[il-talk] Chicago Chapter Minutes, May 9, 2009

[Deborah Kent Stein]

National Federation of the Blind, Chicago Chapter Exchequer Pub and 
Restaurant 226 South Wabash, Chicago May 9, 2009

CALL TO ORDER President David Meyer called the meeting to order at 1:01 P.M. 
He welcomed everyone who attended the Membership Tea, including several 
scholarship applicants.

PROGRAM

 Leeanne Mayne and Wilbert Poindexter arranged for this month's program. 
Leeanne introduced the speaker, Jonathan Williams from the Election 
Department of the Cook County Clerk's Office, who spoke about accessible 
voting machines.  He gave some background on the Help America Vote Act and 
described the Sequoyah Voting Machines that are now used in Chicago and the 
suburbs.  The suburban polling places are now 95 percent accessible and his 
department is aiming for 100 percent.  Mr.  Williams offered to help people 
register to vote during our meeting.  He then took a series of questions.

INTRODUCTIONS AND HEALTH CONCERNS

There were forty people at the meeting.  First-time attendees included 
Clarence Jones, Chris Jeckel, Susan Hatch and Ashley Hatch, Michal Nowicki 
and Kathy Nowicki, and Glenn Moore.  Several members spoke of health 
concerns.

 SECRETARY's MINUTES

Secretary Debbie Stein read the minutes from the April 11 meeting, prepared 
by Steve Hastalis.  The minutes were corrected and approved.

TREASURER's REPORT

Treasurer Steve Hastalis reported an opening balance of $4340.23 on April 
11.  Income amounted to $2668.28, including candy sales, Bulls tickets, 
donations, and dues.  The April collection brought in $128.28, and the Meal 
Appeal Auction raised $207.  We paid Exchequer $180 for the May 9 membership 
reception.  The ending balance on May 9 was $6828.51.  The report was 
accepted as read.

GIFT CERTIFICATES

Joe Monti announced that an order is coming up in June.  The food court next 
to the Detroit Renaissance Center has many vendors that will accept our gift 
cards.  To purchase certificates email Joe at jlmonti at sbcglobal.net or put 
your order on Il-Talk.

PRESIDENTIAL RELEASE

NFB President Marc Maurer urged people to pre-register for national 
convention online or by mail.  To make room reservations call 800-266-9432. 
Scholarship Committee Chair Anil Lewis said that the committee met to select 
this year's thirty winners.  Free yoga tapes are available from the 
Independence Market.  The Blind and Visually Impaired Voters Guide, prepared 
by the Jernigan Institute, will be available on the NFB website and at 
national convention.  Two Louis Braille coins will be part of the cargo on 
the next space shuttle.  The second Jacobus tenBroek Law Symposium on 
disability law was held at the national center.  Representatives of the NFB 
attended the Los Angeles Book Fair to talk about the need for blind people 
to have access to books via text to speech on the Kindle II.  If you would 
like to take part in a research study on the use of insulin pens, contact 
Ann Williams at ann.s.williams at case.edu or 216-368-1704.  Senators John 
Kerry and Arlen Spector have introduced a senate bill on quiet cars and 
pedestrian safety.

