[Greater-baltimore] It's Time To Play!

[Melissa Ann Riccobono]

Hello everyone,

State convention is fast approaching. I hope to see many of you in Ocean
City November 8-10. Please make sure you get your room reservations in at
the Carousel. Their number is 410-524-1000. The deadline is October 7. Also,
make sure you take advantage of early registration fees by registering on
our website at

http://www.nfbmd.org

The deadline for early registration is October 11. If you need any help with
registration, please contact Sharon Maneki at 410-715-9596.

I am writing to let all of you know about some fantastic opportunities this
year during convention hospitality. Unfortunately, we will not be having our
usual talent show this year. Fortunately, I believe what we do have planned
will make our hospitality more fun than ever! 

                As always, our hospitality will begin at 8 PM. This year we
have a game theme. We will have playing cards and other games available.
Also, we would love for all of you to bring a favorite game to share. Pull
together a group of your friends, or, even better, strangers, and teach them
your favorite game. Or, challenge a group in a fun card game. Free snacks
and nonalcoholic drinks will be provided.

                Then, at 9 PM, the ice rink at the Carousel will be taken
over by NFBMD skaters! We are going to play some games of ice hockey! Yes,
that's right, ice hockey! Youth-middle school aged and younger-will have the
ice from 9-9:45 to strut their stuff. Then, high school students to adults
will have the ice from 9:45-10:30 to do the same. I am so excited about this
event, but we will need help in the following ways to make sure it is as fun
and successful as I believe it can be.

1.       We need participants! If you are interested in getting on the ice
for some hockey action, please contact Maurice Peret to let him know you are
interested. Maurice can be reached at 804-928-4015, or via email at
mauriceperet at gmail.com. No experience skating? No experience playing hockey?
No problem! You can actually begin skating any time during the evening in
order to get the hang of it. Also, there will be some practice time before
each hockey event so folks can learn the basics and get their hockey legs
under them. Don't be shy! Sitting is killing us! Get out there and join the
fun if you are at all interested!

2.       We need "expert" skaters. If you know how to ice skate, and you'd
like to help teach others this art, please let Maurice Peret know. It does
not matter if you are sighted or blind. We need your expertice!

3.       We need hockey enthusiasts! If you know about hockey, how it is
played, and/or would be interested in helping us reff our games, please let
Maurice Peret know. I know very little about hockey, and Maurice says he
knows even less, so we definitely need some help!

4.       Lastly, but certainly not least, we need spectators! We will be
having someone, or perhaps a couple of people, provide commentary about what
is going on with the partifcipants during both the warm up sessions and the
actual games themselves. This should be a very fun activity, so please join
us as a spectator if you do not want to get involved in any other way.

Again, I hope to see many of you in Ocean City! This will be a convention
you will not want to miss. 

Melissa