[Ncabs] Fwd: [nabs-l] NABS Notes October 2015

Sun Oct 25 23:04:38 UTC 2015

Bobbi A. L. Pompey
(336) 988-6375
http://bobbialpompey.webs.com 

Begin forwarded message:

> From: Hindley Williams via nabs-l <nabs-l at nfbnet.org>
> Date: October 21, 2015 at 10:19:31 PM EDT
> To: nabs-l at nfbnet.org
> Cc: Hindley Williams <hbwilliams16 at gmail.com>, officeofthepresident at nfb.org, nfbnet-students-list at nfbnet.org
> Subject: [nabs-l] NABS Notes October 2015
> Reply-To: National Association of Blind Students mailing list <nabs-l at nfbnet.org>
> 
> Fellow Federationists,
> Below and attached, you will find the NABS Notes for the month of
> October. This edition features several upcoming NABS events, as well
> as a variety of state updates. If you have any questions or
> suggestions regarding the NABS Notes, please feel free to reach out to
> me at hbwilliams16 at gmail.com. Happy reading!
> All Best,
> Hindley
> 
> NABS Notes October 2015
> 
> The National Association of Blind Students --
> A proud division of the National Federation of the Blind.
> 
> In this edition of NABS’ monthly bulletin:
> 
> 1.    Last Chance to Join the 2015 Legislative Leadership Workshop
> 2.    October Membership call: Meet the NABS Board
> 3.    State Updates
> 4.    NABS Board Meeting Minutes for October
> 
> Last Chance to Join the 2015 Legislative Leadership Workshop
> 
> Are you passionate about shaping the future for blind students through
> legislative initiatives? Are you interested in advocacy, but don't
> know how to get started?
> If so, join the National Association of Blind Students and the
> National Federation of the Blind of Connecticut for an empowering and
> interactive legislative workshop!
> 
> WHO: Any students who have an interest in legislative action.  Both
> experts and novices are welcome and will benefit from this exciting
> workshop.
> WHAT: An afternoon of interactive breakouts, moderated discussions and
> informative presentations that will provide you with the skills and
> know-how that will prepare you to improve accessibility of technology
> and educational opportunities for the blind by passing laws in
> Congress.
> WHEN: Saturday, November 7, 2015 from 1:00-5:00 p.m.
> WHERE: The Holiday Inn, 35 Governor Winthrop Blvd. New London, CT 06320
> 
> Interested? Act now! Space is limited, and the NFB of CT has
> graciously volunteered to cover the cost of registration, lunch and
> banquet dinner on the day of the event for the first 20 registrants.
> Hurry up and register today:
> http://goo.gl/forms/HLd0DC6RWF
> Have questions? Get answers!
> Email Sean Whalen at nabs.president at gmail.com or call 262 309-1034.
> 
> We hope to see you in Connecticut in November. Let’s build up
> legislative leaders and build a brighter future for blind students
> across America!
> 
> October Membership Call: Meet the NABS Board
> 
> Have you been wanting to know more about this year’s NABS Board?
> Wondering what new and exciting things NABS is doing? Well, wait no
> longer! Join the Membership Committee for its October Membership
> Call! We will be introducing the members of our board and updating
> you on the new structure of our committees and what each of them will
> be doing this year!
> 
> Please join us Sunday, October 25th at 7 p.m. eastern for this month's
> membership call. Use phone number 605-475-6700 and use code: 7869673.
> As always, if you have any questions, please don't hesitate to reach
> out to Candice Chapman, membership committee chair at
> chapman.candicel at gmail.com.
> 
> State Updates
> 
> All announcements are printed below as they were received from their senders.
> 
> Arizona:
> Greetings from the Arizona students association! Here in the valley of
> the sun we are all thankful for the October month because with it
> comes a slight weather change!!!
> This year our students division is hard at work planning for a state
> wide seminar we would like to host. During this seminar we plan to
> conduct presentations on blindness, recruit new members, and out reach
> with the general public. It is our goal to not only increase our
> student involvement but also increase the knowledge of the general
> public regarding blindness. We all understand that we are capable of
> living the lives we want through hope, love, and determination, but
> there are some people who do not know this fact so we are hard at work
> spreading the word that here in Arizona, blindness is not what defines
> us!
> We are looking forward to this year and all the impact we will make
> either through the recruitment of new members or social awareness of
> blindness. Have a great October and awesome Halloween from all of us
> in AABS!!!