STATE REPORT

NFBI President Patti Gregory-Chang urged members to register for the March 
for Independence.  She noted that a former Chicago alderman who has a 
company called New West Real Estate is proposing a mixed-use development 
that would include housing for visually impaired and blind people.  He has 
asked the Chicago Lighthouse for feedback.  We need to call the Lighthouse 
at 312-666-1331 to explain that we do not need or approve of separate 
housing.  We need to sell Jernigan Fund raffle tickets, which go for $10 
apiece.  Syed Yusufuddin received a letter from Senator Durbin's office 
announcing that he has signed onto S841.  Dan Lupinski has signed onto 
HR734. This is very exciting, since last year he wouldn't talk to us until 
we went to the press.  We now have nine representatives from Illinois on 
HR734, and half of the cosponsors on the Social Security bill are from 
Illinois.  Patti praised the fine work that Syed and all our members are 
doing on legislation, and said that the national office is very impressed by 
our achievements.  We all need to urge Senator Roland Burris to sign onto 
S841.  Wilbert Poindexter and Howard Wilson are planning a statewide 
membership drive on a date in June.  Chicago mestbers will call people in 
this area and also people who live in places where there are no chapters, 
with the plan to form an "at large" chapter.  Kelly Doty explained that we 
will take part in the Disability Pride Parade on July 25.  We will march 
with a banner and our "Blind Is Not a 4-Letter Word" T-shirts, and will have 
an information table.  Wilbert Poindexter, Howard Wilson, Steve Hastalis, 
and Joe Monti volunteered to march, and Leeanne Mayne, Dave Meyer, and Jemal 
Powell will work the table.  Christie Dennis will work the table and march. 
Kelly also reported on our Braille Promotion Committee.  We will give Louis 
Braille coins to the three most improved Braille readers at ISVI.  We are 
trying to set up another event at Barnes and Noble in Chicago.  The next 
board meeting will be a conference call at 7 P.M. on Wednesday, May 27. 
State Convention will be held October 9-11 at the Holiday Inn O'Hare.  The 
number for room reservations is 773-693-5800.  Make sure they quote a rate 
of $73 per room.

TRIBUNE LETTER

Dave Meyer read a letter that was printed in the May 3 Chicago Tribune.  The 
author of the letter claimed that she had been rudely rebuffed when she 
tried to help a blind man on the street.  The editor responded that the 
author should bite the man's ankle and scream "Rabid dog!"  The letter led 
to a lively discussion about dealing with unwanted help on the street.  Dave 
then read the letter he wrote to the Tribune in response.

COMMITTEE REPORTS

Fundraising: Ken Staley reported that next month we will take our tenBroek 
and White Cane Fund collections.  The White Sox/Indians game will occur on 
August 8.  Anthony Thomas agreed to sell 25 tickets, bringing the total to 
70 tickets sold.

Membership: Carmen Dennis thanked all of the new people for coming and 
invited them to pay $2 to become members.  There was a round of applause for 
the Exchequer staff for setting up the reception.

OLD BUSINESS

Joe Monti announced that there are two ways to chec' out the list of vendors 
for certificates.  The list is available on our NFB of Illinois website, and 
also by going to mannaexpress.com.

Dave Meyer read off the names of the new members who have joined in March 
and April.  Rosie Abdullai, Alex Misheikis, Victor Olwualu, FeShondra Nixon, 
Vandana Chaudhry, Clarence Jones, and Niko Carpenter were all officially 
voted into the chapter and given a grand welcome.

NEW BUSINESS

Jemal Powell reported that he gave a presentation for Disability Awareness 
Day at Chicago State University on April 15.  Kelly Doty and Debbie Stein 
reminded everyone to bring in used cell phones, laptops, and printer 
cartridges to be recycled by EcoPhones.

Dave Meyer described two outreach opportunities that are coming up.  Visual 
Awareness Day will be held at the College of DuPage in Glen Ellyn on 
Wednesday, June 17.  Dave will attend and needs someone else to volunteer. 
On the weekend of August 20-22 the Discovery Conference will be held at the 
Holiday Inn Mart Plaza Hotel in Chicago.  We need people to help with all 
three days of that conference.

Sam Chou pointed out that people on SSI are entitled to a one-time payment 
of $250 which is part of the stimulus package.  The funds will be 
distributed until June 4.

Jemal Powell reported on his exploration of places for the chapter picnic. 
The chapter voted to plan a picnic at Lincoln Park.  The zoo is a draw, 
especially for families.

Eileen Truschke announced that she is receiving a service award for ten 
years working at Our Lady of Resurrection.  Debbie Stein announced that she 
will serve as the new editor of Future Reflections Magazine.

ADJOURNMENT

The meeting adjourned at 3:37.  Following adjournment the leftover reception 
items were auctioned off for a total of $26.

Respectfully submitted, Debbie Stein, Secretary