<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-size:10.0pt;
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>March 22, 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 1597<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> On Thursday, March 16, Shelley and I traveled to Rocky Bottom where we joined the missions team from Mt. Hebron United Methodist Church in a very productive work weekend at our facility. Approximately 35 individuals were in attendance for the weekend. Also in attendance were Vice Chairman of the RBRCCB Board of Directors, Ed Bible, his wife, Julie, Jennifer Bazer, and David Bundy who are members of the church and who played an instrumental role in asking the team to consider RBRCCB as a missions project. We were pleased to have Barry Chavis, member of the Advisory Board of RBRCCB and his cousin Carolyn Phillips who is also a volunteer at Senior Camp to join us for the weekend. The missions team worked on such tasks as repairing leaks around the chimneys at Osterneck Cottage and the Conference Center, cleaning gutters on all the buildings, painting three rooms in the Ellenburg Lodge, planting flowers and replacing light bulbs around the gate of our property, and organizing closets just to name a few of the tasks which were completed. Throughout the weekend it was amazing to watch the efficiency, organization, and effort put forth by the missions team. It was very evident the members of the missions team loved Rocky Bottom and were willing to do whatever they could to make RBRCCB a more beautiful place. Plans are being considered for this wonderful group of individuals to return to Rocky Bottom in the very near future. <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> The RBRCCB Board is in the process of looking to fill the position of Resident Manager. Individuals who would like to apply for this position need to contact David Houck at the Federation Center (254-3777) and request and fill out a RBRCCB job application. All applicants will be subject to a background check. Applications must be returned to the Federation Center by 5:00 p.m. April 14 2017. <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> The spring meetings of the Rocky Bottom Retreat and Conference Center of the Blind Board of Directors and the NFB of SC Board of Directors will be held at the Federation Center of the Blind on Saturday, April 22, 2017. The RBRCCB Board of Directors meeting will begin promptly at 10:00 a.m. and will adjourn at 12:00 noon. The NFB of SC Board of Directors meeting will begin promptly at 1:00 p.m. and adjourn at 4:00 p.m. I look forward to having all board members in attendance and I strongly encourage any Federation member to come and to actively participate in both meetings. <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> Congratulations to the members of the Columbia Chapter and its President Tiffany Mitchell, for holding a very successful breakfast fund raiser on Saturday, March 18. The breakfast was held at the Federation Center from 7:00 to 11:00 a.m. and net proceeds were approximately $466. <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> The NFB of SC is a strong participant in the annual NFB conventions. Throughout the years we have ranked in the top five or ten in state rankings. On a couple of occasions we have ranked number one at NFB conventions. We consider it very important to support high attendance at both state and national conventions. However, there was one occasion where I was embarrassed at the low NFB of SC attendance at an NFB convention. Last week I wrote about the 1970 NFB convention. That particular convention was very disappointing to me. When the Roll Call of States was called, I noted that we only had ten from South Carolina, giving the NFB of SC a very low ranking. This was particularly concerning as the national convention had voted me in the office of First Vice President just two years earlier. No doubt that was notable to the NFB convention. Upon my return from the 1970 NFB convention, I determined we would have a better attendance in 1971. As President of the NFB of SC it was my principle responsibility of generating as much participation as possible. Officials of the NFB of SC, after much consideration, decided to secure a bus which we felt would generate greater participation which proved to be the case. We worked hard to generate funding including the cost of a 56 passenger bus which was needed to transport our members to Houston where the 1971 NFB convention was to be held. To the best of my memory it was the first time a bus was secured for transportation. The bus was filled to capacity. We increased our attendance from ten attendees in 1970 to forty-six in 1971 making a respectable state ranking. Incidentally, the Houston convention featured a large swimming pool (unlike the 1967 swimming pool which was drained just for the NFB convention); the blind enjoyed the Houston swimming pool just like everyone else. It was the Shamrock Hotel in Houston and I’ll never, never forget longtime NFB member Jim Omvig who climbed atop the diving board and proceeded to dive into the pool and my heart momentarily stopped. <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> At the Columbia Chapter meeting on Thursday, March 9, I was assigned barbecue tickets just like everyone else to sell to the general public. This will be the 64th annual barbecue – the first being in 1954. I’ve attended all of the barbecues except for a couple because of my illness. Speaking of national convention attendance, a substantial amount of these barbecue funds will be used to help deserving members to attend state and national conventions. Let’s give this upcoming barbecue our best effort. Finally, I am very impressed and thankful for the Mt. Hebron Missions Team and RBRCCB officials who are doing excellent work at Rocky Bottom.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Final Thought: Raising Expectations: “If you have ever flown in a plane, just think, you have accomplished greater things than anyone else in all of history before the Wright brothers at Kitty Hawk!” <o:p></o:p></p></div></body></html>