<html xmlns:v="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:vml" xmlns:o="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" xmlns:w="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:word" xmlns:m="http://schemas.microsoft.com/office/2004/12/omml" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40"><head><META HTTP-EQUIV="Content-Type" CONTENT="text/html; charset=us-ascii"><meta name=Generator content="Microsoft Word 15 (filtered medium)"><style><!--
/* Font Definitions */
@font-face
{font-family:Wingdings;
panose-1:5 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0;}
@font-face
{font-family:"Cambria Math";
panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4;}
@font-face
{font-family:Calibri;
panose-1:2 15 5 2 2 2 4 3 2 4;}
@font-face
{font-family:Georgia;
panose-1:2 4 5 2 5 4 5 2 3 3;}
/* Style Definitions */
p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal
{margin:0in;
margin-bottom:.0001pt;
font-size:11.0pt;
font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;}
a:link, span.MsoHyperlink
{mso-style-priority:99;
color:#0563C1;
text-decoration:underline;}
a:visited, span.MsoHyperlinkFollowed
{mso-style-priority:99;
color:#954F72;
text-decoration:underline;}
p.MsoListParagraph, li.MsoListParagraph, div.MsoListParagraph
{mso-style-priority:34;
margin-top:0in;
margin-right:0in;
margin-bottom:0in;
margin-left:.5in;
margin-bottom:.0001pt;
font-size:11.0pt;
font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;}
span.EmailStyle17
{mso-style-type:personal-compose;
font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;
color:windowtext;}
.MsoChpDefault
{mso-style-type:export-only;
font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;}
@page WordSection1
{size:8.5in 11.0in;
margin:1.0in 1.0in 1.0in 1.0in;}
div.WordSection1
{page:WordSection1;}
/* List Definitions */
@list l0
{mso-list-id:1041133897;
mso-list-type:hybrid;
mso-list-template-ids:939192192 524453210 67698691 67698693 67698689 67698691 67698693 67698689 67698691 67698693;}
@list l0:level1
{mso-level-start-at:410;
mso-level-number-format:bullet;
mso-level-text:-;
mso-level-tab-stop:none;
mso-level-number-position:left;
text-indent:-.25in;
font-family:"Georgia",serif;
mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";
mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";}
@list l0:level2
{mso-level-number-format:bullet;
mso-level-text:o;
mso-level-tab-stop:none;
mso-level-number-position:left;
text-indent:-.25in;
font-family:"Courier New";}
@list l0:level3
{mso-level-number-format:bullet;
mso-level-text:\F0A7;
mso-level-tab-stop:none;
mso-level-number-position:left;
text-indent:-.25in;
font-family:Wingdings;}
@list l0:level4
{mso-level-number-format:bullet;
mso-level-text:\F0B7;
mso-level-tab-stop:none;
mso-level-number-position:left;
text-indent:-.25in;
font-family:Symbol;}
@list l0:level5
{mso-level-number-format:bullet;
mso-level-text:o;
mso-level-tab-stop:none;
mso-level-number-position:left;
text-indent:-.25in;
font-family:"Courier New";}
@list l0:level6
{mso-level-number-format:bullet;
mso-level-text:\F0A7;
mso-level-tab-stop:none;
mso-level-number-position:left;
text-indent:-.25in;
font-family:Wingdings;}
@list l0:level7
{mso-level-number-format:bullet;
mso-level-text:\F0B7;
mso-level-tab-stop:none;
mso-level-number-position:left;
text-indent:-.25in;
font-family:Symbol;}
@list l0:level8
{mso-level-number-format:bullet;
mso-level-text:o;
mso-level-tab-stop:none;
mso-level-number-position:left;
text-indent:-.25in;
font-family:"Courier New";}
@list l0:level9
{mso-level-number-format:bullet;
mso-level-text:\F0A7;
mso-level-tab-stop:none;
mso-level-number-position:left;
text-indent:-.25in;
font-family:Wingdings;}
ol
{margin-bottom:0in;}
ul
{margin-bottom:0in;}
--></style><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:shapedefaults v:ext="edit" spidmax="1026" />
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:shapelayout v:ext="edit">
<o:idmap v:ext="edit" data="1" />
</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--></head><body lang=EN-US link="#0563C1" vlink="#954F72"><div class=WordSection1><p style='background:white'><span style='color:black'>Expect Much, Give Much, Get Much!<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='background:white'><span style='color:black'>You will not want to miss the NFB of Maryland state convention at the Sheraton Baltimore North Hotel in Towson which takes place on February 16 - 18, 2024. Come and meet our National Representative, Kevan Worley. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='background:white'><span style='color:black'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p style='background:white'><span style='color:black'>You may reserve your room by calling the Sheraton Baltimore North at </span>410-321-7400<span style='color:black'>. Convention Room Rates: Standard Room - $99 per night. Tax on sleeping rooms is 17.5%. These room rates start on Thursday, February 15, 2024. The deadline for making room reservations has been extended to January 25, 2024. </span><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:black'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='background:white'><span style='color:black'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p style='background:white'><span style='color:black'>Please note the new date and location, as the NFB of Maryland Board of Directors voted to move the 2023 convention and combine it with the 2024 convention in light of the abrupt closure of our original venue in October 2023. Those who pre-registered for the original in-person convention will have their registration transferred to the new date. Those who registered for the virtual mini-convention/business meeting that we held in November will need to register separately for the 2023 – 2024 in person convention. However, individuals will need to make a new reservation with the hotel directly, as all previous hotel reservations at the Delta were not transferred to the Sheraton.