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</v:shape><![endif]--><![if !vml]><img width=162 height=183 src="cid:image005.png@01D14DE0.8D76EF10" align=left hspace=12 v:shapes="Picture_x0020_2"><![endif]><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>January 13, 2016<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='text-align:justify'><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>Memo To: Executive Officers, Board Members, Chapter & Division Presidents & Others<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='text-align:justify'><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>From: Frank Coppel, President<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='text-align:justify'><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>Positive Note 1535 <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='text-align:justify'><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>Greetings Fellow Federationists:<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:#244061'>OF SOUTH CAROLINA<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class=MsoNormal style='text-align:justify'><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'> I want to thank all of you who attended the 46th annual Statewide Seminar this past Saturday. When Shelley and I walked into the Federation Center at 9:15 a.m. Saturday morning, the meeting hall was already half full. Almost every seat in the room was filled when the Seminar was called to order at 10:00 a.m. All three heads of agencies who provide services to the blind, Jim Kirby and along with Kyle Walker, from the SC Commission for the Blind, Paige McCraw, from the SC School for the Deaf and Blind, and Sandy Knowles, from Talking Book Services gave presentations at the Seminar. Erica Powell, who recently was hired as an Employment Consultant with the Commission for the Blind, spoke about her experiences as a blind cheerleader for Clemson University. Ed Bible was recognized for being responsible for having a state map of South Carolina donated by 3d Photo Works to the Federation Center. Thom Spittle did an excellent job as auctioneer as we raised $617 for the Federation Center. Dr. Capps gave an excellent RBRCCB report. The two Senior Camps will be held May 22-26, and September 18-22. Children’s Camp will be held the third week in July. At the State Board meeting, which was held during the two hour lunch break, the Board voted unanimously to charge $100 for a seat on the charter bus going to the National Convention in Orlando, Florida. Congratulations to Trent Tedder as he was the winner of the Orlando National Convention bus fund raffle. Trent won $600 as he was the buyer and seller of the winning ticket. Also, congratulations to the Columbia Chapter for selling 1,594 bus tickets and finishing in first place. The Sumter Chapter finished second selling 600 bus tickets and the Rock hill Chapter finished third selling 237 tickets. I want to take this opportunity thank Isaiah Nelson and his group of volunteers for preparing and serving a delicious lunch. I also want to especially thank David Houck for all of his hard work prior to the Seminar and all day Saturday to ensure the meeting was a success. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='text-align:justify;text-indent:.5in'><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>Remember, the NFB of SC is planning a Sweetheart dance which will be held February 12, 2016 at the Federation Center from 6:00 p.m. to 9 p.m. The evening promises to be a fun and enjoyable experience with a professionally catered dinner, music, door prizes and dancing. Tickets to this event will only be $25 per person. If you wish to purchase a ticket you can contact Linda Dizzley at (803) 428-4273. All tickets must be purchased by February 4. We are also planning to reserve a block of rooms at a nearby hotel for those of you who live outside of Columbia and would like to attend the dance. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='text-align:justify;text-indent:.5in'><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>The date of this year’s national convention will be June 30, to July 5, 2016 and will be held at the Rosen Shingle Creek Resort. The 2016 room rates are singles and doubles, $83; and triples and quads, $89. In addition to the room rates there will be a tax, which at present is 12.5 percent. No charge will be made for children under seventeen in the room with their parents as long as no extra bed is requested. Please note that the hotel is a no-smoking facility.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='text-align:justify;text-indent:.5in'><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>For 2016 convention room reservations you can call the hotel at (866) 996-6338 after January 1. You may also write directly to the Rosen Shingle Creek, 9939 Universal Boulevard, Orlando, Florida 32819-9357. 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 Friday May, 27, 2016, half of the deposit will be returned. Otherwise refunds will not be made. The charter bus will leave Columbia at 8:00 a.m. Thursday, June 30. The bus will leave Orlando at 8:00 a.m. and return to Columbia Wednesday, July 6. We are now accepting your reservation fee of $100 to ride the charter bus to Orlando. Remember, this reservation fee is non-refundable and non-transferable. