<html><head><meta http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"></head><body dir="auto"><br><br><div dir="ltr">Rochelle Houston,<div>National Federation of the Blind of California</div><div>President, Pathfinder Chapter Los Angeles<br><div>rhouston58@gmail.com</div><div>323 807-0300</div><div>The National Federation of the Blind is a community of members and friends who believe in the hopes and dreams of the nations blind. Every day we work together to help blind people live the lives they want. </div></div></div><div dir="ltr"><br>Begin forwarded message:<br><br></div><blockquote type="cite"><div dir="ltr"><b>From:</b> "Cricket X. Bidleman via NFBC-Info" <nfbc-info@nfbnet.org><br><b>Date:</b> December 1, 2022 at 9:22:00 AM PST<br><b>To:</b> NFB of California List <nfbc-info@nfbnet.org><br><b>Cc:</b> "Cricket X. Bidleman" <cricketbidleman@gmail.com><br><b>Subject:</b> <b>[NFBC-Info] President's notebook, December 2022</b><br><b>Reply-To:</b> NFB of California List <nfbc-info@nfbnet.org><br><br></div></blockquote><blockquote type="cite"><div dir="ltr"><span>Dear all,</span><br><span></span><br><span>We had a great convention just under a month ago, and I hope this will</span><br><span>lead to an energetic, productive year.</span><br><span></span><br><span>Pre-convention, we had 200 attendees, 160 of whom attended in-person,</span><br><span>and 40 of whom attended virtually. I’m sure that people registered</span><br><span>on-site as well. Endless thanks to all of our sponsors, and to</span><br><span>President Mark Riccobono and Gene Kim for being our national</span><br><span>representative and NABS representative, respectively. I appreciate</span><br><span>President Riccobono’s authenticity, and I love Gene’s great sense of</span><br><span>humor. 😊 And of course, congratulations to our new board members,</span><br><span>Carmen Varella and Karen Steele. We all very much look forward to your</span><br><span>contributions and energy over the course of your terms.</span><br><span></span><br><span>At the auction, the affiliate made $5930.80, which will fund our</span><br><span>efforts over the coming year. Thanks in particular to Clusiv, whose</span><br><span>donations of two year-long courses will, I hope, prove valuable to the</span><br><span>people who won them. That was a spectacular, lively auction, and I</span><br><span>hope this trend will continue in future years.</span><br><span></span><br><span>The Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DE&I) committee recommended a</span><br><span>constitutional amendment for gender-neutral language. We appreciate</span><br><span>your voting it through. We also appreciate your passing of the virtual</span><br><span>voting resolution, and are already planning for this next year. We</span><br><span>plan to have bi-monthly calls that are open to general membership, and</span><br><span>will get back to you on the schedule for that.</span><br><span></span><br><span>Washington Seminar is coming up. This is a great opportunity to push</span><br><span>for our legislative priorities, including the Websites and Software</span><br><span>Applications Accessibility Act, which will be integral to our future.</span><br><span>It is far past time that we be included in technological development,</span><br><span>instead of being left one step behind. Each year, the affiliate</span><br><span>provides funding for a number of people to attend Washington Seminar.</span><br><span>This year, the board has chosen to provide up to 15 people with up to</span><br><span>$1000 to represent us in the nation’s capital. Please apply for</span><br><span>funding here: https://ulwxastpyh.formstack.com/forms/washington_seminar</span><br><span></span><br><span>And, of course, it is now the holiday season. I have mixed feelings</span><br><span>around the holidays, but it’s an opportunity to celebrate the passage</span><br><span>of another year with family and friends. It’s a great time for baked</span><br><span>goods, New Year’s resolutions, decorations, music, and other</span><br><span>festivities. And thank-you notes, which are important in showing</span><br><span>appreciation for gifts and for people. Got any favorite holiday</span><br><span>recipes? Send them my way—I’m always looking for new things to try.</span><br><span></span><br><span>I wasn’t aware of the NFB tradition of Santa letters until recently.</span><br><span>It’s a great bonding opportunity. You can get a packet containing a</span><br><span>Braille letter, a print one, and some Christmas activities complete</span><br><span>with instructions. The deadline is December 17th. Here’s the link:</span><br><span>https://nfb.org/programs-services/early-childhood-initiatives/santa-letters</span><br><span></span><br><span>The San Diego chapter will be having a Double Good Popcorn fundraiser</span><br><span>from December 15-19. Someone from the chapter will send a link once</span><br><span>its available. Popcorn is a great stocking stuffer, party favor, etc.</span><br><span>I help my friends make some every year, so trust me when I say that</span><br><span>getting some is a lot more convenient than making giant pots of</span><br><span>caramel.</span><br><span></span><br><span>That’s it for now. Update from San Fernando Valley below. Please</span><br><span>contact your chapters and divisions if you feel that they should</span><br><span>include something in here. Have a wonderful holiday season!</span><br><span></span><br><span>Best,</span><br><span>Cricket</span><br><span></span><br><span>San Fernando Valley Holiday Party: December 10, RSVP Required</span><br><span></span><br><span>Tis' the season to be jolly! Let's all make this season bright! Come</span><br><span>and join the San Fernando Valley Chapter at our annual Holiday</span><br><span>Party.</span><br><span>Date: Saturday, December 10, 2022</span><br><span>Venue: Fresh Grill Cuisine</span><br><span>Place exclusively reserved: 5:30 pm to 9 pm.</span><br><span>Address: 8245 Woodman Ave, Panorama City, CA 91402</span><br><span>The cross street is Roscoe Blvd. RSVP on or before Wednesday, December</span><br><span>7, 2022. Call or text 818-404-7646 so we can forward the headcount</span><br><span>directly to the Branch Manager.</span><br><span>Sitting capacity: 30-35</span><br><span>For the Holiday fun, all attendees should wear a Santa hat and bring a</span><br><span>gift item or gift card valued at $10 for a game. Click the link</span><br><span>below, navigate to the heading for PANORAMA CITY/NORTH HOLLYWOOD —</span><br><span>LOCATION , And click the full menu link. Please plan your orders</span><br><span>ahead so we can avoid delays and confusion at the party.</span><br><span>Full Menu — fresh grill mediterranean cuisine:</span><br><span>https://freshgrillcuisine.com Let's all join and have the most</span><br><span>wonderful time of the year!</span><br><span></span><br><span>-- </span><br><span>Cricket X. Bidleman, B.A (she/her/hers)</span><br><span>M.A Candidate | Stanford Journalism Class of 2022</span><br><span>Co-Chair | Stanford Daily Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee</span><br><span>Member | Blind Advisory Committee, California Department of Vocational</span><br><span>rehabilitation</span><br><span></span><br><span>_______________________________________________</span><br><span>NFBC-Info mailing list</span><br><span>NFBC-Info@nfbnet.org</span><br><span>http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nfbc-info_nfbnet.org</span><br><span>To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for NFBC-Info:</span><br><span>http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nfbc-info_nfbnet.org/rhouston58%40gmail.com</span><br></div></blockquote></body></html>