[nfbmi-talk] Quarterly board meeting Minutes February 12, 2011

[trising]

National Federation of the Blind of Michigan Quarterly

board meeting

February 12, 2011 Minutes, 11:00 A.M. to 4:00 P.M.

Quorum Larry Posont, Melinda Latham, Mary Wurtzel, Terri Wilcox, Dave Robinson, Marcus Simmons, Matt

McCubbin, and Donna Posont.

Secretary's Report, Terri Wilcox. Dave Robinson moved adoption and John Scott seconded the motion. The Secretary's Report was 
approved.

Treasurer's Report, Mary Wurtzel.

Here are the amounts for the treasury report as of the end of

January.



Youth outreach account $1350.88

Newsline account: $1348.75

Affiliate account: $2633.56

 Donna Posont moved to accept the Treasurer's Report.  Marcus Simmons seconded the Motion. The Treasurer's Report was approved.

Introduction of participating Members.

President's Report, Larry Posont. The lawyer recommended we slow down in order for the Commission to give us discovery. We have 1100 
emails from the Commission. The National Office paid part of our lawyer bill.

Washington Seminar/Youth Event, J.J. Meddaugh and Melinda

Latham. Seventeen people including youth attended Washington Seminar. We urged legislators to pass our Technology Bill of Rights. We 
also urged them to have incentives involving the hiring of blind individuals for Government Contracts. We urged that blind students 
should have the same standards as sighted students. Three mentors and eight youth attended Washington Seminar. The trip was well 
organized. Fun events included: a trip to the Pentagon, the 911 Memorial, riding the Metro, and to the Cheesecake factory. The youth 
went to the Air and Space Museum and to the top of the Washington monument. We must thank Low Incidence Outreach for giving the 
youth a grant to attend Washington Seminar. We must stress skills of blindness with our youth, such as Braille literacy. The new 
slogan is, "Vip, now that's how we roll."

Newsline, Fred Wurtzel. Things are going pretty well with Newsline. Georgia Kitchen is doing well, but needs a back up person for 
assistance. Marcus Simmons will help with Newsline. We need alternate sources of funding, including state and other sources.

Summer Transportation to National Convention 2011, Final

Decision. Donna Posont moves we take a bus if Sarah Norwood gets 30 people to pay $200 by March 1. The motion passed with all 
members voting.

Legislative Committee, Mary Wurtzel. It is urged that we organize teams to speak to the legislators. A letter from Fred Wurtzel was 
read.



  Hello:







I would like to introduce the National Federation of the Blind of

Michigan

(NFBM).  The National Federation of the Blind can assist you in

your efforts

to provide quality services to your constituents.  We stand ready

to provide

information, expertise and advocacy to you or any of your

constituents who

is facing loss of eyesight or has a family member with vision

loss.







We have 2 issues of importance to blind people in Michigan.

First, the

Michigan Department of Education is responsible for a trust fund

accumulated

from donations from the public and a camp known as Camp

Tuhsmeheta, ne

Greenville.  Trust fund revenues and private fundraising have

supported the

camp for more than 40 years.  No tax money has ever been used for

camp

programs or maintenance.  The Department of Education is not

fully utilizing

this facility for blind people.  We would like to create a

mechanism for

stable ongoing future development and operation of this precious

resource

for blind children.  Blind children are woefully behind in

Braille, reading,

science, technology and Mathematics.  The NFBM along with others

dedicated

to providing quality educational services for blind children have

raised

funds and developed and provided activities like science camp,

Braille camp

and other similar camps to supplement and strengthen the hard

work of

classroom teachers working with blind children.







The second issue is Newsline, a program for providing newspaper

and

periodical services to blind people in Michigan.  This is a low

cost service

amounting to around $27 per year per subscriber for access to

more than 300

publications on demand on a daily basis.  We would like to

discuss a

creative way to get a stable ongoing funding source for this

valuable

service.







Your help in accomplishing these 2 goals will contribute to the

employability and independence of blind people and help reduce

dependence on

public support and add taxpayers to be contributing rather than

receiving

citizens.  We value independence and self reliance and we work

hard to

create programs and services to improve employment opportunities

for blind

people.







The National Federation of the Blind is the nation's oldest and

largest

organization of blind people.  We are not an organization

speaking for blind

people; we are an organization of blind people speaking for

ourselves.  Our

mission is to change what it means to be blind.







Some of the services we provide are:







* NewslineTT -- Newsline provides nearly 300 newspapers and

magazines daily

to eligible persons at no charge.  Newspapers are current and

read by

listening to a spoken reading over the telephone.  No special

equipment is

needed.







