[Nfbmo] [Chapter-presidents] Chapter Newsletters are good ideas

Gary Wunder gwunder at earthlink.net
Mon Jan 12 01:38:40 UTC 2009


May I say this is the finest chapter newsletter I've ever seen. It offers a 
tremendous mix of local state and national activities, offers people direct 
personal assistance, and gives a very impressive list of what the chapter 
has been doing. No one can ask why there is a Fairfax Chapter with the 
newsletter like this. Hallelujah! I'm going to share this with some other 
lists, hoping you and they don't mind.

Gary


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "KC4BQI" <kc4bqi at hotmail.com>
To: <chapter-presidents at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Sunday, January 11, 2009 5:21 PM
Subject: [Chapter-presidents] Chapter Newsletters are good ideas


Hello All,
I try to have a monthly (actually every other month) newsletter that goes
out by e-mail to all the chapter members and to a general list in the state.
In the newsletter, I make a point to add some article or something that is
interesting and more than  just a where and when meeting announcement.

For example, I include articles about what the chapter is planning to do and
the results of activities of what we have done. In addition, our chapter
meets at a restaurant. I include a text version of the menu so that people
can choose what they want before getting there.

I am interested in seeing other chapter newsletters. Please feel free to
send them to me at john_bailey17 at hotmail.com.

My newsletter is below.
JB
>From John Bailey, President

Dear Members and Friends:

This is the January 2009 newsletter of the Fairfax Area Chapter of the
National Federation of the Blind of Virginia. There's lots and lots of
exciting
information below.

Meeting Location:
For the January 15, 2009 meeting, we will be gathering in the banquet room
at the Fairfax City Red Lobster located at 10325 Fairfax Boulevard. They can
be reached at (703) 691-1011.  Their website is
www.redlobster.com.

Those who want dinner should arrive at 6:30 p.m.  The formal meeting will
begin promptly at 7:00 p.m. and run till 9:00 p.m.  We will be meeting in
the
banquet room at the restaurant. A copy of the menu is at the bottom of this
newsletter.

If you need transportation assistance from the Vienna Metro Station, please
contact Chapter Vice-President Cathy Schroeder at (703) 319-9226.  We want
to make sure anyone who wants to attend a meeting is able to do so.

This Month's Program:
We are often asked about which training centers are good at teaching the
alternative skills of blindness. The alternative skills are non-visual
techniques
that minimize the fact that one cannot see and allow one to do pretty much
anything a fully sighted person can do.

In an effort to answer those questions, we have invited Jessica Kostiw.
Jessica is very familiar with NFB affiliated training centers and she can
answer
our questions with information gained from personal experience.

IF you are interested on what training centers have to offer, we invite you
to attend this very informative meeting.

Make Sure to Attend the Fairfax Low-Vision Resource Fair this January:
On Saturday, January 24, 2009, the Fairfax Chapter of the National
Federation of the Blind of Virginia along with the Access Services branch of
the Fairfax
County Public Library will be hosting a low-vision resource fair at the
public library in Fairfax City.

Anyone who has recently lost vision is looking for information about
services that will assist them gain back their independence. The goal of the
fair
is to assist them and their families get a 'jump start' on getting that
information. The day long event will feature presenters from local
low-vision and
blindness resource providers who will inform us of their services along with
answering our questions. If you have a question about what resources are
available
to you, this is the event to attend.

The City of Fairfax Regional Library is located at 10360 North Street,
Fairfax, VA 22030. For directions to the library, call 703-293-6227, TTY 711
or
visit the library's Web page at
www.fairfaxcounty.gov/library
 The fair will run from 10:30 A.M. through 4:30 P.M. For more information,
call John Bailey at 703.994.2040 or contact him via e-mail at
john_bailey17 at hotmail.com.

The Fairfax Chapter announces two Scholarships for the 2009 national
Federation of the Blind Youth Slam:
The National Federation of the Blind is hosting a second Youth Slam in the
summer of 2009; it will be very similar to the Youth Slam held in 2007.
However,
this year, it will be held at the University of Maryland in College Park.
The purpose of the NFB Youth Slam is to introduce blind and low-vision
students
to careers they traditionally may not have thought of for an occupation.

A "track" is a series of activities designed to make students familiar with
a particular career. In the 2009 Youth Slam, there will be many of the
tracks
that were offered in 2007. This includes tracks in rocket science, biology,
chemistry, physics, astronomy, Earth science, computer science, and a Youth
Slam News journalism track. In addition, we will be introducing several new
tracks; they are forensics, sports science, and will also include an
inventor's
track.

The 2009 NFB Youth Slam will begin on July 26 and run for five days. There
is no registration fee. However, once you are accepted into the program,
there
is a $250 program fee which will cover travel, lodging, food, and program
expenses.

The Fairfax Chapter sees the value of teaching our youth that there is no
limit to what one can achieve even if you are blind. So, the Fairfax Chapter
is offering two $250 scholarships to local teens to attend the Slam this
summer. If you are interested in learning more about the 2009 Youth Slam
scholarships
offered by the Fairfax Chapter, contact John Bailey at (703) 994-2040 or via
e-mail at
john_bailey17 at hotmail.com
 For more information about the Slam and how to apply, contact Karen
Zakhnini, Education Project Manager, Jernigan Institute, National Federation
of the
Blind (410) 659-9314, ext. 2293.

Holiday Party Is Another Success:
In December of each year, the chapter gathers at the Home of Cathy and Fred
Schroeder to enjoy great food and wonderful fellowship. This year was no
exception.

The entire Schroeder family chipped in to make this one the best ever. We
had over 30 members and friends join in to enjoy the holiday season and to
reflect
back on all the successes of the chapter during the last year. A gigantic
thank you goes out to the Schroeder family for being such outstanding hosts.

