[Iabs-talk] Chicago minutes december 2012

[David Meyer]

NFBI CHICAGO CHAPTER MINUTES
December 8, 2012
Exchequer Pub and Restaurant
226 S. Wabash, Chicago

CALL TO ORDER

Chicago Chapter First Vice President Denise Avant called the meeting to
order at 12 PM, as President David Meyer was absent on other business.
Thirty-eight people were in attendance.  Don Gillmore was back after his
heart surgery.  He is undergoing cardiac rehab and has lost thirty-three
pounds.  Margaret James has also recovered well from heart surgery.  Mary
Monti has made a great recovery after seven months of rehab.  Gina Falvo is
very grateful that she is now cancer free, and she thanked everyone for
their support.

SECRETARY's MINUTES

The minutes for the meeting of November 14, 2012, were approved.

PRESIDENTIAL REPORT

NFB President Marc Maurer reported that the Federation has a serious
shortfall and needs to raise funds in order to keep our programs going.
Fred Schroeder served as a negotiator at the UN on the Convention on the
Rights of People with Disabilities (CRPD), which was proposed several years
ago by the World Blind Union.  President Obama signed the agreement, but it
must be approved by the Senate.  Senator Bob Dole is supporting the
convention.  The Holiday Giving Book is here, a new way to raise funds for
our programs.  Donors can contribute to the program of their choice.  Please
spread the word! Kevin Worley runs a business called the Roosters Men's
Grooming Center, which will be the setting for a program on PBS.  Produced
by Kevin, the program will feature veterans talking about what they have
done for their country.  Sachem Pavatran has been appointed to the Access
Board, which makes policy decisions about access to information and public
places.  A protest is planned against Amazon because it is promoting
inaccessible Kindle books to the public schools.  Books can be heard, but
navigation is not accessible.  Access easily could be built into the
technology, but Amazon has refused. We will protest in front of the Amazon
building on December 12.  Washington Seminar will take place February 4-7.
Diane McGeorge will arrange room reservations.  Patti Chang will be
interviewed on Joe Ruffalo's "Thru Our Eyes" internet radio program on
December 19.  She will talk about the 2013 National Scholarship Program.
Reflecting back on 2012, Dr. Maurer said that we have faced many challenges,
but we have the knowledge and support of one another.

STATE REPORT

NFBI President Patti Chang explained that the Convention on People with
Disabilities did not pass in the Senate.  It will come up again in the next
Senate session.  It was apparently hijacked by the homeschoolers movement.
We have chartered the Illinois Association of Blind Merchants and the At
Large Chapter.  Applications for our state and national scholarship programs
are due by March 31.  The national application is on the national website,
www.nfb.org, and the NFBI scholarship and internship applications will be up
on www.nfbofillinois.org very soon.  Illinois will run a BELL program this
summer, using money from our recent bequest.  The program will serve
approximately ten students from July 29 to August 9, and will focus on
Braille with additional work on mobility and other things.  We will have a
board meeting on December 9 via the conference line.  We are looking at
hotels in Naperville, Bloomington, and Belleville for our 2013 convention.
Debbie Stein will take part in the Amazon demonstration.  At Washington
Seminar we will be advocating for a veterans issue; veterans discharged
because of disability cannot participate in the benefit of flying standby.
This is a complete oversight, but we will work to make the change.  This is
a great way for us to liaison to veterans, and it won't ask Congress for
money.  Several vendors will be coming to Washington Seminar.  They can go
to appointments on Tuesday and on Wednesday morning.  Everyone who goes to
Washington Seminar must attend a training session, which Annette Grove will
organize.  Reservations for National Convention can be made after January 1.

COMMITTEE REPORTS

Membership Committee: Bob Widman wished everyone a happy 2013.  He reminded
everyone to stay for the thirty-ninth Chicago Chapter Auction after the
meeting.  Newsline has some new publications in a category called Breaking
News. They are CNN and the Huffington Post.

Fundraising Committee: Ken Staley urged everyone to buy tickets to Games
Night, which will be held after the January meeting.  Tickets cost
twenty-five dollars.  Patti said that some folks are conspiring to have a
poker table. It will be a lot of fun, and it's an important fundraiser.

NEW BUSINESS

Patti Chang announced that the National Board met on November 29-30.  It was
necessary to make some major decisions because of Federation finances.  The
Parent Leadership Program has been eliminated.  We really need to think
about bringing in more money for the national movement.  Patti urged people
to increase PAC contributions if possible, to contribute to national
programs, and to join the Legacy Society in estate planning.

ADJOURNMENT

The meeting adjourned at 12:51 PM and was followed by the annual holiday
auction.  David Meyer served as auctioneer.

Respectfully submitted,
Debbie Stein, Secretary