[Jayhawk-chapter] Minutes May 2017

[Tamara Kearney]

Minutes 
Jayhawk Chapter 
May 2017

Presidential  release summarized by Tamara Kearney   

President's report from Rob: 
Find a way to make time to discuss philosophy. Rob may contact chapter officers and anyone else who is interested to do some advanced planning so that we can find an affective way to structure our discussion of philosophy. 

Jim Secor has had to resign as chapter secretary due to health issues. Tamara Kearney has agreed to serve as antrum secretary at least until our election of officers this coming fall. 

On Apr. 19 President mark Riccabono convened a conference call for state presidents and legislative chairmen. John Paré is director of strategic communications, and oversees legislative issues. 

Two legislative issues we are opposing:

ADA education and reform act, HR620, requires people who have a grievance to Give the opposing party 60 days notice before filing an ADA law suit. So far, no action has been taken on this bill.

 HR1990, would privatize highway rest stop facilities. So far, no action has been taken on this bill.

Phil Roe of TN has sponsored the Aim High Act which has to do with accessible media in higher education.

We have co-sponsors on for what used to be called the Fair Wages Bill in both the House and the Senate. We also have co-sponsors in the House and Senate for the legislation to appropriate funds to the Library of Congress for the distribution of refreshable braille displays to enable blind people to read digital braille books downloaded from the NLS BARD System. This bill is working it's way into the House budget committee. Lynne Jenkins is a member of the House Budget committee, and you can contact her at her office in Topeka. Kevin Yoder would also be a good person to contact. He is Chairman of the subcommittee that deals with talking books. 

On May 7 the state board met by teleconference. The NFB of Kansas can provide $1200 for an individual or $2000 for a couple or family to go to the national convention. That individual or couple must attend at least one division meeting, the resolutions committee meeting, the national board meeting, all general sessions and the banquet. 

The board voted to award three scholarships, two $1500 awards and one $2500 award. Those will be awarded at the state convention on November 11.

Congratulations to Luke Schwink and Afton Harper who are national scholarship candidates. 

We are donating $1300 to various funds of the national organization. 

Vocational Rehabilitation has approved funding to send one of our members with vision and hearing loss to go to the Helen Keller Institute for thirteen weeks of rehab training focusing on both blindness and hearing loss.

Raymond Meade has applied to be a student in culinary arts in the 2017-18 school year, however his application has been denied because of his blindness.

Apr. minutes approved as read. 

Treasurer's Report 
We have $845.40 The $5 fee that we have been charged since February is for paper statements. Brendi will follow up to see if we can get a waver as we are such a small organization. We could set up online banking and Rob would test accessibility, and if not accessible, then we would work with them to make it so. Brendi will establish online banking. Also she will see if those $5 debits can be reinstated and credited to the account. The treasurer's report was approved as read. 

Fund Raising 
Chipoltle at 911 Massachusetts will help us raise funds on Tuesday May 30 from 5:00-9:00 pm. Brendi brought flyers for us to hand out to friends and family. When we go to purchase meals, we are to Bring a flyer, to the restaurant, show it on a smart phone or tell the cashier that we want to support the National Federation of the Blind chapter. The restaurant will give our chapter fifty percent of the cost of each meal. Brendi provided our tax free number to Chipoltle. This number is associated with the NFB of Kansas. The check will be sent to the state, and sent back to us in full. 

The request for contribution letter to Mainstreet Credit Union. Has been put on hold. 

Old business 
Update on accessible computers in library: no action on that yet. 

Kernel book give away program: The national office is unloading Kernel books, and is requesting affiliates to distribute them. 

In August we will try changing the time of our monthly meeting to 10:00 am to noon. 

Pat and Rob will get together and draft a letter to the library about computer accessibility. 

Some discussion took place about having beginning and intermediate iOS workshops at the state convention. .

At the August meeting we will discuss reducing dues.

On June 10 at 11:00 am we will meet at La tropicana for a chapter social. 

Next meeting will be August 19 at 10:00 am.

Adjourned 3:00 pm.

Respectfully Submitted,

Tamara Kearney