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</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--></head><body lang=EN-US link=blue vlink=purple><div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal>COLUMBIA CHAPTER NEWSLETTER<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>JANUARY 13, 2017<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>SELF-DEFENSE CLASS<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> There will be a self-defense class at the center on Saturday, January 14 from 1:00 until 3:00 with snacks after the class. The charge is only $10 for two hours of self-defense and food refueling. You may make checks payable to Nanci Francis (please note the spelling of her name) along with cash is welcome. You may mail checks to Jennifer Bazer, leave with David at the center with Jennifer’s name on the envelope, or provide cash or a check at the January 12 Columbia chapter meeting. Checks or cash can be sent to: Jennifer Bazer, 155 Derby Drive, West Columbia, SC 29170. Checks are to be made out to Nanci Francis. Please contact Jennifer Bazer if you would like to participate at 803-661-6622 or jhipp25@sc.rr.com. If you need transportation, please contact Tiffiny Mitchell. I look forward to a large participation as we learn how to keep ourselves safe and defend ourselves in various situations!<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Nanci Francis Bio<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> Nanci Francis began her martial arts training in Dayton Ohio at the age of 13, under unusual circumstances. Her parents were worried about her hobby of trying to wrestle with boys in the neighborhood, and they hoped this would distract her. She received her black belt in Tae Kwon Do, and received a scholarship to join the woman's Tae Kwon Do team at The Ohio State University. She continues her training today at Columbia Martial Arts and Fitness where she practices Jeet Kune Do, Brazilian Jiu-jitsu, and weaponry. Her personal interest is in reality based self-defense.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> The class she will be teaching will focus on pre-attack indicators, awareness and prevention, basic blocking and striking, and drills that practice locating the attacker and determining striking range.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>FEBRUARY 4 STATEWUDE SEMINAR<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> If you have not notified the Federation Center as to whether you are planning to attend the Statewide Seminar on February 4, 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. <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>CHAPTER AND STATE DUES<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> It’s not too early to begin turning in your chapter and state dues of $15 for 2017 for the Columbia Chapter. Remember that we need to have your 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. The deadline for dues is January 31, so why wait! If you do not pay your $15 dues by January 31, $3 will be added to your dues payment and you will not be able to ride the chapter vans.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>NFB ORLANDO 23017 CONVENTION DETAILS<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, Tuesday, July 11, Registration and exhibits, Wednesday, July 12, National Board Meeting and division and committee meetings, Thursday, July 13, Opening General Session, Friday, July 14, General session, Saturday, July 15, Banquet<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>FEBRUARY 18 SWEETHEART DANCE<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> Dance, dine and enjoy a great time at the second annual NFB of SC sweetheart dance on Saturday evening, February 18, 2017 from 5:00 until 9:00 at the Federation Center in Columbia. Tickets are $25 per individual or $45 per couple and can be purchased by mailing a money order or check to the Federation Center, attention sweetheart dance. Please include an address so that tickets can be mailed once payment has been received. Deadline to purchase tickets is Saturday, February 4 at the statewide seminar. We are asking all chapter presidents to contribute a door prize for this special event including: gift cards, cash or assembled gift baskets. Please contact Jennifer Bazer at 803-661-6622 or jhipp25@sc.rr.com if you would like to contribute a door prize or Debra Canty at 803-775-5792 or via email at debra.canty@frontier.com if you have further questions about this fund-raiser for NFB of SC. Look forward to seeing all of you on February 18.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>2016 COLUMBIA CHAPTER COMMITTEES<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>BBQ (FUNDRAISING COMMITTEE) CHAIR Tiffiny Mitchell, Isiah Nelson, Dorothy Barksdale, Katie Jackson, Steve Cook, David Bundy Frank and Shelly Coppel, Ed and Julie Bible, David Houck, Katherine Ziegler, Maggie Floyd, Catherine Williams, Katherine Ziegler, Harriett Davis, Harriett Tucker, and Dale Wolthoff. The Fundraising Committee will meet on Tuesday, January 17 at 7 p.m. by conference call. Dial 862-902-0241, access code is 358-8716.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>PUBLIC RELATIONS CHAIR Steve Cook, Jim Jackson, Justin Williams and Dawn Kaiser <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>MEMBERSHIP CHAIR Steve Cook, Justin Williams. Ernest Gallman. Melanie Torrance <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>CONTACT CHAIR Pat & Dale Wolthoff, Patronda Anderson, Leanna Hall, Mary Peters, Nancy Robinson and Joe Dunham <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>BIRTHDAY CLUB/WE CARE CHAIR Shannon Cook, Dorothy Barksdale and Jennifer Bazer <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>PROGRAM CHAIR Donald Capps <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>KITCHEN CHAIR Isiah Nelson. John Nelson. Harriett Tucker. Katherine Williams. Gloria Washington <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>BINGO FEBRUARY 16<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> The Telephone Pioneers will be sponsoring a free BINGO on Thursday, February 68. Mark your calendars now!<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>JANUARY 12 COLUMBIA CHAPTER MEETING<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> President Tiffiny Mitchell gaveled the meeting to order at 6:15 p.m. We missed Don and Betty Capps and a few others who were not present as they have come down with a flu bug. Let’s remember them in our prayers. Melanie Torrance is now home from the hospital and Neil Dorsay has fractured his leg. Ed Bible announced that Linda Bible is joining the chapter. Ike Nelson and his kitchen crew served a delicious loaded baked potato dinner. Jean Sutton gave the devotional reflecting upon the new year. Ken McIntire, a Costco representative, presented Costco membership plans to the members present. Tiffiny Mitchell stated the chapter would possibly take a group to Costco on Saturday, January 28. On Sunday, January 22 the chapter will visit The Harvest Church. Meet at Hardees near the Federation Center at 3852 Rosewood Drive at 10:15 a.m.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> There will be a Second Annual Friendship Gathering on Friday, February 10 between 3 and 8 p.m. Bring finger food; there will be music and games. Bring an $8 gift of grocery items for a Chinese gift exchange. On Saturday, March 18 there will be a fundraising breakfast at the Federation Center. <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> Contact Dorothy Barksdale at 765-1622 if you are interested in a birthday party club. Sign up by Friday, January 20. Give her your name and birthday along with a list of five items not valued at more than $8. This information will be exchanged and in the month when a club member has a birthday, all other club members will get that person an item from their list. <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> Frank Coppel spoke concerning the February 4 Statewide Seminar and the February 18 Sweetheart Dance. Raising Expectations t-shirts and NFB of SC coffee thermoses will also be on sale at the seminar. He also alerted the members that Rocky Bottom’s Ellenburg Lodge now has 20 new mattresses, box springs and mattress covers. Other accommodation buildings will also be considered in the near future. Shelley Coppel announced the Senior Division has its own phone conference number and national teleconferences will begin on a monthly basis this spring. The Senior Division will also have its own pins to wear on sale soon. Kattie Jackson gave the Treasurer’s report. There was $1,109.72 in the checkbook. There were two 50-50 drawings. Maggie Floyd won $33 on the first drawing and Leanna Hall won $10 on the second drawing. Congratulations Maggie and Leanna!<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> Enjoy your new year!<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Tiffiny Mitchell, President<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Columbia Chapter, NFB of SC<o:p></o:p></p></div></body></html>