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</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--></head><body lang=EN-US link=blue vlink=purple><div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal>November 14, 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 1683<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> Friday, November 9, I had the pleasure of being the guest speaker at the first annual Donor Appreciation luncheon hosted by the Belvedere chapter of the NFB of SC. Approximately thirty to thirty-five individuals consisting of chapter members and sighted persons from the Belvedere community were in attendance. The program was excellent as it provided the audience information regarding the purpose and programs of the NFB and the NFB of SC as well as the important work the Belvedere chapter was doing to educate the surrounding community about the true nature of blindness. As stated to me in an email written to me by Constance Miller, “Events like these give message to those who do not know much about the National Federation of the Blind, and helps to build momentum. And hopefully, bring in new membership.” <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> I am certain by now Board members of RBRCCB and the NFB of SC as well as Chapter and Division Presidents have received their letter regarding the Rocky Bottom Christmas Board Retreat on November 30-December 2. Please notify the State Office as soon as possible of your intentions for attending this Retreat, in order that we may have an accurate head count to purchase food for the four meals being served (Saturday breakfast, lunch, dinner, and Sunday breakfast) as well as making the necessary sleeping accommodations. We will celebrate the Christmas season together on Saturday evening. If you would like to participate in the gift exchange, please bring a gift with a value of at least $10 to be placed under the Christmas tree. Men should bring a man’s gift, and women should bring a woman’s gift. Additionally, it would be wonderful if people would bring baked items for the Christmas party such as cookies, cakes and pies. <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> We are also planning to invite the members of the Rocky Bottom Baptist Church to our Christmas festivities Saturday evening for the purpose of recognizing and thanking them for their generous financial support to RBRCCB this past year. Additionally, we are asking each board member and chapter president who will be attending the Board Retreat, to contribute such items as Toothbrushes, toothpaste, Kleenex, shower jell, shampoo, lady’s and men’s socks, and candy. <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> These will be placed in gift bags and will be donated to residents of a small assistive living facility located in Pickens and which is owned and operated by Jimmie Masters a member of the RBRCCB Advisory Board. I am confident we will have near 100 percent of our board members in attendance and we will have an excellent turnout of Chapter and Division Presidents present for the weekend. <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> I trust all of you are continuing to work extremely hard selling your 2019 Las Vegas National Convention tickets. As has been the case in previous years, the costs of each ticket is $1. The drawing will be held at the conclusion of the Statewide Seminar scheduled for Saturday, January 5, 2019. The individual who purchases the winning ticket will receive $300, the seller of the winning ticket will receive $100 and the chapter who sells the most tickets will receive $300. If you are lucky and purchase bus tickets yourself, you could win a grand total of $400! We are expecting a large turnout of our members to attend the 2019 national convention in Las Vegas so Let’s work very hard selling these bus tickets in order that we may be able to provide transportation to as many of our members as possible. <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> There are several members in the NFB of SC who are ordained ministers. In this week’s Positive Note we are featuring Rev. Charles Cauthen, age 84, who resides in Kershaw and is Chaplain of the Chesterfield County Chapter. Rev. Cauthen was born and raised in Lancaster County and attended the Lancaster County public schools. Following high school he went to work at Grace Bleachery, where they bleach cloth, for seven years. Then he took a job as a Sears’s service employee until 1960 when God called him into the ministry. He enrolled in and graduated from Fruitland Baptist Bible College in Hendersonville, NC. In 1970 he first pastored the Charlesboro Baptist Church in Charlesboro, SC. Then he pastored Bethel Baptist Church until 1977 when he moved to North Carolina where he preached at Beachland Baptist Church for 21 years, located between Monroe and Waynesboro, NC. After that he retired and moved back to South Carolina. He then pastored at Deep Creek Baptist Church in Chesterfield and he still preaches today although he lost his vision in the year 2000. He has been married to his wife Vergie for 63 years and they have three daughters, eight grandchildren and sixteen great-grandchildren. Rev. Cauthen first found out about the Federation when Cathy Thompson worked with him after losing his sight while preaching at Deep Creek. Ms. Thompson was able to secure a number of adaptive technologies for him which enables Rev. Cauthen to continue on in the ministry. The Cauthen’s first joined the Kershaw-Heath Springs Chapter when it met in the bowling alley in Kershaw. After that they joined the Chesterfield County Chapter where he remains the chapter’s Chaplain. They have attended one Columbia NFB of SC Convention. He tells me that some of the members still converse with the former Chesterfield County Chapter President Dorcas Campbell who now resides in Las Vegas and will turn 97 in December. Nancy Reyes, the new chapter President is dealing with some health issues, however, they had 13 members at their November 8 meeting and two new members joined the chapter which is still very active. When Rev. Cauthen had sight, his hobby was oil painting and he enjoyed golf. He states that his lovely wife Vergie is always faithful and supports him in his ministry as well as in service to the blind. His life’s verse comes from Philippians 1:21, “For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.” Let’s give thanksgiving for faithful members like Rev. Charles and Vergie Cauthen for their service in the ministry and to the blind.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Final Thought: Are you old enough to remember when each public school day began with the Pledge of Allegiance, a patriotic song, a short scripture reading and a prayer?<o:p></o:p></p></div></body></html>