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</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--></head><body lang=EN-US link=blue vlink=purple style='word-wrap:break-word'><div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>The hotel needs our final meal count sooner than we expected, so please register as soon as possible…but no later than Friday, August 2. The details are below. <o:p></o:p></p><div><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><div><p class=MsoNormal>Corbb<o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:12.0pt'><br>Begin forwarded message:<o:p></o:p></p></div><blockquote style='margin-top:5.0pt;margin-bottom:5.0pt'><div><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:12.0pt'><b>From:</b> Corbb O'Connor <<a href="mailto:president@nfbmn.org">president@nfbmn.org</a>><br><b>Date:</b> July 17, 2024 at 7:07:45 PM CDT<br><b>To:</b> NFB News <<a href="mailto:nfbmn-news@nfbnet.org">nfbmn-news@nfbnet.org</a>><br><b>Subject:</b> <b>If you want lunch on Aug. 10, please register today!</b><br><b>Reply-To:</b> Corbb O'Connor <<a href="mailto:president@nfbmn.org">president@nfbmn.org</a>><o:p></o:p></p></div></blockquote><blockquote style='margin-top:5.0pt;margin-bottom:5.0pt'><div><p class=MsoNormal><o:p></o:p></p><div><p class=MsoNormal style='-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0)'><span style='font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif;color:black'>Bottom-line up front: <a href="https://forms.gle/BhsXGHbf4PW3yuMi8"><span style='color:#C885A9'>Register for lunch on August 10</span></a>and <a href="https://group.doubletree.com/8y15v9"><span style='color:#C885A9'>make reservations for state convention</span></a>!<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0)'><span style='font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif;color:black'> <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0)'><span style='font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif;color:black'>Good <span class=grame>evening</span> friends,<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0)'><span style='font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif;color:black'> <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0)'><span style='font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif;color:black'>We talk every year about how national convention is the jolt of energy that we all need to continue our zeal to live the lives we want and continue the work of the organized blind movement. What strikes me, though, is the speeches that bring tears to my eyes. This year, it was the sage advice from blind children themselves, their teachers, filmmakers, lawyers, and the recap of the work that we’ve all done together. I’m grateful for your partnership and the innumerable ways that each of you contribute.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0)'><span style='font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif;color:black'> <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0)'><u><span style='font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif;color:black'>On August 10</span></u><span style='font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif;color:black'>, the NFB of Minnesota’s board of directors will gather at the DoubleTree Saint Paul East hotel, also the site of our 2024 state convention, for a focused conversation on membership development. Tracy Soforenko, president of the NFB of Virginia and member of our national board, will lead us in an exercise that is sure to entertain, challenge, and encourage us in methods for finding more blind people to join our movement. He’s promised me something about pirates…<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0)'><span style='font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif;color:black'> <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0)'><span style='font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif;color:black'>While the meeting will be hybrid over Zoom, I hope that you’ll join us in person. In addition to discussing our largest annual fundraiser and upcoming state convention, we will tour the hotel so we’re ready for our biggest event of the year in November.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0)'><span style='font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif;color:black'> <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0)'><span style='font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif;color:black'>Lunch is $24, and it will be served <u>around 11:30am</u>. Please <a href="https://forms.gle/BhsXGHbf4PW3yuMi8"><span style='color:#C885A9'>register and pay online</span></a> by <u>August 2, 2024</u>. Please reach out to me personally if you need financial assistance or if you have any access needs of which I should be aware. We plan to have accessible documents, a request for speakers to use microphones our assistive-listening devices, auto-captions on Zoom, and a gender-neutral restroom available.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0)'><span style='font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif;color:black'> <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0)'><span style='font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif;color:black'>While you’re at it, it’s time to make room reservations for state convention! The convention will <u>start on Friday, November 1 at 9am</u> and conclude <u>on Sunday, November 3 at noon</u>. However, we’ll have a fun event the night before (details coming soon), so you may want to plan your arrival for <u>Thursday, October 31</u> (yep, that’s a Halloween event but I promise it won’t be scary).<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0)'><span style='font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif;color:black'> <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0)'><span style='font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif;color:black'>You can <a href="https://group.doubletree.com/8y15v9"><span style='color:#C885A9'>book your state convention room online with this special link</span></a>, or you can call the DoubleTree Saint Paul East at </span><u><span style='font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif;color:#C885A9'>(651) 731-2220</span></u><span style='font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif;color:black'> (ask for the National Federation of the Blind rate).<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0)'><span style='font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif;color:black'> <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0)'><span style='font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif;color:black'>The address for the DoubleTree Saint Paul East is <u>2201 Burns Ave, St Paul, MN 55119</u>. We are working with the hotel to secure a shuttle from the nearby Green Line station, so please stay tuned for details. This November, we will for sure have access to that shuttle on Thursday, Friday, and Sunday.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0)'><span style='font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif;color:black'> <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0)'><span style='font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif;color:black'>I look forward to seeing you <u>on August 10</u>, and please remember to <a href="https://forms.gle/BhsXGHbf4PW3yuMi8"><span style='color:#C885A9'>register and pay online</span></a> by <u>August 2, 2024</u>.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0)'><span style='font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif;color:black'> <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0)'><span style='font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif;color:black'>Corbb<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0)'><span style='font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif;color:black'> <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0)'><span style='font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif;color:black'>Corbb O'Connor (he/him), President<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0)'><span style='font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif;color:black'>National Federation of the Blind of Minnesota<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0)'><span style='font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif;color:black'><a href="http://www.nfbmn.org/"><span style='color:#C885A9'>www.nfbmn.org</span></a> | </span><u><span style='font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif;color:#C885A9'>(612) 872-9363</span></u><span style='font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif;color:black'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0)'><span style='font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif;color:black'> <o:p></o:p></span></p></div><p class=MsoNormal>_______________________________________________<br>NFBMN-News mailing list<br><a href="mailto:NFBMN-News@nfbnet.org">NFBMN-News@nfbnet.org</a><br><a href="http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nfbmn-news_nfbnet.org">http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nfbmn-news_nfbnet.org</a><br>To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for NFBMN-News:<br><a href="http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nfbmn-news_nfbnet.org/corbb%40rushpost.com">http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nfbmn-news_nfbnet.org/corbb%40rushpost.com</a><o:p></o:p></p></div></blockquote></div></div></body></html>