[NFBOH-Cleveland] Ohio-talk] Calling all members of the Ohio Affiliate

[Suzanne Turner]

>From Affiliate President Richard Payne,

	Dear Members of the Ohio Affiliate,
During our January board of directors meeting, the board began planning for
a once-in-a-lifetime training and fellowship weekend for the members of the
Ohio Affiliate. I do not exaggerate when I say once-in-a-lifetime training.
We have never done this before, and we may never be able to do it the same
way again.  As a member of a chapter or division of the National Federation
of the Blind of Ohio, you are an integral part of who we are as an
organization, and we are relying on you to help us make this opportunity a
success. This is a chance to build your chapter and therefore to build the
affiliate. 
Please read carefully the outline for the weekend as presented below. Talk
with your chapter president and let them know if you want to be a part of
this training and how much of the event you can commit to. The Board of
Directors is committed to making the training all inclusive. This means that
we will do what we can to assist with transportation, meals, and lodging,
though we will be deeply grateful for personal support for the event. We
expect anyone who agrees to participate in any part of the event to do so in
a way that is engaging, respectful, consistent with the brand and values of
the National Federation of the Blind, and that will help participants grow
as members of this organization. This is true regardless of whether we are
providing you with financial assistance. 
The weekend will begin on Friday afternoon with a training for volunteers
who are helping with the 2019 Braille Enrichment for Literacy and Learning
academy (BELL). This part of the training is by invitation only.  It will
begin at 3:00 PM on Friday April 5 and most likely run until 7:00 PM. It
will resume at 8:00 Saturday morning and end at 4:00. Lunch is included.
Again, this is by invitation only, but, if a chapter or division member
wants to be a part of the 2019 BELL academy   from July 21-26, he or she
should contact Eric Duffy immediately. Please note that not all volunteers
will be chosen, and know that, if he or she is not selected to participate
in BELL this year, the decision should not be taken personally.
The Board of Directors will meet at 10:00 AM on Sunday, April 7. This of
course is an open meeting, and we urge as many members who can do so to
attend. Lunch will be served, and the meeting will continue after the lunch
break. This meeting is the beginning of the leadership training that will
occur throughout the day on Sunday. There will be a short break following
the conclusion of the Board of Directors meeting, and then leadership
training will resume.  Dinner will be in the hotel restaurant, and more
leadership activities will most likely  end the evening. 
We expect that anyone who wants to be a part of the leadership training will
be at the Board of Directors meeting. We would like anyone who is not
already at the hotel for BELL training to arrive before 10:00 AM if
possible. If for travel scheduling or other logistical reasons members need
to stay at the hotel Saturday night, we will work out the details if we know
of the situation in advance.
        Wow! Let me catch my breath. No wait! There's no time for that.
Monday begins our legislative work. Again we expect that as many people as
possible will be in the hotel Sunday night and ready for a busy day starting
Monday morning. The entire day of Monday, April 8, is devoted to legislative
training. We will start the morning with a tour of the Ohio State House,
followed by lunch downtown.  We will then be back for an afternoon at the
hotel, where you can be sure that we will have inspirational and
motivational speakers. You will get training on how to work in the Ohio
General Assembly all year long. Monday evening will be our great Gathering
In. This will include a meal appropriate for the occasion. If your members
are not already at the hotel because they have been participating in the
leadership activities on Sunday and the earlier legislative activities on
Monday, we want them there in time for the evening activities. Again we will
do what we can to break down financial barriers to participation. Those of
you who have been a part of the Washington Seminar understand the importance
of participating in the Great Gathering In if you cannot be there earlier in
the day. Although we want to be as inclusive as possible, you should also
understand that by the time Tuesday morning is here, we have to be organized
and ready to hit Capitol Square running. This means that all the training
has to take place the night before.
Your chapter presidents have been given this information, and they have been
asked to assist you wherever possible. The affiliate will also work with you
to be sure that you can participate in as much of the training as possible.
To the degree that it is needed, we will help with the cost of
transportation and lodging. We will do so in compliance with current
affiliate policies. This means that anyone who is requesting assistance with
lodging should be prepared to share a hotel room with one to three other
people. Transportation expenses will be reimbursed if discussed with
President Payne in advance and provided that the appropriate receipts are
included with a signed expense reimbursement form.  On the next page you
will find the information we need from all members who wish to participate
in any part of or all of this exciting training opportunity. Please do not
wait until your next meeting to begin discussing this with your Chapter or
Division President,
        Thank you in advance for your dedication and continued service to
the National Federation of the Blind of Ohio! I hope to see each and every
one of you in Columbus. Let's go build the Federation!
Member Participant form
1.      Name First and Last:
2.      Mobile Phone or other (please indicate which type):
3.      Email Address:
4.      Name and phone number of emergency contact:
5.      Arrival date:
6.      Departure date:
7.      Do you need transportation assistance? If so, please describe:
8.      Do you need financial assistance with lodging? 
9.      Do you have a roommate(s)? If so, please provide names: 
10.      Are you prepared to share a room with one to three others? 
11.      Please let us know of any special needs that you have related to
sharing a room. For example, are you allergic to dogs, do you need an
accessible room? 
12.      Please let us know your meal preferences. For example, vegetarian,
kosher, no seafood: 
13.      Do you have allergies or other medical conditions that we should be
aware of? If so, please list: 
14.      If you are planning on participating in the legislative activities,
who is your state senator? 
15.      Who is your state representative?
16.      Are you able to walk long distances?
        
Richard Payne,  President
National Federation of the Blind of Ohio
937-396-5573or 937/829/3368
Rchpay7 at gmail.com <mailto:Rchpay7 at gmail.com> 
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 
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