<html xmlns:v="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:vml" xmlns:o="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" xmlns:w="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:word" xmlns:m="http://schemas.microsoft.com/office/2004/12/omml" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40"><head><META HTTP-EQUIV="Content-Type" CONTENT="text/html; charset=us-ascii"><meta name=Generator content="Microsoft Word 14 (filtered medium)"><style><!--
/* Font Definitions */
@font-face
{font-family:Calibri;
panose-1:2 15 5 2 2 2 4 3 2 4;}
/* Style Definitions */
p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal
{margin:0in;
margin-bottom:.0001pt;
font-size:11.0pt;
font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";}
a:link, span.MsoHyperlink
{mso-style-priority:99;
color:blue;
text-decoration:underline;}
a:visited, span.MsoHyperlinkFollowed
{mso-style-priority:99;
color:purple;
text-decoration:underline;}
span.EmailStyle17
{mso-style-type:personal-compose;
font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:windowtext;}
.MsoChpDefault
{mso-style-type:export-only;
font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";}
@page WordSection1
{size:8.5in 11.0in;
margin:1.0in 1.0in 1.0in 1.0in;}
div.WordSection1
{page:WordSection1;}
--></style><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:shapedefaults v:ext="edit" spidmax="1026" />
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:shapelayout v:ext="edit">
<o:idmap v:ext="edit" data="1" />
</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--></head><body lang=EN-US link=blue vlink=purple><div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal>April 6, 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 1547<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Greetings Fellow Federationists:<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> Tomorrow morning I will be attending another meeting of the South Carolina Commission for the Blind’s fiftieth Anniversary Celebration committee. As I reported in last week’s Positive Note, plans are to hold a banquet at the Embassy Suites Hotel for the purpose of celebrating 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. I plan to share further details regarding this upcoming event with the State Board Saturday afternoon and also have this information in the Positive Note next week. <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> We have an announcement from Shelley Coppel, President of our Seniors Division. “The Second Conference Call sponsored by the National Federation of the Blind’s Seniors Division will be held on Wednesday, April 13, 2016 and it is entitled, “Churchgoing--Making Everyone more Comfortable with Our Blindness” moderated by Tom Anderson, president of the national Association of the Blind in Communities of Faith, Kansas. Tom Anderson is a longtime Federationist who has taught Braille for several years at the Colorado Center for the Blind. He now resides in Kansas and has been the moving force behind the NFB in Communities of Faith group. Please join him as he moderates this all-important topic. Share your thoughts and suggestions and strategies. The numbers to dial are the same: 712-432-1500 with access code: 759633pound. You will then be asked if this is correct as you hear the access code repeated that you just dialed. You are prompted to press (1) if the code is correct. You then announce yourself by stating your name, and, you are entered into the conference call. The time for the calls remains the same as well: 4:00 Eastern, 3:00 Central, 2:00 Mountain, and 1:00 Pacific time.” <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> I hope to see many of you at the State Board meeting on Saturday afternoon, April 9, as we will have much to discuss. The meeting will begin promptly at 1:00 p.m. and adjourn at 4:00 p.m. <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> Throughout several decades there have been many officials who have worked very closely with the federation in numerous ways. In the 1950’s we established a Center fund totaling $300 from BBQ proceeds toward the construction of a Center. Today $300 is not much but 50 years ago it was. It represented a beginning. However, we didn’t have any land in Columbia and this was a necessity if we were going to be able to construct our own Center. We knew that there was one individual who was Mayor Pro Tem on City Council whose name was Hyman Rubin (now deceased) who had an excellent reputation supporting civic causes. We secured an appointment with Mr. Rubin at his residence and I was joined by Lois Boltin Tucker and the late Archie Nunnery as we approached Mr. Rubin for the purpose of securing his cooperation in locating sufficient land for us to build a Center. Several months went by but in July of 1960 Mr. Rubin notified us that a tract of land which had been used as a ballpark would be given to us for the purpose of building a Center for the blind. Some three months later in September 1960, under Mr. Rubin’s guidance with other civic leaders joining him, a kickoff luncheon was planned at a downtown restaurant. The kickoff luncheon was attended by several city officials and a good representation of blind persons. In April 1961 a groundbreaking took place at the ballpark located at the corner of S. Kilbourne Rd. and Yale Ave. Mr. Rubin was one member of a three member campaign committee and this committee had the responsibility of recruiting other civic leaders which was successfully carried out. As construction of the Center neared completion Mr. Rubin, who would soon be a member of the SC Senate, wanted to do something to increase the safety and convenience of blind persons traveling to the Center. We knew that the city bus had a stop at the corner of S. Kilbourne Rd. and Rosewood Dr., one block from the Center. He knew that there was no sidewalk from the bus stop to the Center. Utilizing his position and initiative, he arranged for the city to pave a sidewalk from the bus stop to the Center. As a matter of fact, he arranged for the sidewalk paving to be continued across the entire frontage of the Center’s location. Some of you may have wondered why the paving stopped at the end of our property, and now you know the story. Mr. Rubin served as Chairman of the Center’s Advisory Board for many years. His company would always contribute to the Center. As a member of the SC Senate, Sen. Rubin was highly instrumental in the passage of bills affecting the blind. We shall always be grateful to Mr. Rubin for his outstanding service to the federation. <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Final Thought: “You learn something new every day – but only if you are looking for it.”<o:p></o:p></p></div></body></html>