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</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--></head><body lang=EN-US link=blue vlink=purple><div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal>December 31, 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 1742<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Greetings Fellow Federationists:<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='text-indent:.5in'>Happy New Year! I hope all of you had a wonderful Holiday season and are now ready to begin 2020 with a great deal of enthusiasm and energy. Although we were successful in the NFB of SC in 2019 in such areas as, finishing eighth place in attendance with 102 members in Las Vegas at our 2019 national convention, celebrating our 75th Anniversary as an organization at our state convention in August, and hosting our second consecutive national senior’s retreat at Rocky Bottom, I believe 2020 will present the NFB of SC with many challenges and I know many accomplishments. <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> If you have not notified the Federation Center as to whether you are planning to attend the Statewide Seminar on January 4, please do so as soon as possible. This will help us to determine the amount of food to purchase for lunch. The seminar will begin promptly at 10:00 a.m. and will adjourn at approximately 4:00 p.m. During the lunch break, the NFB of SC and the RBRCCB Board of Directors will be holding their first quarter meetings in the board room of the Federation Center. These are open meetings and members are invited to participate. We will be conducting an auction throughout the day to raise money for Rocky Bottom. Be sure to bring items for the auction such as, cakes, pies, cookies, gift baskets, and electronics. Also, please continue to sell your Houston national convention bus tickets. The drawing will take place at the conclusion of the Seminar. The winning ticket will receive $300, the seller of the winning ticket will receive $100 and the chapter selling the most tickets will receive $300. It looks like we will have a large turnout of federationists attending this year’s seminar. I would encourage you to come early if you would like a good seat. <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> We have an announcement from Shelley Coppel, President of our Seniors Division. “Happy New Year from the NFB of SC Seniors Division! The Seniors Division will be selling raffle tickets on Saturday, January 4, during the Statewide seminar. The prize is a Black and Decker talking toaster oven valued at $379. The drawing will take place the weekend of the 2020 state convention in North Charleston. Tickets will cost $5 for one ticket and $10 for three tickets. You do not have to be present to win. I would like to encourage all chapters to participate. Let’s support the NFB of SC Seniors division!” <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> When you submit your $10 state dues, it is imperative you provide accurate contact information such as, name, address, phone number and email address if applicable. These things do change and if we do not have accurate information, we cannot keep you up to date on what’s going on. Our national office is requiring each state affiliate to submit a list of members and their contact information by March 1, 2020. The deadline for NFB of SC state dues is January 31. <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> 2020 promises to be an exciting and busy year in the NFB of SC. It will be great to kick off the new year with a large crowd of enthusiastic federationists at this year’s state wide seminar. Shelley and I look forward to seeing many of you on Saturday, January 4! <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. <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Final Thought: Transforming our dreams into reality: What are you planning and doing to prepare for a successful 2020?<o:p></o:p></p></div></body></html>