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Greetings, fellow federationists,<br>
We will meet in less than a month in St. Cloud for the 2019 fall
convention, and I want all of you to be there. You will find the official
invitation letter pasted below. Preregistration forms have been mailed
out shortly, but those wishing to preregister online are encouraged to do
so by going to
<a href="http://www.nfbmn.org/convention">www.nfbmn.org/convention</a>
.<br>
I look forward to seeing you all soon in St. Cloud<br>
Cordially,<br>
Ryan strunk, President<br>
<br>
We of the National Federation of the Blind of Minnesota are pleased to
announce plans for our upcoming annual state convention. Enclosed in this
letter, you will find information you’ll need to know concerning
logistics (including advance registration), costs, and an outline of some
of the events that will take place this year. <br>
<br>
The two-and-1/2 day convention will be held from Oct. 25-27, 2019, at the
Best Western Plus Kelly Inn Hotel at 100 SW 4<sup>th</sup> Avenue S., St.
Cloud, Minnesota, 56301. This year we are pleased to have as our national
representative Dr. Marc Maurer, our long-time national president and
current general counsel in the National Federation of the Blind.<br>
<br>
<b>Hotel arrangements:</b> Room rates are $99.00 per night, plus tax, for
singles, doubles, triples, and quads. <b>Hotel reservations must be made
by Oct. 11.</b> To reserve your hotel room, either<br>
<ol>
<li>Book your room online at
<a href="https://www.bestwestern.com/en_US/book/hotel-rooms.24113.html?groupId=5Z9AG4X9">
https://www.bestwestern.com/en_US/book/hotel-rooms.24113.html?groupId=5Z9AG4X9</a>
</ol>Or<br>
2) Call the hotel at (320) 253-0606 and mention that you are with the
National Federation of the Blind of Minnesota while making your
reservation<br>
<br>
<b>Advance Registration:</b> A pre-registration form and return envelope
are enclosed with this letter, so that you can register for the
convention ahead of time and avoid standing in line. There is also an
online preregistration form at
<a href="http://www.nfbmn.org">www.nfbmn.org</a>. Convention registration
is $10 in advance, and $15 on site. The senior breakfast is $15,
the BLIND Inc. lunch costs $20, and the banquet is $35.<br>
In addition, this year we are pleased to offer an affordable, casual
dinner on Friday night, which will take place between our afternoon
business sessions and our evening division meetings. This dinner will
give you the opportunity to socialize with friends and catch up with
those you may not have seen in a while. The dinner will be structured so
that you will be able to get to all meetings without getting caught in
the restaurant rush. The cost of the dinner is only $15.<br>
If you need vegetarian meals, please mark that option on the form. For
advance registration, the registration form and the payment for
registration, breakfast, lunch, casual dinner, and banquet should be
mailed no later than Oct. 18. Mail to: National Federation of the
Blind of Minnesota, 100 East 22nd Street, Minneapolis, MN 55404.
Checks or money orders should be made payable to NFB of Minnesota.
Please do not send cash.<br>
<br>
If you do not pre-register for the convention, please still e-mail
<a href="mailto:sstarnes@blindinc.org">sstarnes@blindinc.org</a> or call
612-872-0100 to make breakfast, lunch, casual dinner, and banquet
reservations so that we can give the hotel an accurate count. Also, let
her know if you will want a seat on the bus going from the Metro area,
discussed below.<br>
<br>
<b>DUES:</b> If you have not yet paid your $5.00 membership dues, a
renewal slip is enclosed. Please renew your membership by returning
$5.00 and the slip in the enclosed envelope. If you did not receive
a slip with this letter, your dues are paid to June 1, 2020. Dues may
also be paid online at
<a href="http://www.nfbmn.org/join.html">www.nfbmn.org/join.html</a>.<br>
<br>
<b>Transportation</b>: For those traveling from the Twin Cities area, the
Metro Chapter has organized a chartered bus to St. Cloud. A seat
will cost $20 whether you are traveling one way or round trip; seats for
children ages 5 to 12 are $10, and children under 5 ride free. Payment
will be collected on the bus by the chapter. The bus will leave
from our headquarters at 100 East 22<sup>nd</sup> Street at 11:30 A.M. on
Friday morning and will depart from St. Cloud at 1:30 P.M. on Sunday
afternoon. You may use the pre-registration form to reserve a
seat.<br>
<br><br>
<div align="center"><h1><b>SCHEDULE</b></h1><br><br>
</div>
<br>
We will hold our traditional bake auction during the Saturday and Sunday
general sessions and the Saturday evening banquet. Door prizes will
