[Ctabs] 2022 NFB of CT Annual State Convention Agenda

[llee at nfbct.org]

2022 51st Annual State Convention
November 4, 5, and 6, 2022


Sheraton Hartford South

100 Capital Boulevard

Rocky Hill, CT 06067

Door Prizes: Door prizes will be awarded throughout the convention. To be
eligible, you must be registered and in the conference room when your name
is drawn. 

50/50 raffle tickets will be sold throughout the day and the winner will be
announced at the end of the Banquet. Basket raffles are back this year! Be
prepared to buy tickets to try and win your favorite chapter basket.

Guide Dog relief area: As you leave the conference room turn right. At the
end of the hall take another right and then a quick left. Continue straight
to the exit doors. Walk down the sidewalk until you come to a set of three
stairs. At the bottom of the stairs there is grass on both sides for
relieving. PLEASE pick up after your dog and deposit the waste in the trash
receptacle back at the doors.

 

We would like to thank our generous sponsors:

Platinum Sponsor:


 <http://www.oakhillct.org> www.oakhillct.org

 

Gold Sponsor:     Youthful Images 

 

Silver Sponsor:   Retina Consultants, PC


National Representative: Ron Brown, 2nd Vice President, National Federation
of the Blind

President: Maryanne Melley
National Federation of the Blind of Connecticut

 <http://www.nfbCT.org> www.nfbct.org

Facebook: National Federation of the Blind of Connecticut

 

Friday, November 4th 

Dinner and entertainment in Salon II starting at 6:00p.m. Please feel free
to join in with Judy Potter, Jim Cronin and our National Representative for
an evening of entertainment. Also bring your extra cash for Jailhouse
Karaoke. For $1.00 or any amount you want, put someone in "jail". That
person has to either sing a song or pay at least $1.00 to get out of "jail."
Have fun putting people on the spot!  Also, there will be a cash bar
available.

In Salon I the Vendor Fair will be happening from 7:00p.m. through 11:00p.m.
Take your time to visit our vendors.

 

Saturday, November 5th, 2022

Connecticut Association of Blind Students Meeting: 2:00p.m. - 4:00p.m. Rocky
Hill Room

Connecticut Association of Guide Dog Users Meeting 4:00p.m. - 5:00p.m. Rocky
Hill Room

 

7:00a.m.- 9:00a.m. Continental Breakfast, Nutmeg Ballroom (This is not the
hotel breakfast)

9:00a.m. - Call to order

Invocation - Father Ed Pryzgocki - Holy Apostle Church 

9:05a.m. - Pledge of Allegiance, NFB Pledge

9:10a.m. - I would like to thank our donation mailers: Charlie Rival, Pam
Taylor, Glenn Miller, Rich Ireland, George Reed, Cheri Duquette, Carol
Lemieux, and Karime Pimental. Without their hard work we would not be in the
strong financial position we are in today. Today let us have a moment of
silence for two members that passed away this year, they are Marcia Baran
and Jackie Billey. Carolyn Dodd wrote an article for the Braille Monitor
regarding Jackie Billey, and she would like to read it for us now.

 

Change to our State Constitution. 

CURRENT wording.

Article IV:  LOCAL CHAPTERS

Paragraph two regarding dues now reads "At the same time, each local
Treasurer shall forward to the State Treasurer its dues in the amount of
$3.00 for each member of the chapter."

 

NEW Wording. 

Article IV: LOCAL CHAPTERS

Paragraph two regarding dues change to "At the same time, each local
Treasurer shall forward to the state Treasurer its dues in the amount of
$5.00 for each member of the Chapter."

 

9:20a.m. - Melissa Thompson - Nominating Committee Report

9:25a.m. - Ron Brown - 2nd Vice President, National Federation of the Blind

9:55a.m. - Elizabeth Rouse - Treasurer, National Association of Blind
Students (NABS) -Update from the National Student Division

10:10a.m. - Hear from our Scholarship Finalists:

10:20a.m. - Maryanne Melley - President's Report

10:30a.m. - Fit Break

10:45a.m. - Father Ed Przygocki - Holy Apostle Church, Outreach with Blind
Children in Peru

11:00a.m. - Congressman John B. Larson, representing Connecticut's 1st
District

11:45p.m. - Matt Geeza - LBPH 

 

12:00p.m.-1:00p.m. Break for lunch

 

1:00p.m.- Amy Porter - Commissioner Connecticut Department of Aging and
Disabilities, DORS

1:15p.m. - Justin Salisbury - Explaining Blind Rehabilitation to Health
Professionals using their Language

