[il-talk] May 9, 2016 Board meeting minutes pasted in

[Denise Avant]

Hello everyone,
Pasted below is the May 9, 2016 board meeting minutes. Our next board meeting is our face-to-face-board meeting on August 27, 2016 at the Chicago Naperville Marriott. all are welcome to attend in person. We have a turkey sandwich and a veggie option. If you cannot attend, our call in number is (641)-715-3273. The cost of your lunch should you attend is $20. Please contact Patti Chang, pattischang at gmail.com <mailto:pattischang at gmail.com> if you want to place your order. The orders may be placed no later than August 22, and you must cancel no later than August 23, 2016. If you do not cancel by the due date, you will be expected to pay the affiliate for the cost of your lunch. Thank you.





National Federation of the Blind of Illinois
State Board Teleconference
Monday, May 9th, 2016, 7P.M.
 
[TO DO LIST:
       All: consider new fundraisers to replace Picnic In The Park and Gift Card  certificates.
       All: be aware of and prepared to report on your assigned or volunteered meetings at National Convention.
      Denise  Avant: go over banquet exchange with Francisco Chang.
       Board: attend at least 2 of 3 annual events in person (National or state convention and State board meeting).
       Board and scholarship winners: sell instant (and large) raffle tickets (at National and otherwise), as well as bags (be sure to follow protocols about tracking money and what you owe).
      Ed  Birmingham: bring BLAST volunteers’ registration materials
       Blast volunteers Debbie Stein, David  Meyer, Bill  Reif, Jemal   Powell andMary  Grunwald be  at the table (Wed. 12:30 – 5) and coordinate with Debbie Stein to cover shifts.
     Dan  Dwyer, and David  Meyer: be prepared if BLAST musical performance  venue is moved
       Patti Chang:  Draft new policy for facebook page.
       Leslie Hamric: resend large raffle language for website to Denise  Avant
       Steve Hastalis: at convention, get reservation, head-count, and help round up people to IL get-together at bar  in hotel.
       *Members: on chapter issues, bring such things to the attention of your chapter president first, and before it is a larger issue.
       Members of state committees: notify president first if you are no longer able to continue your appointment.
       Glenn Moore: send revised minutes to Chang
      Debbie Pittman (optional): email or call Amazon for details on Amazon twitter program.]
 
Roll Call of board members present:
Denise Avant (president)
Debbie Stein (first Vice President P.)
Leslie Hamric (second Vice President )
Glenn Moore (secretary)
Patti Chang (treasurer)
Dave Meyer
Bill Reif
Brian Sumner
Debbie Pittman
Adrienne Falconer
Mary Grunwald
 
Guests present:
Cathy Randall
Steve Hastalis
Marco Giannotti
Ed Birmingham
 
       March 20th Minutes:
      Patti  Chang: reiterates two prior notes shared via email; that Bell Springfield begins July 11, and that NFBI can assist internship applicants in finding their locations.
      Leslie  Hamric moves to approve as amended; David Meyer seconds; motion carries.
       Glenn Moore will send the amended copy to Chang for NFBI’s DropBox.
 
       Informal Treasury update:
      Patti  Chang: the current balance is just under $166,800 (as expected, post seminars). There are only a few pending transactions, notably, remaining Chappell-Dennis assistance checks. National Convention contributions can be handled near Memorial Day weekend and will total roughly $8,000.
 
       BLAST (Business Leadership and Superior Training) Conference:
      Ed  Birmingham: Blast is a week away. I want to thank NFBI for partnering sponsorship, which will be recognized in the program, and thank Jemal Powell  for routing transit options to the hotel and providing hotel staff training. Dave Meyer, Dan Dwyer and others will perform after the reception in the exhibit hall, though the reception may be moved to another room so we should play it by ear and be ready to set up ahead of the performance.
       Registration will be open only certain times. Ed  has  those materials for NFBI volunteers. He will  be there Monday, and will have them with him for the NFBI participants..
—volunteers, please remember to be at the NFBI table (Wednesday the 18th, 12:30 – 5).
 
