[CT-NFB] {Spam?} Re: {Spam?} National Federation of the Blind of CT 1971-2021

Fri Mar 12 18:29:23 UTC 2021

On Thu, Mar 11, 2021 at 11:53 PM Edward Shaham via CT-NFB <ct-nfb at nfbnet.org>
wrote:

> This was really well written. Gary, good job in finding this. Have you
> found anything else?
>
> Edward
>
> Yes I sent it to Lucia.
>
>
>
> *From:* CT-NFB <ct-nfb-bounces at nfbnet.org> *On Behalf Of *Phillip
> Magalnick via CT-NFB
> *Sent:* Thursday, March 11, 2021 11:33 PM
> *To:* NFB of Connecticut Mailing List <ct-nfb at nfbnet.org>
> *Cc:* Phillip Magalnick <philmag at optonline.net>; ctabs at nfbnet.org
> *Subject:* [CT-NFB] {Spam?} Re: National Federation of the Blind of CT
> 1971-2021
>
>
>
> Thank you for sharing. I learned of this history during leadership seminar
> and from national leaders. If we are not careful, history will always
> repeat itself.
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> On Mar 11, 2021, at 11:20 PM, Lucia Lee via CT-NFB <ct-nfb at nfbnet.org>
> wrote:
>
> 
>
> *Thanks to Gary Allen for finding the below article which was in the
> Braille Monitor in February, 1972*
>
> *CONNECTICUT REORGANIZES*
>
> by Kenneth Jernigan
>
> Saturday, December 5, was a great day for the blind of Connecticut. On
> that date the National Federation of the Blind of Connecticut completely
> reorganized, and what an organization it is going to be! This group gives
> promise of becoming one of our best, most active, and strongest affiliates.
>
> As most Federationists know, the National Office of the Federation and the
> blind of Connecticut have been carrying on a rather intensive organizing
> campaign in that state during the past few months. In October NFB Secretary
> Lawrence Marcelino headed a team which spent over a week in the state. This
> effort culminated in a convention on October 30--a convention characterized
> by the attempt of an employee of the Connecticut agency to take control of
> the organization (at which, incidentally, he failed completely). It was
> decided at that time to hold the meeting for the reorganization of the
> affiliate on Saturday, December 4. This was done, and I had the pleasure of
> attending and chairing the proceedings.
>
> I arrived late Friday afternoon, December 3, and was met by Franklin and
> Gertrude VanVliet at the Hartford airport. We joined a number of the
> leading blind persons of the area for dinner and made our plans for the
> next day.
>
> Unfortunately we were denied the help of Gil Haddon, whom many of you met
> and came to like so well at Houston. After a mild heart attack and pursuant
> to doctor's orders, Gil sent me a letter of resignation as state president.
> He had worked extremely hard to bring about the reorganization and
> strengthening of the affiliate, and it was cause for real regret that he
> could not be present.
>
> On Saturday morning we met at the Oak Hill School for the Blind, where
> delegates gathered from throughout the state. It was an alert, enthusiastic
> group--one with a clear determination that the National Federation of the
> Blind of Connecticut should be a truly independent organization, not
> dominated by the agencies and not limited to coffee and cake and to social
> activities. I began by outlining the steps which had led up to the meeting
> and followed this with a report on Federation activities throughout the
> country, attempting to place in perspective the day's proceedings.
>
> Then questions and comments came from the floor. It was at this stage that
> we had a bit of excitement. Everyone had wondered, of course, if the same
> agency official who had tried to take control of the October meeting would
> come for a second attempt. He didn't, but we had something very nearly as
> good.
>
> A man in the back of the room launched an attack on the October organizing
> effort. When I tried to reason with him, he undertook to shout me down--a
> moderately hard task since my vocal cords are in good condition, and I had
> the advantage of having the microphone. I told him he would get equal time
> but that he would have to listen as well as talk. He got his equal time,
> but this didn't seem to be what he wanted since he didn't stay for the
> afternoon session.
>
> The rest of the meeting was not nearly so boisterous but much more
> productive. It is always exciting to see a new or reorganized affiliate
