[NFBofSC] Positive Note 1875

Mon Jul 18 12:02:09 UTC 2022

July 18, 2022

Positive Note 1875

President Jennifer Bazer

803-960-9977

  Jennifer.H.Bazer at gmail.com <mailto:Jennifer.H.Bazer at gmail.com> 

          Greetings Fellow Federationists:

This week in the NFB of SC was a difficult one. Several of our members have
been in the hospital, fallen or have gone before us. I, along with several
members attended the visitation of Ruth Pressley, mom of Sumter chapter
President, Debra Canty. MS. Ruth loved purple and we saw that during the
visitation with the decorations. We met several members of the church and of
the family of MS. Ruth Pressly. I was overjoyed to see our Federation family
surround Debra, Judy and family during this challenging time. Please
continue to keep them in your thoughts and prayers.

I also had the pleasure of visiting with Pat and Dale Wolthoff just before
our national convention. Pat is looking forward to attending our state
convention. Even though Dale cannot travel, Pat is excited to celebrate
their 45 wedding anniversary with her Federation family on Saturday, August
27. Pat and Dale and their caregiver Brenda wants to thank all of you for
your thoughts and prayers and please keep them coming. They also are
appreciative of the tangible items given to help with Dale's care. You may
still make donations through pay pal to Dale. You may also leave items at
the Federation Center and I will take them to him in Hopkins. He can always
use vanilla or strawberry boost. He drinks four of them a day.

The Lee County Chapter bowling outing was a success. I heard from members
that they want to do it again soon. Stay tuned for the next opportunity. If
you attended this fun outing, please send Shannon Cook photos with
descriptions along with quotes about your experience for the next Palmetto
Blind.

Coffeequeensc1 at sc.rr.com <mailto:Coffeequeensc1 at sc.rr.com> 

Registration is still open  for our 66th annual state convention. The
pre-registration period has ended, so prices have gone up slightly, but we
encourage you to register and join us. We currently have 134 nights booked
at the North Charleston Marriott. We need 166 nights to meet our 80%
contracted percentage without paying for rooms we do not use. NFB of SC
state convention room rates are good until 5:00 PM EDT on August 5. After
that date, rooms will be released to the general public and room rates are
not guaranteed. The number for central reservations is

888-236-2427.  Please refer to the additional information further down in
this Positive Note about state convention registration and making hotel
reservations.

We Care Concerns

Please keep the following individuals in your thoughts and prayers and
please let Dorothy Barksdale, chair of the We Care Committee know of prayers
and praises.

Debra Canty on the loss of her mother Ruth Pressley, member of the Sumter
chapter.

Ernest Gallman and Marshall Tucker, both in Columbia,  are in the hospital.

Dale Wolthoff

Beverly Allison

Those who are not on this list but need our thoughts and prayers for
sickness, loss, recovery and other concerns that are not mentioned or
unspoken.

2022 NFB of SC Scholarship Program

Thanks goes out to the following who have contributed to this year's
scholarship amounts.  The Federation Center of the Blind, Belvedere Chapter,
Chesterfield Chapter, Grand Strand Chapter, and the Computer Science and
Technology Division.  Other awards have been given in Jimmy Smith's name. At
this point, our amounts are critically low as compared to other years.  We
accept donations from individuals, not just chapters and divisions.  Years
ago, Carey Burris established the Metro Fund to allow for smaller donation
amounts that can be added to named scholarships  to supplement the award
amounts for individual students.  Please consider passing the hat at your
chapter meeting or sending in a donation to help these students to offset
their educational expenses.     Donations can be made via PayPal or by check
Please call me, Shannon Cook if you have questions or want to let me know of
a donation.  Thanks in advance for your assistance.

