I along with David and Darleen Houck attended the monthly meeting of the Clarenden chapter of the NFB of SC.  It was great seeing longtime federation members, Joretta and Earl Carper, who I have not had the pleasure of seeing for many years.  We discussed with the chapter the importance of the new membership coins, the upcoming national and state conventions as well as the status and needs of the Rocky Bottom program.  Hats off to President Marty McKenzie and all of the members of the chapter for improving the quality of life of blind people in Clarenden County. 
>               There are only three and one half weeks remaining to make your hotel reservations for the 2019 NFB of SC State Convention which will be held at the Marriott Hotel in Columbia August 9-11.  Room rates are very affordable.  Rates for this year’s convention are  $112 per night for up to four in a room.  In addition to the room rates, there will be a tax, which at present is 14 percent.  The deadline to make reservations is July 15, 2019. The Marriott Hotel has given the NFB of SC a block of rooms to reserve until July 15.  If you wait until after July 15, to make your hotel reservation, the hotel may not have an available room for you and you will not be eligible for the convention room rate of $112.  There will also be a limited number of rooms available for the $112 rate Thursday, August 8, for those individuals wanting to arrive to the hotel a day prior to the official start of the convention.  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.  For those of you who will be attending the NFB National convention from July 6-13, I would strongly encourage you to go ahead and make your room reservations for the state convention now and not wait until you return from Las Vegas .  If you wait until July 13, to make your room reservation, you could forget to do it, and thereby, miss the July 15 deadline.  You can make your room reservations by calling the Marriott toll free reservation telephone number (800) 593-6465 or (803) 771-7000 and inform the reservationist you are reserving a room for the National Federation of the Blind of South Carolina state convention.  At this year’s state convention, , we will be celebrating the seventy-fifth anniversary of our organization.  We are planning special activities throughout the weekend to commemorate this wonderful milestone.  We are expecting a large turnout for this convention so you may want to make your hotel reservations early.  This will be a very special and historic convention you do not want to miss! 
>               Also, please continue to preregister for the NFB of SC 2019 state convention.  The total preregistration package is $80 which includes a very special Friday evening reception, continental breakfast Saturday and Sunday morning of the convention, the Saturday Luncheon and the Saturday evening Banquet. The preregistration period will end August 2, after which time the cost to register for the state convention will be $100.  We will again offer a discount for families with children during the preregistration period.  Parents will pay the $80 preregistration fee and each child eighteen years of age and younger will pay $20.  There will also be a discounted rate for college students in the amount of $50 during the preregistration period. 
>               We have an announcement from Shannon Cook, Chairperson of the NFB of SC Scholarship committee.  “Great News!  The 2019 Scholarship deadline has been extended to June 30th!  Please go to nfbofsc.org to find the scholarship application and requirements.” 
>               We have an announcement from Tiffiny Mitchell.  There will be a teleconference meeting on Sunday evening, June 26, at 7:00 to discuss transportation arrangements and other matters for those individuals who are traveling on the two American Airlines flights leaving from Charlotte on July 6, going to Las Vegas.  The telephone number is (862)902-0241 and the access code 3588716.    You can now review the agenda for the 2019 NFB national convention at
> https://nfb.org/get-involved/national-conventionn.
>               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 spotlight one of our Successful Transitions staff members who works with the NFB of SC under the leadership of its Director, Jennifer Bazer.  Pam Schexnider was born and raised in Columbia, SC to Joe (Buddy) and Dianne Raines Newman, and grew up not far from the Federation Center on Kilbourne Road.  Her father worked at Glassmaster Boats before he retired then he opened a small marine mechanic shop at Jake’s Landing.  Her mother worked for Southern Bell here in Columbia for many years before moving to Beaufort, SC where she retired. With both sets of grandparents in the Shandon / Rosewood area, this was her playground.  Many hours were spent wading and roaming in Gill’s Creek, riding a bike to the Dairy Bar for a cone, or Groucho’s for a pickle and playing in one of the many local area parks.
>               Pam Graduated in 1981 from Dreher High School, and continued on at The University of South Carolina and graduated in 1986 with a major in Business and minors in Accounting and Hotel Restaurant Management, and is very thankful there were no cell phones with cameras in those days. After graduating USC, she went to work for The Department of Housing and Urban Development in Beaufort, Hilton Head and Savannah, GA.  There she met and married her first husband George Muchmore and had her first daughter Meredith in 1988.  She can honestly say, she married a Muchmore which turned out to be “muchless” than she bargained for so she divorced him and things got “muchbetter” and she became a Newman again.