* Information on Blindness -- The National Federation of the

Blind has over

65 years of experience in assembling information on virtually any

aspect of

blindness.







* Employment Information -- Blind people are engaged in almost

every

profession.  Barriers to employment for blind people are related

to

ignorance and misconceptions about blindness.  We can provide

specific and

useful information to applicants and employers about blindness.

We believe

that with proper training and opportunity, the average blind

person can do

the average job in the average place of work.







* Technology -- The National Federation of the Blind operates the

International Braille and Technology Center.  The Center houses

the larges

collection of adaptive equipment designed to provide access to

information

for blind people, in the world.  Staff can answer questions or

individuals

can make appointments to visit and learn about adaptive

equipment.







These are just a few highlights of how the NFB of Michigan can be

of

assistance to you and your staff.  We will do all we can to

assist any blind

person in Michigan to access goods, services and most important

their

dreams.







A member of our organization will be contacting your office to

arrange an

appointment to discuss these issues.  We look forward to getting

to know you

and your staff.  In the meantime, please contact us at:

  <mailto:President.nfb.mi at gmail.com> President.nfb.mi at gmail.com

Or by phone

  (517-482-1800 or:







Larry Posont, President

  National Federation of the Blind of Michigan

  20812 Ann Arbor Trail

  Dearborn Heights, MI







I look forward to working together to provide a quality lifestyle

to your

blind constituents.











Cordially,







Larry Posont, President National Federation of the Blind of

Michigan

 We have thirty eight new legislators who need to be exposed to our concerns.

 Get involved with legislative issues in Lansing.

Ann Arbor Chapter Constitution, Terri Wilcox. I read the Constitution and it was discussed. Donna Posont made a motion to adopt the 
Ann Arbor Constitution. The Motion was seconded by Mary Wurtzel. The Constitution was approved.

Ann Arbor Chapter Job Seminar, Terri Wilcox. The Job Seminar is to be held on Saturday, March 12, at the Ann Arbor District Library, 
from 10:00 A.M. to 3:00 P.M. We will have confident, competent blind role models address employment concerns. Lunch will be followed 
by a question and answer session in the afternoon.

Student Division, Michigan Association of Blind Students, Elizabeth

Mohnke. Elizabeth Mohnke is the new Michigan Association of Blind Students  President. A state scholarship is desirable. $1000 is 
requested for 2 $500 scholarships. The money already in the Students' treasury would pay for the Scholarship winners' state 
convention expenses. Donna Posont makes a motion to set aside $1000 for Student Division Scholarships for blind students at State 
Convention. The Student Division will use $500 to get the winners to Convention. A committee of 3 will select the students who win 
the scholarships. Elizabeth Mohnke will be the Chair of the Committee. A state board member will also be on the Committee. Marcus 
Simmons seconded the Motion. The State Scholarship Motion passed.

A $2,000 scholarship that was mentioned at the 2010 state convention may also be available. An unclaimed National Federation of the 
Blind bank account may be used to pay for the scholarship.

Update on Lansing Community College Discrimination, Kim

Mohnke and Elizabeth Mohnke. There was a long discussion detailing this discrimination. The technology for blind and visually 
impaired students is not maintained or updated. Only 3 computers have Jaws and they do not work. The accessible computers need a 
special card, even though this is unnecessary for sighted students.

There is very limited availability of a Closed Circuit Television.

 Kim Mohnke wants National Federation of the Blind support. She is filing a formal grievance process. Elizabeth Mohnke was charged 
with violating the student code of conduct over allegations that she visited an unknown website. She never visited the unauthorized 
website. The lady who talked with Elizabeth Mohnke declined to speak with any witnesses. The Lansing Chapter has met multiple times 
with Lansing Community College to correct the Technology issues. They met with the Dean of Students. Lansing Community College has 
not accepted help or listened to our advice. The Dean of students is indifferent. Fred Wurtzel suggests we go and participate in the 
Disability meeting. The school has no respect for students.

State Fund Raising. Blind people want to get on our website. We need volunteers to help with advertising and getting them on our 
website.

Mary Wurtzel moves that we continue to do telemarketing with Champion Diversified, which has changed names. This brings in about 
$12,000 per year. Fifteen percent of a dollar is split between National Federation of the Blind, National Office and the State 
Affiliate. We must have a Solicitation License in order to do telemarketing. Dave Robinson seconded the motion. The Telemarketing 
Motion passed with the membership voting. Dave Robinson questions whether we want walk-a-thons or bike-a-thons, as other possible 
fund raisers. Do we need other fund raising at National Convention? Terri Wilcox suggests selling things from the state Affiliate at 
the Ann Arbor Art Fair. Art Fair is July 20-23. The phone number to contact is 734-994-5260.