Questions for State Agencies Presenting at Convention

Last year, Darline Graham, Commissioner of the SC Commission for the blind
updated us on their current events and initiatives. This year, we hope that
the Talking Books service new director Jennifer Falvey and new president of
SC School for the Deaf and Blind will both join the Commission in updating
us. If you would like to submit your questions for any of these agency
directors in advance, you may do so.  They will each have approximately ten
minutes on the agenda, with a few minutes reserved for the questions. Please
email your questions to Elizabeth Rouse and Anna Price, co-chairs of
Legislative and Advocacy committee at

Elizabethrouse.nfb at gmail.com

State Convention Banquet Fundraiser

Each year at our state convention, we raise money for the NFB of SC at our
banquet on Saturday night. We usually raise around $10,000 in less than an
hour which is impressive and shows the dedication to our affiliate by all of
our members, chapters and divisions. Please consider what you may wish to
contribute during our banquet. Contributions can be sent ahead of time to
the Federation Center made out to NFB of SC. Please insure you write banquet
fundraiser in the memo line so we can recognize the contribution. You may
also send your donations through Pay Pal on our NFB of SC website. Please
write banquet fundraiser in the comment section. Pledges can be made at the
banquet. These should be fulfilled by December 31, 2022. All contributions
by members, chapters and divisions will be recognized at the banquet.

July Birthdays!

Happy birthday to the following members who have birthdays in July! 

Barbara Martin  19

Jackie Cousar     20

Rosa Lee Wells  20

Rogers Nelson   21

Franklin Johnson              21

George Johnson               22

Mary Rose Hagan             22

Katherine Loza  23

Collette Bradley 23

Frank Loza           24

David Rebocho  25

Edwin Gerace    25

Albert Graham  28

Bernice Thames Wheeler              29

Valerie Warrington          29

Susanne Bryant 30

Taiwan Johnson 31

Kerry "Butch" Thompson              31

Palmetto Convention Grant

The NFB of SC board voted to award three Palmetto Convention Grants in the
amount of $200 each. If you are a current NFB of SC member and you have not
attended a state convention and wish to attend our state convention August
25-28, please contact Shannon Cook, chair of this committee to obtain an
application. Both sighted and blind members are eligible.  The deadline is
quickly approaching on July 30, 2022 at 11:59 p.m.

Sports and Rec Division Fundraiser 50/50 Drawing  

The Sports and Rec Division is having a 50/50 Drawing  

Prizes:

*       First prize is half/50% of the cash raised in ticket sales. 

*       Second Prize is a gift basket. 

The drawing will be held during the banquet at the NFB of SC State
Convention on August 27, 2022.  .  You do not have to be present to win.
Tickets: 1/$5, 3/$10, 7/$20.

To purchase in advance of the state convention, you can pay via our Sports
and Rec PayPal. The info is below. Please put in the memo line the money is
for the S & R 50/50 Drawing.

https://www.paypal.me/sportrecnfbsc

If you have any questions, please email the Sports and Rec Division at
srnfbsc21 at yahoo.com <mailto:srnfbsc21 at yahoo.com> 

Thank you all. 

Sports and Rec Division 

National Federation of the Blind of South Carolina 

Braille Afghan Fundraiser

Do you or a family member read, write, or just simply have an appreciation
for Braille? If so, the Braille Literacy Committee, in partnership with the
NFB of SC Fundraising committee and the NFB of SC have a special
announcement! A special Braille-themed Afghan has been  lovingly created by
our very own Glenda Culick, featuring yarn from the personal collection of
our beloved late Ellen Taylor. This one-of-a-kind, handmade item features a
white background with hunter green Braille dots that are visual and
touchable and a hunter green border. The Afghan is large enough to cover a
twin size bed, but would also look great as an overlay on a full or queen
sized bed. Coincidentally, the color scheme matches with that of the School
for the Deaf and Blind, which has many alumni in the area. The cost to enter
will be $10 per entry or you may purchase 3 entries for $25. The drawing to
determine the winner will take place during the late fall season. If you'd
like to examine the piece, it will be on display at the NFB of SC table
during the state convention in August. The Braille Literacy Committee wishes
to extend a heartfelt thank-you to Glenda for taking the time to create such
a beautiful piece and to the fundraising committee, along with the NFB of SC
for partnering with us to extend this special opportunity statewide. 

 You may enter the drawing by using Pay Pal on our affiliate website and
please insure you put Braille Afghan in the comment section. You may also
mail a check to the Federation Center made out to NFB of SC and write
Braille Afghan in the memo line. One entry for $10 or three for $25.

