[Massachusetts-NFB] Cambridge Chapter January Minutes

[Mary]

Cullen, Shirley’s message last we3ek said the meeting will be in-person (as well as on Zoom).  Your message below mentions only Zoom.  Has there been a change of plan on this?  If so, and if a message was sent, I don’t see it in our inbox.

 

Thanks!

 

Al Sten-Clanton

 

 

From: Massachusetts-NFB <massachusetts-nfb-bounces at nfbnet.org> On Behalf Of Cullen Gallagher via Massachusetts-NFB
Sent: Monday, February 9, 2026 6:07 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 January Minutes

 

Hi everyone,

Looking forward to seeing you all this evening on Zoom for our February Cambridge Chapter meeting. Last month’s minutes are below.

THanks,

Cullen


Cambridge Chapter Minutes, January 12, 2026


The January 12, 2026 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 6:02 PM.


In Attendance:


Shirley Dorris, President

Sengil Inkiala, Vice President

Cullen Gallagher, Secretary

Mika Pyyhkala, Treasurer

Jen Bose, Board Member

Shara Winton, Affiliate President

Bronwen Tedesco

Wesley Taylor

Adam Roberge

Sage Collier 

Angey Manerson

Rashad Saadieh

Tammy Febbi

ElizabethAnn Johnson

Kobena Bonney

David Ticchi

Al Sten-Clanton

Masha Sten-Clanton

Stephen Yerardy

Kristina Constant

Lindell Cooks

Jamal Mazrui

John Oliveira

Kyra Sweeney

William O’Donnell

Olufunke Osho 


NFB Pledge


Lindell led the NFB Pledge.


Approval of Minutes


Stephen moved that the November minutes be accepted; the motion was seconded by Al and passed unanimously.


Treasurer’s Report


Mika presented the Treasurer’s Report, beginning with an update on affiliate activity and fundraising.

The Giggle Gala was held in December. The costs for the location were $1,200. The amount of donations received was $7,100.68. It was a fun event with pizza and excellent auction items, and the restaurant was willing to host again.

Donations were still coming in for the David Ticchi Walk. From Scott Hurley’s report on January 9, we received $7,762.52.

Mika reviewed the affiliate finances from October 1 to November 30 that were presented at the December board meeting.

The state PayPal balance was $1,417.18.

Cambridge Savings Bank checking balance was $24,990.

The CD balance was $46,244.

The Bank of America balance was $33,390.35.

The total balance across all accounts was $106,042.64.

Mika then provided chapter updates. At last month’s holiday party at Grassfields, meals and gratuity were covered by the chapter. The total cost was $933.

$7,000 was transferred to the state Bank of America account. The Cambridge Chapter checking account balance was $292.41.

Mika reminded members that it was time to pay $10 in dues. This could be done online on the NFBMA website under Cambridge Chapter using PayPal. Dues could also be sent via Zelle to treasurer at nfbma.org <mailto:treasurer at nfbma.org> . Members were asked to include their name and “Cambridge Chapter dues” in the memo field. Paying in cash was also an option.

Kobena recommended that, in addition to including a memo, members email the chapter president to notify them of the payment, as memos sometimes did not come through.

 <https://nfbma.org/chapters-divisions/cambridge-chapter> Cambridge Chapter Page on NFBMA.org

Cullen moved that the Treasurer’s Report be accepted; the motion was seconded by Inky and passed, with Rashad voting in opposition.


Presidential Release


The  <https://nfb.org/sites/nfb.org/files/2026-01/presidential_release_january_2026_chapter_version.mp3> January Presidential Release was played.


Washington Seminar


Kyra discussed the upcoming Washington Seminar, where members would meet with members of Congress regarding legislative priorities. This year’s priorities included protecting laws and funding, the Blind Americans Return to Work Act, and the Access Technology Affordability Act. Most of the meetings were scheduled for Tuesday, January 27. Kyra indicated she would provide an update following the event.


State Convention


Shara announced that rooms could be reserved for the state convention, March 27–29. Members were asked to mention the National Federation of the Blind of Massachusetts when calling to book. The room rate was $119, including breakfast. Registration for the convention was expected to open within the next week. The cost of registration had not yet been set, but Shara indicated it may be higher due to increasing food costs.

General sessions were scheduled to start at 3:00 PM on Friday, allowing for more content to be covered. There would also be general sessions all day on Saturday, and the exhibit hall would also be open on Saturday this year. Determining the timing of events was still in progress.

 <https://www.ihg.com/redirect?path=asearch&brandCode=CP&localeCode=en&regionCode=1&hotelCode=bosms&checkInDate=27&checkInMonthYear=022026&checkOutDate=29&checkOutMonthYear=022026&rateCode=6CBARC&_PMID=99801505&GPC=nfb&cn=no&adjustMonth=false&showApp=true&monthIndex=00> Hotel Room Booking For State Convention

To book by phone, call 781-935-8760 .

The convention would be held in Woburn and was accessible via MBTA services, including The Ride Flex.


Fundraisers and Social Opportunities


Shirley discussed the possibility of doing more fundraising as a chapter and holding social events. The chapter’s main fundraiser had been the David Ticchi Walk. Social get-togethers were discussed as a way to allow members to socialize and build stronger connections.

Kobena suggested creating both a fundraising committee and a social committee to determine how these could be implemented.

Members shared ideas for social events and fundraisers.

Shara recommended CC’s Candy as a possible Valentine’s Day fundraiser and indicated she would send their information to Shirley. Shara also noted that, prior to COVID-19, monthly hangouts had been held and were helpful for building fellowship.

Masha suggested having a picnic on the Boston Common. This would allow the community to see blind people enjoying the event and mingling.

The chapter would revisit this discussion at the next meeting. 


Member to Member Emails


Shirley highlighted Bronwen’s work on the Member to Member emails.


Adjournment 


The meeting was adjourned at 7:36 PM. The next meeting was scheduled for February 9.

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