[Cabs-talk] greetings

[Angela fowler]

Hello CABS members,
It is a great honor to have been asked to serve for the next two years as
your president. I look forward with eager anticipation to a year full of
hard work, satisfying success, and lots of fun. 
    Much will be happening with CABS in the year ahead, and there will be
many opportunities for you to get involved and help out this growing
organization. Some of the committees we have established or will shortly
establish include:
 
advocacy: We will be helping to advocate for blind students throughout the
state insuring that they get the services they need to get the most out of
their education. Most importantly however, we will provide students with the
recourses and knowledge so they can self-advocate, teaching them how to work
with the department of rehab, their local DSPS offices, and so forth.
 
Fund Raising: We're fund raising it up this year. Not only will we be
raising money at NFB events, but we will expand our efforts to include year
round fund raisers which others in the community can be involved in. We're
putting the fun back in fund raising.
 
Marketing: We have so much fun working with CABS, we want to get the word
out. From keeping the web site up to date to creating flyers, newsletters
and other literature, we want to let every blind student in the state know
who we are and all the fun stuff we're doing.
 
Legislative: Much of the legislation which is important to the NFBC effects
students directly. We, the California Association of Blind Students will
make our voices heard in the halls of congress and the California
Legislature. Not only will we be champions of legislation which will improve
the lives of blind people throughout the state, we will train the next
generation of CABS students to do the same. 
 
Mentoring: Blind children often feel isolated in a sighted world. We want to
provide them with positive blind role models who will groom them in the ways
of the federation while showing them that they're not alone, that it really
is OK to be blind. 
 
Events-Social: That river rafting trip sure was fun, and we want to do it
again, or something like it. Something that gives us the chance to have a
blast and get to know each other. 
 
Seminar planning: CABS is planning its semi-annual seminar as we speak! Stay
tuned, an announcement will be coming your way shortly.
 
    
    If you are interested in being involved in any of these committees, or
if you have ideas for others I haven't listed, please feel free to contact
me. 
Sincerely
Angela Fowler, President
California Association of Blind Students. 
email: fowlers at syix.com