Ed Birmingham says  Terry Smith and Nicky Gagos  have outdone themselves with the agenda. There are close to 80 exhibitors Wednesday (maybe 20 more than any prior year), plus record registrations. He will  post the agenda to IL-Talk.
       Denise Avant: Volunteers, note:Debbie  Pittman has another obligation, but Debbie Stein, David Meyer,Bill  Reif, and Jemal  Powell can volunteer. Mary  Grunwald can also volunteer for  a couple hours.
Volunteers can  coordinate times with Debbie  Stein so the table always has multiple people.
       David Meyer says he  will have NFB NewsLine, and likely stay the whole time.
 
       FUNDRAISING:
       Picnic in the Park:
Denise  Avant: We talked  About doing this some time ago, reaffirmed in February, sent the flyer in March, and the committee promoted it. Though last year’s turnout was good, it seems it is not something to build on—very low turnout estimates make us have to ask whether we should cancel.
Bill Reif: there has not been any calls about anyone who will need a ride.
      Patti  Chang: only has confirmation from Stein [lists names of whom else we would expect to come].
      Denise  Avant: how much is spent if we cancel?
      Patti Chang: Poe’s catering does not have a cancellation fee clause in the contract, but we would probably have to pay something.

 Mary  Grunwald: we’ve tried communication, but can’t get to vending managers down state (whom we’re trying to attract).
Debbie Pittman moves to cancel, and Mary  Grunwald seconds; motion carries.
 Certificates:
David Meyer: with today’s final order we’ll gross $3500, but yesterday we wouldn’t have met the $2000 minimum. Though some large packets, we had only 8 participants (even some board members did not order).
Patti  Chang moves to discontinue the certificate program (after this current order). Even with vendor participation, cards ordered are typically low percentage (like visa gift cards), so a minimum order ($2000) yields very little for NFBI.
Brian  Sumner seconds.
Glenn Moore suggests that we could always reprise the program later.
       Motion carries.
 
       Instant Raffle:
Leslie Hamric: Debbie  Stein says all is ready to go for the May Chicago chapter meeting. We’ve agreed board and scholarship winners will sell at convention and we will identify and coordinate with those individuals. 
Debbie  Stein thanks those who filled out cards (which she’ll bring to distribute at the Chicago meeting). Every envelope gets a mint.
 Large online-registration raffle
Leslie  Hamric says she has submitted a rough draft to ByroN Lee, which may need formatting, but details the terms. Since Denise Avant did not receive the draft yet, Leslie says she will resend the e-mail to her.
Cathy Randall volunteers to help sell at convention.
Bill suggests selling to Lions club as well.
       Denise says we will get the form up on the website by convention. Students also have $25 apiece laptop bags, which scholarship winners should help sell. Emma Meyer is coming to convention and will divvy them up to sell. To sellers: when you give her money, be sure of what you sold (or took to sell) in order to give the right amount of cash—you are responsible to return to NFBI the value of whatever you take—it’s up to you whether you sell them or decide to give as gifts.
    
       Amazon smile:
Debbie  Stein: Amazon has a program they say can help organizations promote participation. If we send tweets to Amazon, they share these via a larger network, to encourage more people to sign up and choose us as their benefiting organization.
Patti Chang stated that actually, you tag every tweet you send with their tagline. They get lots of advertising, but it’s not clear what we get; they’re not promising to re-tweet.
       Debbie Pittman asks if there is a way to ask Amazon how it benefits us? Denise suggest that one could email Amazon, or check their website for a phone option.
 
