[NFBofSC] Positive Note 1930

Mon Aug 7 11:00:38 UTC 2023

August 7, 2023
Memo To:  Executive Officers, Board Members, Chapter & Division Presidents & Others
From:  Marty R. McKenzie, President
Positive Note 1930
843-939-8091  marty2music at outlook.com

Dear Federation Family,

We are less than two weeks away from the 67th NFB of SC convention and there are some unexpected surprises taking place. We far exceeded our hotel block which, in turn, leads to the potential for this to be one of the largest state conventions in recent history. We are planning a Rookie Round-Up for first-time conventioneers on Thursday evening which we hope to make a hybrid event. Stay tuned for more information about this in next week's Positive Note and on the listserv.

The National Federation of the Blind of South Carolina State Convention Parents of Blind Children will present Navigating an Individualized Education Program on Friday, august 18, 2023 from 2:00-3:50 p.m. Presenters include Carol Castellano, President of the National Parents of Blind Children Division and Dr. Tina S. Herzberg, Professor of the Visual Impairment Preparation Program at the University of South Carolina Upstate. Both presenters bring different perspectives and are highly regarded within the field of blindness education. You are encouraged to invite parents, rehabilitation counselors, teachers of the blind and visually impaired and others to attend this informative workshop. Thanks to Sonia Timmons for putting this training opportunity together!

The first team oriented piece of attire has arrived and I am excited to debut this at the convention. I still have to secure other items, but do not worry, I will not be over the top! I mentioned a convention dress code of business casual last week. Please understand that this is for individuals appearing on the stage who are listed in the agenda. Business casual avoids some of the more formal attire and allows us to be more comfortable and cooler in a hot South Carolina summer. Please reach out to me if you have any questions.

If you registered prior to July 29, 2023 and were not given an opportunity to choose a boxed lunch selection for Saturday, August 19, 2023, please e-mail me at marty2music at outlook.com<mailto:marty2music at outlook.com> or text me at 843-939-8091 with your name and selection. You can choose ham, turkey, chicken salad, vegetarian or gluten free. We must get this information by Thursday, August 10, 2023 so that we can inform the hotel. We extend our appreciation to the Blind Merchants Division for their generosity in making this option available at the state convention!

Some sponsorship contributions have come in and we are grateful to these businesses and individuals for their generosity! There is a great deal more work to do in this area and We are hopeful that we will see others in the coming days. If you sent sponsorship letters, please kindly follow up with your businesses or individuals from whom you made requests and see if they plan to contribute. Remember, it is ok to ask for anything if no is an acceptable answer. Thank you for all of the effort you have put into convention sponsorships this year.

Some banquet contributions have already arrived from chapters and individuals. Thank you to those who have already given to this special fundraiser! The NFB of SC members are amazingly generous!

Door prizes are always a fun part of the State Convention! This year, First Vice President, Lenora Robertson will serve as door prize chair and Second District Board Member, Andrew Adams, will assist her. Please gather your door prizes and bring them to the convention or drop them off or mail them to the Federation Center. When gathering door prizes, please keep the following in mind:

  *   Door prizes must be valued at a minimum of $10
  *   Cash is accepted
  *   Gift cards
  *   New gifts in their original packaging
  *   If anyone wants to contribute a large door prize either money or a hotel stay, dinner out, etc. that is also very welcome

Let's have an abundance of door prizes to share with convention attendees this year!

Registration for the NFB of SC State Convention at the early bird rate closed on Friday, August 4, 2023 at 11:59 p.m.  The cost is now $100 for adults, $60 for students and $30 for children under eighteen. Parents must register all children under 18 years old at the cost of $30 per person.  Please visit www.nfbofsc.org<http://www.nfbofsc.org> to register online. If you need assistance submitting the online form, please contact me and someone will assist you.

Computers for the Blind is running a special on laptops with either JAWS or Fusion on them through August. The cost of these computers is $50.  All you need to do to receive one of these computers is fill out an application, mention the NFB National Convention and pay the $50 charge. Please spread the word!

Important Things to Remember:

*        Bring your door prizes

*        Convention sponsorships

If you need additional information about any of the items above, please contact David Houck at the Federation Center at 803-254-3777. You can also contact me as shown above.

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.

As does the national NFB, the NFB of SC has had a longstanding scholarship program whereby blind college students benefit in their academic costs through these scholarships raised primarily by blind Federationists. A college education is important but for the blind college student there are always additional costs for access technology, transportation, and readers, etc. The annual NFB of SC Scholarship Program dates back to the 1971 state convention when Dr. Fred Crawford, Chairman of the Scholarship Committee presented the first scholarship award of $300 to Barbara Mattson of Spartanburg who was attending Columbia College. From that modest beginning, more scholarships were provided to more blind students. Today, Shannon Cook is the Scholarship Chairperson and several scholarships are combined from NFB of SC Chapters, individuals and the Federation Center of the Blind in order to present three deserving blind persons annually with significant scholarships. It is hoped that in the future we can grow the scholarship fund to build the program further.

Marty

Marty R. McKenzie, President
National Federation of the Blind of South Carolina
119 S. Kilbourne Road
Columbia, SC 29205
Phone: 803-254-3777
Mobile: 843-939-8091
Web Site: www.nfbofsc.org<http://www.nfbofsc.org>

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