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</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--></head><body lang=EN-US link=blue vlink=purple><div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal>COLUMBIA CHAPTER NEWSLETTER – MAY 10, 2019<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><u>NFB LAS VEGAS CONVENTION<o:p></o:p></u></p><p class=MsoNormal> Hope you have already made 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> 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. <b>Because of the high volume of applicants, if you are selected, you will be notified by the committee after May 15, 2019</b>. 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>NFB OF SC 75TH ANNIVERSARY CONVENTION<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> You can now begin to make your hotel reservations for the 2019 NFB of SC State Convention which will be held at the Marriott Hotel in Columbia August 9-11. Room rates are very affordable. Rates for this year’s convention are $112 per night for up to four in a room. In addition to the room rates there will be a tax, which at present is 14 percent. The deadline to make reservations will be July 15, 2019. There will also be a limited number of rooms available for the $112 rate on Thursday, August 8, for those individuals wanting to arrive to the hotel a day prior to the official start of the convention. You can make your room reservations by calling the Marriott toll free reservation telephone number (800) 593-6465 or (803) 771-7000 and inform the reservationist you are reserving a room for the National Federation of the Blind of South Carolina state convention. At this year’s state convention, we will be celebrating the seventy-fifth anniversary of our organization. We are planning activities throughout the weekend to commemorate this wonderful milestone. We are expecting a large turnout for this convention so you may want to make your hotel reservations early. This will be a very special and historic convention you do not want to miss! <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><u>FREE BINGO, THURSDAY MAY 16<o:p></o:p></u></p><p class=MsoNormal> Free BINGO sponsored by the Telephone Pioneers is next Thursday, May 16. See you there!<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><u>“Amazon Smile”<o:p></o:p></u></p><p class=MsoNormal> Now you can give to the NFB of SC while shopping online with Amazon! Just follow the directions on the enclosed flyer on the next page and select the National Federation of the Blind of South Carolina as your supporting organization. When you shop go to smile.amazon.com. You will not pay anything more for your purchase but Amazon will give a percentage of your purchase to the NFB of SC automatically. Then bookmark the page and continue to shop there. Get your friends and family to sign up too! As you buy, it costs you nothing more, but it greatly assists the NFB of SC.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> If you need assistance in signing up with Amazon Smile, contact Dondra Bible at 803-739-5861.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><u>MAY 9 COLUMBIA CHAPTER MEETING<o:p></o:p></u></p><p class=MsoNormal> President Tiffiny Mitchell gaveled the meeting to order at 6:15 p.m. Steve Cook welcomed the visitors and guests and birthdays were recognized. The devotional was given by <b>Shelley Coppel</b> concerning Mother’s Day. Isaiah Nelson and his kitchen crew prepared and served a delicious dinner. Dorothy Barksdale read the roll. David Houck spoke about $10 Jernigan Fund 2020 National Convention tickets.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> The barbecue was successful. Because funds are still being turned in, a full report on the barbecue including the top ten sellers will be given at the June chapter meeting. Several sold 50 tickets or more, about five sold over 100 tickets, the Wolthoff’s sold over 200 tickets and Donald Capps sold 547 tickets. Any barbecue monies to be turned in must be turned in by May 30. If you are requesting national convention assistance and you qualify, call Tiffiny Mitchell at 603-2098 by June 1.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> If you are interested in the Memorial Day weekend trip to Rocky Bottom, call Tiffiny Mitchell. The van will leave the Center on Friday<b>, May 27</b> at 10 a.m. and will return Monday leaving Rocky Bottom around 10 a.m.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> Tiffiny Mitchell is going to the Saturday, May 18 meeting of the Charleston Chapter which begins at 1 p.m. If you are interested in attending, call Tiffiny Mitchell at 603-2098 by no later than Monday, May 13. The chapter van will leave the Federation Center at 11 a.m. on Saturday, May 18.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> Thom Spittle read the financial report and there was $2,608.89 in the checkbook. The freewill offering was taken. There was a 50-50 drawing. $30 was won by Dorothy Barksdale and the $5 drawing was won by Jonathan Nelson. <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Tiffiny Mitchell, President<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Columbia Chapter, NFB of SC<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Happy Mother’s Day!<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p></div></body></html>