<html xmlns:v="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:vml" xmlns:o="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" xmlns:w="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:word" xmlns:m="http://schemas.microsoft.com/office/2004/12/omml" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40"><head><meta http-equiv=Content-Type content="text/html; charset=us-ascii"><meta name=Generator content="Microsoft Word 14 (filtered medium)"><style><!--
/* Font Definitions */
@font-face
{font-family:Calibri;
panose-1:2 15 5 2 2 2 4 3 2 4;}
@font-face
{font-family:Tahoma;
panose-1:2 11 6 4 3 5 4 4 2 4;}
/* Style Definitions */
p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal
{margin:0in;
margin-bottom:.0001pt;
font-size:11.0pt;
font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";}
a:link, span.MsoHyperlink
{mso-style-priority:99;
color:blue;
text-decoration:underline;}
a:visited, span.MsoHyperlinkFollowed
{mso-style-priority:99;
color:purple;
text-decoration:underline;}
p.MsoAcetate, li.MsoAcetate, div.MsoAcetate
{mso-style-priority:99;
mso-style-link:"Balloon Text Char";
margin:0in;
margin-bottom:.0001pt;
font-size:8.0pt;
font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif";}
span.BalloonTextChar
{mso-style-name:"Balloon Text Char";
mso-style-priority:99;
mso-style-link:"Balloon Text";
font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif";}
span.EmailStyle19
{mso-style-type:personal;
font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:windowtext;}
span.EmailStyle20
{mso-style-type:personal-reply;
font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:#1F497D;}
.MsoChpDefault
{mso-style-type:export-only;
font-size:10.0pt;}
@page WordSection1
{size:8.5in 11.0in;
margin:1.0in 1.0in 1.0in 1.0in;}
div.WordSection1
{page:WordSection1;}
--></style><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:shapedefaults v:ext="edit" spidmax="1026" />
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:shapelayout v:ext="edit">
<o:idmap v:ext="edit" data="1" />
</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--></head><body lang=EN-US link=blue vlink=purple><div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'>Hi All,<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'>Just a small correction. The correct web address for the NFB of SC website is: <a href="http://www.nfbsc.net">www.nfbsc.net</a> to sign up for different list serves. Let’s all do our part to move forward to benefit the NFB! <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><div><p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:20.0pt;color:#1F497D'>Steve and Shannon Cook<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'>Today I married my best friend. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'>The one that I laugh with, live for, love.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'>October 11, 2003 <o:p></o:p></span></p></div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><div><div style='border:none;border-top:solid #B5C4DF 1.0pt;padding:3.0pt 0in 0in 0in'><p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"'>From:</span></b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"'> Nfbofsc [mailto:nfbofsc-bounces@nfbnet.org] <b>On Behalf Of </b>David Houck via Nfbofsc<br><b>Sent:</b> Tuesday, November 25, 2014 8:30 AM<br><b>To:</b> nfbofsc@nfbnet.org<br><b>Subject:</b> [Nfbofsc] Positive Note 1476<o:p></o:p></span></p></div></div><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>November 25, 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 1476<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> We are releasing the Positive Note early this week in advance of Thanksgiving. Happy Thanksgiving to all who read this Positive Note. I hope you have an opportunity to spend this holiday with loved-ones and that your Christmas Season gets off to an excellent start. I have always loved this time of year.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>From time-to-time, I like to pause and reflect upon the reasons why I am thankful. With Thanksgiving being just two days away, it occurs to me that I should do so here. As you know, the National Federation of the Blind celebrated our Seventy-fourth Anniversary on November 16, 2014. We are now in the seventy-fifth year of the organized blind movement. I am thankful for the movement because I know that (as a blind person) my life is better because of the National Federation of the Blind.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>I am thankful for my Federation family. Working together, we have improved the quality of life of blind people through increased employed opportunities, better education, protection in the courts, advocacy, and so many other ways that I cannot imagine what life would be like if not for the Federation.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>While the Holiday Season is upon us, it has not slowed down at all, as I have found myself on the road every weekend so far this month with the exception of one weekend, and during that weekend I attended two chapter meetings. The hectic schedule will continue in December with road trips and chapter Christmas parties. I look forward to seeing you at some of those activities and celebrating the Holiday Season with you. Many of us will gather at Rocky Bottom during the weekend of December 12 through 14. Please let us know your schedule so we can plan appropriately for the Retreat.