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='background:white'><span style='color:black'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p style='background:white'><span style='color:black'>Pre-registration is open through January 25, 2024. Visit </span><a href="https://nfbmd.org/convention">https://nfbmd.org/convention</a><span style='color:black'> to register online, or look in your mailbox for hard copy registration forms. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='background:white'><span style='color:black'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p style='background:white'><span style='color:black'>Below are the prices for the various convention activities (prices are per person unless otherwise stated):<o:p></o:p></span></p><ul style='margin-top:0in' type=disc><li class=MsoNormal style='color:black;margin-bottom:.2in;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1;background:white'>Pre-registration = $25 until January 215, 2024; $30 on-site<o:p></o:p></li><li class=MsoNormal style='color:black;margin-bottom:.2in;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1;background:white'>Banquet ticket = $55 until January 25, 2024; $60 on-site<o:p></o:p></li><li class=MsoNormal style='color:black;margin-bottom:.2in;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1;background:white'>Parent, Senior, or Student Luncheon ticket = $30 until January 25, 2024; $35 on-site<o:p></o:p></li><li class=MsoNormal style='color:black;margin-bottom:.2in;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1;background:white'>Friday boxed lunch = $20 until January 25, 2024; $25 on-site <o:p></o:p></li><li class=MsoNormal style='color:black;margin-bottom:.2in;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1;background:white'>Dinner & a Play ticket = $25 until January 25, 2024; $25 on-site<o:p></o:p></li><li class=MsoNormal style='color:black;margin-bottom:.2in;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1;background:white'>Transportation from New Carrollton Train Station = $50 until January 25, 2024; this covers round-trip travel<o:p></o:p></li><li class=MsoNormal style='color:black;margin-bottom:.2in;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1;background:white'>Childcare = $30 per day and on sliding scale based on need<o:p></o:p></li></ul><p style='margin-left:.25in;background:white'><span style='color:black'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal>We will have seminars and workshops on:<o:p></o:p></p><ul style='margin-top:0in' type=disc><li class=MsoListParagraph style='margin-left:0in;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1'>NFB philosophy<o:p></o:p></li><li class=MsoListParagraph style='margin-left:0in;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1'>Membership recruitment, development, and retention<o:p></o:p></li><li class=MsoListParagraph style='margin-left:0in;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1'>First Aid<o:p></o:p></li><li class=MsoListParagraph style='margin-left:0in;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1'>Sound bath and acupuncture<o:p></o:p></li><li class=MsoListParagraph style='margin-left:0in;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1'>Technology skills<o:p></o:p></li><li class=MsoListParagraph style='margin-left:0in;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1'>Adjustment to blindness training<o:p></o:p></li><li class=MsoListParagraph style='margin-left:0in;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1'>Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion<o:p></o:p></li><li class=MsoListParagraph style='margin-left:0in;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1'>And much, much more<o:p></o:p></li></ul><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.25in'><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.25in'>Our seniors, students, merchants, and parents divisions will each hold a seminar. The seniors will focus on wills and estate planning and other ways for financial and medical literacy. The parents will, among many other fantastic features, welcome Casey Robertson, an acclaimed professor who teaches teachers of blind students. Our students will welcome NABS representative Hunter Kuester. Our merchants will have a presentation from the Maryland Secretary of Commerce.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>We’ll host Braille is Beautiful, which is dramatic reading of Braille, and we’ll conduct the graduation ceremony for our Narrowing the Gap Teachers, who became certified in teaching blind students through a partnership between NFB, NFB of Maryland, the Maryland State Department of Education, and Louisiana Tech University. <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>We’ll host a career fair to connect blind job seekers with employers. We’ll celebrate our affiliate past presidents in honor of Presidents’ Day Weekend, and we’ll hear from a very special surprise guest. <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>And this is just a taste of what you can expect at our Convention. All are welcome! You don’t want to miss it!<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Register today! Visit Nfbmd.org/convention for more information.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>Ronza Othman, </span></b><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>President</span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>National Federation of the Blind of Maryland<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>443-426-4110<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Pronouns: she, her, hers<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>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<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p></div></body></html>