[Nfbmt] Convention update from the September 5th planning committee

Thu Sep 12 11:58:49 UTC 2013

thanks for the convention update. I have somewhere to be but hope to be 
home around six. If I'm a little late may I still call in? or I can call 
you and speak to you directly sometime today. Thanks.
On 9/12/2013 2:07 AM, James Aldrich wrote:
> Hello Fellow Federationist throughout Montana and beyond,
>
> This is a reminder that our Convention planning call will take place 
> on September 12, 6 PM, MDT, or 8 PM EDT.  I normally send this to 
> committee members only but much has happened since this last meeting. 
> As many of you know, I am now President of this affiliate due to 
> Travis Moses's resignation.  He will be greatly missed by all of us! 
> He will certainly be in our thoughts and prayers! We wish him a speedy 
> recovery! I think Dan Burke said it well in an earlier post on this list!
>
> This Saturday, September 14th at 10 AM, we will have our Treasure 
> State At large meeting!  I understand Sheila Leigland will preside at 
> this meeting due to other commitments with Bruce Breslauer. I always 
> look forward to these at large phone conference meetings. You can 
> participate in this meeting as well as the convention planning meeting 
> by calling our conference number:
> (605) 475-4000.  The pass code is 948731 number sign or pound.
>
> Ted Robbins informed me that we need to have our hotel reservations in 
> by October first.  This is to reserve one of the rooms which are set 
> aside in our block of rooms at this hotel.  If you do not reserve a 
> room by the first of October, you will stay in a room anywhere in the 
> hotel if space is available.  You will need to phone the hotel desk 
> and leave them a credit card number. I understand one can cancel this 
> three days before the event begins!  Here is the convention hotel 
> information!
>
> Holiday Inn Grand Montana Hotel
> 5500 Midland Road
> Billings  MT 59101
> phone: (406) 248-7701
> http://www.higrandmt.com
>
> A number of you have asked that there be a convention planning update 
> report for the general membership! This last meeting will be for 
> everyone as well as all committee members.
>
> Then First Vice-President James Aldrich called the planning committee 
> meeting to order soon after 6 PM. Rik and Karen James, Linda Hurlock, 
> Bruce Breslauer and myself were present at this meeting.
>
> I reported I had heard from Beverly Berg of Blind And Low Vision 
> Services who would be happy to speak to us at  our convention! Christy 
> Briggs of the Montana State Library will also speak to us at this   
> convention!
>
> Ted Robbins is working through the Holiday Inn Credit Application.  We 
> hope to know more during next week's convention planning meeting.
>
> Our convention theme for this year is, "We are changing what it means 
> to be blind".  This convention theme was agreed on unanimously by the 
> convention committee!
>
> So far, the tentative agenda is starting to come together. Convention 
> activities begin on Friday Evening at 7 PM with a social event where 
> we meet and greet one another.  This could be a working activity where 
> we may look into where we are now, how will we find  new members, what 
> will some of our goals and objectives be for the coming year!
>
> After 9 PM, the resolutions committee will meet.
>
> Saturday morning, we will have a Board Meeting.  The starting time 
> hasn't been determined yet!  After the Board meeting, Beverly Berg and 
> Christy Briggs will make their presentations.  This could start 
> midmorning or in the afternoon depending on how long the board meeting 
> lasts. Our National Representative, Mark Rickabono will bring us up to 
> date with our national movement.  A technology session may follow 
> where one can discuss any new technology which was recently purchased 
> as the newer Victor Stream, the ID Mate Quest or any other technology 
> which was recently purchased.
>
> Saturday Evening will be our annual banquet.  This schedule hasn't 
> been discussed at this time.
>
> Sunday morning will be set aside for unfinished business.
>
> The committee strongly feels there needs to be a registration table 
> available for those who are late for a variety of reasons! We 
> certainly don't wish to turn people wishing to attend away from this 
> event!
>
> Other matters came up during our discussion!  I was asked to describe 
> my new ID Mate Quest I recently purchased while at the NFB Convention.
>
> Bruce Breslauer informed us that  The August September Braille Monitor 
> is now available!  This is the convention issue! We discussed how we 
> were reading it!
>
> A fifty fifty ticket raffle is considered to be the best idea for a 
> raffle.
>
> Linda Hurlock is in charge of door prizes. She will write an insert to 
> go into the registration packet.
>
> The registration fee is $50.  Room rates are $85 a night plus tax.  I 
> understand our registration and rooms won't be much different from 
> what is being charged at the MAB Convention. This was pointed out 
> during another one of our meetings. All registration packets must be 
> sent in by October 20th.
>
>   The meeting adjourned after 50 minutes.
>
> Dennis Boehler pronounced Bailer will handle the incoming registration 
> packets.  We hope to get these out shortly! I will have more 
> information in another post.
>
> James Aldrich President,
> National Federation Of The Blind Of Montana
> (406) 698-3729
> jkaldrich at samobile.net
>
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