[NFBC-SFV] June minutes of the SFV Chapter meeting

Wed Jul 1 12:55:31 UTC 2020

Greetings.

Hope everyone's keeping safe and staying healthy.

Below is the June minutes. Please let me know if you have any corrections
and/oradditions .

Thanx. 

JUNE, 2020 minutes of the meeting 

The National Federation of the Blind of California

San Fernando Valley Chapter 

The meeting was  called to order at 10:05 am. We began with the Pledge of
Allegiance, the NFB Pledge and the 1 minute message. 

Question for the day: What do you  like to do for 4th of July?

In attendance: Total 28.

27 members and1 guest.  

Rochelle Yohai, Sharon Watson, Julian Vargas, Jane Suh, Robert Stigile -
Chapter President, Joy Stigile, Julie Skujins, Jo Anne Seaman, Joe Otoole,
Lynne Nishihara, Portia Mason, Jose Lomeli, Lindsay Kerr, Betsy Estrada,
Tiffanny Johnson, Ron Hilliard - Member-At-Large,  Juanita Herrera - Vice
President, Karen Elo, David and Valerie Delawder, Jaymee Castillo, Keith
Caballa, Sheila Biglang-awa - Secretary, Terry Almy, John and Nancy
Albarran. Malik - Treasurer and Rebecca Carlson - guest. 

Announcements:

Joe announced AIRSLA a podcast / free Android and iPhone application   with
their website airsla.org. They launched a telephone reader program that has
a phone number that you can share for some people that are not technical
sabby with smartphones and that they can just call in and listen to
different articles. It's a free download and definitely available if you
want to keep up with the news. Information will be shared in the list serve.

Julian announced Apple's WWDC (Worldwide Developer Conference) will happen
on June 22nd at 10 am. They will relay the newest version of IOS which the
IOS 14.  coming in September. You can watch it on any Apple device. Just go
on Safari and go to the Apple's site. And if you have an Apple TV, just
click on Apple events. Julian also added that for those who are Android
users, Android 11 just got released as a beta for anyone who wants to
participate. You can actually sign up for their beta program to  download
and test  it. This company will introduce multi-touch gestures where the
Android 11 might have the ability to finger tap like what we have in the IOS
devices.

Jo Anne now has a new email address:  <mailto:joanneseaman48 at gmail.com>
joanneseaman48 at gmail.com.

Robert  announced the BELL Program (Braille Enrichment for Learning
Literacy) will have 3 sessions. The first one will start on Monday and the
2nd session will be on June 22nd through July 3rd. The last session will be
on July 27th till the first Friday of August. The BELL Coordinator of
California is looking for mentors. This person who would sign up as a mentor
will spend half an hour a day with the family during the 2 week session. The
mentor will be answering questions about blindness. This would help the
family and the blind child  through their lessons that they're working on
via Drop Box. Robert is asking the members who would like to participate and
be a mentor. You have to get a background check before you can be approve.
Let him know right after the meeting. 

His next announcement is that next week is the National Deaf Blind Awareness
week. They will have an accessible live stream of the "Feeling through
experience" on June 25th. You have to register at feelingthorugh.com.

Secretary's Report

Julian made a motion to approve the May minutes as submitted. Seconded by
Jaymee and the motion carries. 

Treasury's  Report

Malik read the balances but he doesn't have the detailed report.

Beginning balance: $6432.17. 

Total balance after deposits and withdrawals: $6742.77.

He will email the Month of May detailed report right after the meeting. 

National Convention 2020.

Robert announced that if you have not registered, you can go to
nfb.org/convention. Register by June 15th and you will be eligible for the
$300 prize. 

He also said that our Chapter Board had decided to give an amount of $1000
as donation for the convention. With the convention registration, California
had 183 people registered as of Tuesday June 8th. Total nationwide
registration is 3300 people. This would be our first online / virtual
convention via Zoom.  

The Agenda will be out on June 25th on the list serve. 

For the Jernigan raffle, typically the National organization helps by
providing funds to people who are new to the convention. This year they are
doing an online portion by you purchasing tickets and this will allow you to
join the  contest to possible win a trip to the National  Convention next
year. If you win, you would receive 2 round trip  plane tickets, hotel
accommodation and a $1000 cash. You can go to the website nfb.org/convention
and go to "give 20". And you will see several different programs. Fill up a
form and use your credit card and purchase  however many  tickets you want.
Put a note on the form that you are joining for the Jernigan funds and you
will be entered into the drawing for the raffle. 

For any questions, you can call Robert.

Leslie Mcneil and Vicki Preddy from vanda pharmaceutical  and are both
registered nurses who joined our call to discuss and share information about
NON-24. The actual term is NON-24 Sarcadian Sleep Disorder. The company that
she works for has an extensive research on non-24 to help blind community
and that you might have heard it  in some TV  commercials.     Her goal as a
nurse is to really increase awareness about non-24 because it has been low.
She's open for you  to ask   if  you have any questions At the end of her
presentation.   Or  if you want more  information to be mailed to you and /
or if you want your health care provider  to know about it, she will take
your name and phone number and call you privately. Or if you prefer, you can
call her  and her contact number: 2028531091. 

Next, Robert  discussed the President Mark Riccobono's open letter to the
members that he read in the Presidential Release and Robert sent it out on
the list serve about the "Black lives matter". It was actually a happy hour
/ social committee meeting conference call where him and Joy attended and
that the people who attended  discussed   the things that needs to take
place on how  an    organization are for people who are Black and that how
we as an organization Had come along way because we have Black people that
are in the National Board now versus back in the old days that there were
none. President Marc also emphasized more on the saying: love conquers hate.
Robert discussed a couple of issues and had opened the floor for members to
give their input. Sharon, Jo Anne, Keith, Ron, Nancy, Julian, Terry and a
few had come forth and shared what they  feel and  think about the current
Nation's issue.  At the end,  Robert wanted to make it clear if you come
across someone that is being discriminatory or anything that is not
appropriate, the National Board is asking to try to get their name and State
where they're from because they are really cracking down on this things.
They will make it appoint that this person will not come back to the next
convention.

Robert reminded everyone about our Friday  hangout social call at 7 pm.
We'll have our Chapter meeting on July 11th.

And if you haven't registered for the National convention, you have till
Monday June 15th. Contact Robert if you  need help in registering. He will
send out the agenda for the  convention on the list serve. 

Terry made a motion to adjourn the meeting, seconded by Betsy. The meeting
was adjourned at 11:55 am.

Respectfully submitted: 

Sheila Marie B.C. 

Cell: 818.404.7646

Chapter Secretary 

NFB.SFV         

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