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</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--></head><body lang=EN-US link="#0563C1" vlink="#954F72"><div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal>Hello NFBNY<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>First of all, to anyone who is a member of the NYAGDU board, if you looked at your calendars that we handed out at convention, then you probably knew that there was meant to be a NYAGDU quarterly board meeting call yesterday evening. If you are subscribed to New York News then you probably knew that there was a seniors group call yesterday evening at the same time. I have rescheduled the NYAGDU quarterly board meeting for the same Sunday, second Sunday of the month, for next month in January. The way that I planned out the master calendar left the first Sunday of every month open as Mike expressed that that is typically when he will want to hold affiliate board calls. The third Sunday of every month is the NYAGDU monthly conference call, and I used the second Sunday of the month for quarterly calls for NYPBC and NYAGDU. Quarterly calls, as their name suggests, are scheduled four times a year,, so every 3 months. Therefor the NYAGDU and NYPBC calls take up 8 out of a possible 12 second Sundays, leaving those remaining 4 Sundays clear for any other division which wishes to use the day. To that end we have an open second Sunday in which we can place the missed NYAGDU quarterly board meeting in January 2019.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>I know that many of you have been waiting for accessible, Braille or electronic versions of the calendar that we handed out in print in late October. I wanted to wait to release the calendar until I had information to put the Students Division and At Large Chapter’s calls on to the calendar. I have heard back from NYABS and they wish to hold off on holding regularly schedule conference calls until they increase their membership. I still have not been able to secure information pertaining to when the At Large Chapter wishes to meet in 2019, as they currently use a Tuesday evening but there was some discussion that their dates might be changing? I am going to release the calendar as is at the end of the week because we have had low attendance on various calls due to the calendar not being available in an accessible format to everyone. If The NYABS wants to make any changes since I last contacted them, or if the At Large Chapter can give me any info on when they intend to meet in 2019, prior to Saturday then I will insure that that information is correct in the calendar. Carl, can you please call or email me and let me know what the intentions are of the seniors group for meetings by phone? I can add you to the calendar. This will help avoid scheduling conflicting meetings, and will help increase the likelihood that people will remember, access, and participate in all of the groups and divisions that they wish. The fourth Sunday is currently totally clear if Seniors wants to snag it? The first was reserved by the affiliate, the second has quarterly board meetings for NYAGDU and NYPBC, and the third has NYAGDU’s monthly call, but the fourth is wide open. There are other evenings available on other days as well.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>In future I will endeavor to do the following:<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>1. Provide an electronic copy of the calendar on Saturday, December 15<sup>th</sup> on New York News.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>2. Email a copy to anyone who emails me at <a href="mailto:heather.L.bird@gmail.com">heather.L.bird@gmail.com</a>, requesting an electronic copy.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>3. Send an email in the beginning of each month to NY News with just the calls for that month listed in a brief format.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>4. Send a day before reminder for each call to NY News, and to the relevant additional mailing lists, such as sending a reminder to the NYAGDU and NAGDU lists of the NYAGDU calls or an email to the NOPBC and NYPBC lists for the NYPBC calls, and so on and so forward.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>5. Provide a copy of the schedule to Arthur so that he can put an accessible copy somewhere on the website, or use the contents of the calendar to update a time-line, events section, or similar on the website.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>6. If you would like, or, chapter presidents, if you have members who read Braille, and who do not use email or the web, please contact me and we will get copies Brailed and sent to those who cannot access this information in either large or standard print or in electronic formats.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>7. I am looking into a google voice number to serve as a call-in announcements message of calls, meetings, and other events which those who are newly blind or who do not read Braille or use adapted tech could call-in to access this information.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>If anyone has suggestions or questions, or input please send it to me prior to Saturday.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p></div></body></html>