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</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--></head><body lang=EN-US link=blue vlink=purple><div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal>October 2, 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 1729<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> Hello from Portland, Oregon where we are currently visiting with Shelley’s sister and later this week we will be attending a family wedding on Saturday, October 5. It feels like fall in Portland as the day time temperature is expected to reach 59 and the night time temperature is expected to be 46. <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> As we begin the month of October, I hope many of our chapters have Meet the Blind Month activities already planned. Meet the Blind month is an extremely important time of the year, as it provides our members the opportunity to educate the public of the programs and services offered by the National Federation of the Blind. Meet the Blind Month activities can also be used as a recruitment tool to introduce blind individuals to our organization. <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> I hope many of our chapters are planning to join the Greenville Chapter as they will be holding a meet the blind day and white cane walk at Lake Conestee Nature Park in Mauldin, SC. When: October 12, 2019 - 10:00-2:00. Where: Lake Conestee Nature Park. Purpose: To inform the community and visually impaired citizens of the NFB local chapters and other resources in the upstate. The meet the blind and white cane walk will allow the community to interact with the blind in our community to foster relationships and understanding of the needs and abilities of our visually impaired community.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> Activities: Meet the blind, registration, informational tables. Walk starts at 11:00. We will walk through the park and end at the White Pines Shelter in the park for a barbecue lunch, live music, raffle and door prizes. All money raised will benefit the Greenville Chapter to continue their work. Advanced Ticket Cost: $15.00 per person included lunch. Tickets at the event are $18.00. Event Organizers: Crystal and John Knope – (864)908-8068, ckkvangogh@att.net. Phillip Outland- (864)534-2877. President: J.W. Smith- (864) 269-0004.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> We also have an announcement from Debra Canty, President of the Sumter chapter of the NFB of SC. “The National Federation of the Blind celebrates Meet the Blind Month and Blind Awareness Month every October. Throughout the month, we conduct a variety of outreach activities that create opportunities for sighted people to meet blind people in their local area. One of these events is held at the Sumter County Fair in the exhibit hall where blind paraphernalia is demonstrated, info is given, donations are received, and many fairgoers meet a person who happens to be blind. Many of these activities includes faith base, social and cultural events within the community.” <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> It looks as though the Greenville and Sumter chapters are holding excellent activities to promote Meet the Blind Month. I hope to hear from other chapters regarding your Meet the Blind Month activity, and I will share this information in the Positive Note. <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> Beginning on October 1 the NFB sponsors Meet the Blind Month and October 15 is known as White Cane Safety Day. It’s appropriate that we give this wonderful program some history. We were first introduced to the White Cane Program while attending the NFB Convention in San Francisco in July of 1956. In those days the name of the program was called White Cane Week which was held between May 1 and 15. Upon returning to Columbia I was successful in getting radio stations like WNOK to broadcast the prominent speech by our NFB Founder, Dr. Jacobus tenBroek entitled, “Within the Grace of God.” Soon thereafter we began to work on the White Cane Week Program for 1957. Mailing lists were obtained and we organized a statewide mailing campaign. We got the White Cane material together which included a signed endorsement from George Bell Timmerman. A lot went into the program. The Secretarial Association pitched in and helped with the letters and addressing envelopes. Stuffing parties for the White Cane letters were held in our home. The mailing went to prospects located primarily in Columbia, Spartanburg and Charleston as this was the extent of our chapters at that time. The White Cane letters accomplished two things, one was to educate the public about blindness and the other was to raise much needed funding. The opening of responses were enjoyed at state board meetings as each response was opened.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> Another historical beginning was when the NFB of SC approached the legislature in 1972 which resulted in the passage of the Model White Cane Law in South Carolina. The preamble states: “It is the policy of this State to encourage and enable the blind, the visually handicapped, and the otherwise physically disabled to participate fully in the social and economic life of the State and to engage in remunerative employment.” It further states the rights of blind persons in the use of a white cane or guide dog, driver’s responsibility when seeing a blind person using a cane or guide dog in crossing streets, A blind person is to be treated as an able bodied person in all areas of conveyance, access to public buildings, access to employment, etc. The legislature wanted to waive any damage done by guide dogs but these dogs are an extension of the blind person and the blind preferred to take on responsibility for controlling their dogs. The Governor is also to proclaim October 15 annually as “White Cane Safety Day” and extoll the White Cane Law provisions to the public in the state. This law is featured in the Legislative Hall of Fame in the Federation Center’s conference room. <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> For many years now David Houck our Executive Director has had so many things to work on as our programs have grown over the years but he is doing an excellent job. Lack of space prohibits greater documentation of the history of the white cane program but as Meet the Blind Month goes on in October I am certain we will be hearing much from our chapters across the state concerning Meet the Blind Month activities as President Coppel mentioned above regarding the Greenville and Sumter Chapters. <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Final Thought: Transforming our dreams into reality: Challenge yourself – you are more capable than you think.<o:p></o:p></p></div></body></html>