> come into being, and Connecticut was certainly no exception. As the
> afternoon advanced, we adopted a constitution, elected officers, and made
> plans for the coming year.
>
> The new president of the National Federation of the Blind of Connecticut
> is Reverend Howard E. May, Jr., RFD 1, West Willington, Connecticut 06279.
> Reverend May has been pastor of the Federated Church of Willington for
> fourteen years and blind for the past ten. He holds degrees from the
> University of Toledo and Colgate. He is married and has four children,
> three of them adopted. Reverend May is a member of the Board of Managers of
> the Connecticut Baptist Convention and a founding member of the Open Door
> Society of Connecticut, which is an interracial adoption society. Besides
> all of these things, Reverend May is enthusiastic, personable, and a
> forceful speaker. He will make an excellent state leader.
>
> The rest of the Board is also of high caliber. The first vice-president is
> Ben Snow of Hartford. Mr. Snow holds an AA and BA from the University of
> Bridgeport and an MA in Education and in Special Vocational Rehabilitation
> from New York University. He is active in Scouting, serving as an assistant
> district commissioner and editing a district newsletter.
>
> The second vice-president is Mrs. Shirley Lebowitz of West Hartford, who
> is one of the most active members of the Federation in the state. Blind for
> the past ten years, Mrs. Lebowitz is a registered nurse. She has taught
> communicable disease and precaution technique. She is married and has two
> daughters. In addition to her Federation activities she runs a medical
> transcribing service in her home. She is a member of the Order of the
> Golden Chain of Beth Israel Synagogue and is active in community affairs.
> Mrs. Lebowitz was one of the principal organizers and planners of the
> December 4 meeting, and I think she will make great contributions to the
> movement in the years ahead--both at the state and national levels.
>
> The secretary is Mrs. Dorothy N. Campbell of Newtown. Mrs. Campbell is
> chaplain of her local Grange and is a long time member of the Eastern Star,
> having held office in that organization. She has been a teacher and the
> operator of a store. She is currently the Assistant to the Medical
> Librarian at the Fairfield Hills Hospital in Fairfield, Connecticut. She
> holds a degree from Columbia University. *Monitor* readers will remember
> her letter to Mr. Barnett in the December issue concerning the "Step by
> Step Guide" published by the American Foundation for the Blind. She is a
> thoroughly dedicated Federationist.
>
> The treasurer is Mrs. Theresa Calusine of Bloomfield. Sighted herself, she
> has a blind daughter and an abiding interest in the movement. She is a
> bonded employee of the J. M. Ney Company.
>
> In addition to the officers four Board members were elected: H. Kevin
> Harkins of Danbury, John Wellman of Hamden, Francis Meunier of Berlin, and
> Sonia Rotko of Danbury. Mr. Harkins is a junior at Wooster School, a
> private prep school, and he does volunteer work in drug abuse. John Wellman
> is a promising young lawyer, holding an LLB from Drake University and an
> LLM from Yale. He works for the Bridgeport Legal Services, an agency funded
> by OEO. Again, we should hear a great deal from John Wellman in the years
> ahead. Francis Meunier is a teacher of history at the St. James Boys'
> School. He holds a BA from Bard College at Annandale on the Hudson, New
> York, and an MA from Ohio University in Athens. Sonia Rotko works at the
> Southbury Training School and has a degree from West Connecticut State
> College.
>
> As you will see, this is quite a Board, and as I have already said, the
> Connecticut affiliate is quite an organization. After the meeting I got
> together with the Board for planning purposes, and then the VanVliets and I
> went off to eat lobster and clams. The next morning Franklin and Gertrude
> drove me to New York City for the NAC Board meeting.
>
> I left Connecticut feeling much encouraged about the future of the
> Federation in that state. The organization is solidly based and is sure to
> make progress.
>
>
>
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-- 
Gary Allen
garyallenct at gmail.com
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