> 
> California:
> My my how time does fly! The NFB of California State Convention is
> less than two weeks away. We will gather in Newark, CA at the
> Doubletree hotel on Thursday, October 29, and our convention will run
> through Sunday, November 1. There will be much excitement, including a
> CABS pizza social immediately followed by our annual business meeting,
> entitled Feeling the Power! We even have something for your sweet
> tooth, as we will be selling high quality chocolates from Trader Joes
> and Whole Foods. So come join us, meet new people, be inspired, and
> let's Feel the Power!
> 
> Colorado:
> CABS just held a student leadership seminar on September 26th, 2015.
> We educated students from all corners of Colorado about advocating and
> succeeding in college.  Presenters spoke about rehabilitation services
> for blind college students and financial aid as well as other positive
> topics.  We are now getting ready for our student meeting which will
> be held on Saturday October 31st at the Colorado State convention.  We
> have some exciting fund raising planned for the convention.  One of
> them includes selling hand made key chains.  There is a handful of the
> key chains that say in braille the NFB's quote: "Live the life you
> want." Mark Riccobono is our National Representative for convention.
> We will have more updates after the Colorado State convention. Thanks!
> 
> Connecticut:
> The Connecticut Association of Blind Students (CTABS) will hold its
> fourth annual business meeting, including elections, on Saturday,
> November 7, as part of the National Federation of the Blind of
> Connecticut State Convention, at which we will continue our snack pack
> fundraiser. We are proud that a graduate of the summer program at
> BLIND, Inc., has recently joined our division: until that point, the
> Louisiana Center for the Blind was the only one represented in our
> entire state affiliate. Our membership continues to grow as, together,
> with love, hope, and determination, we are transforming dreams into
> reality.
> 
> Georgia:
> GABS held our state convention from October 9-11. On Friday night, the
> Gems program, a mentoring program composed of students,  hosted a
> pizza dinner. Afterword, we had a card game fundraiser. The next day
> at our business meeting, we spoke about vocational rehabilitation,
> scholarships, stenography, heard from our NABS rep Hindley Williams,
> and more. Elections were held, voting in Justin Heard as president,
> Joseph Pier-louis as vice-president, Nautica Whitehead as secretary,
> Jackson Schwoble as treasurer, and Ernic Eyma as a board member. We
> look forward to the year to come.
> 
> Illinois:
> Our state convention will be held from October 30-November 1. There
> will be lots of fun things going on including IABS Idol, a costume
> contest, and a student lunch where our NABS rep Candice Chapman will
> present.
> 
> Kansas:
> Fellow students, I am writing to share with you some exciting updates
> in our lovely state of Kansas. We are proud to announce that the NFB
> of Kansas has recently established a student division, and we are
> delighted to finally join our big family. We are working hard on
> recruitment, and hopefully soon we will bring in many more people to
> build the federation together. During this month we elected the board,
> voting in Anya Avramenko as president, Alosha Moore as vice president,
> Ashley Neybert as secretary, and Pavan Chelikani as treasurer. We are
> rapidly approaching the time of our state convention, which will take
> place in Wichita, Kansas on November 20 through 22nd. We are very
> excited about this event because it will be our first convention where
> the members of our newly-formed student division will have a chance to
> get together to brainstorm ideas and to create a plan for our future
> activities and projects. We have invited our national liaison from
> NABS, Hindley Williams, who will help us generate ideas about making
> our student division active and successful. We might be able to stream
> our convention online, and everyone is invited to virtually join and
> enjoy our great convention with us. Later we will be posting the
> information about the means through which the streaming will be
> available. Anybody who would like to come and participate is also
> welcome!
> We are very excited that, despite all the challenges, we were still
> able to create the student division in Kansas, and we greatly
> anticipate collaborative work with NABS in the future. All the members
> of Kansas student division are very involved, dedicated, and
> enthusiastic, and I am looking forward to working with them on
> building the lives we want.
> For any questions, comments, or suggestions, please reach the
> president Anya Avramenko at: (720)499-4730, or via e-mail at:
> annita.co.usa at gmail.com
> Or vice president Alosha Moore at (316)312-3454 or via e-mail at:
> aloshamoore at gmail.com
> 
> Maryland:
> The 49th convention of the NFB of Maryland is just around the corner,
> and the Maryland Association of Blind Students is hard at work
> planning a variety of activities which will empower you to live the
> life you want as a blind student. The focal point of our activities
> will be our annual business meeting, which will take place on Friday,
> November 13 from 2:00-4:00 PM. We have a jam-packed agenda planned,
> including a presentation from a blind chemistry professor who shows
> that blindness need not hold you back from participating in
> college-level science classes, inspiring remarks from our affiliate
> President about how students serve as a valuable part of our movement,
> an informational presentation on the ABLE Act and how it can benefit
> you as a blind student, a panel of college students who share their
> firsthand perspectives on the college experience, and much more. Also,
> we are planning a fun and inspiring luncheon just for students on
> Saturday afternoon, featuring an opportunity to get to know our
> members and leaders, a keynote address by our national representative,
> Jeanie Massay, and—oh yes—pizza! This will be a convention you will
> not want to miss! Join us November 13-15 at the Carousel Hotel in
> beautiful Ocean City as we learn together how the Maryland Association
> of Blind Students is transforming dreams into reality!
