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</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--></head><body lang=EN-US link=blue vlink=purple><div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal>January 4, 2017 <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 1586<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> Happy New Year! I hope all of you had a wonderful Holiday season and am now ready to begin 2017 with a great deal of enthusiasm and energy. <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> You can now begin to make your hotel reservations to attend the upcoming 2017 Orlando National Convention. The dates for this year’s national convention will be July 10, to July 15, 2017 and will be held at the Rosen Shingle Creek Resort. The 2017 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.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> For 2017 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 Thursday, June 1, 2017, half of the deposit will be returned. Otherwise refunds will not be made. The schedule of the convention is as follows; Monday, July 10, Seminar Day <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> Tuesday, July 11, Registration and exhibits <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> Wednesday, July 12, National Board Meeting and division and committee meetings <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> Thursday, July 13, Opening General Session <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> Friday, July 14, General session <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> Saturday, July 15, Banquet<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> It is not too early to begin to notify the Federation Center as to whether you are planning to attend the Statewide Seminar on February 4, 2017. Please do so as soon as possible. This will help us to determine the amount of food to purchase for lunch. Remember we will be conducting an auction throughout the day to raise money for the Federation Center. Be sure to bring items for the auction such as, cakes, pies, cookies, gift baskets, and electronics. Also, please continue to sell your Orlando National Convention bus tickets. It is imperative we sell as many tickets as possible to help cover the expense of the chartered bus to Orlando. Remember, tickets this year are selling for $2 for one ticket or $5 for three tickets. You can either mail your ticket stubs and money to the Federation Center or bring them with you to the Seminar on Saturday, February 4. The drawing will take place at the conclusion of the Seminar. The winning ticket will receive $300, the seller of the winning ticket will receive $100 and the chapter selling the most tickets will receive $300. Also, please continue to submit your state dues of $10 for 2017 to the state office (Federation Center). State dues must be received by the Federation Center by January 31, 2017. When you submit your dues, please provide current contact information such as, name, address, phone number and email address if you have one. These things do change and if we do not have updated information, we cannot keep you up to date on what’s going on. <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> It’s a good way to start the New Year by doing a brief biography on one of our superstars. If you guessed David Houck, you were right on target. David was born in Panama. His father was in the military which resulted in David’s extensive travels. The following are some of the places David lived: Pensacola, Florida, Norfolk, Virginia Beach and Staunton, Virginia, Millington, Tennessee, Waipahu and Ewe Beach, Hawaii, Poway, California, Grand Blanc, Michigan and Mauldin, Easley, Liberty, Anderson and Columbia, South Carolina. David has three brothers (one deceased) and one sister who reside in South Carolina and Ohio. David is married to Darlene (Merck) Houck of Liberty and is a wonderful assistant to David and the NFB of SC. They have two sons, Kevin and Carrie who have a one year old daughter Leighann who live in Lexington and Martin and Juilianna who live in Durham, North Carolina. David is a graduate of the Virginia School for the Deaf and Blind in Staunton. He subsequently received his B.S. degree in Business Administration from Bob Jones University. In 1974 the late Bob Bell visited David Houck inviting him to attend the Greenville Chapter of the NFB of SC when Bob was President of the chapter. David served as chapter Treasurer for two years and Social Director for two years. Following his college graduation some three or four years later in 1983, I was looking for an Executive Director of the Federation Center. Bob Somogyi was a staff person at the Commission for the Blind and recommended David. Center board members consisted of James Sims, Marshall Tucker, Frank Coppel, Johnsie Watts, Edsel Doyle, Lavesta Johnson and myself as Chairman. After the board interviewed David with valuable help from Darlene, we were convinced that David was the perfect person for the Executive Director’s position. Incidentally, the Columbia Chapter was in the midst of its annual barbecue during that time. David pioneered a job as the first blind Spinning Doffer at Wamsutta Mills in Anderson before moving to Columbia. Most employees have retired before their 34th year of service, however, David states he has no immediate plans to retire as Center Director. He states that he has not missed more than five days due to illness during his 34 years of service. He reports to work by 8:30 a.m. and leaves at 5:00 p.m. unless there are other activities, meetings or job responsibilities to tend to. David is in much demand by not only the Columbia Chapter but also by chapters across the state. The first Positive Note began in August 1986 and the current one, week 1586, David has been involved with all of them. David has served in 30 NFB conventions, all of the NFB of SC conventions and Fun Days at Rocky Bottom dating back to 1883, Treasurer of Rocky Bottom and the NFB of SC for several years and on the Rocky Bottom board since 1983, served on the Commission’s Consumer Advisory Committee and on a Task Force Committee, Rocky Bottom Children’s Camp Counselor from 1986 to 1995, and was Columbia Chapter President for two years. He is very knowledgeable about the federation and Rocky Bottom and can be relied upon for valuable information upon request. David and Darlene are faithful church members at Grace Baptist Church in West Columbia.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Final Thought: “What are your New Year’s Resolutions in which you expect to be Raising your own Expectations for 2017?”<o:p></o:p></p></div></body></html>