<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-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>April 25, 2018 <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 1654<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> The RBRCCB Board of Directors and the NFB of SC Board of Directors discussed during their meetings on Saturday, April 21, our participation in the Midlands Gives fund raising program. <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> What is Midlands Gives? Hosted by Central Carolina Community Foundation, Midlands Gives is a 24-hour online giving event that brings the region together as one community, raising money and awareness for local nonprofits in 11 Midlands counties.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> When is Midlands Gives? Midlands Gives will take place online on Tuesday, May 1, 2018, from 12:00 am to 11:59:59pm, Eastern Time.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> How does it work? Central Carolina Community Foundation has set up an online giving platform at MidlandsGives.org with searchable profiles of participating nonprofits. All donations will be processed through this website, which allows nonprofits and donors to track the giving on May 1st via the site’s leaderboards.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> If you would like to donate to Rocky Bottom Retreat and Conference Center, click on the below link. https://www.midlandsgives.org/rockybottom If you would like to donate to the National Federation of the Blind of SC (NFB of SC), click on the below <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>https://www.midlandsgives.org/NFBOFSC<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> This year, Jennifer Bazer and staff from the Successful Transitions program will be stationed in several locations around Columbia on May 1, to raise funds through Midland Gives to assist Rocky Bottom. If you are uncomfortable using a computer to make a donation or do not have one, you can call the Federation Center, (803) 254-3777 on Tuesday, May 1, and we will assist you with your donation. I am asking all chapter and division presidents to please share this information with your members and I strongly encourage all of us to make a concerted effort to spread this information to local businesses, neighbors, friends, and family which will greatly help to financially support Rocky Bottom and the NFB of SC with this wonderful fund raising opportunity! <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> If you have not done so already, please make your reservations for the upcoming 2018 Orlando National Convention. The date of this year’s national convention will be July 3, to July 8, 2018 and will be held at the Rosen Shingle Creek Resort. The 2018 room rates are singles and doubles, $88; and triples and quads, $93. 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 2018 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 $100 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 $100 check. If a reservation is cancelled before Friday, June, 1, 2018, half of the deposit will be returned. Otherwise refunds will not be made. <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> It is time for you to preregister online for the 2018 NFB National Convention in Orlando Florida. If you preregister prior to May 31, registration for convention will cost $25 and a banquet ticket will cost $65. After May 31, the cost for convention registration will increase to $30 and the cost of a banquet ticket will increase to $70. Save $10 and also skip the need to stand in line for a long period of time at the convention by purchasing your convention registration and banquet ticket by the May 31 deadline. To mail in your preregistration please download the pdf version and mail to NFB no later than May 31st. Please Note: All convention preregistration and banquet sales are final. <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 finally here – that’s right – this Thursday the 65th annual barbecue will be held as usual at the Federation Center of the Blind. Speaking of the Center, over the weekend we were looking at some old pictures, mainly of family members, going back as far as the 1940’s. There were several pictures of Betty when she was a teenager and she was beautiful. Some years ago, Betty had put these pictures in safe keeping and even though some pictures were as much as 75 years old, they were still in good shape. While most of the pictures were of family, there were a few federation pictures. One of the pictures we ran across was of the April 1961 groundbreaking ceremony of the Federation Center as its construction was commenced at that time. It took six months to build the Center. It was dedicated on October 15, 1961. In the groundbreaking picture it included both federation and other officials including Senator Hyman Rubin who secured land from the City of Columbia to build the Center. Senator Rubin also provided a substantial amount of funding. The picture of the groundbreaking appeared in The State newspaper and it may be the only news clipping now available with so much time having elapsed. In a few days we plan to take the newspaper clipping to the Federation Center and place it in the board room/library. It will be available for anyone to review including the groundbreaking ceremony article. Nine years later in 1970 the first expansion was constructed. Eight years later in 1978 the second expansion was completed. The Center is the hub of the NFB of SC and its affiliates. There is another significant development which occurred and I want to share it with you. During the 1983 barbecue the Center’s Board of Directors interviewed a handsome young couple for the Executive Director’s position. David Houck and his lovely wife Darlene were interviewed by the board and after an excellent presentation, the board voted unanimously to hire David. That decision has proved to be one of the best things which happened in the NFB of SC to all concerned. David went to work as Executive Director on April 29, 1983. David has participated in all 35 of the barbecues. Darlene is right by his side. I believe we are going to have a good turnout for the barbecue this Thursday. I believe I had a good year. Final Thought – “The harder I work, the luckier I get.”<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Final Thought: “The larger the mass of food, the more energy it will take to cook. This energy input should be distributed over a larger time period or the surface of the food will receive a disproportionate amount of that energy.” – Albert Einstein (He’s clearly referring to low- and- slow cooking here)<o:p></o:p></p></div></body></html>