[NFBMD] 2023 NFB of Maryland State Convention Update!

Wed Oct 4 00:21:42 UTC 2023

Friends,

I am writing to share some exciting information about our NFB of Maryland
State Convention.  Please read to the bottom of this message, as there is a
lot of information here.

The Board of Directors of the National Federation of the Blind of Maryland
has voted to reschedule the in-person annual NFBMD State Convention, but we
will still hold an affiliate business meeting on November 11, 2023.
Participants will need to register separately for the two events.

State Convention:

The 2023 and 2024 NFB of Maryland State Convention will be a combined
convention as follows:

Date: February 16 - 18, 2024  

Location: Sheraton Baltimore North Hotel, 903 Dulaney Valley Road, Towson,
Maryland 21204  

Hotel reservation deadline: January 15, 2024 - Call 410-321-7400

Preregistration Deadline: January 15, 2024

Costs:

*	Room rates: $99 per night plus tax
*	Preregistration: $25 for those 17 and over and free for those under
17 ($30 after January 15, 2024)
*	Banquet: $55 until January 15, 2025; $60 after January 15, 2024
*	Friday Boxed Lunch: $20 until January 15, 2023
*	Friday Dinner and a Play: $25 until January 15, 2024; $30 after
January 15, 2024
*	Saturday Luncheon (Parents, Seniors, or Students): $30 until January
15, 2024; $35 after January 15, 2024
*	Transportation from New Carrollton: $50 until January 15, 2024; $60
after January 15, 2024

Register by visiting: 

https://nfbmd.org/convention/registration

If you previously preregistered for the 2023 convention, you don't need to
register again.  Your registration will transfer to the new dates.

If you made a hotel reservation for the 2023 convention at the Delta Hotel
by Marriott Hunt Valley, you don't need to cancel your reservation, as the
hotel will be closed on our original dates.  However, you will need to make
a new reservation for the Sheraton Baltimore North (410-321-7400) by January
15, 2024.

The Financial Assistance Application window has reopened and will close
November 15, 2023.  If you previously submitted a Financial Assistance
Application for the 2023 state convention, you need not submit a new one.

Our State Convention Orientation will now take place on February 8, 2024 at
8:00PM.  We will use the affiliate Zoom and One Call numbers.

Some of our potential policy decisions are time sensitive, and thus we will
hold two resolution submission periods - one for the 2023 business meeting
and one for the 2023/2024 convention.  We will continue to accept resolution
submissions until October 15, 2023, and they will be considered at the 2023
Business Meeting.  We will open a new resolutions window for the 2023/2024
convention on November 15, 2023 with a submission deadline of January 15,
2024.  Please send Chris Danielsen your resolution submissions to
CDanielsen at nfb.org <mailto:CDanielsen at nfb.org> .  

We are delighted that Blind Industries and Services of Maryland will serve
as our Title Sponsor.  We are also delighted that Vanda Pharmaceuticals is
an Independence Sponsor, AdNet/AccountNet is an Equality sponsor, Brown
Goldstein & Levy and the Friends of the Maryland Library for the Blind and
Print Disabled are Opportunity Sponsors, and Democracy Live and 3D
PhotoWorks are Freedom Sponsors.  We would be pleased for other entities to
sponsor our convention, and information is available at
https://nfbmd.org/convention.  The deadline for sponsorship is November 15,
2023.

We are delighted to have a robust Exhibit Hall on Friday, February 16, 2024
from 11AM - 6PM.  We are extending the exhibitor registration period to
November 15, 2023.  Information is available at
https://nfbmd.org/convention.

For the first time, we will host a job fair in connection with our state
convention.  More information is coming soon, including how employers can
sign up and how job seekers can sign up.

We will have a ton of exciting things to share at the convention and in the
time leading up to it.  We hope you will join us.

2023 Business Meeting: November 11, 2023

We will hold an affiliate business meeting including workshops, seminars,
and our Bake and Experience Auction.  We will of course also conduct our
2023 business including our financial report, resolutions, and more.  

Date: November 11, 2023

Time: 1:00PM - 5:00PM Eastern

Location: Anywhere and Everywhere!

