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</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--></head><body lang=EN-US link=blue vlink=purple><div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal>August 3, 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 1564<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> This past Friday morning, Shelley and I traveled to the SC School for the Deaf and Blind where we attended the last day of the Braille Enrichment for Learning and Literacy (BELL) Academy. Shelley and I thoroughly enjoyed interacting with the children and their parents. A video developed by Jamie Allison was shown which highlighted some of the activities the children participated in during the past two weeks. It was very exciting to see the children confidently using their Braille, cane, and other nonvisual skills throughout the video. This is the third year the NFB of SC has conducted the BELL Academy and State Coordinator, Jennifer Duffell-Hoffman, and lead instructor, Jamie Allison, continue to do an outstanding job heading up this program. <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> If you have not done so already, please make your room reservations at the Ocean Dunes/Sands Resort hotel in Myrtle Beach the weekend of October 28-30 for the 2016 NFB of SC state convention. 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 is $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. <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> Also, please send in your $70 preregistration fee for this year’s State Convention. Please send your $70 preregistration fee to the Federation Center of the Blind, 119 S. Kilbourne Rd. Columbia, SC 29205. All preregistration fees are nonrefundable and nontransferable. As in past years, the $70 preregistration fee will cover the reception on Friday evening, continental breakfast Saturday morning, luncheon, banquet, and a continental breakfast Sunday morning. The deadline to accept your $70 preregistration fee is September 23. If you wait until after the deadline of September 23, the registration will increase to $85. Save $15 and preregister early! <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> We have an announcement from Shelley Coppel, President of the Senior Division. “The Senior Division is sponsoring a drawing to be held on Sunday morning of our State Convention in October. We are offering three prizes: an afghan made by Emily McKenzie, an electric can opener, and a $25 gift certificate to Walmart. Please help us to raise funds for our seniors. Also, Chapter Presidents need to submit names to me, of blind seniors who would like to attend this year’s state convention and have never attended before. The names should be submitted to Shelley Coppel no later than September 15th. The Senior Division will cover the expenses of a deserving blind senior. This will include preregistration which includes the reception Friday evening, continental breakfast Saturday morning, luncheon and banquet, continental breakfast on Sunday and a 2 night’s stay for the convention. You can reach me at: 803-796-8662; or email at: Frankandshelley51@gmail.com.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><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> With the arrival of August I get excited about football. The season is only about four weeks away. I’ve always been a Gamecock fan but I pull for Clemson when they are not playing the Gamecocks. I believe Clemson has a good chance of winning the national championship as it appears most of their players are returning. I hope the Gamecocks will win at least half of their games.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> There’s considerable federation activity in August as well. The Columbia Chapter will meet on Thursday evening August 11 and the boards of RBRCCB and the NFB of SC will meet on Saturday, August 20. Two weeks later on September 2, federationists from across the state will be traveling to RBRCCB to participate in the Fun Day Festival. Most of us will be arriving on Friday evening, September 2. <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> Seven meals will be served including three on Saturday, September 3, three on Sunday, September 4 and breakfast on Monday morning, September 5. There will only be a total charge of $40 for all seven meals which is a real bargain. As in recent years, $30 is charged for six meals with $10 being charged for the special luncheon on Saturday featuring barbecue with all the trimmings. You will need to give $30 to Treasurer Valerie Warringtom for the six meals and $10 to Lenora Robertson for the Saturday luncheon. Reservations are filling up quickly and, therefore, you will need to get your reservation in now. As always we are expecting a full house. Reservations are taken on a first-come, first-served basis. As in the past, it will be necessary for some sharing to be done but our membership can always be counted upon to be cooperative. I hope that you are selling your $5 Fun Day tickets as this contributes to the profits. Remember, the winning ticket drawn will yield $50 to the seller and $500 to the buyer of that ticket (or $550 if you bought your own ticket), and the chapter selling the most tickets will receive $300 for its treasury! Also remember Lenora Robertson has secured the help of local civic organizations in selling these $5 tickets and it's not too late for you to do likewise. We are looking forward to having Rickey Godfrey who will perform Saturday afternoon September 3 between 3:00 and 4:30 p.m. The concert will take place in the renovated Lawton Hall. Tickets can be secured from the state office at 803-254-3777 and the RBRCCB office at 864-878-9090. The cost of the tickets are an affordable $10 each. We want to fill up all of Lawton Hall. We need to bring auction items for the auction which takes place on Sunday afternoon at 12:00 noon. We are pleased that Columbia Chapter member Jeff Bazer has very graciously agreed to serve as auctioneer. Jeff was a radio announcer and no doubt he will do an excellent job as auctioneer. <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> We have raised $1,250 for the mattress fund for Ellenburg Lodge. The balance to be raised is $7,233.98. It would be very helpful if chapters which have the means to do so would follow the lead of the Belvedere Chapter which gave $500. Also, we appreciate the $400 gift from the senior blind. The Fun Day Festival dates back some 35 years and no doubt this promises to be one of the best.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Final Thought: History of NFB of SC Legislative Victories: #16. 1974 - Bill #S846 grants blind South Carolinians an exemption of $10,000 on county taxes for their homestead.<o:p></o:p></p></div></body></html>