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</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--></head><body lang=EN-US link=blue vlink=purple><div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal>March 30, 2016 <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 1546<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Greetings Fellow Federationists:<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> This past Thursday morning, I attended a meeting of the Commission for the Blind’s Fiftieth Anniversary Celebration committee. We are finally making progress in the planning of the program and I would like to share with you some of the details at this time. There will be a banquet held at the Embassy Suites Hotel to celebrate the fiftieth anniversary of the Commission for the Blind on Friday evening, May 6, beginning at 6:00 p.m. The program is shaping up nicely, as many of our members are going to be invited to speak during the banquet. Because of budgetary restraints, guests of the banquet will only include SCCB staff, the NFB of SC Board of Directors, and other speakers who are participating on the program. If you wish to attend the banquet you can purchase a $25 ticket by contacting the South Carolina Commission for the Blind. Tickets must be purchased by April 10. Since the NFB of SC played an instrumental role in the creation of the Commission for the Blind, I strongly encourage our chapters to assist their members in attending this very special occasion. <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> We have an announcement from Shannon Cook, Chairperson of the Scholarship Committee. “The kickoff of the 2016 NFB of SC Scholarship season is upon us. Please advise anyone in your chapter or division that the website and application have been updated with the new guidelines for the scholarship procedure this year. The web address is www.nfbofsc.org. From there, click on the scholarship link and the rest is self-explanatory. Feel free to contact me with any questions you may have at (803) 254-0222 or cookcafe@sc.rr.com. The deadline is July 18th to reflect the later dates of our convention this fall. Don’t forget that the Metro Fund is a great way to make a donation toward the scholarship program without giving an individual scholarship.”<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> The Spring meetings of the Rocky Bottom Retreat and Conference Center of the Blind Board of Directors and the NFB of SC Board of Directors will be held at the Federation Center of the Blind on Saturday, April 9, 2016. The RBRCCB Board of Directors meeting will begin at 10:00 a.m. and the meeting of the NFB of SC will begin at 1:00 p.m. I look forward to having all board members present and I strongly encourage Federation members to come to the meetings and to actively participate in the discussions. <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> Do not forget - You can now begin to make your hotel reservation for the 2016 NFB of SC State Convention which will be held at the Sand Resorts/Ocean Dunes Hotel in North Myrtle Beach October 27-30. To make your room reservations call the Sands Resort Central Reservations at 1-800-599-9872 and inform the reservationist you are reserving a room for the National Federation of the Blind of South Carolina state convention. All reservations must be guaranteed by check or credit card and received within 5 days of reservation date. Advance deposits will be credited to the last night's stay as indicated by individual reservation request. Room rates for this year’s convention are very affordable. The price of rooms including taxes are $87 per night for ocean view and $99 per night ocean front and can accommodate up to four in a room. These room rates will be available three days before or three days after the convention. We are expecting a large turnout of our members to attend the 2016 state convention, so I would encourage you to make your reservations early. <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> It is time for you to preregister online for the 2016 NFB National Convention in Orlando Florida. If you preregister prior to May 31, registration for convention will cost $25 and a banquet ticket will cost $60. After May 31, the cost for convention registration will increase to $30 and the cost of a banquet ticket will increase to $65. Save $10 and also skip the need to stand in line for a long period of time at the convention by purchasing your convention registration and banquet ticket by the May 31 deadline. <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> Also, if you have not done so already, please make your hotel reservations for the 2016 NFB National Convention in Orlando Florida. 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 parents as long as no extra bed is requested. Please note that the hotel is a no-smoking facility. For 2016 convention room reservations you can call the hotel at (866) 996-6338. 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 depart from the Federation Center in Columbia 8:00 a.m. Thursday, June 30, and the bus will leave Orlando to return to the Federation Center 8:00 a.m. on 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></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> I hope all of you across the state had a wonderful Easter. Easter is a time of reflection and spiritual renewal. Over the Easter weekend I recall how Betty, Craig, Beth and myself celebrated Easter. We always bought both children new outfits. Also, church was a must and I recall in the early 60’s that Kilbourne Park Baptist Church had an overflow turnout for their Easter service but unfortunately, this is not the case now. Betty prepared Easter eggs as we always had an Easter egg hunt in our backyard which the children thoroughly enjoyed. Our family pet was a beautiful cocker spaniel dog named Penny. He would always almost find the Easter eggs before the children could locate them in the hunt. Our son Craig bought a condo four or five years ago in Columbia in preparation of his return to Columbia after most of his career was spent in New York City. Betty and I rely a great deal upon him and he is a real blessing to us. He invited us to have Easter dinner with him and this turned out to be a wonderful occasion. Craig who is a good cook prepared a feast for us and needless to say, we ate too much. Prior to going to Craig’s condo, we watched the First Baptist Church service on TV with Dr. Estepp. His sermon dealt with the doubt of several Apostles and groups following Christ’s resurrection. Unfortunately, all of us suffer from doubt from time to time. The feast Craig prepared for us included a roast, fried okra, green bean casserole, potatoes, corn, sliced tomatoes, biscuits, topped off with butter pecan ice cream. We appreciate Craig’s kindness as he spent a lot of time in getting the food together and preparing for us. During our visit with Craig we enjoyed some wonderful music as Craig has an excellent stereo system and a great selection of music. At my request, Craig played the 1963 concert given by Kate Smith at Carnegie Hall in New York. Also, no one sings “God Bless America” and “When the Moon Comes Over the Mountain” like Kate Smith does. We also played the sound tracks of “Oklahoma” and the “Sound of Music.” Craig’s favorite includes Judy Garland and Craig played Judy Garland singing “The Easter Parade.” I realize I have personalized my Easter but on this Monday morning it seemed the right thing to do for me. Now I will get back to working on my barbecue sales.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Final Thought: “Spring bursts out fragrant flowers on bushes and trees, first one, then another, then a whole host, like early fireworks!”<o:p></o:p></p></div></body></html>