[NFBMT] NOTICE: Treasure State At-Large Chapter Meeting of NFBof Montana - Friday, August 27, 2021 - 3:00 p.m.

[rixmix2009 at gmail.com]

Dear Chapter Members & Friends,

The next meeting of the Treasure State At Large Chapter will be held via
Zoom soon. 
Zoom soon.  Has a nice ring to it, doesn't it?
See below for your invitation.

Annual chapter elections will be conducted soon, too. At the September
meeting, I think, would be a good time to hold them. 

As you may know by now, the 2021 virtual state convention is scheduled for
September 25th, to begin at 9:00 a.m. and will adjourn around 5 with a lunch
break. 

The convention is free, but registration is required. Here is the link to
pre-register:
https://www.nfbofmt.org/2021convention.html

With these things in mind, it occurred to me that our next meeting would be
a good time for an open discussion of organizational priorities,
expectations, and individual member commitments. For your consideration,
here are a few questions which might help focus and guide our discussion:

* What attracted you to the National Federation of the Blind?
* What do you expect from our monthly chapter meetings?
* How could we make those meetings more valuable and productive?
* What major challenges do you face as a blind individual living in Montana?
* What action(s) could the organization take to address and respond to those
challenges?
* What strengths, talents, interests, and commitments do you believe you can
bring to the work of the organization?
* What can we as elected leaders do to help you better fulfill your
potential as a Federation member?
* Are there other concerns that you wish to bring to the floor for
discussion?

I will do my best to make certain that everyone has an opportunity to be
heard; however, if you let me know in advance that you have an idea to
share, I will include you among those members to be recognized early in the
discussion.

We may hear at this meeting a brief summary of any recent meetings of the
affiliate board of directors, and along with that maybe some preliminary
information about the upcoming state convention. 

If all of us will take seriously our involvement in and commitment to the
national Federation of the Blind, your participation in the chapter meetings
could help lay the groundwork for a positive and productive future. You are
a part of something here. As we like to say, let's go build the Federation.
And in this case, the Montana chartered affiliate of the National Federation
of the Blind.

Thank you,
Rik James, Treasure State Chapter President 
406-451-1874
406-586-4123
d28rik at msn.com

ZOOM INVITATION BELOW:

NFB-MT President is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.

Topic: NFB-MT Treasure State At-Large Meeting
Time:  3:00 p.m. Friday, August 27, 2021

Join Zoom Meeting
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Meeting ID: 977 1390 0011
Passcode: 100283
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THE MINUTES FROM OUR LAST MEETING ARE BELOW:


The National Federation of the Blind of Montana 
Treasure State At Large Chapter Meeting Minutes 
Friday, June 11, 2021, 3:00PM  

Officers: 
Rik James, President, Bozeman 
Hannah Clemenson, Vice President, Missoula/Helena/San Rafael, CA  
Joy Breslauer, Secretary, Great Falls 
Linda Hurlock, Treasurer, Helena 

Attendance: 
Rik and karen James, Bozeman
Jim Marks, affiliate President, Helena 
Jim Aldrich, Billings 
Marjorie Gregg, Ennis 
Bruce and Joy Breslauer, Great Falls
Russell Davis, Jacksonville, Florida
Ed and Karen McDonald, Keyser, West Virginia 

The meeting was called to order by President Rik James at around 3:15PM on
Friday, June 11, 2021, with ten in attendance.

Jim Aldrich moved and Jim Marks seconded that the minutes for the May 14
chapter meeting be approved as previously distributed to the membership via
email by Secretary Joy Breslauer.  The motion passed unanimously.

The Treasurer's Report still has a balance of $123.00.

Everyone has been asking about Karen, who just had her second total knee
replacement surgery.  It was originally scheduled for last year, but was
postponed because of the pandemic.  She came home last night after having
spent one night in the hospital, and is doing very well.  She has already
met or exceeded the goals that the physical therapist and the occupational
therapist have set for her.  She has been diligently doing the strength and
agility exercises which they have prescribed for her, and this has paid off
tremendously regarding the speed and completeness of her recovery. 

Marjorie is planning to go to Trek for Light next week.  
https://www.sflmt.org

Please make plans to attend the Montana annual Treasure State convention,
scheduled online for Saturday, September 25, 2021.  More convention
information, including the online registration form, is on our web site at
https://www.nfbofmt.org/2021convention.html  Please have your registration
in by September 17, 2021.  Registration makes you eligible to win door
prizes.  Paying your annual dues before convention makes you eligible to
vote.  

Robert Jaquiss is participating in a car show in Missoula through the Lions
Club sponsored by Big Sky Brewing, located on Trumpeter Way, proud brewers
of Moose Drool, Ivan The Terrible, Big Sky IPA, Space Goat, Powder Hound,
Summer Honey, Slow Elk and other legendary craft beers in Missoula, Montana.
For more information, their phone number is 406-549-2777.   

