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</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--></head><body lang=EN-US link=blue vlink=purple><div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal>The Palmetto Blind<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>The voice of the National Federation of the Blind of South Carolina<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>NFB of SC President Parnell Diggs Seeks Public Service<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>WINTER 2015<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>The PALMETTO BLIND, published quarterly in large print, cassette tape and Braille by the National Federation of the Blind of South Carolina. Donald C. Capps, Editor.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> The National Federation of the Blind of South Carolina is chartered under the laws of the state of South Carolina to promote the spiritual, social and economic well-being of all blind South Carolinians. The state organization is an affiliate of the nation's oldest and largest organization of the blind--the National Federation of the Blind.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> The PALMETTO BLIND is the voice of the National Federation of the Blind of South Carolina and is available free of charge to any blind individual or member in large print, Braille or cassette. Other subscribers are encouraged. If readers desire to do so, donations to cover the annual subscription cost of $10.00 per year may be made payable to the National Federation of the Blind of South Carolina and sent to: Valerie Warrington, Treasurer, National Federation of the Blind of SC, 119 S. Kilbourne Rd., Columbia, SC 29205<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> Readers receiving the cassette edition of the PALMETTO BLIND are requested to handle the tapes with care, returning them promptly for the benefit of other readers. In the event that you receive a bad tape, before returning it, please enclose a note or attach a rubber band around the cassette tape to prevent further circulation. Braille or large print copies may be retained for personal libraries.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Giving A Dream<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>One of the great satisfactions in life is having the opportunity to assist others. Consider making a gift to the National Federation of the Blind of South Carolina to continue turning our dreams into reality. A gift to the NFB of SC is not merely a donation to an organization; it provides resources that will directly ensure a brighter future for all blind people.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Seize the Future<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>The National Federation of the Blind of South Carolina has special giving opportunities that will benefit the giver as well as the NFB of SC. Of course the largest benefit to the donor is the satisfaction of knowing that your gift is leaving a legacy of opportunity. However, gifts may be structured to provide more.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>• Helping the NFB of SC fulfill its mission<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>• Realizing income tax savings through a charitable donation<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>• Making capital gain tax savings on contributions of appreciated assets<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>• Providing retained payments for the life of a donor or beneficiary<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>• Eliminating or lowering federal estate tax in certain situations<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>• Reducing estate settlement costs<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>NFB of SC programs are dynamic:<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>• Making the study of literacy and technology a real possibility for blind children and adults<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>• Providing hope and training for seniors losing vision<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>• Promoting state and local programs to help blind people become first class citizens<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>• Educating the public about blind people’s true potential<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>• Advancing technology helpful to the blind<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>• Creating a state and national library on the progress of blindness<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>• Training and inspiring professionals working with the blind<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>• Providing critical information to parents of blind children<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>• Mentoring blind job seekers<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Your gift makes you a partner in the NFB of SC dream. For further information or assistance, contact the NFB of SC, 119 S. Kilbourne Rd., Columbia, SC 29205. 803-254-3777 nfbsc@sc.rr.com or nfbsc.net<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Table of Contents<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Page<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> My Campaign for Attorney General By Parnell Diggs<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> 70th Anniversary of the NFB of SC State Convention a Resounding Success By David Houck<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> Presidential Report - The Capacity for Judgment By Parnell Diggs<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> From the President’s Desk By Parnell Diggs<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> Resolutions <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> Appreciation Expressed From An NFB of SC Scholarship Winner<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> Seventy Years of the NFB of SC - The Hand of An Almighty God,” By Marshall Tucker<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> Historic Jacksonville Florida By David Houck<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> Flashback By Donald C. Capps<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> Steps of a Successful Year with the Supporters of the Sumter Chapter By Debra Canty<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> From the Editor’s Desk By Donald C. Capps<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> Federationist’s Appreciation of Rocky Bottom Retreat and Conference Center of the Blind By Dorcas Campbell<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> Final Thought<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>My Campaign for Attorney General<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>By Parnell Diggs<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='text-indent:.5in'>In the National Federation of the Blind, we believe that, even if you are blind, you can live the life you want. I have believed this throughout my entire life and have never thought that blindness would hold me back. Indeed, it has not.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='text-indent:.5in'>I became interested in politics at a fairly young age and thought that I might like to run for office somewhere along the way, but with all of the things I have been involved in during my adult life, including my work in the organized blind movement, a successful law practice, and a family, I had not actually gotten around to considering politics until very recently.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='text-indent:.5in'>I was a candidate for Congress in 2012 finishing third in the Democratic Primary. It takes a certain type of person to run for public office: specifically, someone who can lose without having their feelings hurt. Rather than sulking about voters choosing someone else, I decided to see if I could build upon my first experience with a follow-up campaign.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='text-indent:.5in'>Moreover, I had heard that a certain individual by the name of Bill Clinton had run for Congress in his first run for public office and was unsuccessful. I also heard that Clinton had had run for Attorney General in Arkansas two years later and won. Thus, in late 2013, I began pondering my options regarding a second effort: perhaps in the 2014 campaign.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='text-indent:.5in'>In December of 2013, I met with the Chairman of the South Carolina Democratic Party, Jaime Harrison and expressed my continuing desire to get involved in public service. He knew of my Congressional campaign and my strengths and weaknesses as a candidate. Knowing all of the details, Harrison suggested that I should consider running for Attorney General.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='text-indent:.5in'>“Attorney General”, I repeated grinning from ear-to-ear, “That has a nice ring.” I was invited to a luncheon with Congressman Jim Clyburn for individuals interested in running for office. The Congressman talked about the things candidates should consider when contemplating a run for office such as financing a campaign, campaign platforms, and again financing a campaign.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='text-indent:.5in'>I could not resist the opportunity to seek the Democratic Nomination for Attorney General and was the only candidate to file as a Democrat for that office in March of 2014. Thus, I was honored to be the Party’s standard-bearer in the 2014 General Election.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>There is no doubt that I had taken a step forward from one campaign to the next. Though I was unopposed in the Primary, clearly the Democratic Party could have recruited a candidate to oppose me in the Primary if I had not earned the support of the Party. In fact, this very result has happened in other campaigns in 2014 and in previous years.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='text-indent:.5in'>But the Democratic Party was perfectly happy to have me on the Democratic ticket in the 2014 General Election. I therefore became the first blind candidate for statewide office in South Carolina in approximately one hundred years. Blindness did not hold me back, but it did change some of my techniques as a candidate.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='text-indent:.5in'>One of the main components of a typical campaign for public office is pressing the flesh. Politicians are well-known for attending public events and shaking hands with as many voters as possible. But when people see a blind person walking toward them, they tend to want to move out of the way: not to be rude, but because they want to avoid a collision or some other awkward encounter. For this reason, I liked to have a companion with me to help me meet the voters.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='text-indent:.5in'>I also greeted voters alone at times without major problems; however, an example of an awkward encounter might be when I reached out to shake someone’s hand and they were holding a plate and a cup. I might have put my hand in their plate or bumped their glass causing a slight spill.