[il-talk] Convention Bulletin

[Gregory Chang Patti]

NATIONAL FEDERATION OF THE BLIND OF ILLINOIS
2013 CONVENTION BULLETIN 

Determine Your Future Yourself

On October 25th, 26th, and 27th, 2013, enthusiastic Federationists will assemble in Bloomington to renew our dedication in the pursuit of security, equality, and opportunity for all blind people.  
 
The site for our convention will be the Park Inn Hotel and Conference Center,1413 Leslie Dr. Bloomington, IL, (309 662-4300.  Room rates are $99 per night plus applicable taxes. There is a complimentary breakfast included.  Please indicate that you are with the NFBI to get this special rate. Room reservations must be made immediately as we expect to utilize an overflow hotel.  If anyone has problems making a reservation, please call Patti Gregory-Chang at (773) 307-6440.  

This year’s convention will kick off with Friday afternoon STEM seminars as well as an afternoon resolutions committee meeting.  Come learn and participate in our governing process. 

The Resolutions Committee will be chaired by George Villa.  ALL resolutions must be submitted by October 11th, 2013.  He may be contacted at georgejvilla at comcast.net or (630) 416-3875. 

IABS IDOL will occur Friday evening.  Those wanting to perform during the IABS Idol should contact IABS by e-mailing Julia Chang at roseailuj at att.net.  Please put IABS IDOL in your subject line.  

Our general session will convene on Saturday, October 26th at 9 a.m.  During Saturday’s general sessions we will hear a National Report regarding NFB happenings delivered by NFB 2nd Vice President Ron Brown.    We will hear from Dutch tenBroek, the grandson of Jacobus tenBroek.  We have employment and veterans panels planned.  We will hear about our Braille Enrichment for Literacy and Learning Program from students and teachers in the program.   Our featured panelists, Francisco Alvarado, Janet Sherburn, and Raven Pulliam will update us on rehabilitation in Illinois. 

We will have both student and parent luncheons   In addition, there will be breakout sessions for parents of blind children, a teen scene and significant others meeting.

The evening will culminate with our annual banquet, featuring an energizing address from our National Representative, Ron Brown, 2nd Vice President of the NFB and State President of Indiana.   We will also see the much-anticipated scholarship awards.  

Sunday morning’s session will begin with Braille is Beautiful and we will hear from other blind people sharing their experiences.  Resolutions will be voted on during the Sunday morning session.  Adjournment is scheduled for 12:00 PM on October 27th. 

Advance registration for the convention made before October 11th is $5. Registration after that date or at convention will be $15. Also note that if you book the main hotel, your breakfast is included with your room.  The registration form and fees for breakfasts, luncheon, and banquet should be sent before October 11th to Glenn Moore, Treasurer NFBI, P.O. Box 1065, Elgin, IL 60121.  Checks or money orders should be made payable to NFB of Illinois.  Please do not send cash.  

We will host a meeting for parents of blind children at 7 a.m. on Saturday. The student business meeting will be held on Sunday morning at 7:00 a.m.

We will have two luncheons for all those interested in student and/or parent issues on Saturday.  The cost for either luncheon will be $15. The banquet on Saturday night will start at 7 p.m. and tickets will cost $30.  

Those with special dietary needs for any of the meals should contact Denise Avant, (773) 325-1117 or dravant at ameritech.net.  The deadline for such requests is October 11th. 

Kids’ Kamp (childcare) will be available on Saturday from 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Kids’ Kamp is free to all children under 12 who are registered for the convention. A separate release form must be filled out at time of registration.

For those needing financial assistance to attend the convention, all applications must be submitted to President Patti Chang no later than September 15th at 6919 W. Berwyn Ave. Chicago, IL 60656 or pattichang at att.net.  The form to fill out for financial assistance from the James Chappell Memorial Fund is available on our web site at www.nfbofillinois.org or one will be mailed to you upon request.

Federation conventions change the lives of blind and sighted people alike! Don’t miss out on this opportunity for change! Join us for our best convention yet!

The Illinois Affiliate of the National Federation of the Blind has two listservs for all interested in blindness issues in IL.  IL-Talk is for everyone and IABS-Talk is specific for those interested in student issues.  Sign up by going to www.nfbnet.org.

Please give to the National Federation of the Blind Annual Appeal by sending to NFBI, c/o Glenn Moore, Treasurer PO Box 1065 Elgin, IL 60121.

PS.  Find us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/nfbi and on facebook by searching on "National Federation of the Blind of Illinois."
Patti Gregory Chang Esq.
President, NFBI
pattichang at att.net