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<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size:14.0pt">September 18, 2023<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">Memo To: Executive Officers, Board Members, Chapter & Division Presidents & Others<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">From: Marty R. McKenzie, President<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">Positive Note 1936<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left:.5in;text-align:justify;text-indent:.5in">
<span style="font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">843-939-8091 marty2music@outlook.com<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">Dear Federation Family,<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">As we enter a busy fall season of Federation activities and family holiday gatherings requiring our time and attention, it is important we pace ourselves and choose items that
will uplift us. Sometimes, it is difficult to find time to nourish our NFB spirit and ensure that we are current with Federation information. There are many ways to accomplish this such as spending time with the Braille Monitor, the Nation’s Blind podcast,
the NFB of SC podcast and the huge amount of information shared weekly on the NFB of SC mailing list. We should not be just consumers of electronic information. It is also important that we communicate with each other on a regular basis. You never know when
a kind word will brighten someone’s day. In the rush of the coming months, let us keep our Federation philosophy in mind and take care of each other.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">Some questions regarding the new membership portal have come to my attention. The National office rolled out the NFB Portal approximately one year ago. Affiliates were charged
with updating and uploading new members into the portal. This is a time-consuming task as there is no way to import from affiliate records. The Membership and Mentoring committee has worked hard to accomplish this, but we have almost 500 members in South Carolina.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">Technical challenges required information to be entered more than once. As a result, not all members were added, and dues information may not be accurate on the portals. The
Membership Portal was rolled out recently. Please bare with us as we work to get all of these records updated. President Riccobono has asked members not to contact the National office regarding dues. As more information becomes available, it will be shared
here in the Positive Note.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">The Membership & Mentoring committee of the NFB of SC will hold a virtual new member event on Saturday, September 16, 2023 from 12:00 to 2:00 P.M. The purpose of this event
is for any member to learn more about the NFB of SC affiliate, a little history, how it is structured, and to have your questions answered. No matter how long you have been a member, this event is for you if you would like to learn more about the inner workings
of our organization. Please spread the word to others that can benefit. The phone number is 929-305-6099 and the meeting ID is 803 254 3777. If you are joining via computer or using the Zoom app on your IOS device, choose Join and enter the meeting ID. You
will also be prompted for a password which is 124578. For more information, please call Thom Spittle at 803-331-3344 or e-mail him at
</span><a href="mailto:nfbsc.lab.4@gmail.com"><span style="font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">nfbsc.lab.4@gmail.com</span></a><span style="font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">October is celebrated as Blind Equality Achievement Month and is a time when we publicly highlight the National Federation of the Blind in our communities. As chapters and divisions
plan events, please share with everyone via the NFB of SC listserv. Events should also be registered at www.nfb.org/blindmonth.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">The We Care committee is holding a Birthday Blessings Fundraiser from September 1 through December 31, 2023. To determine the amount of your donation, count the letters in your
birth month and multiply by two. This gives you your donation amount. The purpose is to assist members in our communities who may have needs during this time. For more information, contact Melinda Jones at
</span><a href="mailto:Melindajones0571@gmail.com"><span style="font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">Melindajones0571@gmail.com</span></a><span style="font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif"> or Pathronda Anderson at
</span><a href="mailto:tronda1@outlook.com"><span style="font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">tronda1@outlook.com</span></a><span style="font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<span style="font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;mso-fareast-language:EN-US"><br clear="all" style="page-break-before:always">
</span>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">Here is David Houck’s Federation Facing Fact.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">The Blind Who Lead the Blind will provide background information on each board member over the next fifteen Positive Notes. We continue with Debra Canty, Second vice President
of the NFB of SC this week.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">Debra Canty serves as president of the Sumter Chapter of the National Federation of the Blind (NFB). She also serves as 2nd Vice President of the NFB of SC, Co-chairperson of
NFB of SC Federation Center and Chairperson of the NFB of SC Oversight Committee of Successful Transitions. Debra’s outreach efforts are to bring blind awareness to the sight impaired and to the sighted. Debra is an advocate on Capitol Hill in Washington,
DC who discusses the concerns of the blind to the seven representatives of South Carolina’s congressional districts. Debra also serves on several committees of the NFB of SC including chairperson/Co-Chairperson of the NFB of SC Fundraising Committee, The
Scholarship, Donald C. Capps, Blind Equality Achievement Month (BEAM), Legislative, Membership, Public Relations, Doing our Fair Share, Diversity and Inclusion, Educator of the Year, Employer of the Year, Finance and We Care Committee.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">Debra is a life-long resident of Sumter, South Carolina. She graduated from Sumter High School-Class of 1973 and attended Sumter Area Technical College. She has received several
certificates from The Hadley School for the Blind. She was diagnosed with an eye disease called Optic Neuritis and was totally blind at the age of 44 in 1999. She was introduced to the NFB Sumter Chapter of South Carolina by way of her dear brother, Thereyarn
Pressley who met Ralph Cowley (past president of the Sumter NFB) at the Sumter Mall for the Belk Charity Day Sale. As a result, Debra became an advocate and spokesperson for the blind, devoting most of her time and energy to issues and concerns pertaining
to the blind. Debra was the first computer “Job Access with Speech” (JAWS) student with The Recovering Sight Foundation in 2004. Today, Debra serves on the Recovering Sight Foundation Board and volunteers as an instructor for basic classes for JAWS and the
iPhone, as well. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">In her community, Debra has been a member of the Trinity Missionary Baptist Church for 62-years, where she currently serves as a Deaconess. Her motto is, “if I can help someone
along the way, then, I know that my living is not in vain”. One of her choice Scriptures is, “Then, Jesus spoke to them again, saying, “I am the light of the world. He who follows me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life”. (John 8: 12). Debra
is also a strong believer of the philosophy of the National Federation of the Blind: “Live the life we want, blindness isn’t what holds us back.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">In Sumter, Debra Canty was honored as a “Woman of Excellence” and also recognized at The Inaugural Women Pioneers Award Luncheon”. In March of 2023 Women’s History Month, Debra
was recognized in the NFB Positive Note. In 2011, she had had the illuminating experience of her name being drawn as one of the twenty Federationists, from across the nation who rode with Mark Riccobono in Orlando for the “Blind Driver Challenge”.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;mso-ligatures:none">Marty<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;mso-ligatures:none"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;mso-ligatures:none">Marty R. McKenzie, President<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;mso-ligatures:none">National Federation of the Blind of South Carolina<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;mso-ligatures:none">119 S. Kilbourne Road<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;mso-ligatures:none">Columbia, SC 29205<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;mso-ligatures:none">Phone: 803-254-3777<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;mso-ligatures:none">Mobile: 843-939-8091<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;mso-ligatures:none">Web Site:
<a href="http://www.nfbofsc.org">www.nfbofsc.org</a> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
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