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>These types of encounters are not devastating at all, but they remind me of Dr. Kenneth Jernigan’s observation that blindness can be a physical nuisance at times. Candidates who can avoid potentially embarrassing situations will be more successful on the campaign trail.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='text-indent:.5in'>Like other candidates, my strategy was to emphasize my strengths and not dwell on my weaknesses. For example, I thought that pressing the flesh was more complex for me than for my opponent for the reasons described above; however, I feel very comfortable about my abilities as a public speaker. Thus, I tried to attend events where I had an opportunity to address voters from the podium. In this setting, I typically have the advantage.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='text-indent:.5in'>I also took as many opportunities to participate in interviews as were offered even if it meant traveling four or five hours in the car to meet with newspaper editorial boards or reporters. This was free publicity, and candidates should take advantage of such opportunities when offered. Not to do so is a huge mistake. Most candidates lacking experience do not realize this until it is too late. Candidates with limited name-recognition should never avoid speaking with the media.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='text-indent:.5in'>I could not have campaigned like I did if it had not been for the help of my good friend, Valerie Bouler Johnson, who drove me thousands of miles and helped me attend those important public events where I could meet the voters. Valerie is a great “people person” as well, and her help was priceless throughout the campaign. Valerie and I worked tirelessly for a year.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='text-indent:.5in'>On Election night, I garnered approximately forty percent of the vote, which was not enough. I did not run for Attorney General for a moral victory, but I was pleased that I was able to demonstrate that blind people can live the life they want and how with love, hope, and determination, we can transform dreams into reality.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>70th Anniversary of the NFB of SC State Convention a Resounding Success<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>By David Houck<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> The 70th anniversary of the National Federation of the Blind of South Carolina was celebrated at the NFB of SC’s 58th annual state convention at the Columbia Marriott the weekend of August 8, 9 & 10, 2014. Delegates poured in to the Marriott beginning Thursday evening, August 7 while others began to arrive throughout the day on Friday, August 8. It might have been a rainy weekend but spirits were high as federationists began to pick up their registration packages at 1:00 p.m. on Friday and continued to browse the many exhibits of various agencies serving the blind, technology and health care exhibitors, chapter and division exhibits as well as that of Rocky Bottom retreat and Conference Center of the Blind and the NFB of SC. <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> The afternoon was packed with divisional meetings, a resolutions committee meeting, a White Cane Walk-A-Thon Committee meeting and a drop-in reception hosted by the Parents of Blind Children Division and its President Jennifer Duffell-Hoffman who also performed the first BELL (Braille Enrichment for Literacy and Learning) Program in South Carolina culminating with the state convention. Both NFB of SC President Parnell Diggs and newly elected NFB President Mark Riccabono were on hand to greet convention delegates.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> At 7:00 p.m. the Friday evening Reception and Hospitality was begun with a 1950’s and 1960’s theme including Elvis in the house performing for the participants. Everyone had a great time.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> Early Saturday morning Rocky Bottom Retreat and Conference Center of the Blind held a breakfast board meeting with President Riccabono present. Children’s Camp, Senior Camp and the upcoming Fun Day Festival were the major topics for discussion. Convention delegates both Saturday and Sunday mornings had a continental breakfast provided by the Marriott in the rear of the room where the General Sessions were held prior to the meeting being called to order. This was exceptional because as the morning session was gaveled to order, a $100 bill was the first door prize offered.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> Opening ceremonies included greetings by Moe Baddourah, a Columbia City Councilman who represents the district where the Federation Center is located. He presented the convention with a Resolution from the City of Columbia and Federation Center Executive Director David Houck presented him a Resolution for City Council, thanking them for making the property available for the blind 53 years ago and for their most recent grants to the Center in its service to the blind. Steve Sheck gave the welcome from the host Columbia Chapter who spoke concerning what the federation meant to him. The response was warmly made by Sumter Chapter President and NFB of SC board member Debra Canty. NFB President and our national representative for the convention, Mark Riccabono gave the National Report. The delegates were updated on the transition between presidents and other national issues affecting the blind. NFB of SC President Diggs talked briefly concerning our important one minute message which is, “The National Federation of the Blind knows that blindness is not the characteristic that defines you or your future. Every day we raise the 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.” Everyone should memorize this message as it succinctly spells out our objective as a movement.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> Page McCraw, Interim President of the School for the Deaf and the Blind spoke concerning her taking over as Interim President of SCSDB as Maggie Park has accepted a position with Converse College. She introduced her background in work with the blind to the audience. The School “embraces the possibilities” just as the NFB One Minute Message says that “you can have the life you want.” The NFB of SC BELL Program went very well at SCSDB. Interim President McCraw reviewed the accomplishments of SCSDB over the past year. Rhonda Thompson gave the report on the Commission for the Blind. Ms. Thompson is Director of Senior Blind Services at the Commission. She acknowledged the 70 year history of the federation in South Carolina as well as the creation of the Commission legislatively by the NFB of SC in 1966. Newsline is growing and now features the Greenville News. The Commission has worked with SCSDB on The Braille Challenge. Ed Bible spoke on the success of the Commission’s Internship Program. The Summer Team Program had 19 students which stressed independent living and job readiness. Additional funding for case services was passed by the General Assembly to serve the Senior Blind population. Senior Camp at Rocky Bottom is a successful cooperative venture between the Commission and the federation. There were 500 consumers assisted by the Low Vision Clinic. Jeff Bazer, who has expertise in adaptive technology products, related to the delegates the need for accessibility concerning technology for blind people. As technology expands exponentially, it is important that accessibility be built in for those who are blind and visually impaired. He elaborated on Dolphin Guide speech technology and Dolphin Bookshelf and the Blaze EZ. Ease of access and use is important. Jennifer Bazer demonstrated her strong support of the Blind Persons Right to Parent Act as she was there every step of the way in both the state House and Senate, in sub-committee hearings, full-committee hearings and on the floor, promoting through personal testimony the importance of the Blind Persons Right to Parent Act which passed and was signed into law by Governor Nikki Haley. Now, adoption, child custody and child rearing by blind parents is protected by law. President Parnell Diggs gave a rousing NFB of SC Presidential Report to wind up the morning session. His speech is presented elsewhere in this edition of the Palmetto Blind. <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> The noontime Luncheon included the meeting of the Board of Directors of the NFB of SC. Several members of the family of Bob Bell of Laurens were present including his wife Doris. David Houck read the December 31, 2013 financial reports for the NFB of SC and Rocky Bottom Retreat and Conference Center of the Blind. Both reports were approved as read. Jennifer Duffell-Hoffman reported on the outstanding success of the first BELL Program held in South Carolina at the SC School for the Blind. Braille education is a big part of literacy learning for blind children. More BELL Programs are planned to take place in 2015. <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> The Saturday afternoon session got underway with a Tribute to Bob Bell. President Parnell Diggs remembered Bob as an early mentor during his first NFB of SC convention. He set a fine example of leadership that others could follow. He was state President from 1982-1986. He was active in local, statewide and national affairs of the federation. David Houck, who noted that Bob not only organized and revitalized chapters but he also recruited members who became outstanding leaders in the federation. Bob served in many leadership positions in the federation, even as state President. He served many years on the Rocky Bottom board and as Director of Senior Camp, on the Board of Commissioners of the SC Commission for the Blind, as President of the Laurens Chapter and Director of the Bell Federation Center of the Blind, and received many honors and awards both in the federation and in his community. Bob’s son Mark Bell thanked everyone for this special tribute. He stated that Bob would have considered everyone present as part of his family.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> The report on Talking Book Services was given by Sandy Knowles. While some delegates who attended the Orlando national convention received the Bureau of Engraving and Printing’s dollar bill identifiers through the National Library Service, Ms. Knowles stated that Talking Book Service readers could call the TBS office in Columbia and sign up to receive one, most likely by Christmas. Many federationists followed through on her advice. Other services and events were also presented concerning Talking Book Services.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> The Rocky Bottom Report was made by Dr. Donald Capps who encouraged everyone to attend the Labor Day Fun Day event. Thom and Tracy Spittle reported on the success of Children’s Camp which needs additional funding and Frank Coppel also announced that the popularity of senior blind camp in the spring and fall attracted many new seniors each year. Renovations continue to be made on facilities and when complete, future renovations should not be needed for as much as a decade. David Houck gave the report on the Federation Center of the Blind. Grants totaling $15,000 have been made this year from Blue Cross and the City of Columbia. Restoration of the Center’s conference room is also underway. The computer training program for the blind continues to do well. The Advisory Board which is now a statewide board, like the Board of Trustees, continues to expand its membership.