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</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--></head><body lang=EN-US link=blue vlink=purple><div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal>November 12, 2014<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Memo To: Executive Officers, Board Members, Chapter & Division Presidents & Others<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>From: Parnell Diggs, President<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Positive Note 1474<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Dear Fellow Federationists:<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> The National Federation of the Blind knows that blindness is not the characteristic which defines you or your future. Every day, we raise 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. <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>This was the message recited by Kenisha Wilson, a member of the NFB of SC Conway Chapter since June 28, 2014. Already, she has learned the one-minute message! Congratulations to President Levern Wilson and our Conway Chapter for working on this short message, which we are to recite verbatim when talking to the public about the Federation. You should learn it too.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>It was a double-header day on Saturday, as I had the pleasure of attending two chapter meetings in Horry County. The first was the meeting of our Grand Strand Chapter, and the second was the November Conway chapter holiday kick-off, which is always so popular. In the Grand Strand area, we are making plans for the holiday season and beginning to collect State dues of $10 per member.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Congratulations to our Grand Strand Chapter and President Terry Knox for working on this in advance of January1. Remember, dues should be in by January 1 and are late if paid after January 31. As to our Conway Chapter, they sure know how to put on a holiday party. Levern and his team do a great job! It was great to see members from across Horry County in two meetings on the same afternoon.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Let me give you a reminder about the Christmas Board Retreat at Rocky Bottom during the weekend of December 12 through 14. Chapter Presidents are requested to attend whether they are on the Board or not. This will be the first time all three Boards have met during the same gathering. I am of course talking about the Rocky Bottom Board, the State Board, and the Federation Center Board, which became a statewide body at the first of the year.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>This will be a huge meeting in terms of planning, and we need your ideas, so please plan to come and participate in all meetings. We will also take time to celebrate the Christmas season on Saturday evening with a holiday dinner and Christmas party.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>The Statewide Seminar will occur on January 31. We have moved the Statewide Seminar from its usual place on the first Saturday to the final Saturday of January because of the late Board Retreat; however, we may find that we like the new timing of the Statewide Seminar. We will see how it goes.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Soon, we will start the process of transitioning many of our customary mailings to the membership to email rather than hard copy. This is because of an obvious cost savings but also due to the way business is now conducted. If you would like to receive the Positive Note in hard copy print or Braille, you may opt-in by calling the State Office and letting us know. If you don’t mind receiving your Positive Note by email, you don’t need to do anything, and the change will occur at the beginning of 2015. Joining me for comments in this Positive Note is the President Emeritus of the NFB of SC. Here is Dr. Capps.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> With Thanksgiving rapidly approaching our thoughts turn to different Thanksgivings we have experienced over many, many years. For nearly 50 years I attended national board meetings over the Thanksgiving holiday. The first Thanksgiving board meeting I attended was in late 1959 and it was held in St. Louis. I was elected Second Vice President at the 1959 NFB Convention in Santa Fe. Dr. Jacobus tenBroek was President at that time and he presided over the board meetings. This was the first time I had flown and I didn’t like flying then and I still don’t enjoy flying. Dr. tenBroek held board meetings in different cities including St. Louis, Chicago, San Francisco and Los Angeles. The last board meeting Dr. tenBroek presided over was in early 1968. This meeting was held at his residence in Berkeley located near the campus of the University of California where he was a Professor. At this last meeting Dr. tenBroek was in considerable pain as he was suffering from terminal cancer. I marveled at his determination and commitment to the federation. After Dr. tenBroek died in March of 1968, Dr. Kenneth Jernigan was the First Vice President and he assumed the responsibilities of President. I was Second Vice President from 1959 to 1968. For ten years between 1968 and 1978, board meetings were held in Des Moines as Dr. Jernigan was the Executive Director of the Iowa Commission for the Blind for 20 years between 1958 and 1978. I was elected First Vice President in 1968. Incidentally, that first plane trip in 1959 resulted in an unforgettable experience as we arrived in St. Louis in a snowstorm and the pilot told the passengers that there were several planes circling the airport and that it would be some time before we could land. In order to attend board meetings in Des Moines we always had to change planes in Atlanta and Chicago. On several occasions it snowed in Des Moines during the board meeting and sometimes we were considerably delayed in our return flight. For more than 30 years national board meetings have been held during Thanksgiving in Baltimore at the National Center for the Blind. I served with many outstanding blind men and women at these board meetings and my life was enriched by the experience. I had the good fortune of serving on the national board continuously longer than anyone else. I still miss participating in these annual meetings but Father Time brought this service to a conclusion. This is a special time as we express our gratitude for bountiful blessings bestowed upon us. Finally, there are not many others left who had the wonderful experience as I did in serving under three NFB Presidents, Dr. Jacobus tenBroek, Dr. Kenneth Jernigan and Dr. Marc Maurer.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Final Thought: “Veteran’s Day: A veteran is one who serves their country willing to sacrifice everything for love of God and country, freedom and family; we salute their devotion and commit ourselves to preserve what they fought for.”<o:p></o:p></p></div></body></html>