[Mn-at-large] 2015 Annual Convention Agenda

[David Andrews]

>
>All, Here is the convention agenda. Braille and 
>print copies will be available at the 
>convention. Looking forward to seeing everyone 
>there! NATIONAL FEDERATION OF THE BLIND OF 
>MINNESOTA 2015 Annual Convention October 9-11, 
>2015 Ramada Mall of America 2300 East American 
>Boulevard Bloomington, Minnesota 55425 
>President: Jennifer Dunnam National Federation 
>of the Blind of Minnesota 100 East 22nd Street 
>Minneapolis, MN 55404 (612) 872-9363 
>www.nfbmn.org Twitter: @nfbmn Facebook: National 
>Federation of the Blind of Minnesota National 
>Representative: Patti Gregory-Chang Board 
>Member, National Federation of the Blind 
>Chicago, Illinois The National Federation of the 
>Blind of Minnesota 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. Registration $10.00 if 
>received before the convention, $15.00 on-site. 
>Banquet tickets, $30.00. Senior breakfast 
>tickets, $15.00. Saturday lunch tickets, 
>$20.00.  Membership dues (if not already paid 
>prior to the convention) $5.00. Please make sure 
>we have your most current contact information, 
>including email address. If you do not currently 
>receive the Braille Monitor, our national 
>monthly magazine, please let us know, and we 
>will sign you up. Bake Auction: The bake auction 
>will take place throughout the convention, 
>beginning on Saturday morning and continuing 
>through the Sunday session. (Charlotte 
>Czarnecki, Auction Coordinator). Door Prizes: 
>Door prizes will be awarded throughout the 
>convention. To be eligible, you must be 
>registered and in the room when your name is 
>drawn.  (Matt Langland, door prize Chair). 
>Convention Audio for Download: Because we were 
>informed by the hotel that their network would 
>not reliably support the live streaming of the 
>convention, we are taking an approach which has 
>recently also been used by several other NFB 
>affiliates such as Wisconsin.  During the 
>convention, we will make audio files available 
>that can be downloaded or played directly.  With 
>the help of our colleagues at Blind 
>Incorporated, audio files of convention 
>recordings can be accessed at 
>http://nfbmn.blindinc.org.  We will notify our 
>NFBMN-NEWS list and also share on twitter when 
>each file becomes available. Childcare: 
>Childcare will be provided during scheduled 
>meetings and during the banquet. For more 
>information contact childcare coordinator Amber 
>Holladay at 808-351-5278. Raffle: a 50-50 raffle 
>will be conducted during the convention, the 
>winner to be drawn during the banquet. The 
>proceeds will support Community Shares of 
>Minnesota, which in turn supports the NFB of 
>Minnesota. Tickets $1. Get On the PAC Plan: At 
>the national board meeting thirty years ago this 
>year, E.U. Parker came up with the idea of what 
>we first called the Bank Draft Pledge System to 
>help finance the Federation. This system is now 
>called the Pre-Authorized Contribution (PAC) 
>Plan. The PAC Plan has come to be an ever-more 
>important part of financing the movement. 
>According to the chairman of the NFB’s PAC 
>committee, Scott LaBarre, the Federation has 
>raised more than ten million dollars over the 
>years through the PAC Plan. The PAC Plan allows 
>members, affiliates, chapters, and others to 
>give a regular and automatic donation to the 
>Federation every month. All you have to provide 
>is your checking or savings account 
>identification information. Because of the costs 
>associated with operating the program, the 
>minimum donation is $5 a month and there is no 
>restriction on how much you donate. Please sign 
>up at the convention to begin a new PAC 
>contribution or to make changes to your current 
>contribution. Your donation will help the  blind 
>live the lives they want. Friday 
>Afternoon/Evening, October 9 
>2:30­5:00      Registration (Registratioon 
>area). Registration will also be open at other 
>times during the convention. Those who 
>pre-registered should pick up lunch/banquet 
>tickets and agendas. There is a registration fee 
>of $15.00 for those registering at the 
>convention. Banquet tickets are $30.00, and 
>tickets for the BLIND, Inc. lunch are $20.00. 
>Those attending the seniors division meeting 
>should purchase your breakfast tickets for 
>$15.00. 
>3:00-10:00 
>Exhibits/Sales—Registration/Exhibit  Area 
>•     NFB Louis Braille Commemorative Silver 
>Dollars,, with readable Braille—Proof version, 
>$42. •    Voting Ig Independently And Privately: 
>Come visit the Dakota County voting booth. 
>Experience voting using the Dominion Voting 
>ImageCast Evolution. This is one of the 
>replacements for the AutoMark. You can also 
>become a registered voter and ask questions 
>about voting in Minnesota. •      Crafts 
>For  Sale: Jack Rupert, president of our 
>Riverbend Chapter, makes leather items such as 
>keychain holders, belts, purses, cane holders, 
>and more—he can even customize them forr you at 
>the table. His wife, Jane, makes lovely items of 
>needlework and crochet. •        Low-vision 
>Weekly Calendar/Pllanner: This new calendar 
>is  being produced by a Rochester NFB member. 