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> The next agenda item was a historical account of the NFB of SC and its 70 years of progress. Marshall Tucker reviewed the very beginning of the Aurora Club in the 1940’s as the NFB of SC was first known. His speech is printed elsewhere in this issue of the Palmetto Blind. Next was Dr. Donald Capps who spoke concerning the 1950’s when he joined the Aurora Club in 1953. A state constitution was drafted and officers were elected and passed between 1955 and 1957. Fundraising methods were established and chapter growth began. Dr. Capps was first elected state President in 1956. The Charleston Chapter began in 1956. Travel to NFB Conventions began in 1956 and Dr. Capps was elected to the NFB national board in 1959. In that year $300 was set aside from barbecue proceeds to establish a fund to build the Federation Center of the Blind. A vending facility priority law was established in the late 1950’s which opened opportunities for blind vendors in public buildings. Lois Bolton Tucker, the third President of the NFB of SC, presented the decade of the 1960’s. The first phase of the Federation Center was dedicated in 1961. The vending stand legislation passed gave blind vendors access to the statewide technical colleges. The Commission for the Blind bill was hard fought for and passed in 1966. Dr. Capps interjected that Lois Tucker became the first Braille PBX Switchboard Operator in 1959, a career which lasted 30 years. Next Dorothy Barksdale, NFB of SC Secretary reviewed the 1970’s. Marshall and Lois Tucker were good friends of Dorothy Barksdale. In 1973, Dr. Capps recruited her into the Columbia Chapter and she became the first black member of the federation. She attended Greenville Tech to further her education. She also knew Bob Bell as she was from Laurens like Bob. The federation has made a great impact on her life and she thanked all those who stood with her and helped recruit many more black and white members into the federation over the years. Frank Coppel reviewed the 1980’s which included being elected to the state board in 1984. Bob Bell and Doris were a good influence on his continuing in leadership positions. David Houck was employed at the Federation Center in 1983. Rocky Bottom Camp of the Blind experienced much expansion in facilities during those years and Children’s Camp and Senior Blind Camp was established as well. Twelve new chapters and the Parents of Blind Children Division were established in the 1980’s. Six pieces of legislation were also passed including the blind juror bill, voting assistance bill and braille literacy bills among others. Child custody cases were won by the blind parents involved and the Positive Notes began in 1986 which by the time of the convention, 1,460 consecutive weekly Positive Notes had been published. To complete the years from 1990 to the present, President Parnell Diggs explained how he began to attend federation functions in 1989. Issues concerning blind students not being offered Braille were on the legislative forefront in 1990. Literacy is important to obtaining employment. Restructuring state government became a recurring event in the legislature causing the federation to fight restructuring the Commission under a variety of agencies. Restructuring the Commission lost every year it was tried. The Student Division was strong in the 1990’s as several leaders developed from that era including Chris Danielsen, Marty McKenzie, Dan Frye, Shannon Cook, and David Bundy. This generation of blind students also needs to step up into leadership positions. Although much has been accomplished in 70 years, much still needs to be done. Chapter growth and development are important. <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> Tracy Spittle, a blind teacher of blind students and the Director of Children’s Camp at Rocky Bottom gave an update on the English Unified Braille Code. Braille, while difficult to learn at times, opens many opportunities to the blind. Dr. Tina Hertzberg gave a conference concerning the UEB. It is different. Does this complicate Braille literacy? The Unified English Braille Code will replace the current Braille code in January 2016. Nine braille contractions will cease to be used. This will keep Braille code conflicts from happening and make more code options possible. This increases the ease of reading. Some punctuation marks will change. Side by side words or “cuddle words” will not be used as in “of/the.” Braille will read and written closer to print context. There will be capitalization changes. New symbols will be used in literary Braille which will revert back to the days of Louis Braille. All these changes are designed to make reading and writing clearer to the user. Computer codes will change and there will be some changes in music. Sample Braille materials are available at www.brailleauthority.org and at www.iceb.org. Duxbury already uses the new Braille code.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> Steve Cook, President of the Computer Science and Technology Division and Newsline Director for South Carolina spoke concerning the new Newsline App for i-devices. No longer restricted to a land line telephone, you can always have access wherever you go. Shannon Cook then presented the 2014 scholarship class to the convention delegates. Then the convention adjourned until the evening Banquet.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> With over 200 delegates and guests present, the Saturday evening Banquet was underway with an invocation by NFB of SC Secretary Dorothy Barksdale. Those at the head table were introduced. The keynote address was delivered by our newly elected NFB President Mark Riccabono. His remarks concerned the question, “Are you a driver or passenger in your own life and in the National Federation of the Blind?” Learn about the federation and then teach others as immediate past NFB President Dr. Marc Maurer once remarked. These things led to the Blind Driver Challenge following a long road of personal experiences and challenges. Face the challenges, don’t just try to get along and pass as a blind person. These challenges led to the federation and ultimately to the presidency of the NFB. This led to the purpose of the One Minute Message which was repeated earlier in this article. <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> Awards were presented as follows: Marty McKenzie presented the Educator of the Year Award to Susie Royson. The Associate Member of the Year Award was presented by Frank Coppel to Judy Simon of the Sumter Chapter. The Donald C. Capps Award was presented by David Houck to Linda Dizzley, President of the Lee County Chapter. The plaque was presented along with a $100 bill. The Presidential Citation was presented by President Parnell Diggs to Neil Towery of Sumter who is a dedicated blind adaptive technology instructor. Shannon Cook, Chairman of the NFB of SC Scholarship Committee presented the following scholarship awards to deserving blind college students: Alexus Blanding received the $1,000 Belvedere Chapter Scholarship, Willie Wester received the $500 Rock Hill Chapter Don Robertson Memorial Scholarship and $50 from the Metro Scholarship Fund, Justin Preston received the $500 Columbia chapter John Fling Memorial Scholarship, Walter Cooper received the $500 Anderson Chapter Jimmie Smith Memorial Scholarship, Kayana Ladson received the $500 Greenville Chapter Ruth Jordan Scholarship, Malik Tanner received the $500 Hornsby Scholarship, Justin Williams received the $250 Andrew Johnson Memorial Scholarship and $250 from the Metro Scholarship Fund, Francina Knight received the $400 Dr. Sheila Breitweiser Scholarship and Orenthia Tompkins received the $250 Sheila Compton Memorial Rocky Bottom Children’s Camp Education Scholarship and $50 from the Metro Scholarship Fund.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> Following all these awards and the well-received keynote speech by NFB President Mark Riccabono, NFB of SC President Parnell Diggs conducted a Banquet fundraiser which in a short time raised $8,800 in cash and pledges for the NFB of SC. Frank Coppel Chaired the Nominating Committee meeting following the conclusion of the Banquet and this was followed with a Federation Family Feud game pitting various federation chapters against each other.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> The Sunday morning session began with a continental breakfast and a devotional and memorial service by Doug and Patsy Roberts of the Conway Chapter. Chapter and Division Presidents gave interesting reports on the progress of each chapter during the last year. President Diggs gave a national stewardship report on funding our movement financially. PAC Plan cards were passed out to the delegates. Valerie Warrington presented a resolution commending the SC School for the Deaf and the Blind for its assistance in the first BELL Program in South Carolina and promoted further BELL Programs in the future. The resolution passed unanimously and is reprinted elsewhere in this edition of the Palmetto Blind. Elections were last on the agenda for the NFB of SC convention. The following officers and board members were elected: President Parnell Diggs, First Vice President Frank Coppel, Second Vice President Lenora Robertson, Secretary Dorothy Barksdale, Treasurer Valerie Warrington, the Second District board member elected was Shannon Cook, the Fourth District board member elected was JW Smith, the Sixth District board member elected was Marty McKenzie, the first At Large position elected was Loretta Green and the second At Large position elected was Linda Dizzley.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> Following the adjournment of the convention, delegates returned home with enthusiasm, sharing their experiences with others. The Rocky Bottom Board of Directors also met at the conclusion of the convention and elected the following officers for two year terms: Chairman Donald Capps, Vice Chairman Frank Coppel, Secretary Dorothy Barksdale, Treasurer Valerie Warrington, and board members Dr. Thom Bowen, Parnell Diggs, Lenora Robertson, David Houck, and ex-officio members Debra Canty and Tracy Spittle.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> I would be remiss if I did not take time to thank Larry and Valerie Warrington, Steve Cook and others in the Computer Science and Technology Division of the NFB of SC who made live streaming of the convention possible worldwide as well as for archiving these files for review by others following the convention.