[Nfbf-l] NFBF 2014 Convention at Sea

[Dan Hicks]

I hope you are all as excited as I am abut the upcoming Convention at Sea.
This will be our 2014 State Convention, aboard the Norwegian Sky, which will
sail Feb 7-10, 2014, a three-day cruise from Miami Florida. 

Although this is an idea which was first proposed in the 1990s by NFBF
President Wayne Davis, this is the first time any affiliate has ever
undertaken to hold its convention on a cruise ship! What better state to try
this idea than the only state in the continental U S with two coasts? 

This was a decision of the NFBF Board, which was made after meeting with the
Chapter Presidents Committee. Most chapter presidents were very enthusiastic
about the idea of the Convention at Sea. 

As you know by now, I have asked First Vice President Dwight Sayer to work
with Cheryl Echevarria to work out some of the details. Information will
appear on this list and on our website as it becomes available. 

We have been assured that we will have meeting space on the ship, and
possibly on the cruiseline's private island. However, we have to think
outside the hotel for this convention. Our meetings will almost be fewer in
number and possibly shorter. I am sure we will have a national
representative on board - probably several, as national board members
compete for who will attend this very special convention - but other
outside-the-organization speakers will probably be fewer. 

We have only committed for one year. We want to see how this goes before
committing our resources to doing it again. 

So far we feel that the expense will be about the same a for attending any
other state convention. We leave from Miami. Well, most of us have to travel
to the convention city. The cruise will cost about what a hotel room costs.
Food is provided and there is no need to purchase a banquet ticket. 

As of this time, everyone will need a passport to board the boat. It is
possible that this regulation may change, but why risk it? If anything, they
will probably just get more strict. Get your passports in the months ahead.
The cost will only to up, not down, and sometimes there is a delay. Once you
have this important document, safeguard it. A passport can be useful to
have, and is needed for this cruise. 

In the months ahead we will be holding fundraisers to help every chapter and
every chapter member earn enough money to pay for the cruise.

Please don't forget that this is the 2014 convention we are talking abut We
still have our 2013 convention in St. Petersburg in a little over six
months. This date and hotel were set and contracted for long ago, so plan to
attend the 2013 convention over the Memorial Day Weekend in St. Pete and the
2013 NFB Convention in Orlando. These land-based events will help to
generate interest for the 2014 NFBF Convention at Sea! 

Hope to see you all at all of these exciting events!

Dan Hicks, President
National Federation of the Blind of Florida
 
"It's a shallow life that doesn't give a person a few scars."

                                                     -Garrison Keillor