[Massachusetts-NFB] Cambridge Chapter October Meeting Minutes

Tue Oct 25 04:00:03 UTC 2022

Hello Everyone,
Attached and pasted below are the minutes from the October meeting. 
Looking forward to seeing many of you in-person next month.
Thanks,
Cullen
The October meeting of the Cambridge Chapter was called to order at 6:31 PM
In Attendance: 
Mika Pyyhkala
Cullen Gallagher
George Kamara
Shara Winton
David Ticchi
Kristina Constant
Amalia Alexandre
Bronwen Tedesco
Cristine Diaz
Debby Malone
ElizabethAnn Johnson
Jenn Bose
Kobena Bonney
Laurie Mattioli
Al Sten-Clanton
Nicole Tolbert
Barbara Lomax
Shirley Dorris
John Oliveira
Masha Sten-Clanton 
Audra DeePina
Justin Heard
Kristina led the NFB Pledge.
The September minutes were accepted as written. 
Mika gave the Treasurer's Report for September and October, as well as an update on walk donations. The checking account balance as of September 12, the date of our September meeting, was $2,475.16. Account activity includes our $50 PAC donation, deposits from the walk, and $0.02 in interest. The checking balance as of October 10 is $3,755.18. 
From the latest walk tabulation from Scott Hurley from Cambridge Savings Bank, the current total is $3,095.00. This includes donations made via PayPal and mailed to the bank. 
Shara indicated that she will be depositing the contents of the cash box this week, which includes cash and checks received in-person at the walk. The amount received is still lower than normal, so please continue to work on getting donations. Even $25 donations can make a difference. 
Cullen moved that the Treasurer's Report be accepted as presented; the motion was seconded and passed. 
Justin presented highlights from the October Presidential Release. You can access the release at the following link: https://nfb.org/sites/nfb.org/files/2022-10/presidential_release_live_october_2022_chapter_version.mp3
The transcript can be found at this link: https://nfb.org/resources/publications-and-media/presidential-releases/transcripts/presidential-release-520-0 
The main announcement from the release is that the Websites and Software Applications Accessibility Act has been introduced in both the Senate and the House. The bill number in the Senate is S4998, and HR9021 in the House. Senator Markey is cosponsoring the bill. Please contact Senator Warren and your representative and ask them to cosponsor. To contact your representative by phone, you can call the Capital Switchboard at 212-224-3121. 
Justin gave an update from the Chapter Location committee. The committee is still waiting to hear from the senior center for setting an official meeting time. We discussed whether or not we could meet in-person next month if the center is available to us, instead of waiting to announce and discuss it over a Zoom meeting. If it is possible, multiple announcements will be sent on the listserv. November 14 might not be available at the senior center due to Veterans Day. We will meet on Zoom if it is not available to us. There were no objections to this plan. Please keep an eye on your email for info on the November meeting. We will also do our best to insure that Zoom access for our meeting is still made available. 
John Oliveira presented his report on the employment seminar at convention. The meeting was well attended. They covered resumes, networking and introducing yourself in a one minute speech. Participants had the opportunity to practice giving their speech to the group. These skills are valuable when looking for a job.
If you received funding assistance to attend the National Convention and have not given your report on a meeting you attended, you can present at a chapter meeting or a Thursday night call. Contact Justin if you wish to present at a chapter meeting, and Shara if you want to present at a Thursday night. The short presentation should include what happened, what you gained from the meeting, and what might be useful for others. 
Justin gave an update on ax throwing and the standard rates. The group rate for 7 to 20 people is $50 per person for two hours.  For a group of up to six people, the rate is $30 for one hour. The price includes instruction and safety in throwing axes, and the ability to purchase drinks and food. The $50 rate is a bit high, and members felt that the cost should be no more than $40 to ensure that it is affordable. Justin will contact them to see if they would be willing to lower the rate to $40 for us. Stay tuned for more information. 
Meeting adjourned at 8:01 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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