[Massachusetts-NFB] Cambridge Chapter November Meeting Minutes

[Cullen Gallagher]

Hello, 
It was great to see so many of you in person at our November meeting. The minutes are attached and pasted below. Please let me know if anything should be corrected. 
Thanks,
Cullen
The November Meeting of the Cambridge Chapter was held as a hybrid meeting at Cambridge Citywide Senior Center and on Zoom. It was called to order at 6:12 PM
In Attendance:
Cullen Gallagher
Mika Pyyhkala
Cristine Diaz
Shirley Dorris
Elizabeth Ann Johnson
Kobena Bonney
Helen Kobek 
Kyle Shachmut
Amalia Alexandre
Laurie Mattioli
John Oliveira
Justin Heard
Debby Malone
Vinod Chawla
Masha Sten-clanton
Al Sten-clanton
David Ticchi
Stephanie Valdes
Rachel Kobierecki
Sengil Inkiala
Christine Spacone
The October meeting minutes were accepted as presented.
Mika gave the Treasurer's Report and an update on walk donations. As of the most recent report from Scott Hurley on October 20, we have raised $6,520.00. Checking account activity includes our typical $50 PAC donation and checks from the walk. The account balance is $7,528.22. 
Sengil moved that we approve the Treasurer's Report, the motion was seconded and passed unanimously.
Justin announced a new twist on the presidential release highlights for this month. Anyone who could tell the chapter about the major points of the release would receive a $10 gift certificate to purchase the candles and lotions that Stephanie sells. Mika presented the highlights this month. You can access the release at the following link: https://nfb.org/sites/nfb.org/files/2022-11/presidential_release_live_november_2022_chapter_version_final.mp3
We may not have a giveaway every month, but when we do, what is given away may vary. 
The police escort for getting from the T to the senior center was discussed. A few members used the escort getting to the meeting, and found that the cadets were willing to help. Helen indicated that she is working with the Cambridge police to educate them on the best way to guide and offer assistance. 
Justin clarified that we are boating on an optional escort, we are not required to use it. There are NFB philosophical questions to consider, but safety is also important. By voting yes or no, we are determining whether we want this as an option for attendees for safety and assistance. Even if we vote against supporting this as a chapter, the escort could still be coordinated for those who want it.
The current setup is four cadets, two near the CVS and two near the Starbucks. They should also identify themselves before offering assistance.
It was suggested that we wait and see how the escort process works at the end of this meeting and hold the vote next month. Everyone was in agreement with this plan. 
Justin will send out an email to the listserv to get data on how things went. Justin's email address will be included in the message, please respond directly to him to ensure that your reply does not go to the whole list.
Justin gave an update on ax throwing. Unfortunately, the location does not offer a discounted rate for nonprofits. The standard rate for a group of seven people or more is $50 a person. It includes one on one instruction. A tournament follows, where the person who makes the ax stick the most times wins a prize. We discussed whether we wanted to make ax throwing our holiday party activity. The cost was a concern, especially factoring in the price of admission plus transportation and food. Several members felt that a holiday party event needs to be affordable, so that anyone can attend. There was still an interest in ax throwing, so Justin will continue to work on this for a future event.
Laurie, Stephanie and Amalia will serve on the holiday party committee to coordinate holiday activities for our next meeting. Stay tuned for more information.
Justin would like to create a fundraising committee to find new effective ways of fundraising where we can all feel involved. Shirley, Stephanie and Amalia agreed to serve on the committee. The David Ticchi walk is a fantastic fundraiser, and the committee would also provide support for the walk.
Justin would also like to look at creating a chapter membership committee. The committee would reach out to members who used to be a part of the chapter, and could look at events that might attract new members. We will discuss this further. 
Justin reviewed protocols to ensure that things are done in an orderly way. The primary people that should be speaking on behalf of the chapter are the elected leaders. If anyone has a concern, they should contact an elected leader. The leader can then Bring the concern to the board, who can act on it immediately or bring it to a meeting. These protocols are inplace to ensure that everyone is on the same page and that we are as democratic as possible.
The meeting was adjourned at 7:29 PM.





Cullen Gallagher
Second Vice President and Cambridge Chapter Secretary: National Federation of the Blind of Massachusetts

The National Federation of the Blind knows that blindness is not the characteristic that defines you or your future. Every day we raise the expectations of blind people, because low expectations create obstacles between blind people and our dreams. You can live the life you want; blindness is not what holds you back.

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