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<DIV>Greetings to all!</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>With the national convention to be held in Las Vegas, the time to plan
is
now!</DIV>
<DIV>The following information was printed in the December 2018 Braille
Monitor.</DIV>
<DIV>Warmly,</DIV>
<DIV>Joe</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>We care. We share. We grow. We make a difference</DIV>
<DIV>Joe Ruffalo, President</DIV>
<DIV>National Federation of the Blind of New Jersey</DIV>
<DIV>973 743 0075</DIV>
<DIV>nfbnj1@verizon.net</DIV>
<DIV>www.nfbnj.org</DIV>
<DIV>Raising Expectations To Live The Life You Want!</DIV>
<DIV>Your old car keys can be keys to literacy for the blind.</DIV>
<DIV>Donate your unwanted vehicle to us by clicking</DIV>
<DIV>www.carshelpingtheblind.org</DIV>
<DIV>or call 855 659 9314</DIV>
<DIV>***</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>**** </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>From the Editor: Allen Harris is the chairman of the Kenneth Jernigan
Fund</DIV>
<DIV>Committee and was one of the people who came up with the idea of
honoring</DIV>
<DIV>our former president and longtime leader by establishing a program
to</DIV>
<DIV>promote attendance at the national convention, where so much
inspiration</DIV>
<DIV>and learning occur. Here is Allen's announcement about the 2019
Kenneth</DIV>
<DIV>Jernigan Convention Scholarship Fund Program:</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV> Have you always wanted to attend an NFB
annual convention but have</DIV>
<DIV>not done so because of the lack of funds? The Kenneth Jernigan
Convention</DIV>
<DIV>Scholarship Fund invites you to make an application for a
scholarship</DIV>
<DIV>grant. Perhaps this July you too can be in the Mandalay Bay Hotel in
Las</DIV>
<DIV>Vegas, Nevada, enjoying the many pleasures and learning opportunities
at</DIV>
<DIV>the largest and most important yearly convention of blind people in
the</DIV>
<DIV>world.</DIV>
<DIV> The three biggest ticket items you need
to
cover when attending an</DIV>
<DIV>NFB national convention are the roundtrip transportation, the hotel
room</DIV>
<DIV>for a week, and the food (which tends to be higher priced than at
home).
We</DIV>
<DIV>attempt to award additional funds to families, but, whether a family or
an</DIV>
<DIV>individual is granted a scholarship, this fund can only help; it won't
pay</DIV>
<DIV>all the costs. Last year most of the sixty grants were in the range of
$400</DIV>
<DIV>to $500 per individual.</DIV>
<DIV> We recommend that you find an NFB member
as
your personal convention</DIV>
<DIV>mentor, someone who has been to many national conventions and is able
to</DIV>
<DIV>share money-saving tips with you and tips on navigating the
extensive</DIV>
<DIV>agenda in the big hotel. Your mentor will help you get the most out of
the</DIV>
<DIV>amazing experience that is convention week.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Who is eligible?</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV> Active NFB members, blind or sighted,
who
have not yet attended an</DIV>
<DIV>NFB national convention because of lack of funding are eligible to
apply.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>How do I apply for funding assistance?</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV> 1. You write a letter giving your contact information and
your
local NFB</DIV>
<DIV> information, the specific amount you are
requesting, and then explain</DIV>
<DIV> why this is a good investment for the
NFB.
The points to cover are</DIV>
<DIV> listed below.</DIV>
<DIV> 2. You contact your state president in person or by phone
to
request his</DIV>
<DIV> or her help in obtaining funding. Be
sure to
tell the president when</DIV>
<DIV> to expect your request letter by email,
and
mention the deadline.</DIV>
<DIV> 3. You (or a friend) send your letter by email to your
state
president.</DIV>
<DIV> He or she must add a president's
recommendation and then email both</DIV>
<DIV> letters directly to the Kenneth Jernigan
Convention Scholarship Fund</DIV>
<DIV> Committee. Your president must forward
the
two letters no later than</DIV>
<DIV> April 15, 2019.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Your letter to Chairperson Allen Harris must cover these points:</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV> . Your full name and all your telephone
numbers-label
them-cell phone,</DIV>
<DIV> home, office, other person (if
any);</DIV>
<DIV> . Your mailing address and, if you have one, your
email
address;</DIV>
<DIV> . Your state affiliate and state president; your
chapter
and chapter</DIV>
<DIV> president, if you attend a
chapter;</DIV>
<DIV> . Your personal convention mentor, and provide that
person's phone</DIV>
<DIV> numbers;</DIV>
<DIV> . Your specific request, and explain how much money
you
need from this</DIV>
<DIV> fund to make this trip possible for you.
We
suggest you consult with</DIV>
<DIV> other members to make a rough budget for
yourself.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>The body of your letter should answer these questions:</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV> How do you currently participate in the
Federation? Why do you want</DIV>
<DIV>to attend a national convention? What would you receive; what can you
share</DIV>
<DIV>or give? You can include in your letter to the committee any
special</DIV>
<DIV>circumstances you hope they will take into consideration.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>When will I be notified that I am a winner?</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV> If you are chosen to receive this
scholarship, you will receive a</DIV>
<DIV>letter with convention details that should answer most of your
questions.</DIV>
<DIV>The committee makes every effort to notify scholarship winners by May
15,</DIV>
<DIV>but you must do several things before that to be prepared to attend if
you</DIV>
<DIV>are chosen:</DIV>
<DIV> 1. Make your own hotel reservation. If something prevents
you
from</DIV>
<DIV> attending, you can cancel the
reservation.
(Yes, you may arrange for</DIV>
<DIV> roommates to reduce the cost.)</DIV>
<DIV> 2. Register online for the entire convention, including
the
banquet, by</DIV>
<DIV> May 31.</DIV>
<DIV> 3. Find someone in your chapter or affiliate who has been
to
many</DIV>
<DIV> conventions and can answer your
questions as
a friend and advisor.</DIV>
<DIV> 4. If you do not hear from the committee by May 15, then
you
did not win</DIV>
<DIV> a grant this year.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>How will I receive my convention scholarship?</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV> At convention you will be given a debit
card
or credit card loaded</DIV>
<DIV>with the amount of your award. The times and locations to pick up your
card</DIV>
<DIV>will be listed in the letter we send you. The committee is not able
to</DIV>
<DIV>provide funds before the convention, so work with your chapter and
state</DIV>
<DIV>affiliate to assist you by obtaining an agreement to advance funds if
you</DIV>
<DIV>win a scholarship and to pay your treasury back after you receive
your</DIV>
<DIV>debit or credit card.</DIV>
<DIV> What if I have more questions? For
additional information email the</DIV>
<DIV>chairman, Allen Harris, at kjscholarships@nfb.org or call his
Baltimore,</DIV>
<DIV>Maryland, office at 410-659-9314, extension 2415.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV> Above all, please use this opportunity
to
attend your first</DIV>
<DIV>convention on the national level and join several thousand active</DIV>
<DIV>Federationists in the most important meeting of the blind in the world.
We</DIV>
<DIV>hope to see you in Las Vegas.</DIV>
<DIV>
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