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</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--></head><body lang=EN-US link=blue vlink=purple><div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal>January 31, 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 1590<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> Hello from our Nation’s capital where I along with more than five hundred Federationists representing 52 affiliates of the NFB are gathering for the purpose of descending on Capitol Hill to discuss with their congressional delegation the legislative agenda of the nation’s blind. The 2017 Washington Seminar officially begins Monday January 30, at 5:00 p.m. with the “Great gathering in” meeting. President Riccobono will conduct the meeting and there will be other Federation officials present informing participants on various NFB activities occurring during 2017. Tuesday January 31, will be a very busy day for the South Carolina delegation as we will be meeting with our congressional delegation at various times throughout the day. Also, on Tuesday from noon to 1:00 there will be a DontDenyAimHigh: Rally to Fight for Equal Access in the Classroom. Tuesday evening a Congressional reception will be held from 5:00 to 7:00 in the Derksen Senate Building. This week the work we do on Capitol Hill will lay the ground work for passage of the four legislative initiatives which were outlined in the Positive Note last week. All of us need to continue to contact our Congressman and Senators throughout the year to ensure passage of these four legislative initiatives. <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> There is only few days remaining until the Statewide Seminar is held at the Federation Center on February 4, 2017. If you have not notified the Federation Center as to whether you are planning to attend the Statewide Seminar please do so as soon as possible. This will help us to determine the amount of food to purchase for lunch. The seminar will begin promptly at 10:00 a.m. and adjourn at 4:00 p.m. 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. LeVern Wilson contacted me a few days ago to inform me one of associate members, Juanita Frink has donated a vacation package of three days two nights at the Windom Camelot Hotel at Myrtle Beach. The total package is worth $400 and I believe we need to start the bidding for this wonderful auction item at $100. Cudos to Levern Wilson and Mrs. Frink for “stepping up to the plate” with a generous auction donation. We will also be selling NFB of SC t-shirts and coffee thermoses during the seminar. 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. If you have not already mailed in your tickets stubs and money to the Federation Center, bring them with you to the Seminar on Saturday, February 4. The drawing will take place at the conclusion of the Seminar. The buyer of 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> Do not forget to purchase your tickets to attend the second annual Sweetheart dance sponsored by the NFB of SC which will be held on Saturday, February 18, 2017 at the Federation Center from 5:00 p.m. to 9 p.m. The evening promises to be a fun and enjoyable experience with a professionally catered dinner, door prizes, music and dancing. Tickets to this event will only be $25 for an individual and $45 per couple. You can purchase these tickets by mailing a check or money order to the Federation Center, 119 S. Kilbourne Rd., Columbia, SC 29205. 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 the NFB of SC. <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> We are proud of our delegation attending the annual Washington Seminar. Several of our state officers and board members made the trip to Washington DC to attend this important annual event. For over a quarter of a century it was my privilege to attend the annual Washington Seminar with my fellow South Carolinians. It seemed to me that Sen. Strom Thurmond and Sen. Ernest F. Hollings were members of the US Senate for just about a lifetime. Both Sen. Thurmond and Hollings were supporters of our national legislation. Of course, our other members of Congress have been supportive of our legislation including Congressman Joe Wilson and Congressman Jim Clyburn. For several years we were treated to a feast by Sue Ribet, sister of our longtime member Jenny Smith. Mrs. Ribet lived in Durham, NC which was only a little out of the way on our return trip to Columbia. We filled the 15 passenger van to capacity and enjoyed the fellowship we had with all the passengers. Senator Lindsey Graham had been in Congress for a number of years now and is a prominent Senator. The Federation had worked with Sen. Graham for a quarter of a century. In 1998 the state convention was held at the Wilson World Hotel in Spartanburg and Sen. Graham was the keynote luncheon speaker. “A co-sponsor of the Social Security legislation, Congressman Graham emphasized his support for meaningful employment opportunities for the blind of this state and nation.” We received the following letter from Sen. Graham on June 1, 2006: “Your organization meets important needs for blind citizens in South Carolina. You may be pleased to know that I am a co-sponsor of S.2321, the Louis Braille Bicentennial Braille Literacy Commemorative Coin Act. The Braille system has given our blind citizens the gift of literacy for over 100 years. I am proud to promote literacy for blind South Carolinians.” Sen. Graham was a member of the SC House of Representatives. During that time I worked with him to oppose restructuring of the Commission for the Blind. I have taken the liberty of writing about Sen. Graham in this Positive Note as he will be called upon during the week and I believe once again he will be supportive of national legislation affecting the blind. Let’s keep our delegation in Washington in our thoughts and prayers.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Final Thought: Raising Expectations: “When one’s goals are set very high with determination, he or she winds up much higher than they ever thought possible.”<o:p></o:p></p></div></body></html>