[Massachusetts-NFB] Cambridge Chapter February Minutes

Mon Mar 9 07:57:02 UTC 2026

Hi Cullen,

Will you be at tonight’s meeting? Would you please give me a call. I am already up for the day. So, if you’re up now, you can call at any time. Thanks. 

Shara Winton

President, National federation of the Blind of Massachusetts

 <http://www.nfbma.org/> www.nfbma.org

 <mailto:sharawinton at gmail.com> sharawinton at gmail.com

617-304-0347

From: Massachusetts-NFB <massachusetts-nfb-bounces at nfbnet.org> On Behalf Of Cullen Gallagher via Massachusetts-NFB
Sent: Monday, March 9, 2026 3:23 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 February Minutes

Hi Everyone,

The minutes from the February Cambridge Chapter meeting are below.

Cullen

Cambridge Chapter Minutes, February 9, 2026

The February 9, 2026 meeting of the Cambridge Chapter of the National Federation of the Blind of Massachusetts was held via Zoom. The meeting was called to order at 6:03 PM.

In Attendance:

Shirley Dorris, President

Sengil Inkiala, Vice President

Cullen Gallagher, Secretary

Mika Pyyhkala, Treasurer

Jen Bose, Board Member

Shara Winton, Affiliate President

ElizabethAnn Johnson

Allen Larkin

David Ticchi

Stephen Yerardi

Masha Sten-Clanton

Al Sten-Clanton

Marc Kelley

Angey Manerson

Kobena Bonney

Kyra Sweeney

Lindell Cooks

Adam Roberge

Jamal Mazrui

Joe Lemar

Aaron Brown

Rashad Saadieh

John Oliveira

NFB Pledge

Jen led the NFB Pledge. ElizabethAnn would lead the pledge at the March meeting.

Approval of Minutes

Cullen indicated that the spelling of Stephen’s name had been corrected. Clarification was requested regarding the start time of general sessions at this year’s state convention. General sessions would begin at 3:00 PM on Friday. In future years, sessions might begin earlier, possibly Friday morning or Thursday evening. 

Al moved acceptance of the January minutes; the motion was seconded by Stephen and passed unanimously.

Treasurer’s Report

Mika was unable to present the Treasurer’s Report and indicated he would send it via email. The report was tabled to the next meeting.

Affiliate President’s Report

STATE CONVENTION

Rooms were filling up at the Crowne Plaza, and members were urged to book their rooms. The rate was $119 per night and included breakfast. Convention registration included Friday night Italian dinner, sandwiches for Saturday lunch, and the Saturday night banquet dinner featuring a choice of vegetarian, chicken, or beef. Saturday lunch would not be boxed because the hotel would charge an additional fee per box if eaten on site.

Students were putting together a talent showcase for Friday night. Members interested in performing were asked to make a $10 donation. Performers would be given six minutes. Performances could include singing, poetry, comedy, and other talents. Members were also encouraged to attend in costume as a favorite entertainer.

The deadline for scholarships had been extended to February 28, and a scholarship was available for those attending a trade school this year.

Registration for the state convention was open, and members were encouraged to register. There were some issues with payment, and members having trouble were instructed to go to the NFBMA website and choose the option to make a donation to reach PayPal. Members were instructed to write in the notes that the payment was for convention registration and to forward a copy of the receipt to Shara. 

 <https://www.ihg.com/crowneplaza/hotels/us/en/find-hotels/select-roomrate?fromRedirect=true&qSrt=sBR&qIta=99801505&icdv=99801505&qSlH=bosms&qCiD=27&qCiMy=022026&qCoD=29&qCoMy=022026&qGrpCd=nfb&qAAR=6CBARC&qRtP=6CBARC&setPMCookies=true&qSHBrC=CP&qDest=15%20Middlesex%20Canal%20Park%20Rd.,%20Woburn,%20MA,%20US&showApp=true&adjustMonth=false&srb_u=1&qRmFltr=> Reserve A Hotel Room for State Convention

 <https://nfbma.org/state-convention/registration> Register for State Convention

NATIONAL CONVENTION

The national convention would take place in Austin from July 3 through 8. Members who had never attended a national convention were eligible to apply for the Kenneth Jernigan scholarship, which would help cover convention costs. Students were also eligible to apply for the national scholarship program, and the deadline was March 30.

Achilles presentation

Joe Lemar from Achilles International joined the meeting to share information about the organization and his background. Joe shared that he was a former Paralympic athlete who competed in the Paralympic Games and won medals. He had coached track for over 30 years at the high school level and had served on several executive boards.

Joe explained that Achilles’ mission was to ensure that everyone could participate in sports. He emphasized that anyone could participate in walking, running, or rolling with Achilles and that guides were available to work with athletes of all abilities. Workouts were held on Tuesdays from 6:00 to 8:00 PM and Saturdays from 9:00 to 11:00 AM. There was no cost to participate. Members interested in learning more were encouraged to contact Joe at jLemar at achillesinternational.org.

Washington Seminar Recap

Kyra gave an update on the Washington Seminar. It was a successful event despite the weather. Legislators appeared enthusiastic about the Federation’s bills and seemed willing to co-sponsor them. There were some virtual meetings, and members who were not able to attend the Washington Seminar in person attended those meetings.

Shara reminded members that the Washington Seminar was just the start and that legislative activity would continue. Members were encouraged to respond, contact legislators, and advocate when needed.

Presidential Release

The  <https://nfb.org/sites/nfb.org/files/2026-01/presidential%20_release_february_2026_chapter_version.mp3> February Presidential Release was played.

Braille Monitor

David encouraged members to read the Braille Monitor, which included articles from members, highlights, speeches, and other information about events such as the Washington Seminar and national convention. It could be accessed online, through Newsline, or in hardcopy Braille. 

 <https://nfb.org/resources/publications-and-media/braille-monitor> Read the Braille Monitor Online

Adjournment

The meeting was adjourned at 7:46 PM. The next meeting was scheduled for March 9 returning to the hybrid meeting format.

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