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</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--></head><body lang=EN-US link="#0563C1" vlink="#954F72"><div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif'>March 2018 Minute Message.<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif'> <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif'>Fellow Federationists:<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNoSpacing><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif'>NFBMD on the Move<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif'>During the next 3 weeks we have many events that you will not want to miss. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif'>Saturday, March 24 – Board of Directors Meeting. Everyone is encouraged to attend. 9:30am-1pm. Includes lunch which will be $15. The National Harbor Chapter will host this board meeting. The location is Advent Funeral Home, Community Room (enter from back parking lot), address is 9013 Annapolis Road, Lanham, MD 20706. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif'>Sunday, March 25<sup>th</sup> – Recital and Sing-A-Long, benefiting NFBBELL Academy, Jernigan Institute, 200 East Wells St., Baltimore, MD 21230. Just a few days left for advanced tickets at $10. Tickets will be $15 at the door. To purchase tickets in advance, go to </span><a href="http://www.nfbmd.org"><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif'>www.nfbmd.org</span></a><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif'> and click on the Be Present event link and then choose “Buy now.”<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif'>Saturday, March 31 – Deadline for National Scholarship applications. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif'>Saturday, March 31 – One of our basket bingo sponsors, Solar Energy World, will offer a special deal to people who mention NFBMD when calling for information. Please call and ask for Jay Randell. Calls must be made on or before this date. Call </span><span style='font-family:"Times New Roman",serif'>410-579-5176.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif'>Saturday, April 7- Bid-for-Opportunity Dinner and Auction, to benefit John. T. McCraw Scholarship Program and NFBMD Youth Activities. VFW Post 9619, <span class=xbe>6527 Suitland Rd, Morningside, MD 20746. Even though this event is April 7 you must commit to purchasing tickets by March 31. Please call Debbie Brown at 301-881-1892 about tickets and additional information. People in the Baltimore area who wish to attend should call Sharon Maneki about transportation 410-715-9596. </span></span><span class=xbe><span style='font-size:12.0pt'><o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif'>Monday, April 9- Maryland General Assembly Session ends. At the current time HB 1088 and SB 286 bills concerning accessibility requirements for state procurement of assistive technology hardware and services have passed both chambers. One of these bills must pass both houses. Watch the listserv to see when it’s time to make calls or send emails. </span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif'>NFBMD Divisions Plan Great Activities<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif'>This year the Maryland Association of Blind Students will be entering National Scholarship applicants and State Scholarship applicants into a special drawing to win cash! A lucky scholarship applicant can win $25 and a state scholarship applicant can win $50. Remember National Scholarship applications are due on March 31. </span><a href="https://nfb.org/scholarships"><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif'>https://nfb.org/scholarships</span></a><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif'>. State applications are due April 15. </span><a href="http://nfbmd.org/scholarship"><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif'>http://nfbmd.org/scholarship</span></a><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif'> <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif'>Saturday, June 9- 8am – 4pm The Maryland Parents of Blind Children will conduct a free seminar entitled “Family to Family Connections.” Activities for the whole family! Everything from networking to technology information, to versatility of Braille, and more! The location is the Jernigan Institute, 200 East Wells Street, Baltimore, MD. For further information contact Melissa Riccobono </span><a href="mailto:melissa@riccobono.us"><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif'>melissa@riccobono.us</span></a><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif'>.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt'><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:black'>Saturday, June 23 -MABM Networking Mixer. Come join us for an afternoon of fun & effective networking on Saturday, June 23<sup>rd</sup> from 3:00 to 6:00 pm at FLAVOR Restaurant, 15 East Centre Street, Baltimore, MD 21202. Vanna Belton, a young, progressive, visually-impaired woman, is the owner of FLAVOR. Stay tuned for additional information. </span><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif'>Congratulations are in Order<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif'>Congratulations to the 6 students who entered the NFB National Braille Readers are Leaders (BRAL) contest. We are especially proud of the 3 Maryland students who won in their grade level. Aisha Safi won 1<sup>st</sup> place in the 2-3<sup>rd</sup> grade level for reading 1860 pages! Jonah Rau won 1<sup>st</sup> place in the 4-5<sup>th</sup> grade level for reading 991 pages! Isaiah Rau won 2<sup>nd</sup> place in the 4-5<sup>th</sup> grade level for reading 779 pages! These 3 students also received The Kelly Doty Awards of $25 which was given to students who overcame special challenges to achieve fluency in Braille reading. All 3 students are reading in English, which is their second language. Aisha has an additional challenge, because she only has one hand to read Braille! The Rau boys are making remarkable progress, since they only came to the United States from China in August 2017. Keep up the good work. We will be announcing the winners of the adult NFBMD braille reading contest soon. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif'>Congratulations to LBPH on its outreach and marketing efforts. These marketing efforts are important because too many people still do not know about the library. On March 5, WBALTV featured the Library and explained its services. Go to </span><a href="http://www.wbaltv.com/article/maryland-state-library-for-the-blind-wants-to-help-more-in-need/19091683" target="_blank"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>http://www.wbaltv.com/article/maryland-state-library-for-the-blind-wants-to-help-more-in-need/19091683</span></a><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif'> to read the article or to view the video.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif'>New Publication Available<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><h1><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-weight:normal'>The Whittle Pocket Reference Book of UEB Common Symbols is now available for sale. it is a pocket reference book of the Unified English Braille literary code. This book is 3 by 5 inches and easily fits in a pocket, purse, or backpack. We have an interpoint braille version for those who read braille tactually. The small size makes it manageable for both adults and little ones. We also have an ink version that consists of print and simulated braille. Perfect for parents, friends, and teachers. These books are great for those just learning the Braille code for the first time or refreshing their Braille knowledge! Each copy is $10 with all profits benefiting blind children’s literacy programs. To order either version of our Whittle books, please visit </span><span style='font-weight:normal'><a href="http://www.nbpcb.org"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>www.nbpcb.org</span></a></span><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-weight:normal'>. Jerry Whittle was a renown Braille teacher at the Louisiana Center for the Blind for decades. He has written many articles on improving Braille reading speed and fluency. I am sure this is an excellent reference guide. <o:p></o:p></span></h1><b><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;mso-fareast-language:EN-US'><br clear=all style='page-break-before:always'></span></b><p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif'><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p><p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif'>Important Dates for 2018.<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif'>March 24<sup>th</sup> – Board of Directors Meeting, 9:30am. The location is Advent Funeral Home, Community Room (enter from back parking lot), address is 9013 Annapolis Road, Lanham, MD 20706.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif'>March 25<sup>th</sup> – Recital and Sing-A-Long, benefiting NFBBELL Academy, Jernigan Institute, 200 East Wells St., Baltimore, MD 21230. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif'>March 31<sup>st</sup> – Deadline for National Scholarship Applications.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif'>April 7<sup>th</sup> – Bid-for-Opportunity Dinner and Auction, to benefit John. T. McCraw Scholarship Program and NFBMD Youth Activities. VFW Post 9619, <span class=xbe>6527 Suitland Rd, Morningside, MD 20746</span></span><span class=xbe>. </span><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif'>April 15<sup>th</sup> – Deadline for NFBMD Scholarship Applications. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif'>June 2<sup>nd</sup> – Board of Directors Meeting. Location to be announced.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif'>June 3<sup>rd</sup> – 6-K Dot Dash for Braille Literacy, 200 East Well Street, Baltimore, MD. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif'>June 9- The Maryland Parents of Blind Children seminar “Family to Family Connections.” Jernigan Institute, 200 East Wells Street, Baltimore, MD.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif'>June 23<sup>rd</sup>- <span style='color:black'>MABM Networking Mixer. FLAVOR Restaurant, 15 East Centre Street, Baltimore, MD 21202.</span><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif'>July 3-8<sup>th</sup> – NFB National Convention, Orlando, FL.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif'>July 16-27– NFB Bell Academy in Salisbury, MD. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif'>July 29 – August 4 – NFB EQ for blind high-school students. Go to <a href="http://www.blindscience.org/nfbeq">http://www.blindscience.org/nfbeq</a>.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif'>July 30-August 10 – NFB Bell Academies in Baltimore and Glen Dale, MD. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif'>August 4<sup>th</sup> – Annual Crab Feast, Columbus Gardens, Baltimore, MD.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif'>November 9-11<sup>th</sup> – Annual State Convention, Carousel Hotel, Ocean City, MD. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>Sharon Maneki, </span></b><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>President<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal>National Federation of the Blind of Maryland<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>410-715-9596<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif'>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</span>.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p></div></body></html>