[NFBMO] FW: 57th NFB of Missouri Convention Highlights

Tue Mar 26 19:16:19 UTC 2019

Hi Daniel,

These are great!  I also want to complement you on these well-written
and informative highlights.  I'm only disappointed I didn't get any of
that heavenly popcorn!

Thank you to the Columbia chapter, to Gene Coulter, Shelia Wright, and
everyone else who made this convention such a success!

Julie

On 3/25/19, Cory McMahon via NFBMO <nfbmo at nfbnet.org> wrote:
> Daniel,
>
> You are to be commended: As someone who did not attend convention, through
> reading your highlights below, I certainly felt like I was there.
>
> Thanks for wonderful highlights.
>
> Sincerely,
>
> Cory McMahon
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: NFBMO <nfbmo-bounces at nfbnet.org> On Behalf Of Daniel Garcia via NFBMO
> Sent: Monday, March 25, 2019 8:35 PM
> To: NFB of Missouri Mailing List (nfbmo at nfbnet.org) <nfbmo at nfbnet.org>
> Cc: Daniel Garcia <dangarcia3 at hotmail.com>
> Subject: [NFBMO] FW: 57th NFB of Missouri Convention Highlights
>
> Hello, Missouri Federationnists:
>
> Below you can read a message I sent to my chapter with convention
> highlights. Though the beginning focuses on items of interest  to Kansas
> City Chapter members, I think this could be informative to others who were
> not able to attend state convention this year.
>
> Regards
>
> Daniel Garcia, Corresponding Secretary
> National Federation of the Blind of Missouri dangarcia3 at hotmail.com
> (816) 621-0902
> www.nfb.org
> www.nfbmo.org
> Live the life you want
>
>
>
> From: dangarcia3 at hotmail.com
> Sent: Monday, March 25, 2019 7:16 PM
> To: Kansas City Chapter
> Subject: 57th NFB of Missouri Convention Highlights
>
> Dear Kansas City Chapter Members & Friends:
>
> Our 57th NFB of Missouri Convention was just fabulous. If you were not able
> to attend, don't worry, I will provide you with brief highlights.
>
> At the beginning of the March 16 chapter meeting, we had $945.05 in our
> King
> & Queen Fund. The annual chapter auction yielded $869 and there were $200
> in
> additional donations. This means that we went to convention with $2014.05
> in
> the King & Queen Fund. We sold popcorn from Popcorn Heaven at convention
> and
> we ended up with $2144.05. This amount was enough this year for Kansas City
> to win the King & Queen Trophy. Since our King & Queen Candidates John &
> Vivian Bliss could not attend convention, Jeff Giffen and Laurice Cason
> agreed to replace them. We could not have won though without the Bliss's
> hard work throughout the year and on behalf of the chapter I want to thank
> them and acknowledged their contributions to the NFB.
>
> The Roy Zuvers traveling Trophy again went to the Jefferson City Chapter
> this year. From the beginning of convention last year through March 6, our
> chapter donated $3805.35 to the NFB of Missouri. The Jefferson City Chapter
> donated $3869.
>
> The NFB of Missouri Blind Merchants Division was dissolved and is now a
> special interest group headed by Gene Fleeman. Whereas divisions have to
> have officers, special interest groups are more like committees requiring
> only a chair. Their funds are held in trust by the state affiliate as
> restricted funds. The NFB of Missouri's Parents of Blind Children Division
> was also dissolved into a special interest group. It will be headed by
> Linda
> Coccovizzo of the Kansas City Chapter.
>
> With regards to elections, I started convention as a board member of the
> state affiliate and I was then elected to the position of Corresponding
> Secretary. Our Chapter Treasurer, Jeff Giffen, was elected to the state
> affiliate board to fill a 1 year term as a result of a vacancy created when
> Melissa Kane of the Jefferson City Chapter was elected to the position of
> affiliate first vice president. It goes without saying that Shelia Wright
> of
> the Kansas City Chapter still continues to be our affiliate president. The
> new state board is as follows: Shelia Wright, President; Melissa Kane,
> First
> Vice President; Jenny Carmack, Second Vice President; Daniel Garcia,
> Corresponding Secretary; Becky Boyer, Recording Secretary; Carol Coulter,
> Treasurer; Amy Wilson, Board Member; Eugene Coulter, Board Member; Jeff
> Giffen, Board Member; Robin House, Board Member; Dacia Cole, Board Member;
> Christopher Tisdal, Board Member; Roger Crome, Board Member.
>
> Julie McGinnity had served as affiliate first vice president from 2017 and
> now works at the National Center for the Blind in Baltimore. She was
> presented with the NFB of Missouri's Kenneth Jernigan Award. This award is
> given to a Federationist who has performed outstanding service to his
> fellow
> blind over a prolonged period of time. The National Representative was
> Norma
> Crosby, a member of the National Board of the NFB and President of the NFB
> of Texas. She gave a banquet speech in which she explained that during her
> childhood she struggled to understand whether she was blind or not. The
> sighted kept telling her she "could not see well." Her counselor, whom she
> referred to as the "rehab guy" added to the confusion by giving her a
> Braille watch and then telling her she did not need to learn Braille since
> she was not blind. Eventually Norma found her way to the NFB and she also
> found the clarity that allowed her to live the life she wanted as a blind
> person. The NFB of Missouri awarded 1 student scholarship this year in the
> amount of $1000 to Mitchell Thomas.
>
> During the Saturday General Session we heard various speeches. One of them
> was by Charles "Chaz" Davis, a blind Paralympian who ran in the California
> International Marathon, the Boston Marathon, and competed in the 2016
> Summer
> Paralympic Games in Rio de Janeiro. He talked about how he initially became
> depressed as a result of his blindness. He thought his life as a runner was
> over, but then he started to run again and found he could still live the
> life he wanted as a blind runner.
>
> The convention passed a resolution commending Bob Watson, a reporter for
> the
> Jefferson City Tribune, for his work in helping bring public awareness of
> the NFB. We also passed 2 constitutional amendments. The first amendment
> requires chapters to vote in new members. The second amendment provides for
> special interest groups to become a Division of the NFB of Missouri and
> also
> gives the affiliate the right to dissolve a division that fails to hold a
> regular meeting at state convention.  A small change in the bylaws now
> clarifies that the deadline for the Jernigan Award nominations, tenBroek
> Award Nominations, and Rittger's applications is February 1.
>
> There was a first time convention welcome seminar on Friday afternoon. All
> of our first timers certainly had a good time at convention.
>
> If you were not able to attend this year's convention, start planning for
> the 58th Convention of the NFB of Missouri to be held in St Louis from
> March
> 26 through March 29, 2020.
>
> Best Regards
>
> Daniel Garcia, President, Kansas City Chapter National Federation of the
> Blind of Missouri dangarcia3 at hotmail.com
> (816) 621-0902
> www.nfb.org
> www.nfbmo.org
> Live the life you want.
>
>
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-- 
Julie A. McGinnity
MM Vocal Performance, 2015; President, National Federation of the
Blind Performing Arts Division; First Vice President, National
Federation of the Blind of Missouri