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Presidential Report - The Capacity for Judgment<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>By Parnell Diggs<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='text-indent:.5in'>Statutory blindness is defined in the law as central visual acuity of 20/200 or less in the better eye with the use of correcting lens. An eye which has a limitation in the field of vision so that the widest diameter of the visual field subtends an angle no greater than 20 degrees is considered to have a central visual acuity of 20/200 or less (20 CFR 404.1581).<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='text-indent:.5in'>If you fall within this simple guideline, you are considered “legally blind”. But nothing in this definition suggests a lack of capacity. In fact, the statutory guideline is only a measurement of visual acuity. Nevertheless, society has decided that blind people, or people who fall within the statutory definition of blindness, also have certain other limitations.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='text-indent:.5in'>The limitations imposed by society on blind people often have no basis in logic: but are based rather upon assumptions made by those who have never been blind. To help illustrate the point, I am going to discuss some of these presumed limitations, and I am going to do so in the style of the popular game show, Family Feud.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='text-indent:.5in'>To those who are familiar with this program, which has aired on television sets around the nation for several decades now, I ask your indulgence while I explain (for those who do not know) how the game works. Two families are pitted against one another with five players on each side.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='text-indent:.5in'>The families compete for cash and prizes by answering questions based on information gathered from one hundred survey responses. Each family is asked to guess how people might have responded to a particular survey question. Each correct guess earns a given number of points based on how many people (out of the one hundred surveyed) responded the same way.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='text-indent:.5in'>The object of the game is to score points by correctly naming each of the top five or six survey responses before giving three incorrect guesses. The following question has probably never been asked on Family Feud. But if it were ever asked, here is what it might sound like.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='text-indent:.5in'>The game show host would walk up to a member of one of the competing families and say something like this. “The top six answers are on the Board. We asked one hundred people, name something a blind person cannot do.” Each member of the family would then give one guess as to what responses might have been received from the one hundred people surveyed.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='text-indent:.5in'>Suppose we surveyed one hundred people at random and asked them, “Name something a blind person cannot do”. What kind of responses would we receive? What would be the number one response? Out of one hundred people surveyed, how many people (when asked to name something a blind person cannot do) might say, “Drive a car”?<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='text-indent:.5in'>Ironically, while “drive a car” might be the number one answer on the Board in Family Feud, the fact is that the National Federation of the Blind has proven that the assumption that a blind person cannot drive a car is incorrect. President Riccabono proved that a blind person can drive a car when he did so at the Daytona International Speedway on January 29, 2011.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='text-indent:.5in'>But for those who are less informed, what is the basis for the assumption that a blind person cannot drive a car? I would submit that it is not merely a matter of decreased visual acuity. I believe that, if you examine the issue more closely, the reason it is assumed that a blind person cannot drive a car is really because of a presumed lack of capacity for judgment.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='text-indent:.5in'>Prior to the Blind Driver Challenge, leaders of the National Federation of the Blind appeared on radio and television, and participated in interviews with journalists around the country, to answer questions about the project. A commentator on CNN asked President Riccabono, “What would happen if a child ran into the street to retrieve a ball”?<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='text-indent:.5in'>The commentator’s opinion of a blind person’s capacity for judgment is obvious in the way the question was asked. The question was not, “Is the technology dynamic enough to detect when a child runs into the road”? Instead, the commentator wanted to know what a blind driver would do if a child ran into the road. Was the wording of the commentator’s question intentional?<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='text-indent:.5in'>Perhaps it was merely a language issue and not an opinion of a blind person’s capacity for judgment. Incidentally, we received numerous tips about cars which could drive themselves with no human involvement at all. But this was not the point. Our goal was to demonstrate that blind people have the capacity for judgment when sufficient information is available.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='text-indent:.5in'>But driving a car is not the only life activity which blind people are presumed not to be able to do. What about eating a club sandwich? I was at a luncheon recently where club sandwiches were being served. Like many club sandwiches, these particular club sandwiches had a toothpick holding the tall sandwich together.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='text-indent:.5in'>As I walked through the line, and attendant handed me a plate with a sandwich and various other food items. And as a courtesy to me, the attendant told me that he was removing the toothpick from the sandwich. I appreciated his desire to be helpful. In my case, he had clearly gone beyond the call of duty because he was not treating the sighted people the same way.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='text-indent:.5in'>Why did this well-meaning line attendant decide not to extend the same courtesy to my fourteen-year-old son, who lacks my maturity and life experience? When Jordan got to the table, his sandwich still had a toothpick holding it together like it should. My sandwich, because I happened to be blind and I was carrying it across the room, was at risk of falling apart.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='text-indent:.5in'>This small gesture (the act of removing a toothpick from my club sandwich) does not deserve the attention I am giving it. Incidentally, when the line attendant handed me my plate, I did not give him a lecture but simply thanked him and continued through the line. The line attendant had performed a simple act of kindness, and I am not criticizing his desire to be helpful.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='text-indent:.5in'>But in that act of kindness, what presumption was being made about a blind person’s capacity for judgment? It is that presumption which deserves our analysis. Is it widely presumed that a blind person, when sitting at a table confronted with the daunting task of eating a club sandwich, is at risk of injury without the toothpick being removed first? What might happen?<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='text-indent:.5in'>Would I be likely to bite down on the toothpick and puncture the roof of my mouth? Actually, if I didn’t know the toothpick was there, I might suffer that very fate. But wouldn’t I have to pick up the sandwich to bite it? When I placed my hands on the sandwich to pick it up, wouldn’t I feel the toothpick? Do I lack the sound discretion and capacity for judgment to remove it?<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='text-indent:.5in'>On the other hand, was the line attendant merely trying to be helpful, and the fact that he offered special attention to me was a coincidence? Are we, as blind people, being oversensitive when reacting to these small, seemingly insignificant gestures? Or, are they part of a deeply-rooted belief which has developed in the human species over thousands of generations?<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='text-indent:.5in'>If safely removing a toothpick from a club sandwich is too difficult for a blind person to do, what about raising a child. As a parent, I believe that the most important responsibility a person can have is that of raising a child. Most people in this room would probably express the opinion that a blind person can raise a child, but this opinion is not unanimous in the public or in the courts.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='text-indent:.5in'>In South Carolina and across the nation, blind people have faced discrimination in custody cases and adoption proceedings pending in the courts, and even in the hospital as new parents prepare to bring their babies home. Through the years, members of the NFB of SC have testified in Family Court proceedings in support of blind parents seeking custody of their children.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='text-indent:.5in'>I have received calls at my law office from parents who are being denied custody just because they are blind. On June 2, 2014, the Governor signed the South Carolina Blind Persons Right to Parent Act, establishing, as a matter of law, that blindness has nothing to do with a person’s fitness to be a parent. This legislation was enacted because of the work of the NFB of SC.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='text-indent:.5in'>As we talked with members of the General Assembly about the need to protect the rights of blind parents, we were often asked whether legislation was necessary. But unless you are a blind parent, it is difficult to understand the scrutiny that a blind parent faces from people we don’t even know: simply because of blindness. Let me tell you a story.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='text-indent:.5in'>One afternoon, when Jordan was still very young, we entered a restaurant in a hotel just before the start of a state convention. I asked for a Braille menu, and we began talking. Our family was being observed (I soon learned) by two ladies at a nearby table.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='text-indent:.5in'>I had ordered a sandwich, and Kim had gone to the buffet line. I had just placed Jordan in his highchair and made certain that our drinks were across the table beyond Jordan’s reach. “I bet he wants his milk,” a lady from the nearby table said striding over and placing the Styrofoam cup in front of my son.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='text-indent:.5in'>I grabbed the cup and gave Jordan a sip of milk. “Say thank you,” I prodded knowing the plastic lid and straw were not designed to prevent spills by toddlers. Moving the cup again out of harm’s way, I sat down and awaited Kim’s return from the buffet line.