Camp Tuhsmeheta.

Grant from the NFB of Michigan for Programming.

Meeting Concerning Camp Tuhsmeheta. The meeting concerning Camp Tuhsmeheta is February 24 or March 3. Opportunities Unlimited for 
the Blind bid on the Request for Proposal. The Request for Proposal was intended for all handicaps and so the Request for Proposal 
was not given to anyone. We have $20,000 to run programs at Camp Tuhsmeheta this summer for youth. We would like to have the Bell 
program here. We are interested in doing Braille, science, and culinary camps. We want to talk in the morning about what to do with 
Camp Tuhsmeheta. We have called the meeting and we want to take the Camp in our direction. The part of the trust fund that was used 
for the school for the blind has been used for the camp. Money to run the camp comes from the interest from the trust, not the 
principle. We have to go to the legislature concerning Camp Tuhsmeheta. We should give the camp to a nonprofit. Kids need expanded 
core curriculum, plus Stem, at Camp Tuhsmeheta.

Commission for the Blind Update. The Commission is running with three members of the Commission Board. Two Commission Board members 
were rejected by the Senate. The Commission for the Blind board will be appointed sooner, rather than later.

Commission Appointments. Get names for interested Commission appointees in. Things can change at the Commission for the Blind.

Commission Board Meeting past Actions. At the December meeting, the Commission would not deal with Business Enterprise Program 
concerns.

It is predicted that The Department of Labor and Economic Growth will be broken up.

The Commission for the Blind might be put under Work Force development. Larry Posont wrote for the Commission for the Blind to be 
put under Work Force, rather than under Education or Family Independence Agency. One of the violations in The Monitoring Report 
indicates that The Commission may not make blanket statements about what they will and will not pay for in Ipes. Several examples 
were discussed.

 The Commission has not published how it will comply with the monitoring report on the web site as it was supposed to. We have to 
encourage the enforcing of the Monitoring Report.

MCB Temporary Training Center. Two big rooms are used. One is used for training.

Consumer Involvement Committee, Fred Wurtzel. Over $500,000 has been spent on the temporary facility. More money was spent at 
another facility without a contract but this was denied. The purpose of our Consumer Involvement Committee person is to bring things 
to the Commission Board. Support our Consumer Involvement Commission representatives.

Donna Posont moves that Commission funds spent on the make shift training center be spent on sending people to the three National 
Federation of the Blind training centers. Terri Wilcox seconds the Motion. The Motion was adopted.

 The Commission for the Blind meeting is March 18.

Bep Issues and Ad Hoc Committee Meeting of January 26. Not much happened at the meeting accept for things they had already done. The 
Elected operators Committee is objecting to actions of the agency.

The Commission staff did not attend the Elected operators Committee meeting.

 Request from Chair for more Commission Meetings. The Granholm Administration denied more meetings.

Web Page. There has been significant progress in creating a mock page. Fred Wurtzel is providing feedback to the developer. We now 
have a twitter account for Nfbmi @nfbmi.

New Business: The Membership Committee had a meeting on January 11. More members are desirable. An at large chapter via conference 
call would increase membership. A conference of some type using the resources of the National Center is another option we want to 
explore. Kim Mohnke has master lists from the 2008 Convention and other master lists from The Braille Monitor. There was a sample 
Chapter-at-Large constitution available on a list serve. Andrea Nelson is willing to organize a member at large chapter. Grand 
Rapids is another possible location for a Chapter. Contact Kim Mohnke to be on the Membership Committee.

We might be able to use camp Tuhsmeheta for membership recruitment events.

Old Business: Larry Posont testified for Christine Boone's Hearing. Christine Boone's hearings may determined by the end of March. 
The State Convention will be at the Kalamazoo Clarion Hotel. It will be the first week end of November at $79.99 per night. We could 
recruit Commission students during the Friday board meeting. Western Wayne County is selling books with people's names in them as a 
fund raiser. The chapter makes $5.00 per book. Order books to help Western Wayne individuals get to Convention. Michigan Owl Night 
Bird Brains will go to Williamston next Saturday. Get in touch with Donna Posont if you want to go. Melinda Latham says youth are 
attending National Convention. Melinda Latham made a motion to make deposits on two rooms for National Convention for Youth. Matt 
McCubbin seconded the Motion, which was then approved. Micheal Baer is interested in being a part of an National Federation of the 
Blind of Michigan parents group. Adjourn at 4:05 P.M.