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</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--></head><body lang=EN-US link=blue vlink=purple><div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal>January 23, 2019<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 1693<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> This past Saturday, January 19, I had the pleasure of attending the monthly meeting of our Charleston chapter. Newly elected President LaVern Addison, appears to be doing an excellent job as there were approximately twenty people in attendance. The Charleston chapter will be attending the Leadership Seminar on March 16, and they will also be attending the 2019 NFB of SC state convention in August. I was very pleased to hear ten members are planning to attend the NFB National Convention this summer. <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> You can now begin to make your reservations for the upcoming 2019 Las Vegas National Convention. The date of this year’s national convention will be July 7, to July 12, 2019 and will be held at the beautiful Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino. Unlike in years past, the same enviable rate of $99 per night applies to singles and doubles as well as triples and quads. Hotel and sales taxes are 13.38 percent and 8.25 percent, respectively. The resort fee (normally $37 a night) will be waived for NFB convention attendees. However, fees for internet access, local and toll-free calls, and fitness center access may apply. To make reservations for the 2019 convention, you can call the hotel at 877-632-9001. The hotel will take a deposit of the first night’s room rate for each room and will require a credit card or a personal check. If you use a credit card, the deposit will be charged against your card immediately. If a reservation is cancelled before Friday, June 1, half of the deposit will be returned. Otherwise refunds will not be made. <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> Schedule for 2019 NFB national convention: Sunday, July 7, Seminar Day. Monday, July 8, Registration and Exhibit Hall opens. Tuesday July 9, NFB national Board meeting and division meetings. Wednesday, July 10, Opening General session. Thursday July 11, general session. Friday, July 12, Banquet. <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> The Kenneth Jernigan Scholarship committee is now accepting applications for the 2019 National convention in Las Vegas, Nevada. The Jernigan scholarship program is sponsored by the NFB and is designed to financially assist first time attendees to attend the NFB National Convention. To apply, you must complete the necessary paperwork with a letter of recommendation from your state president and submit this information to the Jernigan Scholarship committee by April 15, 2019. If you are selected, you will be notified by the committee by May 15, 2019. For more information, please read the article in the December issue of the Braille Monitor which describes the process in more detail. <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> In last week’s Positive Note I wrote that Lorreta Green, NFB of SC District one state board member, conducted a tele-conference with chapters in her district to discuss how best to financially assist Rocky Bottom. I failed to mention the Grand Strand chapter, led by its President Charlis Borodin, also participated in this meeting. The Grand Strand chapter pledged $200 to assist Rocky Bottom during this meeting and I was informed by Charlis Tuesday morning that a check for this amount has already been written. <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> This week we are spotlighting another fine federationist from the Laurens Chapter. I am referring to Ginger Landreth. She was born Laurens where she currently resides and works. Ginger has three grown daughters and two sons which are still at home. She also has five grandchildren that spend part of their weekends with her as she does a lot of baby-sitting!<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> Ginger Landreth graduated from Laurens High School in 1989. She attended Piedmont Technical College in Greenwood for an Associate’s Degree in Building Construction. She left when she was one semester short of receiving her degree due to financial reasons. Before Ginger came to work at the Bell Federation Center of the Blind in 2006, she operated an in-home daycare facility and sat with several of the elderly in the Laurens area for twelve years.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> She became involved in the Federation when she answered and ad Mr. Bob Bell placed with the SC Work Force/ Job Service. She went for the interview with him and Mrs. Doris Bell, and was hired of course. She fell in love with her clients and the services they offered to the community immediately. It was like she was “called” to work in a field of community service. She writes grants to the City, County, Private Organizations and the United Way, filed quarterly taxes, and helped the blind community with housing. She also had a free transportation program (as she is the driver) for all the blind and legally blind in Laurens County. Transportation needs included: Doctor’s appointments, grocery shopping, and trips to the pharmacy, Dialysis, banking, funerals and anywhere a blind person needs to go. Ginger performed all office duties needed to run our Center under the direction of Robby Bell. She helped the Chapter President organize the Chapter’s monthly meetings and took our Chapter members to the State and National Conventions. She also takes Chapter members to social activities such as going out to eat, trips to the beach, trips to the zoo, fishing, to picnics, to museums and aquariums etc. She organizes (makes appointments and drives clients) to the Gift of Sight Program for the Center which pays for those who have financial needs to have an eye exam and purchase glasses. She helps to organize school screenings in partnership with The Laurens Lions Club and keeps count of the numbers of those who are screened for grant purposes. This program allows them to go into all the schools and daycares in Laurens County and screen for vision and hearing. She also helps to organize quarterly Community Health Screenings. The Bell Center and Laurens Chapter partners with the Presbyterian Pharmacy School and the Bell Federation Center Advisory Board offers these screenings free to the public. The Community Health Screenings check for vision, hearing, height, weight BMI, diabetes and cholesterol. She has attended fifteen State Conventions and three National Conventions over the past fifteen years<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> Her hobbies include cooking, fishing, playing guitar, singing and spending time with her family. She also volunteers to help children get to and from City baseball practice during the spring months and she is always on call for any blind or legally blind person 24/7.We salute Ginger Landreth for your years of dedicated work with the blind in Laurens County so that they too can “live the lives they want.”<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Final Thought: If you are an NFB of SC District Board Member, have a teleconference with the chapter presidents in your district or schedule a group activity to bolster enthusiasm and member participation. Better yet, make it a point to visit each chapter in your district in 2019.<o:p></o:p></p></div></body></html>