1:30p.m. - Marilyn Davidson - VisionCam, Distributor of OrCam

1:45 - Diane Weaver Dunne, CRIS Radio

2:00p.m.- Fit Break

2:15p.m.- Andy Bernstein - Accessible Pharmacy Services for the Blind

2:30p.m. - Todd Sweet - Hartford Braillers Hockey Team

2:45p.m. - Shonda Rosetta - My Experiences Working for Amazon

2:50p.m. - Steve Famiglietti - What's New with NEAT

3:05p.m. Jennifer Harnish - Carroll Center for the Blind

3:20p.m. - Noreen Grice - NFBCT BELL Academy

 

 

 

                                One Minute Message

The National Federation of the Blind knows that blindness is not the
characteristic that defines you or your future. Every day we raise the
expectations of blind people, because low expectations create obstacles
between blind people and our dreams. You can live the life you want;
blindness is not what holds you back

 

4:00p.m.- 6:00p.m. Break

 

6:00 p.m. Banquet Dinner - Nutmeg Ballroom

Invocation: Reverend Harold Williston - Crossroads Community Cathedral 

Master of Ceremonies: Deb Reed

Keynote Address - Ron Brown, 2nd Vice President, National Federation of the
Blind

Thank you to our BELL Academy Volunteers

Presentation of 2022 Scholarships:

Beth Rival, Mary Silverberg, and Nathanael Wales

Scholarship Finalists:

Lizzy Cappelli

Isabel Rosario

Yew Siang Cheong

Lydia Randall

Scholarships:

C. Rodney Demarest Memorial Scholarship

Doris Higley Memorial Scholarship

Zukowski Family Foundation Scholarship

Brian Cummins Memorial Scholarship

 

Please join our students in the Rocky Hill Room for card playing and
relaxation. The room will be open through midnight.

 

Thank you for being here tonight for our 51st annual banquet!

 

 

 

Sunday, November 6, 2022

 

7:00a.m.-9:00a.m. Breakfast, Nutmeg Ballroom

 

9:00a.m. Call to order: Business Meeting  

Roll Call

NFB Pledge

Recommended changes to Constitution

CURRENT wording:

Article IV:  LOCAL CHAPTERS

Paragraph two regarding dues now reads "At the same time, each local
Treasurer shall forward to the State Treasurer its dues in the amount of
$3.00 for each member of the chapter."

 

NEW Wording. 

Article IV: LOCAL CHAPTERS

Paragraph two regarding dues change too "At the same time, each local
Treasurer shall forward to the state Treasurer its dues in the amount of
$5.00 for each member of the Chapter."

 

Vote on Constitution changes

Reports:

Reading of 2021 Business Meeting Minutes, Vote on Acceptance: Joe Kolczynski

Treasurers Report: Nathanael Wales, vote on report.

ABPVI (Advisory Board Persons with Visual Impairments): Beth Rival

SRC (State Rehabilitation Council): Deb Reed

BCAC (Bureau Consumer Advocacy Committee): Korrine Herlth

PAC (Pre Authorized Contribution) Plan: Len Schlenk

Federationist: Brianna Rigsbee

New Business:

Washington Seminar Appointments: Volunteer/Volunteers Needed

Washington Seminar: Vote on Subsidy amount 

Donation Mailings: Two more volunteers needed. Should we go to a mail merge
format where everything is typed or keep requests handwritten.

Committee for new location for our 2023 State Convention needed

NFBCT Technology Grant: should we increase amount by adding funds from
affiliate? More advertising is needed. All members on the committee should
receive applicant emails.

Credit Card Payments: How would we go about receiving this form of payment?
Your input is needed

Creating a support group for partners of blind members: Richard Ireland

January Board meeting, where and when?

Chapter News

Elections; Ron Brown, Moderator

Any member nominated from the floor should have already agreed to serve
prior to this convention.

Nominees from the committee and from the floor will have one minute to state
why they feel the affiliate should vote for them. The one-minute time will
be strictly enforced.

Elections: Results will be given to our national representative Ron Brown.

Each member that has paid dues for 2022 will receive eight index cards, one
for each election. If you wish to vote for a person nominated from the floor
you will tear off one corner of the card for that person. If you wish to
vote for the person nominated by the committee, leave the card whole. If two
people are nominated from the floor, you will tear one corner to vote for
the first person and two corners to vote for the second person, still
leaving your card whole to vote for who was nominated by the committee. 

This is much more efficient than handing out slate and styluses, pens,
different colored cards, Brailling and writing down votes, and having them
counted by two people. It was suggested to me by John Pare last year.

Positions up for election:

President

1st Vice President

2Nd Vice President

Treasurer

Secretary

Board Member

Board Member

Board Member - One Year Term

Meeting adjourned

 

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