[Capchapohio] FW: Buckeye Update for March 1st

Fri Mar 2 01:43:32 UTC 2012

Dr. J. Webster Smith

President, National Federation of the Blind of Ohio

PO Box 458 Athens, OH 45701

740-592-6326

"Changing what it means to be blind"

For more information go to nfbohio.org

From: J.W. Smith [mailto:jwsmithnfb at frontier.com] 
Sent: Thursday, March 01, 2012 10:57 AM
To: 'NFB of Ohio Announcement and Discussion List'; Aleeha Dudley; Anne
Marble; Annette Anderson; Barabara Fohl; Barbara Pierce; Becky Booth; Beth
Debus; Carol Akers; Colleen Roth; Crystal McClain;
deannaandpascal at gmail.com; Debra Baker; Dr. JW Smith; Eric Duffy; Mary Pool;
Paul Dressell; Richard Payne; Shelbi Hindel; Sheri Albers; Sherry Ruth;
Steve Vincke; Susan Day; Wanda Sloan; William Turner
Subject: Buckeye Update for March 1st

I can't believe it's March, and that we are just about done with Winter, at
least I hope so!  Because of its importance, I want to begin with a plea
from the editor of our newsletter, Barbara Pierce:

"I will be closing the newsletter soon, but as usual I need Buckeye Brief
information. Please send me any election results or other short pieces of
news that we should be circulating around the organization. My email address
is  <mailto:bpierce at nfb.org> bpierce at nfb.org."

Washington Seminar

We had a great trip once again to Washington this year, and as you've seen
in recent e-mail traffic, we are fast at work trying to close as many
legislative loops as possible.  Now would be a good time for you to invite
your congressional representatives to your chapter meetings or other
relevant NFB-O activities in your area.  It is very important that we try to
gather as much support as possible for the pending legislation in the house
known as HR3086.  This bill addresses the issue of the unfair wages being
paid to some of our brothers and sisters, and in fact some of them work in
Cincinnati.  Even if you can't invite your representatives to your chapter
meetings, do what you can to effectively convey our need for passage of this
bill, even in your district offices.  In other words, if they won't come to
you, make arrangements to visit them, or at least call.  We took a smaller
group to Washington this year, and it may even be smaller next year;
especially since we will be losing two more representatives as a result of
the recent census and congressional redistricting.  

Update on Two Fundraising Opportunities

On Sunday, May 20th, from 1:00-5:00PM, I will be hosting my fourth NFB-O
Fundraising Concert.  It will be held at the Athens Community Center,
located at 701 East State Street, and in addition to several bands and
individual performers, I will be introducing my first secular CD, entitled
"24 Hours with Dr. Feelgood."  I would love to have as many of you join me
as possible on that day, and help me raise as much money as we can for our
affiliate.  This will probably be the last such fundraising concert of this
type, given the fact that our University will be going to a semester system
this fall, and our calendar will be drastically different next year.  

On February 19th, I met with a group from the local Delta Gamma Chapter, and
I am pleased to tell you that they are excited about helping us organize and
implement a statewide 5K run/walk fundraising and information raising event.
We've agreed that it will be held in Columbus, and it looks like we will be
able to get a significant number of the Delta Gamma chapters from around the
state to participate in this event.  We are pushing for it to be in the
fall, and of course I am targeting October, for obvious reasons (Meet the
Blind Month).  As I get more details, I will be asking for the input from
those in our own affiliate who are most interested in this event, and
putting you together with these fine ladies from Delta Gamma to come up with
what I think could be a very successful fundraising and public awareness
raising activity for us, not just for this year, but perhaps for a few years
to come.  I will keep you posted and perhaps at the board meeting in April,
I will have even more to report about this.

Upcoming Board Meeting and the National Convention

Here is a recent e-mail message from Paul Dressell:

"Arrangements have been made for the NFB-O April 21st Spring Board Meeting
to be held in the community room on the fourth floor of the Cincinnati
Association for the Blind & Visually Impaired located at 2045 Gilbert
Avenue. More information to follow."

I know not everyone will be able to attend the meeting in April, so I am
thinking about ways that we might be able to include you via telephone if
not for all of the meeting, at least for some.  

I hope that you have, or are thinking about making your reservations for the
National Convention in Dallas, Texas this year, and for your convenience I
am attaching two, or enclosing with this update another copy of the
Financial Assistance Information for this year.  Please keep in mind that we
are limiting our support up to 250 dollars per person, and that convention
registration and banquet tickets have gone up, just like everything else
this year.  I want to close this update with information submitted to me
regarding Wanda Sloan:  Wanda Sloan is attending JAWS training at the CSC
for job training for Innforcision.  This is a stay at home situation.  We
wish her luck with her future endeavors.

Dr. J. Webster Smith

President, National Federation of the Blind of Ohio

PO Box 458 Athens, OH 45701

740-592-6326

"Changing what it means to be blind"

For more information go to nfbohio.org

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