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</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--></head><body lang=EN-US link=blue vlink=purple><div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal>July 1, 2015<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 1507<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> I begin this Positive Note with the important message that the Columbia Marriott only has about twenty rooms remaining in our room block even though our cut-off date is July 31. Remember, the block may not last that long. You must act now! Please call to make reservations for the 2015 State Convention during the weekend of August 21 through 23! Reservations for the Convention should be made directly with Marriott reservations at (800) 593-6465 or (803) 771-7000. Every year, I receive calls from members who ask me to step in and secure a room for them, but I am telling you now that I will not be able to help this time because there are other events taking place as well during the weekend we are in town, and the hotel really will be out of rooms. I have given you fair notice so please get this issue taken care of if you have not already done so.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Pre-registration is also open. The very affordable price of $70 per person will give you admission to all events and cover your meals from Friday evening dinner through Sunday morning breakfast. Please make checks out to the NFB of SC and send them to the State Office noting which members are covered with each payment.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>I have an announcement from John Pare, the Executive Director for Advocacy and Policy at the National Federation of the Blind. Here is what John says. “The time is fast-approaching for our record-breaking seventy-fifth anniversary convention, and excitement is building. I know that all of you won’t want to miss any part of the festivities, especially our GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS™ attempt that will take place on the morning of July 8. This outstanding effort will make our convention historic not only within the blindness field, but throughout the world. Please plan to help us break a record and raise expectations for blind people! If you haven’t already, it is critical that you sign up to participate in the record attempt at www.nfb.org/gwr so that we have an accurate count of how many people are participating. Did I mention the fabulous prizes that several of the Rosen Hotels have donated? By participating in the GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS™ attempt, you will be eligible for these prizes, including complimentary stays, spa treatments, and dinners! So sign up now to participate. Please go to www.nfb.org/gwr. Thanks for your support and see you in Orlando!” We will be creating the largest umbrella mosaic in history just outside the hotel on Wednesday. No, you do not need to bring your own umbrella, as they will be provided for us.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>I was speaking with State Board member Loretta Green recently about the Shares Unlimited in NFB (SUN) program. As you know, the SUN program is our fund that exists for times of emergency to guarantee our financial stability for years to come in the movement.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Ms. Green chairs our SUN Committee in South Carolina. She asks that our chapters invite members to donate $2 each at the July chapter meeting for the SUN program so that chapters can then bring the proceeds to the State Convention in August. We can then gather the funds together and send them to our National Office. This seems like a great idea, and $2 will not break anyone.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>This is our last Positive Note before our National Convention. I hope that you have a wonderful trip to Orlando, and I look forward to seeing you there. This Diamond Anniversary Convention will be historic and will live in our memories for a long time. Let’s have a great Convention!<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 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. 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> It was good to spend the weekend at RBRCCB as our last visit was in the first part of May a week prior to Senior Camp. I had a good meeting with our Resident Manager Brooke West and her fiancée Jami Rivers. This week had been busy for Brooke as it was necessary to clean all the rooms as a group out of Florida had spent the week at RBRCCB using all the facilities. Brooke is saving Rocky Bottom considerable expense as she is doing most of the cleaning herself and she has our gratitude for this “extra mile” service. We have just explored running ads in the four newspapers in Pickens County as a rental initiative. There are three weekly newspapers in Pickens, Easley and Powdersville with the Clemson Journal being a daily newspaper. The Clemson Journal has a readership of 25,000. Although very early, we have already received a couple of inquiries from the ads. It is an exploratory initiative but we need to be proactive in our efforts to create additional revenue to be able to operate this program for the blind of the state. We had a good conversation with our resident board member Dr. Tom Bowen. He reported that everything was going smoothly and we want to thank Dr. Bowen for his leadership in representing the Rocky Bottom community. Our distinguished Advisory Board member, Mr. Billy Singleton had stopped by RBRCCB to discuss the July 4 parade with Brooke. A patriotic gentleman, Mr. Singleton has sponsored this event for many years. The parade runs from upper Rocky Bottom Road to the intersection of Hwy. 178. The parade is the highlight in the Rocky Bottom area for the year as there is extensive participation. Brooke will be representing RBRCCB and will be attending. From time to time all of us experience a good feeling because of the kindness and generosity of others. It will be remembered that in last week’s Positive Note I stated that Betty and I will be celebrating our 66th wedding anniversary on Thursday, June 25. Our distinguished Federation Center Advisory Board member, John Eckstrom noticed this in last week’s Positive Note and responded with a gift of $100 for the Lawton Memorial Hall repair fund, stating that this gift was in honor of Betty and myself. Thank you very much Mr. Eckstrom! <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> This is a very important week as our South Carolina delegation will be traveling to Orlando to participate in the 75th anniversary of the NFB. A tremendous amount of planning has gone into the celebration of this special occasion. I know that our state President Parnell Diggs will represent the NFB of SC in an excellent manner. Other state leaders will also represent our beloved state. I will greatly miss this grand event but I have been blessed in attending more than 50 annual NFB conventions. It was my good fortune to travel in many states with some of the NFB conventions being held in Anaheim, Atlanta, Baltimore, Boston, Charlotte, Chicago, Dallas, Des Moines, Denver, Detroit, Houston, Kansas City, Los Angeles, Louisville, Miami, Minneapolis, New Orleans, New York City, Philadelphia, Phoenix, San Francisco, Santa Fe, Washington, DC, and last but not least, Columbia in 1969. We will miss all of you across the state who are attending the 75th anniversary NFB convention but we are grateful that South Carolina will have such a great delegation which no doubt will wind up in the top five in attendance. I have seen thousands of blind persons who have progressed in their well-being in South Carolina and nationwide since my first NFB convention in 1956 in San Francisco; this progress being due either directly or indirectly through the work and programs of the NFB.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Final Thought: We are “one nation under God” whose Word is unchangeable.<o:p></o:p></p></div></body></html>