NFB of SC State Convention Registration is Open

Exciting News!

Registration is open for the National Federation of the Blind of South
Carolina's 66th State Convention! This year's state convention will be held
at the North Charleston Marriott 4770 Goer Drive, North Charleston, SC
29406.  The phone number is 843-747-1900. The dates are August 25, 2022
through August 28, 2022. Below is the link to the registration form for the
state Convention. Just a reminder that your registration is non-refundable
and non-transferable. Once you fill out the 2022 NFB of SC state convention
registration form. You will need to also submit your payment in order to
complete the registration process.

Acceptable payment methods include NFB of SC PayPal. Please  put in the
message field "State convention registration" and include the names of those
whose registration you are paying. You can also make a check payable to the
NFB of SC and mail it to the Federation Center of the Blind (see below) and
include the same info as stated above. 

Registration Rates:

Standard Registration: $100.

Student Registration: $60.  This includes college, graduate or doctoral
students.

Children's and Youth Registration: $30. This rate is for people 18 and
under.

Click here for the 2022 State Registration Form

We look forward to seeing you there!

Door Prize Collection:

It is time to begin gathering door prizes to distribute during the general
sessions of the convention. Names for door prizes will be drawn
electronically like last year. We are keeping consistent with our NFB
national as they also draw electronically.  We like for the prizes to be
worth $10 or more.  Only new items please.  Keep in mind that men, women,
blind, and sighted all will be in the running to receive them, so a variety
of prizes is greatly appreciated. If you will be at the convention, you can
bring them with you.  If not,

You can send them with someone or mail them to the Federation Center.
Address is provided later in the Positive Note.   If anyone has questions,
please contact Steve and Shannon Cook who are coordinating door prizes again
this year.  Their info is below.  Home: (803) 254-0222; his cell: (803)
260-1292; her cell: (803) 605-4250; email: cookcafe at sc.rr.com
<mailto:cookcafe at sc.rr.com> . 

Exhibit Hall Registration

Forms are available for exhibiting on August 26-28 at our 66th annual state
convention in North Charleston. For non-members, agencies, businesses and
other organizations, the cost is $125 per table. The cost for members,
chapters and divisions is $40 per table. The forms are on our NFB of SC
website, have been sent out on the list serve, or can be obtain from David
Houck or me, Jennifer Bazer. We look forward to many reserved tables in our
exhibit hall at this convention.

Sponsorships for State Convention

It is time again to seek sponsorships for our NFB of SC state convention
held August 25-28 at the North Charleston Marriot. The chapter or division
with the most money in sponsorships will receive 10% of the total
sponsorship money raised. Last year, we raised over $6,200, the largest
amount of sponsorships for one convention. Let's see if we can reach
$15,000! All funds raised will help defray the cost of a $25,000 to $30,000
convention. Thank you to the Sumter chapter who obtained the first
sponsorship.

You may obtain an electronic sponsorship letter from the convention planning
committee by contacting Melinda Jones or Andrew Adams or contacting me
directly. If you need printed copies mailed, please contact David Houck at
the Federation Center. Sponsorships should be paid using our NFB of SC pay
pal link on our site.  Individuals or companies may also mail a check made
payable to NFB of SC with "state convention sponsorship" in the memo line
and mailed to the Federation Center. We had a large number of White Cane
level sponsors last year at $100 from individuals in our own affiliate,
chapters, divisions and other individuals in the community. Let's work
together to exceed last year's goal!

          Zoom Events for the upcoming Week!

          Below are the events scheduled this    week for the NFB of SC.
Chairs and co-chairs, please make sure your agenda for the committee is on
the list serve before your meeting. Also, starting now, chairs and co-chairs
of committees along with presidents of chapters and divisions will be
responsible for sending out meting reminders to the listserv along with the
agenda. Thank you! Someone will need to send out the daily reminder, agenda
and Zoom information for the meeting.