Registration: $25 for individuals 17 and up; free for those under 17

Registration will be open through November 11, 2023.  However, to be
eligible to vote, individuals must:

*	Register by November 1, 2023; and
*	Pay 2023 dues on or before November 1, 2023.

We are seeking contributions for the Bake and Experience Auction.  Please
contact Justin Young at JYoung at nfb.org <mailto:JYoung at nfb.org>  by November
1, 2023 to share what you will contribute.  Baked goods should be a
commitment to bake a particular item that you will then send to the winning
bidder (the affiliate may be able to help deliver baked goods in some
circumstances).  Experiences may include travel, theater tickets, concert
tickets, outings, and gatherings.  

To register for the business meeting, please visit:

https://nfbmd.org/businessmeeting 

To pay your chapter and division dues, please visit:

https://nfbmd.org/dues

We are excited to be with you virtually at our 2023 Business Meeting on
November 11, 2023 and to be with you in person at our 2023/2024 State
Convention on February 16 - 18, 2024.  We very much appreciate your patience
as we pivoted from our original plans in light of Delta's abrupt closure.
We think both events will be fantastic!

Please don't hesitate to reach out to me at President at nfbmd.org
<mailto:President at nfbmd.org>  with questions and ideas.

Yours,

Ronza

Ronza Othman, President

National Federation of the Blind of Maryland

443-426-4110

Pronouns: she, her, hers

From: Maryland President <president at nfbmd.org> 
Sent: Tuesday, September 12, 2023 8:22 AM
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Cc: 'kevan at nfbco.org' <kevan at nfbco.org>
Subject: URGENT!: 2023 NFB of Maryland State Convention Update!

Hi Friends,

I'm sorry to share that the Delta by Marriott Hotel Baltimore Hunt Valley
has notified us that it will be closing at the end of October.  As you know,
this was our hotel for the 2023 State convention - and it is also where we
were contracted to go in 2024 as well.  As our NFB of Maryland State
Convention is scheduled for November 10 - 12, 2023, we won't be able to hold
the convention at the Delta since it'll go out of business ten days before
we were scheduled to arrive.

I'm working feverishly with Marriott to find an alternate convention
location, and the affiliate Board has some contingency plans just in case.
I'm sorry I don't have more to share right now - I was hoping to tell you
all what was happening and share our plans for the 2023 State Convention at
the same time, but the Delta's closure hit the news this morning and some of
you have reached out to ask questions and express concern.

I expect that I should have something to share soon in terms of our
alternate location and/or plans, hopefully within a week.  In the meantime,
we are keeping the convention registration open and the Financial Assistance
Application deadline will not change (it is September 15, 2023).  The
sponsor and exhibitor deadline is also September 15, 2023, and we don't
anticipate extending those deadlines either.  In the event we have to
reimagine how we will hold the convention such that costs, the exhibit hall,
or sponsorship changes, we'll engage with those who have submitted
applications directly.  Those of you who have made hotel reservations don't
have to do anything at this time.  We'll reach out to you directly to
explore transferring your reservation once we finalize our alternate plans.

It is the affiliate Board's intention to have a convention on November 10 -
12, 2023, our hope is to do so in person in the Baltimore County/City area,
and we're optimistic that we can make it all come together.  However, if we
can't find a physical hotel to accommodate us, we have backup plans and
backup plans for the backup plans.  Please be patient with us while we sort
it all out.  Please also keep in mind that shifting gears less than 2 months
before a big convention like ours is quite a challenge, and it ordinarily
takes a year or more to plan for a state convention in Maryland.  We'll be
having to redo pretty much everything, from figuring out lodging to space to
food to transportation to the agenda to programming - most of which was
already done and has to be both undone with the Delta and redone for our new
plan once finalized.  All that is to say that we're doing our best in a
really tough situation, we won't know all the answers right away, but we
promise the convention will be fun and interesting once the dust settles.

And for criminy's sake, buy a crab feast ticket or ten!  Because that's
still happening this Friday, September 15, 2023, and we have scholarships to
fund.

The business and the hope, love, and determination of the Federation
continues regardless of what else might be happening in the world!

Yours,

Ronza

Ronza Othman, President

National Federation of the Blind of Maryland

443-426-4110

Pronouns: she, her, hers

The National Federation of the Blind of Maryland 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

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