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</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--></head><body lang=EN-US link=blue vlink=purple><div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal>October 8, 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: Frank Coppel, President<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Positive Note 1521<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Greetings Fellow Federationists:<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> Kudos go to Debra Canty, 2nd Vice President of the NFB of SC and President of our Sumter Chapter, who is being featured on a video on President Riccabono’s weekly Notebook of October 5. Debra Canty does an excellent job describing how the NFB has been a source of encouragement to her and how she believes it is her responsibility to extend this same encouragement to her fellow blind. If you wish to watch this excellent video, you can go to, <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WggZwy5-mrE.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Debra Canty has also emailed me a note regarding the Sumter Chapter’s Meet The Blind Month activity which says in part, “The Sumter County Fair was held during the week of October 5th and we hosted a booth inside the Civic Center with heavy rain daily and the fair attendance was low, but, we were still able to raise blind awareness for October and some funds as well. We made contacts with several potential members. We collected old eyeglasses for the Sumter Lions Club who sponsored the booth for us. The sporadic heavy showers pushed the fair goers inside and we were still blessed during the week as well. Mega thanks to Della Sherod, Jazmine Holmes, Judy Simon, Laura Skelton, Rosa Wells, Ruth Pressley and Shirley Abrams for their participation and asking the fair goers for donations for the 2016 bus fund tickets, so look-out NFB State Seminar!”<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>All of you by now should have received your 2016 Orlando national Convention bus tickets. Let’s do all we can to raise the approximate $8,000 which will be needed to charter one bus to the National Convention in in Orlando next year. Remember, the winner of the winning ticket which will be drawn on January 9, 2016 at the Statewide Seminar will win $300, the seller of the winning ticket will win $300, and the Chapter selling the most tickets will win $300. <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>While all of us are trying to deal with the rain and flood damages across the state, some of us have greater damages than others. The Capps’ residence is currently dealing with tree and flood damage done to the home and I am sure you will want to hold Donald and Betty Capps and Debbie Manning up in your thoughts and prayers. I have contacted many chapter presidents and others across the state and most are doing well in dealing with this “once in a thousand years” situation. The Federation Center is undamaged but, like the city of Columbia, has reduced water pressure and has to boil water to drink or to cook. The Center remains in operation although the Columbia Chapter moved it’s meeting from this Thursday to next Thursday, October 15.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> Water went out over the weekend at Rocky Bottom but was repaired quickly on Monday. Lawton Hall is being restored by our contractor. The Columbia Chapter members at Rocky Bottom this past weekend extended their stay because of the damage to roadways, lakes and rivers here in Columbia. Many streets are blocked and there are many detours. Everyone did get home safely on Tuesday. It is hoped that by next week things will get back to normal. All things considered, we have weathered this event pretty well and in good spirits. As federationists, that’s what we do.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>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. 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> My thoughts have been with you across the state since the flood which occurred over the weekend and is still causing havoc. I hope that none of you sustained any serious loss from the flood. Our live in caregiver had to move out of the downstairs bedroom which was flooded. I’m told that everything in the room including carpeting is lost. However, I feel that we were blessed as thousands of Columbians lost far more and our prayers are with them as well. They have referred to this as the “thousand year flood” and while I don’t know about that, I never saw anything like this in my 87 years. I want to apologize for this Positive Note being late but our telephone was out of service from last Saturday until today, Thursday. I certainly feel lost without our telephone. Good news from Rocky Bottom. We opted to employ a local contractor who was able to begin work the end of last week. We have been informed that work on the repairs on Lawton Hall will be completed in a few days. This has been a long and drawn out project and I’m so thankful that it’s nearing completion. It will be good for different groups, especially church groups who would enjoy the newly renovated Lawton Hall. This part of the Positive Note is shorter than usual but David needs to get started in order to get the Positive Note in the mail to all of you across the state. Let’s keep everyone in our thoughts and prayers during the recovery process.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Final Thought: “In theory there is no difference between theory and practice. In practice there is.” – Yogi Berra (1925-2015)<o:p></o:p></p></div></body></html>