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='text-indent:.5in'>The low-pitched thud against a container full of liquid, the soaked tablecloth, and the embarrassed laughter of the two ladies on the other side of the highchair created an awkwardness which could have been avoided if the two ladies had not been so well intentioned.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='text-indent:.5in'>As a favor to me, they had gently placed Jordan’s cup in front of him a second time on their way out of the restaurant not realizing that I had deliberately placed it where he couldn’t reach it. I jumped up, “Yeah, pull him away from the table,” one of them said as I checked Jordan’s clothes which were still dry.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='text-indent:.5in'>Could they have imagined that I am a self-employed attorney? In their wildest dreams, could they have realized that I was in the hotel to preside at a business meeting being attended by hundreds of people over the weekend?<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='text-indent:.5in'>Put a white cane in my hand, and I became a blind man who didn’t know that my son couldn’t reach his milk. “You may want to get help,” they suggested. “It’s running onto the floor.” I guess they figured out why I had put Jordan’s milk where he couldn’t reach it.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='text-indent:.5in'>A sighted parent may have done the same thing as opposed simply to holding or tying a child’s hands down. Without a “sippy cup,” I made a judgment call, and they had made a judgment call too. They knew that I was blind.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='text-indent:.5in'>Rather than assuming that I had put the cup out of reach on purpose because my nineteen-month-old son could not yet hold that type of cup, the ladies who had been observing us assumed that I, being blind, didn’t know where I had put it.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='text-indent:.5in'>This spilled milk was definitely worth crying over, but not because we had to change tables and ask for more milk. In their minds, my life experience was irrelevant. Jordan (though still a toddler) had already exceeded the capacity of his blind father.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='text-indent:.5in'>The ladies who would give Jordan his milk so he could spill it would not give me a job so I could buy it. Or, am I being overly sensitive? What if I were sighted? Members of the public do not typically stroll up to a table in a restaurant where a parent and child are seated, pick up a cup, and place it in front of the child. The next time you are in a restaurant, be sure to try this and see what kind of reaction you get. This kind of behavior is not acceptable in the sighted public.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='text-indent:.5in'>No, such conduct would not be tolerated among sighted members of society because it infringes upon one’s liberty, self-respect, and right to be left alone. Nevertheless, it is the type of treatment that blind people are expected to endure day after day.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>I am not opposed to help, I am glad to have it when I need it. But I should be free to determine for myself when I need it and when I don’t need it: just like anyone else. When someone makes a decision for me that I am otherwise perfectly capable of making (such as where to place my son’s cup of milk), I am being custodialized as if I lack capacity.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='text-indent:.5in'>This type of help is no help at all. And when it happens, my capacity for judgment is being placed at issue. This is why I object to it: just like any reasonable adult should. In the case of a blind person, whether sitting at a table with a child, picking up a sandwich served with a toothpick, or crossing the street, strangers often feel the need to intervene whether help is needed or not. Moreover, blind people are expected to accept such treatment with gratitude.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='text-indent:.5in'>But the underlying reason for all of the assistance offered by well-intentioned members of the public is not simply a matter of decreased visual acuity, instead I believe it is an evaluation of a blind person’s capacity for judgment. Can a blind person make appropriate decisions in a given set of circumstances? Or do we need a guardian?<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='text-indent:.5in'>I was traveling recently, and a desk agent at the airport asked me if I needed a cart in Charlotte, where I would change planes, to get to my connecting gate. I responded that I did not require assistance and felt that the discussion was over; however, the desk agent explained that her mother had dementia and she did not feel that she needed help either.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='text-indent:.5in'>The gate agent told me that her mother might walk off while her flight was boarding. I felt that her concern for her mother was entirely reasonable in the case of someone suffering from dementia. Was the gate agent merely comparing me with someone else who needed assistance but for different reasons? Did I miss the point? Or is the issue actually related to society’s assessment of a blind person’s capacity for judgment? <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='text-indent:.5in'>At last year’s state convention, we presented a program item entitled “The Blind in the Musical Arts”. It was so successful that we decided to expand the program and conduct it in Kershaw County at the Fine Arts Center.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Dr. Jessica Bachicha Ewell and Ms. Sarah Massengale, two outstanding sopranos (who happen to be blind) presented classical recitals accompanied by a professional concert pianist. The Blind in the Musical Arts program was not directly an advocacy event. It was not a demonstration of the techniques of blindness that enable blind people to perform a number of routine tasks.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='text-indent:.5in'>But it was most definitely a public display of competence and capacity, revealing to the public that blind people are capable of engaging in the kinds of activities that sighted people engage in including activities of education and enrichment. Those who attended the Blind in the Musical Arts will tell you that our performance on April 12, 2014, was among the finest artistic presentations ever to occur at the Kershaw County Fine Arts Center, and they have invited us to come back.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='text-indent:.5in'>Yesterday, we concluded our first NFB BELL program in South Carolina. This two-week curriculum is designed to provide young blind children, ages four through twelve, with positive reinforcement about the use of Braille. Valerie Bouler Johnson and I spent the entire first day of the BELL program with the teachers and students reading, playing, and mentoring.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Jennifer Duffell-Hoffman, President of the South Carolina Organization of Parents of Blind Children, and Jamie Allison, President of our Cherokee County Chapter (and an experienced teacher of blind children, conducted the program with the aid of several volunteers.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='text-indent:.5in'>In addition to reading Braille with the students, I had the pleasure of dressing out for a time of sports and recreation in the gym. For sighted children, playtime is taken for granted. It is assumed that sighted children will run, climb, play ball, and jump rope; however, blind children are not as fortunate. The expectations of blind children are often lower.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='text-indent:.5in'>While in the gym on that Monday afternoon, I had the opportunity to interact with a seven-year-old child. She was holding a jump rope, but she wasn’t using it. The sight of a seven-year-old child jumping rope is common on playgrounds, in gymnasiums, and in yards across America.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='text-indent:.5in'>But in the case of this blind child, it was clear that she had never learned to turn the rope. She could not jump the rope because she did not know how to pull the rope around her body. I spent fifteen minutes or so trying to teach this child how to twirl her arms fast enough to cause the rope to turn one revolution over her head so that she could jump when the rope approached the floor.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='text-indent:.5in'>But fifteen minutes was insufficient to overcome years of immobility. When I was a child, I remember being told by a teacher who specialized in the education of blind children not to touch something unless I knew what it was. This admonition was wrong because it tended to force blind children to rely on the sighted before being permitted to touch any object in the world.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='text-indent:.5in'>How will a blind person ever know what anything is without touching it? In this world which is fashioned for the sighted, Let us teach blind children to put their hands out and explore their world: put their little hands out and see the world around them.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>But not only that, let us teach blind children to run: because the National Federation of the Blind knows that blindness is not the characteristic that defines you or your future. Every day, we raise the expectations of blind people because low expectations create obstacles between blind people and their dreams. You can live the life you want: blindness is not what holds you back.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='text-indent:.5in'>My brothers and my sisters, this is my report to you for 2014.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>From the President’s Desk<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>By Parnell Diggs<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='text-indent:.5in'>I thought that 2014 was one of the best years ever for the NFB of SC. The General Assembly unanimously passed the Blind Persons Right to Parent Act, meaning that both houses of the General Assembly adopted the bill without a single “no” vote.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='text-indent:.5in'>This monumental legislation will make it possible for blind parents in South Carolina to raise their children, petition to adopt, seek to become the custodial parent in divorce actions, and otherwise to do all of the things that sighted parents do without having their fitness to parent questioned by the courts, the Department of Social Services, adoption agencies, or guardians ad litem solely on the basis of blindness. We have enjoyed some lopsided victories through the years, but very rarely (if ever) has support for a Federation initiative been unanimous.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='text-indent:.5in'>In the spring, we conducted the first in the nation Blind in the Musical Arts Program: featuring Jessica Bachicha Ewell and Sarah Massengale, two outstanding blind sopranos in a classical performance hall in Camden, South Carolina.