[NFBMT] National Convention first time attendees

Mon Feb 27 15:43:57 UTC 2017

Here is some information about attending your first National convention.  If
you are attending the convention for the first time, you may apply for a
Kenneth Jernigan scholarship from the NFB.  Information about this is
available in the January, 2017 Braille Monitor.  See below.

The Kenneth Jernigan Convention Scholarship Fund

by Allen Harris

>From the Editor: Allen Harris is the chairman of the Kenneth Jernigan Fund
Committee and was one of the people who came up with the idea of honoring our

former president and longtime leader by establishing a program to promote
attendance at the national convention, where so much inspiration and learning

occur. Here is Allen's announcement about the 2017 Kenneth Jernigan
Convention Scholarship Fund Program:

Have you always wanted to attend an NFB annual convention but have not done
so because of the lack of funds? The Kenneth Jernigan Convention Scholarship

Fund invites you to make an application for a scholarship grant. Perhaps this
July you too can be in the Rosen Shingle Creek Hotel in Orlando, Florida,

enjoying the many pleasures and learning opportunities at the largest and
most important yearly convention of blind people in the world.

The three biggest ticket items you need to cover when attending an NFB
national convention are the roundtrip transportation, the hotel room for a
week,

and the food (which tends to be higher priced than at home). We attempt to
award additional funds to families, but, whether a family or an individual is

granted a scholarship, this fund can only help; it won't pay all the costs.
Last year most of the sixty grants were in the range of $400 to $500 per
individual.

We recommend that you find an NFB member as your personal convention mentor,
someone who has been to many national conventions and is able to share
money-saving tips with you and tips on navigating the extensive agenda in the
big hotel. Your mentor will help you get the most out of the amazing
experience that is

convention week.

Who is eligible? 

Active NFB members, blind or sighted, who have not yet attended an NFB
national convention because of lack of funding are eligible to apply.

How do I apply for funding assistance?

1. You write a letter giving your contact information, and your local NFB
information, your specific amount requested, and then explain why this is a
good

investment for the NFB. The points to cover are listed below.

2. You contact your state president in person or by phone to request his or
her help in obtaining funding. Be sure to tell the president when to expect

your request letter by email, and mention the deadline.

3. You (or a friend) send your letter by email to your state president. He or
she must add a president's recommendation and then email both letters
directly

to the Kenneth Jernigan Convention Scholarship Fund Committee. Your president
must forward the two letters no later than April 15.

Your letter to Chairperson Allen Harris must cover these points:

list of 5 items

.Your full name, and all your telephone numbers and label them-cell phone,
home, office, other person (if any).

.Your mailing address and, if you have one, your email address.

.Your state affiliate and state president; your chapter and chapter
president, if you attend a chapter.

.Your personal convention mentor, and provide that person's phone number.

.Your specific request:

list end

Explain how much money you need from this fund to make this trip possible for
you. We suggest you consult with other members to make a rough budget for

yourself.

The body of your letter should answer these questions: 

How do you currently participate in the Federation? Why do you want to attend
a national convention? What would you receive; what can you share or give?

You can include in your letter to the committee any special circumstances you
hope they will take into consideration.

When will I be notified that I am a winner? 

If you are chosen to receive this scholarship, you will receive a letter with
convention details that should answer most of your questions. The committee

makes every effort to notify scholarship winners by May 15, but you must do
several things before that to be prepared to attend if you are chosen.

1. Make your own hotel reservation. If something prevents you from attending,
you can cancel the reservation. (Yes, you may arrange for roommates of your

own to reduce the cost.)

2. Register online for the entire convention, including the banquet, by May
31. 

3. Find someone in your chapter or affiliate who has been to many conventions
and can answer your questions as a friend and advisor.

4. If you do not hear from the committee by May 15, then you did not win a
grant this year.

How will I receive my convention scholarship?

At convention you will be given a debit card or credit card loaded with the
amount of your award. The times and locations to pick up your card will be

listed in the letter we sent you. The committee is not able to provide funds
before the convention, so work with your chapter and state affiliate to
assist

you by obtaining an agreement to advance funds if you win a scholarship and
to pay your treasury back after you receive your debit or credit card.

What if I have more questions? For additional information email the chairman,
Allen Harris, at <

kjscholarships at nfb.org>

or call his Baltimore, Maryland, office at (410) 659-9314, extension 2415.

Above all, please use this opportunity to attend your first convention on the
national level and join several thousand active Federationists in the most

important meeting of the blind in the world. We hope to see you in Orlando.

Here is some information from the NFB web site about attending a national
convention for the first time.

First-Timer's Guide to the National Federation of the Blind Convention

Welcome to your first convention of the National Federation of the Blind. We
hope that you find the convention fast-paced, fascinating, and fun, and that

it won't be your last. A lot happens at each convention, so this guide is
intended to give you an overview of what you will experience at your first
convention.

It is available in Braille, in large print, and on our website at 

www.nfb.org.

For more specific details about this year's convention, consult the
convention agenda, the Braille Monitor, and the NFB's convention webpage at 

www.nfb.org/convention.

For a more personal introduction to your first convention, plan to attend the
Rookie Roundup, usually held in the evening of the very first day of the

gathering. There you will meet your fellow rookies, be welcomed by Federation
leaders (including the President), and get some advice on what to do and

when to do it from convention veterans. The convention is full of
opportunities to learn, work, play, and network (both formally and
informally). The only

thing you won't get much of at a National Federation of the Blind convention
is sleep!

FROM THE PRESIDENT

"I am delighted to welcome you to your very first national convention of the
National Federation of the Blind. These pages are a brief overview of our

conventions and the unique role that they play in the life of our movement.

Your presence at convention is important! Being here means that you are a
part of the largest gathering of blind people held anywhere in the world. I
believe

that you can and will benefit from the strength and knowledge that you will
gain from the many blind people you will meet at the convention, and the
National

Federation of the Blind certainly needs your ideas and your voice. I hope you
come to feel the love, the power, and the unity of purpose this convention

brings to blind people and their families who choose to attend."

Joy Breslauer, President

National Federation of the Blind of Montana 

Web Site: http://www.nfbofmt.org <http://www.nfbofmt.org/> 

Live the life you want

The National Federation of the Blind knows that blindness is not the
characteristic that defines you or your future. Every day we raise the
expectations of blind people, because low expectations create obstacles
between blind people and our dreams. You can live the life you want;
blindness is not what holds you back.