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>If you don’t mind receiving your Positive Note by email, you can sign up for the listserv by visiting <a href="http://www.nfbscnet.org">www.nfbscnet.org</a>, or simply send us an email at <a href="mailto:nfbsc@sc.rr.com">nfbsc@sc.rr.com</a>. You can also elect to receive the Positive Note in print in 2015 (and continuing) simply by letting us know.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Thus, there are three ways you can indicate your interest in receiving the Positive Note. Call us, email us, or sign-up for the listserv. You should do at least one of these things by the end of the year. This will help us update our mailing lists and streamline the delivery of the Positive Note.<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. 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>This being the Thanksgiving week our thoughts primarily are with the blessings we receive each and every day. If we had to make a list of our blessings heading the list we’d be thankful for our immediate family members. Betty and I are very pleased that our son Craig has been in Columbia for some one and a half years now and he certainly is a blessing to us. We also love our three grandchildren and three great-grandchildren. The youngest is one year old Elizabeth who lives with her parents in Louisville. In June Betty and I celebrated our 65th wedding anniversary and we were so pleased to have our three grandchildren and three great-grandchildren come to Columbia to participate in this memorable occasion. Little Elizabeth warmed up quickly and sat on her great-granddaddy’s lap which was a blessing to me. Our other great-granddaughter Brook just celebrated her fifth birthday and our great-grandson Mason celebrated his third birthday in August. Craig will join us for Thanksgiving dinner this Thursday and will enjoy the usual Thanksgiving meal featuring turkey, sweet potatoes, dressing, etc. We would be remiss if we were not thankful for the many members of the NFB of SC which faithfully served the blind of the state for some 70 years. I would also be remiss if I did not express thanksgiving for my wonderful wife Betty who has faithfully been with me throughout the years in this big program of service to the blind. I was very pleased that our national organization honored Betty by establishing a scholarship which bears her name. <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Finally, I’m thankful for the very fine state conventions the NFB of SC has sponsored throughout the years. In that regard, please join me as we travel down memory lane to review the August 13 to 15, 1999 NFB of SC Columbia convention at the Adams Mark Hotel where 300 delegates registered for this 43rd annual convention. Friday kicked off registration, several exhibits, divisional meetings and committee meetings. The evening reception was a real hit with a disc jockey and dancing late into the evening. The Saturday morning session featured NFB representative Joanne Wilson’s national NFB report, Dr. Sheila Breitweiser’s SC School for the Deaf and the Blind report on the School’s 150th anniversary, Mr. Dean Kruger, the SC Insurance Department head who was working to get better van insurance rates for federation chapter vans, Mr. Charles Davis of the Employment Security Commission speaking on NFB Jobline, Mr. John Landrum of the State Library speaking concerning NFB Newsline service, and Guynell Williams who spoke on Talking Book Services. Wilbur Cave of the Governor’s Office was the luncheon keynote speaker who stated that Governor Hodges was interested in keeping the Commission for the Blind from being restructured and Mr. Cave received the NFB of SC Presidential Citation. This was followed up by Interim Commissioner Delbert Singleton giving the afternoon session report from the Commission for the Blind. Several federationists sat on a panel sharing their life experiences. A technology panel was also featured by blind computer users. Reports on Rocky Bottom and the Federation Center accomplishments highlighted these programs over the past year. Chapter and division reports were shared with the delegates by these various presidents. Ending the afternoon session was Edsel Doyle’s NFB Bus Fund report. The convention banquet featured several scholarships given to deserving blind college students, honors and awards for those who went that extra mile in service to the blind in a variety of ways and Joanne Wilson’s keynote banquet address which was a rousing speech. Sunday morning’s agenda included a devotional and memorial service, NFB of SC and Rocky Bottom financial reports, resolutions, NFB stewardship programs and those elected included Mary Middleton, Bob Bell, Hattie Duncan, Edsel Doyle and Chris Danielsen. While space does not permit a greater detail of convention happenings, you can read more in the November 1999 edition of the Palmetto Blind. Congratulations to Marshall Tucker who celebrated his 91st birthday a few days ago. Finally, I wish for every one of you a blessed Thanksgiving.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Final Thought: “Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity. It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend.” – Melody Beatty<o:p></o:p></p></div></body></html>