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</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--></head><body lang=EN-US link=blue vlink=purple><div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal>December 9, 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 1530<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> The 35th annual Christmas Board Retreat held at Rocky Bottom this past weekend was extremely busy as many of us participated in three board meetings (RBRCCB Board of Directors, Federation Center of the Blind Board of Trustees, and the Board of Directors of the NFB of SC) throughout the day on Saturday. During the NFB of SC State Board meeting, which was the final meeting of the day, a variety of topics were discussed. The Board heard reports from Debra Canty, Chairperson of the Fund Raising Committee and David Houck, Chairman of the Grants Committee as well as discussions other financial matters related to the NFB of SC. The Board also discussed more proactive ways to better inform our communities about the NFB of SC such as the utilization of social media. The Washington Seminar will begin on January 24, 2016. Room rates for the Washington Seminar are $184 per night plus a 14.5 percent room tax. All reservations to the Holiday Inn Capitol must be made by December 21. If you wish to attend the Seminar, please call me at (803) 796-8662 and I will give you further details. The 2016 NFB National Convention will be in Orlando , Florida and will be held from Thursday, June 30, to Tuesday, July 5. The Board voted to have the charter bus leave Columbia at the Federation Center at 8:00 a.m. Thursday, June 30, and return from Orlando at 8:00 a.m. on Wednesday, July 6. The cost of a seat on the bus depends on how well we do selling our bus fund tickets. The board felt that if our bus tickets sales this year are low, we will have to substantially increase the price of each seat to cover the cost of the charter bus. More information regarding the National Convention will be discussed in future Positive Notes. <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Monday evening Shelley and I had the pleasure of attending the Belvedere Chapter’s Christmas party. Approximately 40 people were in attendance and Jackie Redd, chapter President, did an excellent job planning and presiding over the party. Last night, Shelley and I had a wonderful time attending the Laurens Chapter Christmas party. There were approximately 70 people in attendance and it was evident that Helen McNuer is doing an excellent job as Chapter President. It was great to see longtime friends Doris, Robbie and Mark Bell as well as many others at the party. <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Steve Cook, President of the Computer Science and Technology Division has the following announcement; “We are in the process of updating the Chapter and Division page on www.nfbofsc.org. Give Steve Cook a call at (803)254-0222 or E-Mail at cookcafe@sc.rr.com to have your chapter or division’s list of officers and meeting information listed on the webpage. <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Also, if your chapter or division has any upcoming events you would like listed on the webpage, contact Steve Cook at either of the above mentioned ways. Let’s work together to build the NFB of SC!”<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> The 35th annual Christmas board retreat was a resounding success. The first 10 retreats were held in Osterneck Cottage but the last 25 retreats have been held in the Conference Center. There was an excellent turnout of state and local leaders from throughout the state including representatives from Georgetown, some 300 miles from Rocky Bottom. Persons attending arrived Friday evening and enjoyed Saturday morning’s breakfast which Lenora Robertson and her kitchen crew provided. Lenora and her group did a wonderful job throughout the weekend. At 9:00 a.m. sharp I called the RBRCCB Board of Directors meeting to order. It was an excellent board meeting. Those present learned a great deal from a complete financial report and other activities. I shared with the board information concerning a group of Lions from the Salem Lions Club coming Thursday, December 10 to paint the inside of the Ellenburg Lodge and shampoo the cushioned seats in Lawton Hall. We are very fortunate in having the ongoing assistance of the Salem Lions Club. Our Resident Manager Brooke West in her weekly report stated the following: “I can't thank you all enough for such a wonderful weekend. Everyone was so cheerful and fun to be around. They definitely got me in the holiday spirit! I feel much more informed about the NFB after attending several Board meetings. I was so grateful and surprised to receive the $150.00 Christmas gift! RBRCCB means so much to me, I want so dearly for it to stand the test of time so I will use the $150.00 gift to make some small improvement to the property. In order to save several hundred dollars on the electric bill, as I plan to turn off the six hot water heaters in the Conference Center while they are not in use this winter. However, it will get very cold so I will use the $150.00 to purchase a low wattage oil radiator heater which will ensure that the lines to the water heaters will not freeze. I will also purchase a low wattage heater for the well house to prevent those parts from freezing as they did last February even though they are insulated. This type of oil radiator space heater is extremely safe and cost effective and will not cause, fumes, or fires, as some other heaters can.” Throughout the weekend there was great congeniality and the best of fellowship and federationists enjoyed the weekend to the maximum. The climax of the weekend was the Saturday evening banquet attended by approximately 50 persons including those attending their first Christmas board retreat. A wonderful Christmas dinner was provided by Lenora Robertson and her crew which was without a doubt the finest meal we’ve had featuring ham and chicken, etc. As always, Dorothy Barksdale gave a beautiful invocation as everybody appreciates Dorothy’s eloquence. Dorothy serves as Secretary to the NFB of SC and RBRCCB. We were deeply gratified to have our distinguished Advisory Board Chairman Mr. John Sarpy and his lovely wife Linda present. I introduced President Coppel for his comments and he was well received. Frank told the audience of his first contact with the federation when he was a high school student in Baltimore. After some persistence he joined the Baltimore Chapter. Subsequently he accepted a position at the South Carolina Commission for the Blind. Frank has been an active member of the federation for some 45 years and we are lucky to have his leadership. Following Frank, I called upon his lovely wife Shelley who made some comments about her longtime involvement in the federation in other states. Shelley is the President of the Senior Division of the NFB of SC. Marty McKenzie, a board member of the NFB of SC, provided a beautiful selection of Christmas songs on the piano. Then there was an exchange of gifts. It was now time for the desserts featuring cakes, pies and cookies, etc. It had been a wonderful 12 hour day period with activities which made all of us more appreciative. I’m grateful to everyone who contributed significantly in making this Christmas board retreat an outstanding success.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Final Thought: Christmas: Isaiah 9:6 – “For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.”<o:p></o:p></p></div></body></html>