[Massachusetts-NFB] Cambridge Chapter April Minutes

[Cullen Gallagher]

Hi everyone,
I hope you are all enjoying this beautiful weather! The minutes from our April meeting are attached and pasted below. I look forward to seeing you all at our May meeting.
Thanks,
Cullen

Cambridge Chapter Minutes, April 14, 2025

The April 14, 2025 meeting of the Cambridge Chapter of the National Federation of the Blind of Massachusetts was held as a hybrid meeting at Cambridge Citywide Senior Center and Zoom. The meeting was called to order at 6:06 PM.
In Attendance:

Shirley Dorris, President
Sengil Inkiala, Vice President
Cullen Gallagher, Secretary
Jen Bose, Board Member
Christina Constant
Rashad Saadieh
Shannon Cantan
Ellen Bartelt
Bronwen Tedesco
Kyra Sweeney
Stephen Yerardi
William O’Donnell
Debbie Steen
David Ticchi
Marc Kelley 
Joshua Novak
Mallory Price
Kinshuk Tella
Kyle Shachmut
ElizabethAnn Johnson
Olufunke Osho
Rick Camann
NFB Pledge

Kinshuk led the NFB Pledge
Approval of Minutes

William moved that we accept the March minutes; the motion was seconded and passed unanimously.
Treasurer’s Report

Mika was unavailable to present the Treasurer’s Report in-person, but he submitted a recording which was played.
Our account balance was $2,745.79. Mika would work with Kobena to transfer some of this balance to the State account. 
The transaction this month was our $50 PAC contribution.
For the David Ticchi walk, we raised $7,435. 
Following the recording, David pointed out that the recording incorrectly said David Ticchi memorial walk. The walk honored David, who was alive and well. 
Kyle moved acceptance of the Treasurer’s report as corrected; the motion was seconded and passed unanimously.
Presidential Release

The April 2025 Presidential Release was played.
BELL Update

Ellen presented an update on the upcoming BELL Academy. It was scheduled to take place the first two weeks of August in Waltham. An email was sent out to the list with the flyer and program information. Two students were currently signed up, and those who know other students were encouraged to send the flyer along. The age range was 4 to 12. Anyone wanting more information or volunteer opportunities could contact Stephanie, stephanie.p.valdes at gmail.com <file:///Users/cullengallagher/Desktop/CAMB%20APril%20HTML/stephanie.p.valdes@gmail.com>.
Legislative update

Kyra sent out an email to follow up on HR1529, the Access Technology Affordability Act. Members were urged to review this email and follow up with their members of Congress via email or phone. The number for the capital switchboard is 202-224-3121.
Email List Issue

Rashad raised an issue with the email list on his iPhone, where message senders were not displaying correctly and instead appeared as "Massachusetts NFB." Most members were not experiencing this. Other issues were also noted, including gibberish in some messages, but this was happening on all NFB lists and was being addressed.
Members were also encouraged to look over their messages, particularly if they used Siri or dictation to write.
Closing Thoughts on Shirley’s First Year as President

Shirley thanked both new and existing members for their participation and expressed appreciation for the chapter’s growth over the past year. She emphasized the importance of building a supportive, family-like environment within the chapter and encouraged members to reach out if they needed support or someone to talk to.
Inky also thanked members for their continued support and attendance. He reiterated that the chapter serves as a space for members to come together, share information, and support each other in navigating challenges as blind individuals. He encouraged continued growth in membership and active participation.
Adjournment

The meeting was adjourned at 7:34 PM. The next meeting was scheduled for May 12.

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