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='text-align:justify;text-indent:.5in'><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>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></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='text-align:justify'><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'> Blind persons from throughout the state attended the 46<sup>th</sup> annual Statewide Seminar. The Federation Center which has hosted these annual meetings from the beginning was filled to near capacity. It is a credit to our loyal members who made the sacrifice to be present for this highly successful meeting. We were also proud to have with us the heads of the three state agencies serving the blind who addressed the seminar. Several members gave reports. The Board of Directors of the NFB of SC meeting was held during the luncheon period. The board elected President Coppel as the official delegate to the national convention with NFB of SC First Vice President Lenora Robertson elected as the alternate delegate as these two delegates will represent the NFB of SC at the Orlando Convention. A very important resolution was adopted by the NFB of SC Board of Directors calling for equal participation of the NFB of SC in the 50<sup>th</sup> anniversary celebration of the Commission for the Blind. This position is highly understandable since the NFB of SC was responsible for the creation of the Commission for the Blind. Without this initiative by the NFB of SC there would be no Commission for the Blind. The NFB of SC has even stepped in in recent years to protect the autonomy of the Commission as the legislature was considering combining the Commission with another state agency. This occurred more than once. I am pleased that state President Frank Coppel appointed David Houck as Editor of the Palmetto Blind. David is very qualified and will make an excellent Editor. It has been my honor to serve as Editor beginning in the 1950’s and stepped down as Editor after 60 years. I have also worked closely with David Houck during the past 30 years in the publishing of the Palmetto Blind. Already he has begun to put together articles for the Palmetto Blind from several officers and I’m grateful to have David Houck for editing in the soon to be released Palmetto Blind. This was the first time President Coppel presided over the Statewide Seminar. There are a lot of details to attend to during the Statewide Seminar but Frank handled these details with great efficiency. Lenora Robertson handled the report on bus ticket sales for the Orlando trip. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='text-align:justify;text-indent:.5in'><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>President Coppel called on me for a Rocky Bottom report which I appreciated. I encouraged chapters and individuals to utilize Rocky Bottom’s facilities which exist for the benefit of our members and others. I thanked the gathering for their continuing assistance. I particularly singled out the assistance of Mt. Hebron United Methodist Church of West Columbia. Our NFB of SC board member Ed Bible is a member of the church and his influence has been beneficial. In my report I referred to the unforgettable speech by the late Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. in which he stated, “I have a dream.” From the time I first visited Rocky Bottom in 1958 I also had a dream. I was tremendously impressed with the natural beauty of the area with the pristine scenery being undisturbed. My dream from the beginning has been to enable the blind to have a place to go to for relaxation and leisure. From time to time all of us need a “get away” to renew our vigor and energy. In 1967 the Pickens County Health Department condemned the old 4H Club property as the water system was inadequate. The years went by but in 1978 or 20 years after our first visit to the area, we contacted the Chairman of Pickens County Council to see if we could secure the property for the blind of the state. I assured the Chairman that we would develop the property and mak the county proud. We had no money but we had a lot of faith. Many people pitched in and this tremendous success story is a reality. I had a dream for the blind to have their own facilities and thanks to so many of you, this dream came true. Dreams help us to go in the right direction. We have gone in the right direction in the creation of RBRCCB.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='text-align:justify'><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='text-align:justify'><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>Final Thought: <u>Resolution:</u> When confronted by someone who is angry, I might say something like “Marshmallow.” Reference Proverbs 15:1<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='text-align:justify'><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>16 ounce NFB of SC Coffee Thermos<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='text-align:justify'><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>$15 each<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='text-align:justify'><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>Payable to NFB of SC<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='text-align:justify'><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>119 S. Kilbourne Rd.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='text-align:justify'><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>Columbia, SC 29205<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='text-align:justify'><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>“Live the Life You Want”<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><!--[if gte vml 1]><v:shape id="Picture_x0020_1" o:spid="_x0000_s1026" type="#_x0000_t75" alt="102_0134" style='position:absolute;margin-left:0;margin-top:.6pt;width:174.9pt;height:131.1pt;z-index:251658240;visibility:visible;mso-wrap-style:square;mso-width-percent:0;mso-height-percent:0;mso-wrap-distance-left:9pt;mso-wrap-distance-top:0;mso-wrap-distance-right:9pt;mso-wrap-distance-bottom:0;mso-position-horizontal:left;mso-position-horizontal-relative:text;mso-position-vertical:absolute;mso-position-vertical-relative:text;mso-width-percent:0;mso-height-percent:0;mso-width-relative:page;mso-height-relative:page'>
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