[Nfbmo] ohio school for the blind band

[Gary Wunder]

I remember that very fondly as well.


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "James Moynihan" <jamesmoynihan at kc.rr.com>
To: "NFB of Missouri Mailing List" <nfbmo at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Sunday, November 09, 2008 8:49 PM
Subject: [Nfbmo] ohio school for the blind band


>
>
> Hi!
>
> For those of you who haven't been members of NFBMO long enough to 
> remember, the affiliate used to march and have a float in the American 
> royal Parade in Kansas city each fall.  We didn't have a band, but those 
> of us young and able enough marched ahead of the float carrying banners. 
> John Dower used to march out in front carrying the American flag, and one 
> year we had a blind baton twirler.  Those not able to walk long distances 
> or who had young children rode the float.  We did this from about 1972 to 
> 1996.  We designed and built the floats ourselves.  some of our sighted 
> members and blind members who knew how to use tools assembled the float 
> and pounded in the steaks to hold the skirt and bunting.  We girls did 
> detail work and stretched and stapled the skirt and bunting.  We worked in 
> the warehouse of the trucking company which furnished the flatbed truck 
> for the float and as people came from all over the state, they joined the 
> K.C. chapter in assembling the float.  Following the parade the K.C. 
> chapter provided a pot luck lunch and we had a State board meeting.  It 
> was a lot of work, but also a lot of fun.  members came from all over 
> Missouri and our Kansas friends from Johnson and Wyndotte Counties came 
> over to march with us.  There were usually several thousand people along 
> the parade route who always greeted us enthusiastically and many thousand 
> more watching on TV.  We also got newspaper coverage from time to time. 
> Sadly, some of our chapter members felt somewhat embarrassed doing the 
> float and felt that since there was no evidence that it got jobs for 
> anyone it was an expense of time and money not worth the trouble.  The 
> next year the Royal decided the floats in the parade should all be 
> professionally made.  We couldn't have aforded that, but I have often 
> thought we might have found a corporate sponsor.  Think what a great Meet 
> the blind Month activity we would have had to report.
>
> Cordially,  Jim and Jana Moynihan
>
> _______________________________________________
> Nfbmo mailing list
> Nfbmo at nfbnet.org
> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nfbmo_nfbnet.org
> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for 
> Nfbmo:
> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nfbmo_nfbnet.org/gwunder%40earthlink.net
>