[NFBofSC] July 21, 2022 Columbia Chapter Newsletter

[Steve Cook]

Columbia Chapter Newsletter

July 21, 2022

 

          David Houck filled in for the chapter Secretary, taking minutes of the July meeting.  Hello Columbia Chapter Members, Our current board members are as follows:  President – Ike Nelson, 1st Vice-President – Steve Cook, 2nd Vice President – David Bundy, Treasurer – Thom Spittle, Secretary – Casey Williams, Member-at-large – Shelley Coppel, Member-at-large – Maggie Floyd.

          The meeting got off to a rousing start as Columbia Chapter President, Isaiah Nelson gaveled the meeting to order at 6:30 p.m.  The large “Dime A Difference” jug was set on the head table for members to contribute to the Columbia Chapter treasury.    For dinner everyone enjoyed a salad bar consisting of Isaiah’s homemade chicken salad, an Italian bow tie pasta salad and a regular salad with your choice of dressing.  There were Ritz crackers, a fruit cup and your choice of Coke, Coke Zero or water.

          Those we need to keep in prayer include Dale and Pat Wolthoff, John Williams. Ernest Gallman, Marshall Tucker, Dorothy Barksdale, and Jean Sutton who are ill rrecovering either in the hospital or at home.  Remember our Sumter Chapter President as Debra Canty’s mother, Ruth Presley and Sumter Chapter member Herbert Boykin, recently passed away.           The freewill offering was taken up.  Lisa Best presented the chapter with a Columbia Chapter suggestion box and index cards to print or braille suggestions.  This box and cards are set on the fireplace mantle between meetings and will be on the head table during the day of the chapter meetings.  Suggestions will be reviewed on a monthly basis prior to each meeting.  So, if you have a suggestion, a shout out, an idea for a speaker, or a way we can serve the blind better, etc., help yourself!  When the roll was called we noted Matthew Duffell Hoffman’s name was in the right place alphabetically.  Birthdays were recognized and Marshall and Lois Tucker’s 50th anniversary was of special note.  Thom Spittle gave the Treasurer’s Report.  There is $4,067.20 in the checkbook and $1,250.00 in the van fund.  $1,083.00 was raised on the Krispy Kreme fundraiser and Jon Nelson sold the most certificates.  There are just a few more left if you want one!  Frank Coppel wanted to know if the chapter would be giving $250 for a state convention scholarship and $250 for the convention banquet fundraiser.  Maggie Floyd said that some of her $1 ticket sales would assist at least $200 toward the scholarship fund and Isaiah Nelson stated that there is still one more chapter meeting before the state convention in order for the chapter to take care of these issues.  Maggie Floyd also stated that the $1 ticket sales would assist someone in attending the state convention.

          Frank Coppel was the guest speaker.  He spoke of his longtime service in the NFB of SC and before that in the NFB of Maryland in the Baltimore Chapter.  In Baltimore he had two mentors who were an encouragement to his federation growth.  In South Carolina both Donald Capps and Bob Bell were mentors who encouraged his participation and leadership in the federation movement.  Mr. Coppel mentioned the highlights of the NFB New Orleans convention.  We were ranked 12th in PAC (Pre-Authorized Contributions) and first in SUN (Shares Unlimited in the NFB) with $1,200.  The Senior Division meeting was of special interest as Shelley Coppel was elected to national office in the division.  Others attending the convention from South Carolina were also elected to office in various divisions like Steve Cook in the National Association of Guide Dog Users for example.  The opening session was great and of particular interest was the Presidential Report which reviewed the accomplishments of the federation over the past year.  The blind race car driver set a Guinness Book of World Records milestone as the first blind person to reach 211 m.p.h. while driving a car.  The NFB national training centers were examined with their excellent training programs.  The resolutions were interesting which establishes the NFB’s policy for the upcoming year.  Although there were many changes over the decades, our “core values” still remain the same as was extolled to the convention by President Riccobono during his Banquet speech.  Next year’s NFB convention will be held in Houston, Texas July 1 through 6, 2023. Today, we need to bring back mentors to encourage new blind members.  We also need that personal touch of having a contact committee to call members, remind them of meetings and activities, encourage participation, and whether transportation is needed.  We need to recruit more informative monthly speakers.  Members can suggest potential monthly speakers.  This is not an “I and me” but an “us and we” organization.  It’s not what the federation can do for you but what you can do for the federation, to coin a phrase President Kennedy once used.  We need to find ways to get more people to chapter meetings and participate in activities.  Communication is the key!  The chapter membership has the final say in chapter operations.  

          A Contact Committee was established consisting of Dorothy Barksdale, Patronda Anderson, Carolyn Phillips, Lisa Best and Frank Coppel.  Thom Spittle will divide the membership list for the Contact Committee’s use.  Call Isaiah Nelson at 803-735-0821 if you are interested in going to Rocky Bottom over the Labor Day weekend.  Let’s have a big crowd going!  We will also be going in October.  There is a $20 deposit to ride the van.    Patronda advocated for us to bring in younger members so that we can grow our next generation of Columbia Chapter members. The van leaves for the Charleston NFB of SC Convention at 12noon on Friday, August 26.  There is a $20 deposit to ride the van.  Call Isaiah Nelson at 803-735-0821 if you are interested in transportation to the convention.  First come, first served.  The 50-50 drawing was held and Frank Coppel won $27.  Isaiah informed the members that BINGO may begin as soon as the Telephone Pioneers are able to agree on potential Covid procedures.  Contact Isaiah Nelson if you know of a potential Columbia Chapter van driver.  Our next chapter meeting is on Thursday, August 11 at 6:30 p.m.  Having no further business to discuss, the meeting was adjourned.

 

Respectfully submitted, 

David Houck, Acting Secretary

 

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