also be given during those times. You must register and be present
in the room to win. <br>
<br>
Some events will be added to this schedule, and more details about the
schedule will be made available as they are finalized. <br>
<br><br>
<h2><b>Friday, October 25:</b></h2><br><br>
<br>
3:00–5:00 p.m.: Registration will be open. Registration will also
be open at other times during the convention. If you
pre-registered, be sure to stop by registration to pick up your meal
tickets and the convention agenda. <br>
<br>
3:00–5:00 P.M.: Skills Fair and Meetings<br>
• Skills Fair
and demonstrations (open throughout the evening);<br>
• Resolutions
committee meeting (Jennifer Dunnam, chair of the Resolutions Committee,
asks that you submit proposed resolutions in advance of the convention
and then come participate in the discussion. You may send your
draft resolutions to Jennifer at the NFB office or e-mail them to
<a href="mailto:jennifer.dunnam1829@gmail.com">
jennifer.dunnam1829@gmail.com</a>. To see the resolutions we have
passed during the past ten years, check our Web site under “What We
Do.”<br>
<br>
5:00-7:00 P.M.: Casual dinner with friendsbeat the dinner rush and enjoy
an affordable meal in a relaxed environment<br>
<br>
7:00-9:00 P.M.: Annual meeting of the Minnesota Association of Blind
Students.<br>
<br>
7:00-9:00 P.M.: Skills Fair Continued<br>
<br>
<br><br>
<h2><b>Saturday, October 26:</b></h2><br><br>
<br>
7:00 A.M.: Breakfast and Annual Meeting of the NFB of Minnesota Seniors
Division. <br>
<br>
8:15 a.m.: Registration opens, and coffee and pastries will be
available.<br>
<br>
9:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m.: General session packed with a variety of information
and discussion on current issues related to blindness. Among other
items, we will talk to Minnesota agencies for the blind, learn from the
stories of our members and friends of all ages, and discuss our current
activities and plans for the future. <br>
<br>
12:00 p.m.: BLIND, Inc. Lunch: Celebrate the progress and accomplishments
of our consumer-directed training center with a delicious lunch and a
program featuring students and staff of BLIND Inc.<br>
<br>
6:00 p.m.: Social hour with cash bar prior to our banquet. Come and
join us for more hospitality.<br>
<br>
7:00 p.m.: Banquet. The banquet will feature an inspiring keynote address
from our national representative, Dr. Marc Maurer, who will inspire us
with his own stories about the National Federation of the Blind.
Following the banquet, stick around with fellow Federationists for an
after-banquet party! <br>
<br><br>
<h2><b>Sunday, October 27:</b></h2><br><br>
<br>
9:00 a.m.–Noon: Business session. We will hear reports, deal with any
remaining resolutions, and much more. The positions of President,
secretary, and two board members will be up for election.<br>
<br><br>
<h2><b>OTHER ITEMS OF NOTE</b></h2><br><br>
<br>
<b><a name="OLE_LINK7"></a>Childcare: </b>Childcare will be provided
<i>during scheduled meetings</i> and <i>during the
banquet.</i><a name="OLE_LINK7"></a> A minimum donation of $20 is
requested. For more information, check the box on the pre-registration
form, and we will contact you.<br>
<br>
<b>Cash Prizes for Essays:</b> The Metro Chapter invites all Minnesota
Federationists to participate in its annual essay contest. Although
there is not a specific essay question, the essay should be focused on
experiences as a blind person and highlight a positive message or
outcome. The length of the essay should be about 2-3 pages.
The winning essay will be published in the Minnesota Bulletin, and the
writer will receive $75. Another $50 will be awarded in a random
drawing from the rest of the essays, which will also be considered for
publication. Both winners will be announced at the banquet on Saturday
evening. All entries must be received by Oct. 18, 2019.
E-mail them to Kathy McGillivray at
<a href="mailto:gilgal63@gmail.com">gilgal63@gmail.com</a>.<br>
<br>
Our convention each year is an opportunity for the blind of our state to
come together for a common cause, to educate ourselves and others, and to
strengthen our bonds of friendship. We will share public services
and other resources for the blind, exchange ideas, and formulate plans
and policies for the coming year. Make plans to join us and be a
part of the excitement!<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
Ryan Strunk, President<br>
<a href="mailto:president@nfbmn.org">president@nfbmn.org</a><br>
<a href="http://www.nfb.org/" eudora="autourl">www.nfb.org</a><br>
<a href="http://www.nfbmn.org">www.nfbmn.org</a><br>
(612) 872-9363<br>
Live the life you Want.</blockquote></body>
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