[Akron-Talk] National Convention and Scholarship

[Dave Bertsch]

This was sent over Ohio Talk, a reminder of the convention this summer. Also, if you are interested in applying for the Jernigan scholarship, let me know or Richard. There is a process we need to follow. The scholarship will help a member pay for air travel, hotel expense and food while out there. You get the money on a debit card once you arrive in Vegas. It is available to active members who are first-time attendees. In a nutshell, here is the application process for the scholarship, followed by the convention dates and how to register for that.

Apply for Scholarship
1.   Write a letter containing the following information:
o    Contact information: Include your full name and all of your telephone numbers (please label them). Include your mailing address and, if you have one, your email address.
o    Affiliate/chapter information: Include your state affiliate, state president, chapter, and chapter president, if you attend a chapter.
o    Mentor information: Include your personal convention mentor and provide that person's phone number.
o    Funding request: Include your specific request and explain how much money you need from this fund to make this trip possible for you. We suggest you consult with other members to make a rough budget for yourself.
o    Body of letter: You should answer the following questions in your letter: How do you currently participate in the Federation? Why do you want to attend a national convention? What would you receive? What can you share or give? You can include in your letter to the committee any special circumstances you hope they will take into consideration.

2.   Contact your state president in person or by phone to request his or her help in obtaining funding. Be sure to tell the president when to expect your request letter and mention the deadline.

3.   Send your letter via email to your state president. He or she must add a president's recommendation and then email both letters directly to the Kenneth Jernigan Convention Scholarship Fund Committee at kjscholarships at nfb.org. Your president must email the two letters no later than the deadline of April 15, 2019. 

Notification of Award
If you are chosen to receive this scholarship, you will receive a letter with convention details that should answer most of your questions. The committee makes every effort to notify winners by May 15, but you must do several things before that to be prepared to attend if you are chosen:

*	Make your own hotel reservation. If something prevents you from attending, you can cancel the reservation. (Yes, you may arrange for roommates of your own to reduce the cost.)
*	Register online for the entire convention, including the banquet, by May 31.
*	Find someone in your chapter or affiliate who has been to many conventions and can answer your questions as a friend and mentor.
*	If you do not hear from the committee by May 15, then you did not win a scholarship this year.

Receiving the Award
At the convention you will be given a debit card or credit card loaded with the amount of your award. The times and locations to pick up your card will be listed in the letter we send you. The committee is not able to provide funds before the convention, so work with your chapter and state affiliate to assist you by obtaining an agreement to advance funds if you win a scholarship, and to pay your treasury back after you receive your debit or credit card.

Convention Info
The National Federation of the Blind National Convention is the largest gathering of blind people in the world, and is the premier event for training, support, and information for the blind community. It also serves as a governing body, democratically electing our leadership and establishing the year's organizational priorities.

Dates
Sunday, July 7 through Friday, July 12, 2019.

Location
For the first time in seven years, the convention will be held west of the Mississippi at https://www.mandalaybay.com/en.html 
Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada (3950 S Las Vegas Blvd, Las Vegas, Nevada 89119).

Hotel Reservations
Room reservations at the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino can be made starting January 1, 2019. You can call the hotel at 877-632-9001 to book your room. 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 Saturday, June 1, 2019, half of the deposit will be returned. Otherwise, refunds will not be made. Each room will be charged an incidental fee of $100 per day, with a maximum of $400. This will be on your room account as a credit balance that can be used for on-property restaurants, etc., or will be refunded at time of check-out. For this reason, it is recommended to use a credit card, as opposed to a debit card at check-in.

For NFB convention attendees, the nightly rate for singles, doubles, triples, and quads will be $99. Hotel taxes are 13.38 percent and sales tax is 8.25 percent.

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.

Registration

Online Preregistration 
Online preregistration will be available between March 1, 2019 and May 31, 2019.

On-Site Registration
Registration will be available on site in Las Vegas.

Airline Reservations
Please do not wait too long to make your airline reservations. They are changing week by week. Some Cleveland convention-goers have booked thru Southwest.

End