[NFBofSC] Positive Note 1885

[Marty McKenzie]

September 26, 2022
Memo To:  Executive Officers, Board Members, Chapter & Division Presidents & Others
From:  Marty R. McKenzie, President
Positive Note 1885
843-939-8091  marty2music at outlook.com

Dear Federation Family,

Palmetto Connects was an exciting event Thursday evening, September 22, 2022 as you heard from your elected board. Each member took up to three minutes to introduce themselves to you and provide information about why they are qualified to serve and what they hope to do as board members. There were at least 68 people at the highest number observed by those who were watching the participant count. Chapter and division presidents or their designees then provided information on BEAM events which will take place during October, 2022. It was a great evening of Federation learning and sharing and I am honored to have been part of it!

Working through committee assignments and some committee restructuring has taken more time than was anticipated. Committees will be announced as early as possible next week. Then, the first meetings must be scheduled.  This is handled through the Computer Science and Technology Division and its President Steve Cook. As much as possible, I want to attend the first meeting for each committee to discuss what the purpose of the committee is and how the members intend to accomplish that purpose. I realize this is a significant time commitment, but everyone will benefit if we are all on the same page as we move forward.  A great big thank you to everyone who has reached out requesting committee assignments and offering suggestions regarding committees!

As the Ex Officio Trustee to the American Printing House for the Blind representing both the SC Department of Education, Office of Special Education Services and the SC School for the Deaf and the Blind, , I am required to attend Annual Meeting which will take place October 5-7, 2022 in Louisville, Kentucky. Many of you will remember that several National Conventions were held there in the early 2,000s and Louisville is a city I love to visit. I will have very limited availability in the evenings due to APH commitments. I have it on good authority that the NFB will be well represented at this exciting meeting!

Please continue to send your BEAM and other events to me at marty2music at outlook.com<mailto:marty2music at outlook.com> for reminders in the Positive Note at least 2 weeks prior to events. A calendar of events will be established following committee appointments. We will share the monthly calendar when it is available.

Here is David Houck's Federation fun fact for this week! Let's continue to read and learn together about our rich history in South Carolina.

In 1944, a blind minister from Spartanburg named Dr. Samuel Miller Lawton organized a picnic under an apple tree for a group of blind people for the purpose of allowing the blind to speak for themselves and it was given a spiritual component.  Those attending consisted of Dr. Lawton, Ruth Weeks, Iola Adair Jenkins, Morgan Tyler, Grover Jones and Marshall Tucker among others.  They formed the Aurora Club of the Blind.  The name was taken from the Aurora Borealis or Northern Lights.  The formation of this organization was due to the lack of opportunities for blind people in the 1940's as many were custodialized or never given an opportunity to make much of a living in those days.  There were few or no resources.  This turned out to be the founding of the NFB of SC today.

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