>Edward Cohen could not find a product that was 
>easy for him to see, easily use and carry with 
>him, so he made his own.  He has started a 
>company called EZ2See Products and has samples 
>of the calendar.  If you could use something 
>like this or know someone who could, stop by. 
>You can also pre-order one and have it by the 
>end of October.  The convention price is $25.00 
>including tax and shipping, vs. the $27.50 price 
>when it goes on sale online. •   Assistive 
>Technology: Guerra Access Technology TTraining 
>LLC will show an array of braille-related and 
>other technology and describe their assistive 
>technology services. •     Vanda 
>Pharmaceuticals: Vanda Pharmaceuticals iis 
>dedicated to raising awareness of Non-24-Hour 
>Sleep-Wake Disorder (Non-24) and supporting the 
>blindness community. Non-24 is a rare circadian 
>rhythm disorder affecting up to 70% of people 
>who are totally blind. Visit them to learn about 
>Non-24 and sign up for additional information. 
>Vanda Pharmaceuticals is a sponsor of this 
>convention. • Hats: Beth Moline from our 
>Central Minnesota chapter makes hats using round 
>looms. The standard size hats are $10 each, the 
>larger ones are $20, and infant sized hats are 
>$5. She will have them with her around the 
>convention (not at a table), so look her up 
>during the weekend! Meetings 
>3:15     Resolutions committee Ryan Strunk, 
>chair—Yakkima Room, 2nd Floor. 3:15  Order of 
>Selection: What Is It and How Does It Affect 
>Services from SSB? Co-Presenters: Dick Davis, 
>Chair, Employment Committee, National Federation 
>of the Blind and Associate Director, BLIND, 
>Incorporated; Natasha Jerde, Counselor 
>Supervisor, Minnesota State Services for the 
>Blind—Winnebago Room, 2nd floor. 
>5::00-7:00        Annual meeting of the 
>Minnesota Association of Blind Students Va'nasha 
>Washington, President—Yakima Roomm, 2nd floor. 
>7:15      Annual Meeting of the Minnesota 
>Association to Promote the Use of Braille Amy 
>Baron, President—Winnebago Room, 2nd Floor 
>7:15 Unleash The Power in Mobile Devices An 
>informal hands-on session for learning and 
>helping others learn about new and useful 
>applications and tips and tricks to increase 
>your productivity and access to information 
>through mobile devices. Come check out the KNFB 
>Reader for iOS and much more!--Yakima Room, 2nd 
>Floor. 7:00-8:30   Registration: $15.00. Banquet 
>tickets, $30.00. Lunch tickets, $20.00. Senior 
>breakfast tickets, $15.00.—Registration Area 
>7:30 ­ 11:00  The Metro Ch Chapter of the 
>National Federation of the Blind of Minnesota 
>invites you to an evening of hospitality!  Light 
>snacks will be provided and there will be a cash 
>bar. Try your hand at board games if you wish, 
>and study up on NFB of Minnesota history for a 
>chance to win fabulous prizes by answering 
>trivia questions! Information on the history of 
>our affiliate is available at www.nfbmn.org 
>under "Who We Are." .—Arapaho Room, 1st Floor. 
>Saturday Morning, OOctober 10 7:00 
>a.m.         Breakfast and Annual Meeting of the 
>National Federation of the Blind of Minnesota 
>Seniors Division (Breakfast $15.00, paid in 
>advance at registration) Joyce Scanlan, 
>President—Boulevard Pub, 1st Floor. 88:15 
>a.m.    Registration: $15.00 (Registration Area) 
>Coffee and Doughnuts available. 
>9:00           Call to order (Navaho/Pawnee 
>Rooms, 2nd Floor) 9:05     Opening Ceremonies 
>Invocation Welcome Convention 
>arrangements/announcements. 9:25       National 
>Report Patti Gregory-Chang, Member of Board of 
>Directors, National Federation of the Blind 
>10:00       BLIND, Incorporated Changing Lives 
>Dan Wenzel, Executive Director, Blindness: 
>Learning in New Dimensions (BLIND), 
>Incorporated; et al 10:35     Dialog with State 
>Services For The Blind Carol Pankow, Director, 
>Minnesota State Services for the Blind 
>11:10   What's New At The Academy Brad Harper, 
>Superintendent, Minnesota State Academy for the 
>Blind, et al 11:30       Up And Running Randi 
>Strunk, Solutions Analyst, Target Corporation, 
>and Runner Extraordinaire 
>11:45             Funding Our Movement, It Must 
>Be Done (Pre-Authorized Contribution Plan) Bob 
>Raisbeck, Pre-Authorized Contribution Plan 
>Committee Chair 
>11:50                   Announcements 
>12:00             Adjourn 12:10   BLIND, Inc. 
>lunch—Navajo/Pawnee Rooms, 2nd Floorr ($20.00). 