       NATIONAL CONVENTION:
       CONVENTION MEETING REPORTS ASSIGNMENTS:
       Resolutions - Denise  Avant
       Board meeting – Patti Chang
       Presidents and Treasurers –  Patti Chang or Denise  Avant
       Library – Cathy Randall
       Communications – Debbie Stein 
       PR – Leslie Hamric
       NABS – Jhaliya Anderson, Patti Chang
       Cash and Caring - Dave Meyer
       Membership – Brian Sumner
       Hills and Bills – Dave Meyer, Steve Hastalis
       Rehab Professionals Seminar - Steve Hastalis
       Jernigan – Jemal Powell
       White Cane – Dave Meyer, Cathy Randal.
Bill Reif, Glenn Moore and Mary Grunwald will not be attending this year.
Denise Avant announced that Matthew Miller of Illinois was one of the 30 scholarship finalists.
Brian Sumner: Louis Wood, a new member near O’Fallon is coming to convention.
Denise Avant has Jernigan fund tickets for a chance to win a trip for 2 to next years’ National Convention plus $1000 to spend there. They’re $10 each and she will bring them to sell at the  Chicago chapter meeting and at national convention.
 
Illinois CAUCUS:
Denise Avant explains that the Illinois Caucus is for all affiliate members to attend. It is generally, the same day as the Board meeting and divisions day (July 2), 7 or 7:30am, but official date/time has not yet been announced yet.
Illinois REUNION/GET-TOGETHER:
       Denise Avant explained that we usually have a celebration early in the convention at a hotel’s lobby bar. We need to pick a night, then coordinate.
Glenn Moore recalled that at the Rosen Shingle Creek, there is only a lobby (no bar) across from the front entrance. A bar is located in the lower level (ground level for the pools in the rear). That bar is small, but there are other choices, mostly in that lower level. [Link, restaurants: http://www.rosenshinglecreek.com/dining/restaurants-lounges/]
Patti  Chang stated last time, we went to the pizza place in the lower level—they take reservations.
       July 1, 9pm is the consensus for a meeting time.
Denise Avant can check with Don and Bob if they’re coming as they usually got the space for us.
Steve Hastalis volunteers to make the reservation, get a head count and get people to the get together. He also volunteered to help people with their bus tickets.
 
       Banquet Exchange:
       Denise Avant stated that for the past few years, any person who wants to sit together with the affiliate at banquet, would give the generic ticket they get at registration to Glenn (during Caucus, general session or, if necessary, by a time and place worked out with Glenn prior to when the exchange table first opens). Glenn,  then, brings the tickets to the Exchange and exchanges them for tickets with banquet-table-number assignments [usually table #100] which he returns to the ticket holders, again, at general session(s). Since Glenn isn’t at convention this year, we need another person to do this.
       Patti Chang says that  Francisco will do it.
Denise says she will  contact Francisco to go over the process.
Illinois  Table at convention:
Leslie Hamric ask if  we want an Illinois  table at national convention. Leslie says she and Byron Lee talked, and they thought they could also talk about Horizons For The Blind.
Denise Avant says some Things to consider: that table has to be staffed, students will be out selling tickets, and what would you have at the table?
Glenn Moore recalled that we had brought this up at another meeting but there was not enough interest to host a table and we  didn’t get enough volunteers to staff it.
Patti says she thinks it’s most effective if we promote and sell our items outside the hall, and there’s no prohibition on passing out Horizons info other than at a table.
Denise Avant says  for state convention, horizons is welcome, they just need to fill out an exhibitor form. We have exhibits Friday night, and could extend to Saturday morning and times while we’re not in general session. Horizons can exhibit whether part of convention agenda or not.
 
       STATE CONVENTION:
       Requests for National Rep.:
Denise Avant says the  dates are Oct. 28 through 30 at the Naperville Marriott. Whom would the board like to request for a national rep.? President Riccobonno is an automatic choice. We will need at least three names. After some discussion, the board asks President Avant to request Joe Ruffalo, Jr. Anil Lewis and Amy Buresch.
  