New Officers Elected at November Meeting:
Each November, the chapter elects its officers for the next year. Those
elected to serve during 2009 were: John Bailey, President; Cathy Schroeder,
Vice-President;
Carrie Schroeder, Treasurer; and Brigid Doherty, Secretary. We also elected
two Board members. They were Carolyn Ranker and Connie Mowdy. Big thanks go
out to our new officers and to those who served in previous years.

Federationists Teach a Local Girl Scout Troup about Blindness:
On the evening of December 12, 2008, John Bailey, Annette Carr, and Jessica
Kostiw spoke before over twenty eight-year-olds at their Brownie meeting in
Burke. John Bailey was contacted by Kitty Awtreywho, one of the leaders of
Brownie Troop 3572to assist them in discussing blindness as part of their
program
of teaching the girls about disabilities.

When the program began, John did the introductions and talked a bit about
the NFB and how it changes the lives of those who have lost their vision.
Then,
each of the three Federationists talked about how blindness changed their
lives and about what careers they have now.

The program involved teaching the girls about Braille, cane travel, and
having a dog guide. The scouts were broken up into three groups and after
about
ten minutes learning about one subject, they moved on to another subject.

John talked about the important of being able to quickly read and write and
about how for many, Braille is a very effective way to do that. He talked
about
how this is the two-hundredth anniversary of Louis Braille's birth and how
his modification of another kind of writing (night writing), the blind today
are much better equipped to participate fully in society.

Jessica taught the kids cane travel. She had the girls wear sleep shades so
that they could understand how the other senses could be used to travel
safely.

Annette brought her dog guide Troy with her. Even before the program began,
Annette was asked all sorts of questions about her dog and about how a blind
person could do certain tasks. For example, Annette was asked how a blind
person could know if there was a fire. Annette responded by asking the
Brownies
what they were taught to do in case of fire. They told her that they were to
use their sense of smell along with touching doors to know where the fire
was. Annette showed them that even if a person can't see, there are ways to
use one's senses to compensate for the lack of sight.

At the end of the program, Jessica led the group in a question and answer
session which invited the Brownies to ask questions about how blind people
do
certain tasks. Jessica demonstrated how a blind person could use a phone by
using the tactile marks on it to know which buttons to press.

John and Jessica finished the program with a board breaking demonstration.
The demonstration dramatically illustrated the idea that knowing the right
way
to do something and having the confidence to try can lead to success.
Jessica, never having done it before, successfully broke two boards with her
palm.
The troop leaders and the Brownies were very impressed.

After nearly a three hour program about blindness, we were thanked by
everyone and told that we really taught the girls a lot. The Fairfax Chapter
members
are available to talk to other groups in our community. If your group would
like to learn more about the tools that can overcome blindness or about the
positive philosophy of the NFB, give us a call. We would be more than happy
to share our knowledge with you.

 Red Lobster Menu Choices:
Freshly baked Cheddar Bay Biscuits; Garden or Caesar salad (add petite
shrimp for .99) or coleslaw. With the exception of pastas, entrées also come
with:
Your choice of fresh broccoli, home-style mashed potatoes, wild rice pilaf,
baked potato or fries. Substitute One of Our Premium Sides Fresh Asparagus
Seasonal. 2.25 additional Creamy Lobster-Topped Baked Potato With
langoustine lobster meat. 3.99 additional Creamy Lobster-Topped Mashed
Potatoes With
langostino lobster meat. 3.99 additional Add to Any Meal Steamed Snow Crab
Legs 1/2 pound served with melted butter. 7.50 Steamed King Crab Legs 1/2
pound
served with melted butter. 9.99 Know someone who loves seafood? The Red
Lobster Gift Card makes a great gift. Buy Gift Cards Online Enjoy a New
England
Lobster Bake at home. We'll deliver it fresh to your door. Buy Live Lobster
Online Savor More of the Sea on Mondays and Tuesdays Crab Crackin' Monday
Join
us every Monday for sweet snow crab legs. 1 pound 15.50 1 1/2 pounds 19.50 2
pounds 23.50 Shrimp Lover's Tuesday Enjoy lots of delicious shrimp on
Tuesdays!
Fried shrimp, scampi, coconut shrimp bites or popcorn shrimp. Any Three
12.75 Any Four 16.25 *These menu items are cooked to the level of doneness
you
request. Consuming raw or undercooked meats or shellfish may increase your
risk of food borne illness. Seaside Shrimp Trio Seaside Shrimp Trio A
generous
sampling of our Walt's Favorite Shrimp, savory garlic shrimp scampi and
shrimp linguini Alfredo. 17.50 Ultimate Feast® Ultimate Feast® A tender
Maine lobster
tail, steamed snow crab legs, garlic shrimp scampi  and Walt's Favorite
Shrimp. 25.25 Admiral's Feast Admiral's Feast Walt's Favorite Shrimp, bay
scallops,
clam strips and flounder fried to a golden brown. 16.99 Create Your Own
Feast Choose Any Two 16.50    Choose Any Three 20.50

Garlic-Grilled Jumbo Shrimp Seafood-Stuffed Flounder Parrot Bay Jumbo
Coconut Shrimp Walt's Favorite Shrimp Grilled Salmon Shrimp Linguini Alfredo
Crab
Linguini Alfredo Garlic Shrimp Scampi Steamed Snow Crab Legs Grilled Sirloin
Steak* (3.75 additional)

Seafood also can be part of healthy diet. Learn more in Seafood & Health.
Allergy Information: Your health and safety are top priorities for Red
Lobster.
Find out more. Availability and Pricing of Some Menu Items May Vary



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