> 
> Massachusetts:
> MASSABS hosted our fall student meeting on Saturday October 17 at
> Harvard Law School. We had around 20 people in attendance including
> three newbies. We are also beginning to plan our state convention
> agenda for February 2016 in Boston.
> 
> Michigan:
> The Michigan Association of Blind Students is busy planning for a weekend of
> federation fun, food, and friendship to take place during our state
> convention on November 6 - 8, 2015 in Lansing, Michigan. The festivities
> kick off on Friday evening with a student dinner followed by ice breaker
> games. The activities continue On Saturday with a business meeting during
> the convention lunch break where we will hear from our national
> Representative, Kevan Worley, along with electing new members to our board.
> We will also be holding a raffle fundraiser with three fabulous prizes. For
> more information on how you can get involved with these fun activities,
> please contact MABS President, Jordyn Castor, at students at nfbmi.org
> 
> Minnesota:
> The Minnesota Association of Blind Students has a new board! The new
> officers are as follows:
> President: Cody Beardslee
> 1st Vice President: Jessica Katzung
> 2nd Vice President: Megan Bening
> Secretary: Quinn Haberl
> Treasurer: Candice Chapman
> I am excited to be working with the new Board! We look forward to
> keeping you posted with all of our news and events!
> -Candice Chapman
> 
> North Carolina:
> Hello and Happy Halloween from the students of the North Carolina
> Association of Blind Students, better known as NCABS!!!The focus of
> our conference call this month was to lay out the goals for NCABS over
> the next year. Five committees were appointed to help us reach our
> goals and continue to make NCABS better and better. The Event Planning
> Committee will be planning events for blind students across the state.
> The Fundraising Committee will be creating ways for us to raise money
> and help fund the movement. Our Legislative Committee will be
> advocating for equal access legislation. We will be spreading the word
> about NCANS and the NFB through our Media and Publicity Committee. And
> last, but not least, our Membership Committee will be using creative
> and strategic methods to increase the number of people participating
> in our great organizations. So as you see, NCABS has a lot planned for
> the next year and with our dedicated members we are sure to reach them
> all. Please stay tuned for more NCABS updates, and spread the word
> about us to any blind students you know in our great state!
> 
> Pennsylvania:
> The Pennsylvania Association of Blind Students is gearing up for what
> is sure to be a memorable state convention! Our state convention will
> be taking place from November 13-15 in Wilkes-Barre, PA. We are
> excited to have President Mark Riccobono at our convention as the
> national rep. We are also excited for our student activities,
> including a business meeting on Friday evening, and a fifty-fifty
> raffle fundraiser. For any questions about how to attend our state
> convention, please contact Hindley Williams at hbwilliams16 at gmail.com.
> 
> Texas:
> Here in Texas, we are looking forward to our state convention to be
> held in Austin on November 13-15. We have a jam packed business
> meeting happening on Friday night in which elections will be held.
> TABS will be selling snack packs and breakfast tacos during the
> convention. These snack packs are filled with tons of goodies and are
> worth their $5.00. We will be having a lunch for students on Saturday
> afternoon. As usual, our convention promises to be filled with fun,
> food, and federation friends and family.
> 
> Virginia:
> We are 2 weeks away from what will be an amazing convention!!
> Convention will be held at Tyson's Corner in Falls Church, VA. We have
> a great youth track planned which will involve a halloween themed meet
> and greet on Friday evening where students will meet other students
> and mentors and participate in icebreakers. In addition students will
> have a travel excursion to the Metro and will have a seminar lead by
> one of our great leaders in the Federation, Dr. Fred Schroeder.
> Saturday afternoon, the student division will conduct our annual
> business meeting, which will include elections. It will be an exciting
> time as new leaders emerge. We are also planning to have two different
> fundraisers during convention, one of which is a jailbreak fundraiser
> borrowed from the North Carolina Association of Blind Students. The
> other will be a bake sale at the exhibit hall. We are looking forward
> to have a great time and welcoming Kathryn Webster, our NABS rep, to
> Virginia.
