[Massachusetts-NFB] Cambridge Chapter April Minutes

[adam.roberge93 at gmail.com]

Also, Adam Roberge was in Attendance.

 

 

From: Massachusetts-NFB <massachusetts-nfb-bounces at nfbnet.org> On Behalf Of Cullen Gallagher via Massachusetts-NFB
Sent: Saturday, May 3, 2025 2:52 AM
To: NFB of Massachusetts E-mail List <massachusetts-nfb at nfbnet.org>
Cc: Cullen Gallagher <cullen.gallagher at gmail.com>
Subject: [Massachusetts-NFB] Cambridge Chapter April Minutes

 

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,  <file:///Users/cullengallagher/Desktop/CAMB%20APril%20HTML/stephanie.p.valdes@gmail.com> stephanie.p.valdes at 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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