 Monday, July 18, 2022

Braille Literacy Committee 6:30 PM Federation Center Zoom  

Tuesday, July 19, 2022

Diabetes Action Network 7:00 PM Federation Center Zoom   

Thursday, July 21, 2022

Florence Chapter 7:00 PM Federation Center Zoom  

Saturday, July 23, 2022

SC Tech Talk 3:00 PM Federation Center Zoom  

Do you have a smart phone or tablet? How would you like to be able to look
at your calendar on your smart device for upcoming events for the NFB of SC?
Well, we have something that you will really like! Below is a link to the
NFB of SC Google Calendar that you can subscribe to for upcoming events
without having to visit our fabulous NFB of SC website to check the Events
Calendar. Below is the link in which you will need to subscribe to the
Events Calendar on your smart phone or computer.

https://calendar.google.com/calendar/ical/nfbsouthcarolina%40gmail.com/priva
te-4df60c862f41a1d9bf2e25ed4a6af1f2/basic.ics

          Federation Center Zoom Info

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/8032543777?pwd=QTVQd2RzN3l6QnNmZ0FmSnp6NG8vQT09

Meeting ID: 803 254 3777 Passcode: 124578

One tap mobile +19292056099,,8032543777# US (New York)

          Rocky Bottom Zoom Info

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/8648789090?pwd=QTVQd2RzN3l6QnNmZ0FmSnp6NG8vQT09

Meeting ID: 864 878 9090 Passcode: 124578

One tap mobile +19292056099,,8648789090# US (New York)

FCB Address:

Federation Center of the Blind

119 S Kilbourne Road

Columbia, SC 29205

NFB of SC PayPal:

Go to  <http://www.nfbofsc.org> www.nfbofsc.org and  click on the "Donate
with PayPal" button.  Enter the required info.  PayPal charges a 3% fee.  To
ensure that the total amount you are paying is received, kindly add 3 cents
for every dollar that is being paid.  We thank you for your support. 

State Convention Badges:

This year, name badges at the state convention will be very clear as to who
is able to vote and who is not.  The colors chosen for the badges will be
noticeably different, such as blue and yellow, purple and green, black and
white, etc.  Colors have not been decided.  This will make it much easier
for counters to know who to give voting cards to and those to skip when
voting takes place.

NFB of SC State Convention Board Meeting:

Because of the increase in the number of divisions and committees, it is
much harder to fit everything in on Friday, and still include time for the
reception.  The board decided to have its meeting on Thursday at 7:00 p.m. 

State Convention Voting:

Voting for the state convention will be in person only.  If someone wants to
register and arrive at the hotel on Sunday for voting, the board decided
that will be acceptable.  This will keep the spirit of the in person voting
intact, and will help to accommodate those who may wish to lessen their
face-to-face interactions.   As a side benefit, it could give more
transportation options to members across the state for returning to their
respective homes.

Voting Cards:

Everyone who votes at the state convention will receive one index card in an
envelope. Once they make their selection, and tear the card accordingly,
they will put the card back in the envelope for it to be collected.  This
will give a higher level of secrecy to the votes.  Only the counters will be
allowed to see the cards.  They will not know who gave which card.

Joke of the Week

What did the tie say to the hat?

You go on ahead. I'll hang around.

Fascinating Facts about July 18th!

National Caviar Day

National Sour Candy Day

Perfect Family Day

World Listening Day

       Final Thought -

"Competing at the highest level is not about winning. It's about
preparation, courage, understanding, and nurturing your people, and heart.
Winning is the result."
- Joe Torre

NFB Pledge -

I pledge to participate actively in the effort of the National Federation of
the Blind to achieve equality, opportunity, and security for the blind; to
support the policies and programs of the Federation; and to abide by its
constitution.

          NFB One Minute Message -

"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."

NFB of SC PSA

Click here to view the National Federation of the Blind of SC 2021 PSA!

More NFB of SC Information

          If this message was forwarded to you and you would like to receive
it directly in your inbox, as well as, receive messages regarding the
National Federation of the Blind of South Carolina, please email Steve Cook
at cookcafe at sc.rr.com <mailto:cookcafe at sc.rr.com> 

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