              STATE CONVENTION TOPICS and SPEAKERS
Denise Avant says she would like to invite Sharon Ruda, who hasn’t been to convention in a while. *We can respectfully make requests. What topics and speakers might we want?
Mary Grunwald suggests John Gordon  maybe on a panel.
       Denise Avant says we can invite him, though there may be resolutions concerning BBS.
       David Meyer suggests someone from Equip For Equality. And Patti Chang suggests that with Hadley in transition, director change, it’s a nice time to connect.
.
David Meyer puts forth the names of Dawn Turco or Doug Anzlovar [?] (VP of education) [http://www.hadley.edu/Administration.asp]
Patti suggests anyone near the director would be good.
Mary  Grunwald also suggests  someone involved with vendors too.
Denise explained that  last year, we almost ran out of time, so we can be more restrained this year. If you have more suggestions, including convention themes, email me. Once back from national, I’ll start convention bulletin and state website.
Glenn  will contact local leaders/politicians, inviting to attend.
       Denise reminds everyone that  Face-to-face board meeting is August 27. Please attend in person if at all possible. Remember requirement of board members is to attend at least 2 events in person (Board meeting, State or national convention).
 
       OLD BUSINESS
Illinois  sub-REGIONAL LIBRARY CLOSURES:
Denise Avant In Feb. we discussed sub-regional libraries closing. At the time we decided not to take a position. Since then I’ve gotten at least 2 inquiries plus non-members asking what NFB will do, and why no position (particularly concerning the Chicago sub regional). Besides ordering talking books, in Chicago there’s also computer with screen reading service, Braille display, and Braille printing and summer book club. Deborah Taylor says many users come in and that when international or other city group comes, she asks them to look at the Chicago library. Sharon Howerton said ICB has taken a position. Do we want to give Debbie Stein authority to write or call (for the Chicago Chapter itself) to keep open the Chicago sub-regional?
       Debbie Pittman explained that  part of the library’s strategic plan through 2017 is making the library accessible, but it would defeat that purpose if they remove the Talking Book Center.
Cathy Randall asks if the  East Peoria is  center closing?
Denise Avant says  All sub-regionals are slated to close.
Bill  Reif tends to agree with Debbie  Pittman. For Chicago (as opposed to East Peoria) this is really a matter of accessibility of library services. Though a chapter issue, I’d support the effort on behalf of Chicago area.
Patti adds that if it’s  just the Chicago talking book library (rather than us supporting keeping all sub-regionals open), this need not be a statewide issue. As long as the affiliate hasn’t acted, a chapter has prerogative.
       Dave reminds everyone NFB wasn’t for the sub-regional system in the first place. As someone from a state that had one regional library that served 3 states, and there was never a question of whom to talk to or how or whether to get services, he oppose any sub-regionalization.
Denise Avant stated that as state president, she had people from outside of the Chicago chapter  approaching her about the issue. She would urge you to approach your chapter president, Stein sooner than later when the issue affects your chapter.
 
       NEW BUSINESS:
       FaceBook page policy:
Denise Avant explained that  Robert Hansen, who is in charge of our Facebook page, is concerned that people are posting inappropriate content on the NFBI FaceBook page. She proposes policy like the IL-Talk listserv, to permit basically Blindness related posts only.
Patti moves to adopt a facebook policy similar to IL-Talk (to permit blindness related posts and personal accomplishments), allowing an administrator to remove posts irrelevant to these criteria.
Dave Meyer seconds.
       The motion carries.
 
       Committee Appointment Etiquette
Denise Avant explains that she has sought members to go onto committees. If you feel unable to fulfill a committee obligation, please contact me to work out a smooth solution/transition rather than announcing without time to anticipate, that  you’re no longer serving—especially on committees where NFBI needs continuous representation (such as relating to an agency).
 
       Protocols for release for minors attending *events:
       Avant: without speaking of specific cases, we need to address whether we need a release from parents/guardians for minors attending NFB events by themselves.
Patti Chang moves to enter executive session. Bill  Reif seconds; motion carries.
David Meyer moves to adjourn, and Brian  Sumner seconds; motion carries.
       8:44pm, meeting adjourned.

Denise R. Avant
President, National Federation Of The Blind Of Illinois
Live the life you want