> 
> October NABS Board Meeting Minutes
> 
> National Association of Blind Students
> 
> Board Meeting Minutes
> October 18, 2015
> 
> Meeting called to order at 9:04 p.m.
> 
> Members Present:
> 
> Sean Whalen (President)
> Candice Chapman (1st Vice President)
> Bre Brown (2nd Vice President)
> Kathryn Webster (Secretary/Treasurer)
> Hindley Williams (Board Member 1)
> Chris Nusbaum (Board member 3)
> 
> Treasurer’s Report:
> Checking account: $4,848.82
> Authorization needed for Hindley’s reimbursement and Candice’s agenda copies.
> No outstanding checks.
> We are going to handle Stitchville by sending Al Elia a check.
> 
> Committee Reports
> 
> Communications: Bre, Hindley, and Chris
> NABS Notes: In need of state updates; due to Hindley Monday at
> midnight. Email hbwilliams16 at gmail.com.
> We will start incorporating our one-minute message in NABS Notes.
> Social Media: Increasing followers and friends on Twitter and Facebook
> (respectively.) Please join and share our event for the “2015
> Legislative Leadership Workshop” that will take place during the 2015
> Connecticut State Convention on Saturday, November 7.
> Blog: BELL blog is coming.
> Bre is working on scholarship page. Bre and Kathryn will begin
> incorporating new links into our website to list scholarship
> opportunities.
> 
> Fundraising: Kathryn
> Please spread Gofundme (www.gofundme.com/blindstudents) to family,
> friends, colleagues, different Facebook groups/pages.
> Distribute funding packet to local businesses,
> sororities/fraternities, Lions Clubs, Elks lodges, etc.
> We are having a Chile’s fundraiser on October 21 in Ruston, LA.
> We have an Applebee’s fundraiser in December.
> 
> Legislative: Sean and Kathryn
> Legislative workshop: Registration is still open. The first 20
> registrants will receive free registration, meals, and banquet dinner
> for the CT State Convention courtesy of the CT Affiliate. You can find
> the workshop registration link on our website. Please encourage your
> states to register. If in need of transportation funding, reach out to
> local chapters and affiliates.
> Letter campaign: We are pushing for 250 by early to mid-December.
> Please write one if you have not; and please encourage your states to
> do the same.
> College update: Progress at Arizona State University, Wake Forest
> University, and Ramapo College
> 
> Membership: Candice
> Interested in doing a “Meet the Board” conference call. This is
> planned for Sunday, October 25 at 7 p.m. eastern. Let your states
> know; and Candice will handle the blast through NABS-L and NFB Student
> list.
> 
> Website: Kathryn
> Please send state president updates to Kathryn as conventions happen.
> 
> State Updates
> Minnesota: new Board; new president; excited for the upcoming year;
> Candice was in attendance.
> Georgia: Went really well; Hindley was the NABS Rep. Good fundraisers
> Maryland: Convention November 13-15; Chris would love for board members to come
> Michigan: Candice will handle it if it’s either Friday evening or Saturday
> Colorado: We will not be sending a NABS Rep since it is two weeks
> away, but we will hopefully appear through Skype.
> Note: NABS Reps should be in contact with the National Rep prior to Convention.
> 
> Old Business:
> Matching for Washington Seminar: We will be distributing the
> application for student sponsorship very soon. Forms are due on
> November 22 and decisions will be made on December 15. Please recruit
> future leaders, current leaders, and your states. Funding will be
> determined based on how much we raise by the deadline. Anil, Patti,
> Kathryn, and Sean will be discussing further details this week.
> Note: Dates are tentative for application and turn around.
> 
> New Business:
> We will be putting our NFB logo on all social media accounts and website.
> Creating a NABS Rep follow-up form for state presidents to fill out
> after State Conventions.
> 
> Washington Seminar activities: Legislative training on Monday
> afternoon potentially. Instead of our Resource Fair, we could
> distribute a resource packet.
> We will be in contact with President Riccobono on his thoughts, since
> there is a legislative training already held each year.
> Fundraising during Washington Seminar: NABS Auction on Monday or
> Tuesday? Will be decided at next meeting.
> 
> Meeting adjourned at 10:13 p.m.
> 
> As always, please do not hesitate to contact us with any questions,
> concerns or suggestions. The NABS Board works for you, and we want to
> know how we’re doing! Thanks for reading, and we’ll be back in
> November.
> 
> The National Federation of the Blind 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.
> 
> 
> -- 
> Hindley Williams
> hbwilliams16 at gmail.com
> (443) 823-0867
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