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</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--></head><body lang=EN-US link=blue vlink=purple><div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal>November 21, 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 1684<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> It appears we will have a good turnout for the 2018 Christmas Board Retreat which will be held at Rocky Bottom the weekend of November 30, December 1, and December 2. Upon your arrival to Rocky Bottom Friday evening November 30, please stop by the Resident Manager’s apartment and Linda Bible will notify you of your room assignment for the weekend. We will do all we can to provide comfortable sleeping accommodations for everyone, however, we are expecting approximately forty individuals for the weekend and therefore, all of us need to be understanding and demonstrate a spirit of good will during the brief time we will be at Rocky Bottom. Breakfast on Saturday morning, December 1, will be served at 8:30, lunch at 1:00 p.m., and the Christmas dinner at 6:30 p.m. On Sunday morning, December 2, breakfast will be served at 8:30. Remember, if you wish to participate in the Christmas gift exchange Saturday evening, ladies will need to bring a ladies’ gift and men will need to bring a men’s gift. The cost of the Christmas gift should be a minimum of $10. Also, please remember to bring baked goods such as cakes and cookies so that we have a large variety of Christmas desserts to sample for our Christmas celebration Saturday evening. 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. These will be placed in gift bags and will be donated to residents of a small assistive living facility located in Pickens which is owned and operated by Jimmie Masters a member of the RBRCCB Advisory Board. <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> We have an announcement from Chris Danielsen, Public Information Director of the national Federation of the Blind. “The holiday season is fast approaching. Once again, the National Federation of the Blind is helping Santa Claus send letters in Braille to young blind children across the country. <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> More than ten years ago, Santa asked us to be his honorary elves. Ever since, we've been helping him send letters in contracted Braille to blind boys and girls who are ten years old and younger in the United States. Along with the Braille letter, Santa includes a print letter so that parents who might not read Braille can follow along. He also includes a fun tactile coloring sheet.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> Requests can be made from November 12, 2018, through December 14, 2018. To make a request, fill out the online form located at https://nfb.org/santa-letters. Remember, requests must be received no later than December 14 so that Santa’s letter will arrive before Christmas. We wish all of you a joyful holiday season!”<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> I am sad to report to all of you Mrs. Pearl Riley, who is a longtime member of the Columbia Chapter, her mother, Viola Martin passed away on Friday, November 16 and the funeral services will be held on Wednesday, November 21st at twelve noon at the Brookland Baptist Church in West Columbia. Let’s make sure we keep Pearl and her family in our thoughts and prayers. <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> Finally, I want to take this opportunity to wish you and your family a very blessed and Happy Thanksgiving. Let’s take a few minutes Thursday to reflect on God’s blessings and give thanks for our families, our country, and to our organization, the National Federation of the Blind, who is working very hard to make it possible for blind people to live the life they want! <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> Happy Thanksgiving. I’m sure all of us observe the Thanksgiving season, although in different ways. A lot of people visit their relatives during the extended Thanksgiving weekend. Our son Craig has invited us to have Thanksgiving for us this Wednesday and we are reciprocating on Thanksgiving Day. Thanksgiving is very important as it focuses on our many blessings which we too often take for granted. I remember my first Thanksgiving was in 1939 when I was a student at the SC School for the Blind. I remember most of the students were going home for Thanksgiving but I was among the very few who lived too far to go home as I grew up in the Mullins area. I believe there was one occasion when I was home with one of my friends at School and that was a real treat. People tend not only to give generously at Christmas time but Thanksgiving is also a time of giving. For several years now, the Harvest Church in Lexington has sponsored a Thanksgiving dinner held at the Federation Center. Every description of food is served including turkey and ham and many other delicacies. As the years run by our responsibilities develop. In 1949 Betty and I were married and for some years we looked forward to getting away from work to visit our relatives in Marion and Mullins. This changed when our responsibilities to the NFB board met every Thanksgiving in another state. I believe my first Thanksgiving to be held out of state for an NFB board meeting would be the Thanksgiving in 1959. In July of 1959, just a few months earlier, I was first elected to the NFB board and attending board meetings were very important. I remember the one in 1959 as it was our first airplane flight and we went into a storm over St. Louis, delaying our landing which seemed to be an eternity as I don’t like flying. Our children were born in the 1950’s and we did not like leaving our children back home but we secured two sisters, Aunt Lela and Aunt Mattie, who were two of the nicest sister you’ll ever meet. From 1968, the year our NFB Founder Dr. tenBroek passed away, Dr. Jernigan was elected NFB President and I was elected NFB Second Vice President. Dr. Jernigan was the Director of the Iowa Commission for the Blind and he was in that post for 20 years, 1958-1978. During that ten year period all board meetings were held in Des Monies during the Thanksgiving holiday. In 1978 Dr. Jernigan moved to Baltimore, MD where he established the NFB Center. He remained in Baltimore 20 years, 1978-1998 when he passed away. I attended all NFB board meetings from 1959-2011 when I retired. From 1978-2011, all of that time, NFB board meetings were held in Baltimore every Thanksgiving. I deeply appreciate the blessings I continue to receive from my NFB involvement on a local, statewide and national basis. In conclusion I appreciate the dedication of all our members which makes the NFB such a great organization.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Final Thought: Thanksgiving: gratitude, acknowledgment, appreciativeness, gratefulness, honor, praise, responsiveness, and acknowledgment.<o:p></o:p></p></div></body></html>