>               She eventually transferred back to the Columbia and Sumter areas.  While working in Sumter, she met the love of her life David Schexnider. They met at Compuzone Computers on a Friday the 13 in 1993.  Her computer crashed and the computer store was unable to get it running when this tall fella with the clearest blue eyes, and brightest smile she had ever seen walked in to buy a printer.  David also moonlighted with Compuzone so they had him take a look at the computer.  Well, in about 20 minutes he had the blasted thing up and running.  “What do I owe you,” she asked the manager.  “Nothing” he replied, “we didn’t fix it, ask him” and pointed to David.  So she asked “What do I owe you then?”  to which he replied “Nothing, I don’t work here”.  She offered to buy him lunch, which he accepted and she has been feeding him ever since.  They married in October of 1994, and welcomed their daughter Malarie in March of 1998. 
>               David is an Electronic Engineer currently working for The Right Dose Corporation here in Columbia.  Meredith, 30, who is a Nurse in Newberry with White Oak of The Carolina’s, and Malarie, 21, is a senior at Erskine College in Due West SC  majoring in pre-Med Bio – Chem and has maintained Dean’s list status all 3 years.
>               In 2000, she was promoted to Domestic Goddess / stay at home mom (who was NEVER home).  She was a troop leader with Girl Scouts with Meredith from Daiseys to Gold, volunteered at many school functions with the girls, prepared Wednesday Evening Meals at her church, and served from Nursery, to Sunday School teacher, Youth Leader, and Women’s ministry leader.
>               In 2004 a friend talked her into going to Nursing School.  She became a LPN and worked at various hospitals including, Richland, Providence, and Kershaw County as well as private duty home health / hospice.  Her Nursing career was cut short by a back injury which required surgery.
>               In 2016, Malarie left for college, she wasn’t able to return to nursing, so she spent her days in a pity party.  One day in mid-October, a friend of Meredith’s, Allison Page, called.  “Mrs. Pam, would you be interested in driving a couple of blind ladies a couple days a week?”  “Drive, sure!!!!  I Can Drive!”  The Blind ladies were Casey Eubanks and Jennifer Bazer.  The “Couple Days a Week”, well that became full time.  After meeting the kid’s in the Successful Transition’s program she was hooked, and the more blind people she was around, the more she fell in love with them.  “It just amazes me, “There isn’t anything that they can’t do.”  And honestly, the difference between me and a blind person, is I have grey hair, and they don’t” she says.  As an associate member, she will assist any way she can.  She loves Rocky Bottom and has participated in many events up there from work projects, to Fun Day, to Children’s Camp.  She has participated in Midland’s Gives Fund Raising, Children’s Camp Fundraising, and currently is assisting with NFBSC’s Diamond Jubilee, and State Convention Fund Raising.
>               Pam loves crafting, painting, scrapbooking, sewing, but, her favorite is quilting.  She is a member of Stitched with Love quilting guild which makes quilt’s for homeless at Oliver Gospel and Toby’s House as well as other ministries in need. 
>               To say that Pam Schexnider loves dogs is an understatement.  She has 3 fur babies of her own; Riley Bay a beagledor, Shelby GT, a Havaneese, and her newest addition Macy Blanch, a Chiweenie, who also volunteers with Successful Transitions as Stress Manager.  She also assists local vets and rescues with small breed fosters when needed.
>               She and David are Members at Crossings Community Church in North East Columbia since 1998 where she is serving her 3rd term as Deacon.
>  
> Final Thought:   This past Sunday was Father’s Day.  Let’s not forget our wives who made Father’s Day possible!  Be a great Dad, Grandfather, etc.
> _______________________________________________
> NFBofSC mailing list
> NFBofSC at nfbnet.org
> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nfbofsc_nfbnet.org
> If you would like to make a tax deductible donation to any of the following within the NFB of SC, please click the below link.  NFB of SC, Federation Center of the Blind, Chapter, or Division.  Your support is appreciated!
> http://nfbofsc.org/donations/
> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for NFBofSC:
> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nfbofsc_nfbnet.org/tmmitchell727%40gmail.com
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://nfbnet.org/pipermail/nfbofsc_nfbnet.org/attachments/20190619/78dc5bae/attachment.html>