[Nfbmn-news] Weekly Update: June 10

Mon Jun 11 03:48:38 UTC 2018

Greetings, fellow federationists,

At the semiannual convention, one of the recurring requests in our
development seminar was a desire for more regular updates to the membership
about goings-on. It is my goal to send out updates on a weekly basis.

I welcome any suggestions or feedback you have-both about these updates and
the organization in general.

Board Meeting

              We were pleased to have our June board meeting at the home of
Jan Bailey, our Rochester president and a long-time member of our
organization. Jan informed me yesterday that this is the 33rd year she has
hosted the board.

For those who haven't had the pleasure of sampling Jan's cooking, you are
truly missing out. (Take it from me. You will want to bid on her offerings
at the bake auction at our annual convention.) Yesterday Jan laid on quite a
spread, and for those of you who could not make the meeting in Rochester,
she was gracious enough to share her recipes with me to distribute. See the
end of this email for some salads you should add to your own repertoire. 

Thank you, Jan, for being such a warm and welcoming host.

Here are some highlights from the board meeting:

*	The board has approved holding our convention in St. Cloud for the
next two years. This will enable us to keep room rates low for convention
attendees, and it means we will be able to hold our 100th anniversary
convention in the Metro Area in 2020.
*	We are exploring the idea of a leadership seminar to build a strong
group of federation leaders. I will send out more information about this
event as planning gets under way.
*	We will once again be hosting an exhibit table with BLIND Inc. at
our national convention in Orlando. Instead of each chapter selling its own
items and keeping track of its own funds, we are going to sell NFBMN
coasters this year, and all chapters will receive a share of the proceeds.
*	Each year, we support BLIND Inc. in assisting students to attend our
national convention. I am honored that the board has once again voted to
provide that grant to BLIND Inc. Our national Convention is one of the
strongest ways we can share our federation philosophy with others, and I am
pleased the students will have the opportunity to share in that experience.
*	The board has also approved funding for members who are not students
at BLIND Inc. to attend the convention.

Legislative updates

              The Foreign Relations Committee of the United States Senate
voted unanimously late in May in favor of advancing the Marrakesh Treaty to
the full Senate for its advice and consent. This treaty, if adopted, would
assist blind people all over the world in obtaining access to books in a
specialized format.

              Our space available bill, which enables veterans with a
service-connected permanent disability rated as total to travel on military
flights with available seating, was included in the senate's version of the
National defense Authorization Act. This act has passed out of committee and
now needs to be voted on by the full senate. The house version of this bill
was passed on May 24, and it also included our space available language.

State Convention

              We are in final negotiations with the hotel in St. Cloud for
the next two years. I believe we have nearly everything locked down, but I
do not want to send out full details until the contract is signed. I plan to
have dates and details to you before our national convention.

              As part of convention festivities, we are exploring the idea
of having a dinner social on Friday evening. It is often difficult to get
dinner right after the afternoon meetings and before the division meetings
begin, usually because the on-site restaurant is full of people. To solve
this problem, we would like to offer a low-cost dinner, provided by the
hotel, to be served over the dinner hour. The food and atmosphere would be
casual, and federationists would have the chance to mix and mingle.

              I would like to hear from people who would be interested in
attending such an event.

Walk for Opportunity

              Our annual walk for opportunity will be held on September 22
in Rochester. More details will emerge as the event gets closer, but I
encourage everyone to begin fundraising for the event now. This is one of
our largest fundraisers for the year, and we want to continue to make it
successful.

If you have information you would like included in a future update, or if I
can help in any way, please don't hesitate to email me at
president at nfbmn.org <mailto:president at nfbmn.org> 

Dates to keep in mind:

*	July 3-8: NFB National Convention in Orlando
*	August 25: BLIND Inc. Board of Directors meeting
*	September 22: Annual Walk for Opportunity

Warmly,

Ryan Strunk, President

And now . the recipes

Chicken and Brown Rice Salad

1 c. brown rice, I used Jasmine

2 c. chicken broth or water

1/2 c. sliced water chestnuts

1 sm. onion, chopped

1 c. cooked & chopped chicken

1 c. grapes, red or green, cut in half

1 c. slivered almonds or cashew halves, I used cashew halves

DRESSING

2/3 c. mayonnaise

Dash of lemon juice

1/2 tsp. pepper

boil rice in broth or water until tender and liquid is gone, 40 minutes.
Combine mayonnaise, lemon juice and pepper. Mix well and set aside.  

Combine all of the remaining ingredients except the nuts. Stir in dressing
and chill. Add nuts shortly before serving.

Watergate Salad 

1 package (4-serving size) Jell-O Pistachio Flavor Instant Pudding & Pie
Filling
1 can (20 ounces) crushed pineapple in juice, undrained
1 cup miniature marshmallows
1/2 cup chopped walnuts nuts
2 cups thawed Cool Whip Topping

Stir the pudding mix, pineapple with juice, marshmallows and nuts in large
bowl until well blended. Gently stir in whipped topping. Refrigerate 1 hour
or until ready to serve. Garnish as desired.

Makes 8 servings

Jan's note: I add maraschino cherries at Christmas time to this salad.

Tuna Macaroni Salad

2 cups dry elbow macaroni, cooked and drained

one 3 ounce can or packet tuna

1 can of peas, drained

1 stalk celery, chopped

1 quarter medium onion, chopped

salt and pepper to taste

5 to 6 tablespoons Helman's mayonnaise to hold salad together

Mix all ingredients, and thoroughly cool before serving. 

Loaded Baked Potato Salad

.            15MINPrep Time

.            60MINTotal Time

.            7Ingredients

.            8Servings

Ingredients 

3 lb red potatoes, cut into 1/2-inch pieces

1 cup mayonnaise

1/2 cup sour cream

Salt and pepper to taste

1/3 cup sliced green onions

8 slices thick-cut bacon, cooked and crumbled

1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese (4 oz)

Directions

1.           Place 3 lb red potatoes, cut into 1/2-inch pieces, in large
pot; fill with water until potatoes are just covered. Add a tablespoon of
salt to water, if desired. Heat to boiling; simmer 7 to 9 minutes or until
potatoes are fork-tender.

2.           Drain potatoes; rinse with cold water until cool. Set aside.

3.           In large bowl, beat 1 cup mayonnaise, 1/2 cup sour cream, salt
and pepper to taste with whisk until smooth.

4.           Add cooled potatoes; stir to coat. Add 1/3 cup sliced green
onions, 8 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled, and 1 cup shredded Cheddar
cheese (4 oz). Gently stir to combine. Cover and refrigerate until ready to
serve.

Source: Pillsbury

Ryan Strunk, President

president at nfbmn.org <mailto:president at nfbmn.org> 

www.nfb.org <http://www.nfb.org> 

www.nfbmn.org <http://www.nfbmn.org> 

(612) 872-9363

Live the life you Want.

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