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='text-indent:.5in'>The Blind in the Musical Arts was a project about achievement highlighting the talents of classically-trained singers performing at a world-class standard. The reviews were excellent! It has been the inspiration of similar programs being planned around the nation in 2015.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> In late July, we initiated our first NFB BELL Program in South Carolina. BELL is an acronym which stands for Braille Enrichment for Literacy and Learning, a reading program for blind children four through twelve years of age. Through NFB BELL, we are not merely advocating for Braille literacy, but we are actually involved in teaching Braille to young blind children and exposing them to blind adult role models. NFB BELL is returning to South Carolina in 2015!<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='text-indent:.5in'>Then, there were the national and state conventions with the NFB of SC once again having among the largest turnouts in the nation for both conventions in July and August of 2014, a successful Fun Day Festival at Rocky Bottom Retreat and Conference Center of the Blind over Labor Day weekend, and the largest Christmas Board Retreat in NFB of SC history.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='text-indent:.5in'>But as good as 2014 was, we should work to find ways to make 2015 even better. This is what we generally do at January Statewide Seminars. We have a good year ahead of us in 2015, as we celebrate the Seventy-fifth Anniversary of the National Federation of the Blind. Start planning now to attend the 2015 National Convention this July in Orlando, Florida.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='text-indent:.5in'>For 2015 convention room reservations you should write directly to the Rosen Centre Hotel, 9840 International Drive, Orlando, Florida 32819. You can call the hotel at (800) 204-7234 after January 1. The hotel will want a deposit of $95 for each room and will want a credit card number or a personal check. If you use a credit card, the deposit will be charged against your card immediately, just as would be the case with a $95 check. If a reservation is cancelled before May 28, 2015, half of the deposit will be returned. Otherwise refunds will not be made.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='text-indent:.5in'>We are also making plans for an excellent state convention in the summer. Stay tuned for details in upcoming Positive Notes about that. We are not satisfied looking only to the past, but we thrive on the things in store for us in 2015 and beyond.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='text-indent:.5in'>This is a great time to be a member of the NFB of SC because the National Federation of the Blind knows that blindness is not the characteristic that defines you or your future. Every day, we raise the 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> <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Convention Resolutions<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>RESOLUTION 14-01<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Whereas, the National Federation of the Blind of South Carolina in Convention assembled this 9th day of August, 2014 in celebration of its 70th anniversary, being established in 1944, and;<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Whereas, much of the progress in work with the blind originates from blind people determining their own way and in doing so, the blind of the Columbia area in the late 1950’s sought to establish their own Center for programs, meetings and activities for the blind, and;<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Whereas, Dr. Donald C. Capps and the then Honorable Mayor Pro Tem Hyman Rubin worked to successfully secure property to construct such a Center on the corner of South Kilbourne Road and Yale Avenue which Center was dedicated on October 15, 1961, and;<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Whereas, the resulting Federation Center of the Blind experienced growth and subsequent development of programs with facilities expansions in 1970 and 1978 with parking facilities added and expanded in the 1980’s, and;<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Whereas, local community leaders in government, business and education formulated a distinguished Advisory Board to lend advice and expertise to the blind members of the governing Board of Trustees since the inception of the Center, and;<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Whereas, in 2013 the City of Columbia augmented the services of the Federation Center of the Blind with a $5,000 grant and in 2014, granted the Center $10,000 to provide Braille and large print services for the City of Columbia through the Federation Center for blind and visually impaired residents of Columbia, <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Now therefore Be It Resolved by the National Federation of the Blind of South Carolina in convention assembled in the City of Columbia on this 9th Day of August, 2014, that this organization in celebration of the 70th anniversary of the National Federation of the Blind of South Carolina does hereby extend our gratitude and sincere appreciation to the convention’s host City of Columbia Mayor Steve Benjamin and City Council members for their past insight and current foresight in service to the blind of Columbia, and;<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Be it further resolved that the Federation Center of the Blind board and staff congratulate the Mayor and City Council for bettering the quality of life for the blind over its 53 year history.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>AUGUST 9, 2014<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Frank Coppel, Chairman <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Board of Trustees<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Federation Center of the Blind <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Parnell Diggs, President<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>National Federation of the Blind <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>of South Carolina<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Resolution 14-02<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Whereas the NFB Bell in SC program was held from July 28 through Aug 8, 2014; and,<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Whereas this vital program provided positive reinforcement in the use of braille to blind children with support from adult blind role models who spent time reading braille with the children and engaging in recreational activities designed to demonstrate that sports and recreation are an important part of the life experience of any blind child; and,<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Whereas the 2014 participants (including parents, teachers, and students) felt that NFB Bell was a huge success; and,<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Whereas the South Carolina School for the Deaf and Blind graciously offered its facilities on the Spartanburg campus to the National Federation of the Blind of South Carolina for use to conduct NFB Bell in SC; and,<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Whereas the NFB Bell in SC is an excellent example of a public/private sector partnership promoting goodwill and positive nurturing to blind children increasing the likelihood that these children will use braille effectively later in life; <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Now, Therefore, Be It Resolved by the National Federation of the Blind of South Carolina in convention assembled this 9th day of August, 2014 in the city of Columbia that the organized blind movement in South Carolina express its appreciation to the South Carolina School for the Deaf and Blind for hosting NFB Bell in SC, and be it further resolved that this organization conveys its enthusiasm about conducting the NFB Bell in SC in partnership with South Carolina School for the Deaf and Blind in the future.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Appreciation Expressed From An NFB of SC Scholarship Winner<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>By Francina Knight<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>(Editor’s Note: Francina Knight is the recipient of the 2014 Dr. Sheila Breitweiser Scholarship of $400. Francina is from North Augusta and is a member of the Belvedere Chapter and is President of the NFB of SC Student Division.)<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='text-indent:.5in'>Thank you so much for the scholarship. It was greatly needed and appreciated and has assisted with the purchase of assistive technology. It is a blessing to have an organization like this.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Seventy Years of the NFB of SC - The Hand of An Almighty God,”<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>By Marshall Tucker<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> After taking the podium, Marshall Tucker led the NFB of SC state convention delegates in “Glory, Glory Federation.” “Do you all know Red Barber who said, “I’m sitting in the catbird seat?” Well, that’s what I’m doing. I was there, you weren’t, so whatever I say you are going to have to believe me, won’t you? <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> It happened on July 18, 1943, concerning the Aurora Club’s beginning. If I should entitle this little reminiscence, I would entitle it, “The Hand of An Almighty God,” and I don’t mean four fingers and a thumb. Our boys were engaged in a Titanic struggle with Japan and Germany in order to preserve our God given freedom. I know we are celebrating our 70th year anniversary, but in order to set our record straight we must go back to 1943. We’re always talking about living from day to day, right? From July 18, 1943 to August 8, 2014, it comes out according to my trusty Sharp calculator to 25,956 days. Doesn’t that sound more impressive than just saying 70 years? <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> The year 1943 was a most meaningful year. Music wise, we had Bing Crosby’s “White Christmas.” We had Tommy Dorsey’s “There Are Such Things.” And we had one of the favorite songs of our President Emeritus, “You’ll Never Know Just How Much I Love You.” Then we had “Coming In On A Wing And A Prayer.” We were still singing “Don’t Sit Under The Apple Tree With Anyone Else But Me.” Now, that brings you to why I’m here. <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> Ruth Weeks and I, to the best of my knowledge, are the only two living persons of this most interesting era. It happened on July 18, 1943. Iola Adair, a wonderful blind lady and her mother invited several people to partake of a picnic meal at their home. This gathering took place under the shade of an old apple tree (that’s a song too). Some of those who were invited were Dr. and Mrs. Sam Lawton, Miss Ruth Weeks, Grover Jones, Grayson Gallman, Winnie and Marvin Derrick and I’m sure I left out several. Since I was only 19 years old I thought it would be a good idea to climb this apple tree, not knowing that it could be compared to the George Washington cherry tree story.