[nfbmi-talk] minutes, September 23

[Larry Posont]

minutes, September 23, 8:30 P.M.

Quorum yes Larry Posont, Terri Wilcox, Melinda Latham, Peter Zaremba, Marcus Simmons, Dave Robinson, Mike Powell.

Dave Robinson moves and Marcus Simmons seconds that the Secretary's Report be accepted as emailed. The Motion was approved.

Treasurer's Report. There is approximately $1000 in the general fund. Registrations are trickling in for State Convention. Terri 
Wilcox moves and Dave Robinson seconds the treasurer's report.

President's Report. Gary Wunder got a nasty letter from Pat Cannon concerning July's Monitor article. The Commission has spent less 
of the budget than they should have for this time in the year. We ask for information under ADA. Spending in Business Enterprise is 
higher at the beginning of the year. The training center will be closed for a year. Two places might be used for the training, but 
neither has a wood shop. There is no plan for the technology training center. There is confusion about adjustment to blindness 
training and Vocational training services. There is no sense of direction in the planning for the new training center. In the Paq 
meeting, the lay out of the technology training center was described. The Business Enterprise Program was taken out of the center. 
Students should live in apartments and come to a school for the training. The Commission Board should plan this decision. Dave 
Robinson moves and Marcus Simmons seconds that we communicate with appropriate staff by letter to encourage them to rethink their 
leasing of a facility with rooms and lease apartments for students, along with a school for training. The motion was approved.

Law Suit. A discussion about the law suit ensued.

Newsline. During the CIC meeting, the Commission was urged to fund Newsline for five years. Joe Sibley will not support our request 
for funding through the Commission for Newsline. Pat Cannon has been addressed about Newsline. Jo Ann Pilarski was also written 
concerning Newsline. We will issue a press release concerning Newsline. After writing to Jo Ann Pilarski about Newsline, we wrote to 
Cannon again. Many seniors are distressed to lose Newsline. The budget for Mrs is 9 million short for next year because they could 
not find federal match. The Commission gets 15 percent of the general money. Money is questionably being carried over.

State Convention. The morning agenda is planned. Michigan has a robotics industry. If we do not invest in robotics, we may lose the 
industry. Jury selection comes from a drivers license. Contact The Secretary of State about jury duty. If you say blind on your 
Idstpassport, you can get the passport free. Mary Wurtzel and Dave Robinson suggest contacting someone in the educational system. An 
individual has agreed to work on Braille educational regulations for free. Peter says Collette Bauman is a strong advocate in 
funding the youth program. Registration is on our website. Banquet tickets are $35 with preregistration and $45 tout. The price of 
convention is $15 with preregistration and $25 without. Resolutions start at 3 on Friday afternoon. Dave Robinson wants resolutions 
in Braille or electronic format. Dave Robinson, via the Lansing chapter, urges us not to put Cannon on the agenda. Individual 
chapters will submit an item for the night activity. Each individual gets to buy, tickets, for $1 a piece, to put in a basket for 
the item of their choice. Friday night includes a parents seminar and a student scavenger hunt. At 8 P.M., there will be harvest 
activities, live entertainment, possibly karaoke, and the announcement for the raffle. We will have coffee at the convention to 
sell. Both students and parents want Fred Schroeder to address their seminar.

Youth Outreach. Melinda Latham heads to Baltimore for the Youth Coordinators Conference. Melinda Latham is working with Low 
Incidence Outreach to get parents and youth to convention. Low Incidence Outreach is working on a new scholarship form. On October 1 
she will email all the scholarship information to various list serves with a deadline of October 15. On October 17, there is a 
barbecue at Fred's church in Lansing, at 1001 Chester Road. Youth from NFB will serve and clean up. Cost is $10 per person or 2 
tickets for $15. While there, you can pre order from Schwann's. Percentages from the Schwann's order will go to the NFB Youth 
Outreach. On October 23, Melinda Latham, Fred Wurtzel and Larry Posont will check out a camp in Traverse City as a possible bridge 
walk site for next year. Tickets will be sold for Yonkers Community Day on November 13. The Washington Seminar grant is on the 
principal's desk. We want to take 8 youth to Washington Seminar. The global village at the Howell Nature Center might be worth 
checking out.

New Business: The letter the Commission sent the NFB in print still needs to be worked on. Joe Sibley will meet with Larry and 
others concerning Commission staff training. Peter is working on the solicitation license.

Dave Robinson moved and Marcus Simmons seconded a motion to adjourn at 10-02. The motion passed.

Thank you for working together to change

What it means to be blind in Michigan.

Email: president.nfb.mi at gmail.com




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