[NFBofSC] Positive Note 2037

Mon Aug 25 02:05:12 UTC 2025

August 24, 2025

Memo To:  Executive Officers, Board Members, Chapter & Division Presidents &
Others

From:  Marty R. McKenzie, President

843-939-8091  president at nfbofsc.org <mailto:president at nfbofsc.org> 

Positive Note 2037

Dear Federation Family,

The NFB of SC family extends its congratulations to Andrew Adams on
acceptance into the Kenneth Jernigan Leadership in Service Program. Despite
facing serious health challenges, Andrew's journey is marked by resilience,
determination, and service. He pursued higher education, earning his
Bachelor of Social Work from Limestone University, and he is currently in a
master's program seeking to become a Vocational Rehabilitation Teacher.
Within the National Federation of the Blind of South Carolina, Andrew
demonstrates outstanding leadership as a state board member, co-chair of the
Fundraising Committee and in many other roles. His work co-hosting SC Tech
Talk further shows his ability to inspire and connect with others, making
him an excellent choice for this program.

The Kenneth Jernigan Leadership in Service Program is a year-long training
opportunity designed for blind individuals aspiring to strengthen their
leadership within the organized blind movement. Acceptance into this program
requires a proven commitment to the mission of the National Federation of
the Blind, and participants engage in a demanding curriculum that blends
three in-person sessions with nine monthly virtual trainings. These sessions
are designed to build confidence, strengthen skills, and prepare
participants to take on future roles within the organization. Only a select
group of individuals are chosen, which makes Andrew's acceptance even more
significant.

Participants in this program must meet rigorous requirements. They are
expected to attend at least one national convention and one or more state
conventions prior to selection. They must affirm their understanding of the
NFB and commit to the three in-person sessions and nine virtual meetings.
Many participants have experience in elected positions within chapters,
affiliates, or divisions. Additionally, they are required to complete
assignments between sessions and provide constructive feedback to strengthen
the program for future leaders.

Affiliate presidents play a critical role in supporting candidates. They may
sponsor only two individuals and must carefully evaluate each candidate's
readiness, knowledge, and commitment to the Federation's mission. They are
also expected to serve as mentors, answering questions and guiding
participants throughout the program. Sponsorship requires submitting a
thoughtful statement of support along with the candidate's essay or
recording. It is through this process that promising leaders like Andrew are
identified and supported.

We conclude our round-up of the NFB of SC State Convention this week by
highlighting pre-convention activities. The event kicked off with the Rooky
Round-Up held on Thursday evening hosted by the Columbia Chapter and
Successful Transitions. First-time attendees and students attended this
event to meet leaders from the organization including myself as president,
division presidents and other members of the Board of Directors. National
Representative, Shelia Wright was on hand to greet everyone as well.

Friday kicked off registration at 10:00 AM and the first meeting began at
11:00 AM. The SC Association of Black Leaders, led by Janice Bright
showcased their public speaking series. There is excellent work being done
by this division. The NFB of SC is the only affiliate in the organization to
have a local division of Association of Blind, Black Leaders.

Other meetings held on Friday included the availability of Youth Track
activities, the SC Computer Science and Technology Division meeting, the
At-Large Chapter meeting, SCSDB Alumni meeting, the Blind Merchants Division
meeting, the Seniors Division meeting and the NFB of SC State Board meeting.
While I cannot attend every meeting, I made appearances when possible.

"Experiences from the Louisiana Center of the Blind" was a special
presentation by James Byers of the Cherokee Chapter. James is a recent
graduate from this program and we are extremely proud of his many
accomplishments. James walked attendees through his schedule at the
Louisiana Center and discussed activities that strengthened his confidence.
He exhibits the characteristics that we want to see in our Federationist!

The Friday evening reception, hosted by the Columbia Chapter brought a great
deal of fun with a prom theme. The evening began with a talent show where
adults and Successful Transitions students were contestants. There is a huge
amount of talent in the NFB of SC. The evening concluded with the crowning
of prom King and Queen. This was an exciting event! 

The SC Association of Blind Students met shortly after 9:00 PM to hold
elections. There were eighteen students who attended the NFB of SC
convention this year and we thank the Successful Transitions team for
shepherding these students through the convention. We also thank the SC
Commission for the Blind for sponsoring them as well. Watching the passion
that these students exhibited even so late was awe-inspiring!
Congratulations to Trenton Smith and the newly elected board of the student
division!

There is an update to the Banquet Fundraiser. Several people gave generously
to this fundraiser and we appreciate the kind donations. I learned after the
convention that At-Large board member, Janice Smith, made a $1,000 donation
to the Banquet Fundraiser and an additional $500 in other donations. Our
Banquet Fundraiser total now stands at $11,840.

It was great to see Derique Simon with us from Baltimore, Maryland. Derique
will always be welcome to the NFB of SC when he is able to be with us! We
are proud of Derique and his many accomplishments!

The next Palmetto Connects is scheduled for Tuesday, September 2, 2025 at
8:00 p.m. on the NFB of SC Zoom platform. Your host for this event is a
surprise! The phone number is 929-205-6099 and the meeting ID is 803 254
3777#. If you are using the Zoom app on your computer, phone or tablet,
activate the Join button and enter the above meeting ID without the # sign.
The passcode is 124578 for use with these devices. Continue to encourage
members to participate in this monthly meeting so that we can improve our
attendance.

Things to Remember

*	Palmetto Connects on September 2, 2025
*	Banquet pledges due by December 31, 2025

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

Website: www.nfbofsc.org <http://www.nfbofsc.org/>  

-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://nfbnet.org/pipermail/nfbofsc_nfbnet.org/attachments/20250824/87238635/attachment.htm>
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: image001.png
Type: image/png
Size: 21173 bytes
Desc: not available
URL: <http://nfbnet.org/pipermail/nfbofsc_nfbnet.org/attachments/20250824/87238635/attachment.png>
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: image002.png
Type: image/png
Size: 12738 bytes
Desc: not available
URL: <http://nfbnet.org/pipermail/nfbofsc_nfbnet.org/attachments/20250824/87238635/attachment-0001.png>