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> Incidentally, Dr. Capps’ narration “Under The Apple Tree” is a good read. Don’t be one of those who did not read his good book. It was here that Dr. Samuel Miller Lawton first introduced the idea to organize a club that blind people could call their own. He suggested that we name it the Aurora Club of the Blind. As you know, the Aurora Borealis is the great northern lights. Dr. Lawton had an obsession when it came to light. In later years it was told to me that one time when he went to Israel he requested the guide to lead him to the place where blind Bartamaeus was healed. It was there that he got down on his knees and gave thanks to God for sending Jesus, the Light of the world. <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> The picnic the Adair’s hosted proved to be a most profitable experience. After some discussion we agreed to organize and call ourselves the Aurora Club of the Blind. Dr. and Mrs. Lawton might have been challenged by the words of Luke 12:48 which says in part, “To whom much is given, much is required.” For almost the next six months between July and January, they spent time formulating plans for our organization. <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> From time to time the Adair’s offered their home for us to meet and to make plans. It was during this time that the groundwork of our constitution was laid. It is my understanding that a part of our old constitution still stands. Incidentally, it was Mrs. Alice Lawton who insisted that only blind persons be able to vote. <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> It was on a snowy Sunday afternoon, January 16, 1944 that we held the first meeting of the then Aurora Club of the Blind. We met in the old Spartanburg, South Carolina YMCA building. Some of the people who were there included Dr. and Mrs. Lawton, Ruth Weeks, the Derricks, Sunnie and Doug Wright, Grover Jones, the Adair's, Grayson Gallman and Mary Adams. Later on Clyde Stevens, Archie Nunnery, Bob and Pearl Oglesby, Florie Price, Ruby Jones, Edna Bonnet Tucker and of course, I was there. I’m certain I left out many but I believe you kind people will pardon my 90 year old memory. We elected Dr. Sam as our first President. Since we were the beginners, we acted accordingly. We discussed, we argued and occasionally we would fuss. There’s a difference in arguing and fussing, you all. Eventually good common sense would prevail. Would you believe we had to pay dues? Why, it was 25 cents a month. We didn’t have much but we gave what we could. Edna Bonnet Tucker, my wife, for the first time proposed for Christmas we would help an indigent child from Cedar Spring, the School for the Blind. Edna passed away in July of 1947 and it was the first time we had gone outside our group to give aid to others. <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> It is here that I would like to inject a personal note. As far as I know, Edna’s monument is the only one that has the Aurora Club’s monogram displayed. It goes like this: “I am the light of the world. Ye are the light of the world. Let your light so shine that men may see your good works and glorify God.” This is from John and Matthew. The Columbia and Anderson Chapters were the two chapters organized in the 1940’s. In the 40’s we laid the foundation and as we progress to higher ground we never can forget from where we have come. Since we are dealing with history, I would like to use an often used proverb. “He that knows not and knows that he knows not, he is a child, lead him. He that knows not and knows not that he knows not, he is asleep, awaken him. He who knows not and knows that he knows not, he is a fool, shun him. But he that knows and knows that he knows, he is wise, follow him.” May God bless, and in turn, may we be a blessing. Thank you.”<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Historic Jacksonville Florida<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>By David Houck<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>From Tuesday through Friday of October 14-17, Darlene and I went on a church retreat with 42 others from Grace Baptist Church in West Columbia on a chartered bus trip to Jacksonville, Florida. Jacksonville incorporated the county into the city and consists of a land area of 747 square miles or about the size of Manhattan Island. We toured Amelia Island which is 13 miles long. The southernmost area is Kingsley Plantation which was used during the 1700 to 1800’s. It was an agricultural community which owned slaves which each worked a quarter acre on the plantation then they were allowed to work their own land each day. It is now a national park. Just up the coast lies the American Beach. Founded in 1935 by Abraham Lincoln Lewis, American Beach was created as a vacation haven for African-Americans, for whom access to other resorts was denied in the days before desegregation. Further up the beachfront is Fernandina Beach where we passed the two-story blue beachfront house of mystery novelist John Grisham. We took in some time on the beach, watched a school of fish feeding offshore which attracted the birds that swooped down to feed on the fish. The historic city of Fernandina on the north side of Amelia Island is a seaport which services Bermuda and used to be a smuggling port during the 1800’s. St. Augustine will be celebrating their 450th anniversary as the oldest continuously operating city in America. Founded by the Spanish in 1565 and discovered by Ponce De Leon in April 1513, the King and Queen of Spain plan to join in on the celebration in 2015. Once the location of an exclusive and expensive hotel, this hotel is now known as Flagler University and is an exquisite and historic campus. St. Augustine also has a fort. Originally the Timuculan Indian village existed there. These Indians were six and one-half foot tall and Ponce De Leon figured the water had something to do with it. Therefore, he established the famed Fountain of Youth (which did nothing for me as I should have drank more of it, I guess). Oddly enough, there was a hearse on the property belonging to one of the curators who used it for nightly graveyard tours. On our way back north on I-95 toward Jacksonville, a motorcyclist passed our bus at 80 miles per hour, doing a wheelie for a good half mile. The Jacksonville area has been occupied by seven nations including the Spanish, the French, the British, and the United States. We spent time on the St. John’s River on a boat. The St. John’s River flows from south to north and is quite wide. It has seven bridges, is a major sea port, has a Navy shipyard apart from a Naval Air Station, is both fresh and sea water depending upon how far up river you are and Maxwell House coffee has its plant on the river. Wake up and smell the coffee! A big tourist location in the 1800’s was all but destroyed at the turn of 1900 as a yellow fever epidemic scared off tourists and the fire of 1901 burned the city to the ground. It was all started at a Spanish moss factory which made seat cushions and mattresses. The early 1900’s featured many silent films being made in the Jacksonville area until Hollywood was discovered. As you can see there was much to learn and some time for shopping too. As we got to know the Jacksonville area better we also got to know our church members better who on this trip ranged in age from 54 to 91. Some of us did seem to look more youthful following our visit at the fountain.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Flashback<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>By Donald C. Capps<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>(Editor’s Note: The dedication of the Federation Center of the Blind on October 15, 1961 was one of the most jubilant times in work with the blind of Columbia and throughout the state. This news program challenged the development and use by the governing body. The following information appeared in the November 1961 edition of the Palmetto Blind)<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>CENTER IS DEDICATED<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>On Sunday, October 15, the Columbia Chapter’s Recreational and Educational Center was officially dedicated with the holding of very impressive and inspiring ceremonies. An estimated crowd of 250 persons was in attendance. Several blind persons from throughout the state attended this impressive dedication. An Open House was held between 4:00 and 6:00 p.m. with the dedicatory service beginning at 4:30 p.m.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>FACILITIES OF CENTER EXTENDED TO OTHERS<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>At a recent meeting of the Board of Trustees of the Center, a resolution was unanimously adopted in which the facilities of the Center would be made available and extended to other organizations, institutions, groups and agencies doing work with and for the blind. We are indeed pleased to share the facilities of our beautiful Center with others engaged in work for the blind. Letters of gratitude have been received from those the facilities have been extended to including the following letter from Dr. Arthur B. Rivers, Director of the SC Department of Public Welfare.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Dear Mr. Capps:<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>I have your letter in which you graciously made available your new Recreational and Educational Center to the agency on any occasion which we feel might be of service. May I thank you for your offer and assure you of our interest in the advancement of recreational and educational services to the blind in the Columbia area as well as statewide. We would be pleased to accept your offer and will not hesitate to request the use of your Center.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> Thanking you so much for your offer, I am,<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Sincerely yours,<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Arthur B. Rivers<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>State Director<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>CENTER TO BE GOVERNED BY BOARD OF TRUSTEES<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Prior to the completion of the Center or at the August meeting of the Columbia Aurora Club of the Blind, certain conditions were adopted by the membership providing for the operation of the Center including a board of five trustees who will be charged with the responsibility of governing the Center. The Board of Trustees are comprised of Lois Boltin, Katherine Morrison, Donald C. Capps, WGF Young and Archie Nunnery. The Trustees elected Donald C. Capps as Chairman of the Board whose job it will be to manage the day-to-day affairs of the Center in conformity with the policies and procedures established by the board.