<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 13, 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 1700<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> Happy ST. Patrick’s Day! I am pleased to announce we have approximately ninety people who are planning to attend the NFB of SC’s Leadership seminar this Saturday at the Federation Center of the Blind. I am extremely grateful for the wonderful response we have received from our membership thus far, and it is quite evident from this overwhelming response our members are very interested in continuing these type of seminars. Tiffiny Mitchell, President of the Columbia chapter, tells me the chapter will be selling bagels, yogurt, and a drink for $5 from 9:00 to 9:45. Come early Saturday morning and support the Columbia chapter! <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> We have an announcement from Shelley Coppel, President of our Senior Division. “Greetings from the Senior Division! Again, we will be starting up conference calls for this spring. The first one will be held on March 26, at 4:00 p.m. eastern time. The topic will be a guest speaker from the National Senior Division Camp held last year at Rocky Bottom. This should be an informative discussion of how lives are changed when presented the opportunity for individual training in the discovery method of alternative techniques for daily living and mobility. The conference call number is as follows: 1-515-603-3166; access code:759633 pound. Again the time for the call is 4:00 p.m. eastern time.”<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 6, 2019. 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 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 all Federation members to come and to actively participate in the meeting. <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> Congratulations-Debra Canty, President of the NFB Sumter Chapter and Second Vice-President of the NFB of South Carolina…The YWCA of the Upper Lowlands has chosen Debra Canty as the recipient of the Humanitarian Award. She will receive the award on Saturday evening, March 16, 2019. “The Humanitarian Award is presented to the individual who dedicates time to fighting indifference, intolerance and injustice. This person exudes kindness, benevolence and sympathy to all human beings.” I believe we can all agree the award Debra is receiving Saturday evening from the YMC is well deserved! <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> Thousands of anniversaries of all descriptions are celebrated every day across the land. Recently President Coppel reminded us that the 75th anniversary of the NFB of SC will soon be celebrated in August at the state convention. This Wednesday, March 13, 2019 is the 60th anniversary of our moving into our current residence. It was on Friday, March 13, 1959 that we moved into our current residence. During this 60 year occurrence many wonderful things happened. However, of all the decades over the 60 years, there is one decade that impresses me more than others. It was the decade of the 1950’s. Both of our children were born during the 1950’s, Craig in 1955 and Beth in 1958. Both our children have college degrees. We also built two houses during the 50’s. Betty and I began to plan our lives. The first four years, the period between June of 1949 and 1953, we first lived in a two room apartment. The rent was $47.50 per month. We were thrifty and also believed in saving. During these four years we saved enough money to buy our first house in 1953. We lived in this house until March 13, 1959. The house was small but nice. During these six years we had saved enough to build a second house. I was kidded by my friends who implied that we hadn’t had any children during these six years and that I “couldn’t cut the mustard.” Betty helped design the house including her decision to use old brick. Over a period of time we purchased several other pieces of property. When Craig was about three he accompanied us to a state convention. When we stopped at a motel he said to the manager, “Do you have a rocker-my mommy rocks me to sleep every night.” and the manager replied, “Son, you won’t need a rocker tonight.” By the way, Craig still has this rocking chair. I joined the Columbia Chapter in 1953 and the state organization in 1956. We attended our first NFB national convention in 1956 in San Francisco. The first barbecue was held in Columbia in 1954. In 1958, $300 of barbecue funds were set aside to use for building a Center. This became a reality three years later in 1961. Our first trip to Rocky Bottom was in 1958. Had Betty lived for six more months, we would be celebrating our 70th wedding anniversary on June 25, which happened in 1949.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Final Thought: It’s the last Positive Note before Spring and today we have reached a milestone 1,700 consecutive weeks of Positive Notes, beginning on August 22,1986!<o:p></o:p></p></div></body></html>