We were pleased to welcome Ed and Karen McDonald from West Virginia.  He has
been involved with the NFB since 1969, for over fifty years, both as the
affiliate President and vice president, as well as the at large president.
The at large chapter in Virginia is a similar size to ours, and the problems
of having an NFB affiliate in a rural state are similar to the problems we
face in Montana.  We have recently moved to Zoom, but before that we had
free conference calling.  In the words of Mr. McDonald, they were zooming
when zooming wasn't cool.  They have had struggling local chapters, as have
we, and at the peak they may have had nine or ten chapters.  In Charleston,
their largest population center, the local chapter is thinking about
restarting, which mirrors the same situation we have in our largest
population center.  They have exported many successful and influential West
Virginians, including David Andrews and Maurice Pare, who was a participant
in the Erik Weihenmayer expedition.  https://erikweihenmayer.com/ 

His wife Karen has been in the NFB since 1991.  She has been the affiliate
secretary and the secretary of the at large chapter.  They met Rik James at
their first convention, which was also his first convention.  So it's a
small world after all.

Florida has around twelve chapters, some of which are struggling with around
five to seven members, and some of which are doing well with around 24
members.  We all discussed the pros and cons of in person, virtual, and
hybrid conventions.  Virtual conventions are more inclusive and cost less to
attend.  In person conventions are what we think we want to get back to, but
once the virtual convention is out of the box, it is going to be hard to put
it back in, especially in states that have transportation and other
logistical considerations.  Virtual meetings have the benefit of having more
spontaneous communication between participants, unless a more formal
presentation is on the agenda.  

Montana is gaining a state representative in our legislature; West Virginia
is losing one.  Their largest population center has probably lost half or so
of its residents; Montana's population is growing, but not necessarily in
the cities.  Educational and economic opportunities often dictate where
people build their lives and communities, including the blind.  If those
educational and economic opportunities are more available in a more
populated state, then that is where people tend to congregate.  We discussed
the benefits and drawbacks of building coalitions of similar groups to
accomplish a certain goals, since there is more strength in numbers.  That's
where we might want some input into legislation to improve infrastructure to
address some of these chronic transportation concerns that nondrivers in
rural states face.  When our state transportation options connect with
nationwide transportation options, then the issue becomes federal and cannot
be addressed by local or state legislation unless there is a combined state
and federal coalition that would have jurisdiction over the situation.

Jim marks mentioned an unique situation in Missoula, where a bridge over a
river has been constructed of a material with a lighter weight than concrete
that holds heat so much that it will burn the feet of guide, service, or pet
dogs who may walk upon it.  An alternative bridge is too far away to be
convenient to use.  There is debate over how to warn everyone of this
danger, and how to make the bridge accessible to and usable by everyone.  It
will be interesting to see how this situation is resolved.  

Rik mentioned having listened to the Mosen At Large podcast, which tweaked
his interest about such diverse topics of discussion as web accessibility
and the blindness culture.  There is an interesting discussion to be had
regarding how much help someone needs, what kind of help is truly helpful,
and in what context, both as someone who may be offering help and someone
who may or may not need it, depending on their visual acuity at the time.
Accepting blindness is often determined by whatever phase of adjustment you
are in, whether your vision is static or changing and why, or even by the
situation or the mood you or the other person find yourselves in.  

As long as we are zooming, It might be fun to embark on some educational or
social or self-improvement "classes" or get-togethers, like a technology
fair or a book club.  On the new and upcoming technology front, Jim Aldrich
mentioned a Braille display from Humanware that will soon have the
functionality of the Victor Stream or the Victor Trek built into it as an
application.  So it is a Braille display by means of which you can read
Braille books downloaded from other sources, write your own content, and
listen to whatever is available on the Victor Stream or Trek.  You can also
hook up a Braille display to a smart phone or tablet.   

Ed was looking for a list of qwerty keyboard commands to use on the Mantis
with an iPhone.  www.mantistouch.org If you want to know something, ask
another Federationist.

We got off on an enthusiastic discussion of radio, long distance, a.m.,
streaming, and otherwise.  Ed mentioned that he manages a radio station,
Mountain streams radio, www.mountainstreamsradio.org  In addition to playing
folk and traditional music, it will be a platform to showcase local artists
and musicians.

If anyone is interested in attending a West Virginia at large meeting,
please let Rik know and he will pass the information on.  There will be a
meeting the second Sunday of June, at 4:00PM Eastern.  They hardly ever last
more than an hour and a half, usually less.   

The next virtual meeting of the at large chapter will be some Friday in
august, after the NFB national convention.  Chapter President Rik James will
let everybody know when and where.

Respectfully submitted, 
Joy Breslauer, Secretary, Treasure state At Large Chapter 
National Federation of the Blind of Montana 

Live the life you want

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who believe in the hopes and dreams of the nation's blind. Every day we work
together to help blind people live the lives they want. 

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the Blind to achieve equality, opportunity, and security for the blind; to
support the policies and programs of the Federation; and to abide by its
constitution.