>Students and staff of BLIND, Inc. will join 
>Federationists as we celebrate the progress and 
>accomplishments of our consumer-directed 
>training center. Saturday Afternoon, October 10 
>2:00           Call To Order—Navajo/Pawneee 
>Rooms, 2nd Floor. 2:10     Good News From Our 
>Library Catherine Durivage, Director, Minnesota 
>Braille and Talking Book Library 
>2:45        Champions: A Word from Minnesota's 
>Beep Baseball Team Stephen Guerra, Minnesota 
>Millers Team Member, et al 3:00 Voting Privately 
>and Independently: What's Next? Judy Sanders, 
>Secretary, NFB of Minnesota 
>3:25         Graduate School, Year 2: Theory 
>Into Practice Candice Chapman, Graduate Student 
>in School Counseling, University of Minnesota 
>3:45              The Parenting Balancing Act 
>(Or, Things I Thought I  Would Never Say) 
>Jennifer Wenzel, Treasurer, Metro Chapter 
>4:05            Braille: From The Garden Level 
>To Infinity 4:35         President's Report 
>Jennifer Dunnam, President, National Federation 
>of the Blind of Minnesota 
>4:50               Reports/Announcements 
>5:00              Adjourn. Saturday Evening, 
>October 10 6:00                      Social 
>Hour/cash bar 7:00       Banquet ($30.00, 
>Navajo/Pawnee Rooms, 2nd Floor). Master of 
>Ceremonies: Ryan Strunk, President, Metro 
>Chapter Invocation. Introduction of head table. 
>Federation songs. Drawings. Presentation of 
>Essay Contest Winners. Presentation of 2015 NFB 
>of MN scholarships. Keynote Address—Patti 
>Gregorry-Chang, Board of Directors, National 
>Federation of the Blind. Hospitality will follow 
>the banquet. (Cash bar.) Sunday Morning, October 
>11 9:00              Business Session, Call To 
>Order —. Resolutions Ryan Strunk, Chair, 
>Resolutionss Committee In Memoriam Mid-Year 
>Treasurer's Report Alice Hebert, Treasurer, 
>National Federation of the Blind of Minnesota 
>Elections Braille Enrichment for Literacy and 
>Learning: Year One Brook Sexton, Minnesota's 
>BELL Program Coordinator, et al STEM2U Coming to 
>Minnesota Braille Readers Are Leaders is coming 
>Back! Chapter and Division News NFB Committees 
>and Work Groups: Updates and Joining In 
>Representation on committees and councils 
>Resource Center Advisory Council—Charlene 
>Guggisberg Minnesota  State Rehabilitation 
>council for the Blind—Jennifer Dunnnam and 
>others Minnesota State Academy for the Blind 
>Site Council—Tim Aune Academies Governance 
>Board—Jan Bailailey Library Advisory 
>Committee—Bryce Samuelson Announceements 
>12:00               Adjourn Special Thanks The 
>activities of this organization can only succeed 
>with the help and dedication of many 
>Federationists, and the convention is no 
>exception. Particular thanks to the Metro 
>chapter for their hospitality, and to all of the 
>many Federationists who have worked both out in 
>front and behind the scenes to make this 
>convention happen. Thanks as well to our 
>sponsor, Vanda Pharmaceuticals. NFB of Minnesota 
>Board of Directors: Jennifer Dunnam, Saint Louis 
>Park (President) Steve Jacobson, Edina (Vice 
>President) Judy Sanders, Minneapolis (Secretary) 
>Alice Hebert, Minneapolis (Treasurer) Jan 
>Bailey, Rochester Rob Hobson, Minneapolis Sheila 
>Koenig, Minneapolis Bryce Samuelson, Rochester 
>Beverly Stavrum, St. Cloud NFB of Minnesota 
>Chapters: Metro—Ryan Strunkk, President Central 
>Minnesota—Jeffrey Young, President 
>Riverbend—Jack Rupert, President Rochester—Jan 
>Baileyley, President Twin Ports—Alex Loch, 
>President At Large——David Andrews, President 
>Divisions, Committees, Work Groups National 
>Federation of the Blind of Minnesota Seniors’ 
>Division—Joyce Scanlan, President Minnesota 
>Associiation to Promote the Use of Braille—Amy 
>Baron, Presidennt Minnesota Association of Blind 
>Students—Va'nasha Washhington, President 
>Resolutions Committee—Ryan Strunk, Chhair 
>Pre-Authorized Contribution Plan Committee—Bob 
>Raissbeck, Chair Scholarship Committee—Sheila 
>Koenig, Chair Membership Committee—Jan Bailey, 
>Chair Public Relationss Committee—Judy Sanders, 
>Chair Twitter & Facebook—RyaRyan Strunk and 
>Sheila Koenig Pedestrian Safety—Pat Barrettt, 
>Chair KNFB Reader Liaison—Chelsey Duranleau 
>Conventiion Door Prizes—Matt Langland, chair 
>Convention Bake Aucction—Jan Bailey, Charlotte 
>Czarnecki, and other auctionneers and bakers 
>Convention Sound and Recording—Steve Jaacobson 
>and Tim Aune Convention Childcare: Amber 
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         David Andrews and long white cane Harry.
E-Mail:  dandrews at visi.com or david.andrews at nfbnet.org