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>USE OF CENTER<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>The question of when the Center will be open for the enjoyment of the members and other blind was carefully considered by the Board of Trustees. Naturally, the Center will be open for regularly scheduled meetings and for special social activities. In addition the Center will be open all Saturday afternoon and night and every Sunday afternoon from 2:00 to 6:00 p.m. You of course understand that this is an initial beginning and should future changes be advisable and desirable, the Board of Trustees will certainly act accordingly. There is one exception to the Center being opened to the membership on Saturday afternoons and Saturday nights as well as Sunday afternoons and this exception will occur when the Center is rented at that particular time.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>CENTER TO PROVIDE BRAILLE SWITCHBOARD TRAINING<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>In planning for the maximum utilization of the facilities of the Center, plans are now underway for the installation of a braille switchboard for training purposes. This program will be under the jurisdiction of Lois Boltin who of course is the state’s only braille switchboard operator with 2.5 years of practical experience Recently, Lois’ employer observed that she was the finest switchboard operator his firm has ever had during its many years of operation. Let us emphasize this program is in its early stages and much more will be written on this in a later edition of the Palmetto Auroran. Watch for it. This of course will be the only training program of its type in the state.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Steps of a Successful Year with the Supporters of the Sumter Chapter<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>By Debra Canty<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>(Editor’s Note: Debra Canty is a superb NFB of SC chapter president and provides outstanding leadership in this annual Christmas event)<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='text-indent:.5in'>The Sumter Chapter of the National Federation of the Blind hosted our 41st Annual Fundraiser Christmas Gala on Tuesday, December 9, 2014 with almost 400 in attendance. The gala was held in the beautiful banquet hall at the Trinity Missionary Baptist Church in Sumter, SC. This holiday gathering adorned the banquet hall with seasonal colors as the attendees wore semiformal attire!<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='text-indent:.5in'>The donation for the gala tickets was $25.00 in advance. A full course dinner was served with a menu of ham, turkey, dressing, gravy, cranberry sauce, seasoned rice, green beans, dinner roll, cake, tea and water.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='text-indent:.5in'> This year we served dinner first at 6:30 p.m. The blessing of the food came from Herbert Boykin, Jr. The program was preceded with the scripture from Alexus Blanding and the prayer rendered by the host Pastor of the Trinity Missionary Baptist Church, Rev. Larry C. Weston. There were greetings from Sumter County’s Solicitor, Mr. Ernest A. Finney, III and Councilwoman Ione J. Dwyer. Selections came from renowned soprano Sarah Massengale, and by Doug Hudson. Judy L. Simon did the soulful “Happy Birthday Song” to NFB members and guests with December birthdays, as well. The keynote speaker was NFB of SC President Parnell Diggs; his topics raised blind awareness throughout the audience which was well received. It was suggested that President Diggs’s message enlightened our sighted community. His personal experience stories about the spilled milk and the toothpick in the sandwich were good examples of expressing and demonstrating blind awareness issues for sighted people. This awareness was especially illuminated too when he accidently put the hand-held microphone in the stand upside down; this made his point of blind awareness a reality. I am still getting positive feedback from the community about things that the sighted just didn’t think about until Parnell made it plain in his speech and how he demonstrated it as well.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>The theme was “Blindness-What it is and what it is not”.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='text-indent:.5in'>Now, for an event like this to come together; it began with choosing a venue, caterer, decorator, photographer, videographer, volunteers and public relations for the reserved seating by May of 2014. We plan early to avoid obstacles that could hinder progress along the way. Then, we ordered the gala tickets, the LOVE offering envelopes, and sent the program to the printer. Sighted volunteer, Joan Davis helped organize the host/hostesses/servers for a plan to greet the guests and serve dinner in a timely manner.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> The proceeds from the banquet will help out our efforts to afford to purchase transportation for our members to attend monthly meetings as well as state and national seminars and conventions. We also financially support our state and national centers and programs. We maintain our chapter meetings with dinner, drawings, and door prizes and as; president, I share information about the (NFB) and have a guest speaker. Also, we acknowledge joyful occasions, birthdays, illness and bereavements at our meetings.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='text-indent:.5in'>If you would like to receive and make a donation of $10.00 for a DVD of our 2014 gala please let me know.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Gala tickets are for tables of (10) if you would like to attend our 42nd Annual Fundraiser Christmas Gala on Tuesday, December 08, 2015 at 6:30 p.m. for $25.00 per attendee please respond on or by May 31, 2015.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='text-indent:.5in'>The Sumter Chapter of the NFB recognized associate members with a plaque thanking them for their service to the blind. A special appreciation went to Rev. Dr. William S. & Doris Randolph for supplying us with a venue for the monthly meetings.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='text-indent:.5in'>Yours truly, Mistress of Ceremony, Debra Canty thanked everyone for their support and attending and wished them all a “Merry Christmas:” and “Happy New Year!!!<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='text-indent:.5in'>Before 9:00 p.m., Min. Malinda Ham closed with a prayer.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>From the Editor’s Desk<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>By Donald C. Capps<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> The New Year is always accompanied with thoughts of the future and a glance at the past. The NFB of SC is very strong and influential which is important to the blind of the state. I believe that 2015 will be a very good year, especially if we work together and I believe that federationists across the state are committed to the federation. <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='text-indent:.5in'>There are two or three major activities which occurred in 2014. It is noteworthy that Dr. Marc Maurer, our immediate past national President, chose South Carolina for the first state convention to be attended by the incoming President, Mark Riccabono. Dr. Maurer asked President Riccabono to see how a good state organization of the blind functions and at the same time to allow the state affiliate to observe the incoming national President. The plan worked beautifully as Mark Riccabono performed in an excellent fashion and won the trust and appreciation of the NFB of SC. <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>As a result of this experience, President Riccabono was so impressed that he made a decision to send the Braille Monitor Editor, Gary Wunder to South Carolina to see firsthand what makes the NFB of SC tick as one of the nation’s finest state organizations of the blind. Gary Wunder was impressed as he attended the Columbia Chapter meeting, receiving a tour of the Center, and he also spent the weekend at Rocky Bottom participating in the three board meetings of the NFB of SC, Rocky Bottom Retreat and Conference Center of the Blind and the Federation Center of the Blind. We understand that Gary will be including an article on his visit to South Carolina in an upcoming issue of the Braille Monitor. <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='text-indent:.5in'>A year ago in January of 2014, President Diggs advised the Statewide Seminar that he was running for Attorney General. This announcement to 200 federationists touched off a wonderful demonstration of support and appreciation. President Diggs ran a wonderful race for this state office and received nearly a half million votes which was remarkable considering the fact the incumbent Attorney General had already held the office for four years who also had a financial war chest, being able to outspend President Diggs. To the best of my knowledge, there’s not been a blind person who ran for statewide office in 100 years since Dr. John Swearingen successfully ran for the office of the State Superintendent of Education. President Diggs demonstrated courage and confidence, gaining the admiration of thousands of voters and the support of the state’s blind community. <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>The foregoing observations involve events which are not likely and possibly impossible to occur again although President Diggs might again run for statewide office. In conclusion, we were glad to have President Riccabono at our state convention and Braille Monitor Editor Gary Wunder to attend our chapter and RBRCCB meetings and Parnell Diggs who is one of the country’s most outstanding state presidents.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Federationist’s Appreciation of Rocky Bottom Retreat and Conference Center of the Blind<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>By Dorcas Campbell<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>(Editor’s Note: Dorcas Campbell is the superb President of the Chesterfield County Chapter)<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>The Federation of the Blind is a wonderful organization and it is privilege to be able to go to Rocky Bottom Camp and stay in the Oglesby Cottage. It is affordable for seniors and it is a beautiful place to vacation. It is also an honor to attend senior camp at Rocky Bottom. I am grateful to be a member of the Federation of the Blind and for the many friends I have made there.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Final Thought<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>What It Takes<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>By Sharon Hendricks<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Around the corner is opportunity<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>waiting for you to take it.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>And there is a claim close by<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>waiting for you to stake it.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Whatever lies in wait for you<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>I know you’ll pass the test.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Because each time trial comes<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>You’ll always have d<o:p></o:p></p></div></body></html>