[NFBOH-Cleveland] Senior Division Board Meeting And Announcements

Wed Dec 28 22:16:51 UTC 2022

National Federation of the Blind of Ohio

Senior Division Board Meeting And Announcements

January 8, 2023

7:00 PM EST.

Ohio Zoom Platform

You Can Live The Life You Want; Blindness Is Not What Holds You Back.

All seniors 50 years of age or older are invited to attend the 2023 Senior
Division Board Meeting that will take place during the second Sunday in
January at 7:00 PM. The information to join the meeting is below.

The Ohio Senior Division is a part of the oldest blind movement with the
purpose to serve as a division of the National Federation of the Blind of
Ohio; to be a vehicle for collective action for the senior blind of the
state; to function as a mechanism through which the blind and interested
sighted persons can come together to plan and carry out programs to improve
the quality of life of the blind seniors of Ohio; to promote the vocational,
cultural, and social advancement of the senior blind of Ohio; to achieve the
integration of the senior blind into society on a basis of equality with the
sighted; to focus attention on the problems faced by the blind senior
citizens of Ohio; and to take any other action which will improve the
overall condition and standard of living of the blind seniors of Ohio.  

Congratulations to the division for the work you have done in 2022 in your
respective communities and chapters. The work you do is so important to
blind seniors everywhere, including inside the organization. So, we
encourage you to continue the work in developing innovative ways to connect
with blind seniors.

Thank you everyone who joined the division or paid dues at the state
convention. This was a tremendous help for the secretary and treasurer as
they keep up with their documentation on membership and financial
accounting.

We also encourage anyone who is 50 years or older and would like to join the
division to pay $5 dues no later than January 31, 2023. This timeline is
important, due to the newly online process for updating members in a current
status. More will be discussed about this procedure at the meeting. Where
and how to pay dues will also be discussed.

Announcements:

You're Golden: Reflections, plus Some Additional Musings on Aging

by Miss Ruth Williams

>From the Editor: Here is a report from our National Senior Division on two
retreats handled during the pandemic. Ruth Williams is a moving writer, and

I hope readers enjoy both of the journeys she describes. This is taken from
the Spring/Summer issue of The Sounding Board, the official publication of

the National Federation of the Blind of New Jersey.

As someone fully ensconced in my "golden years," I'd like to tell you all a
little story.

First, let me set the stage. I'm a kindly-auntie type who goes by the name
"Miss Ruth." My knitting is always nearby, and I've got a tiger-tabby cat
named

Squeaky. Hard candy is in my handbag (you may call it a "purse," dearie) and
I own nothing but sensible shoes. Does this sound like a person who'd sell

you a bill of goods?!? Of course not! I'm not Tom Selleck saying, "Look.
This isn't my first rodeo," as he shills for reverse mortgages. Mind you, I
love

that mustached man. I'm just not so sure I trust him!

When I started out in freelance writing, I wrote articles for senior
magazines, and one of my topics was reverse mortgages. It's funny how much I
thought

I knew about getting older back then, but that reflected my relative youth.
I was in my thirties, writing about things I wouldn't need for decades, like

Medicare supplements and retirement funds.

Now that I'm fifty-six, I can say that life isn't always easy, but with age
often comes wisdom, and you learn how to shine in your own unique way.

So what's the key to aging gracefully? In a nutshell, find things that
interest you, people who "get" you, and if you've learned a few things along
the

way, share them with others.

Fellowship like that is what the NFB's 2020 Virtual Senior Retreat, held
from October 18 to 24, 2020, was all about.

Normally held at Rocky Bottom Resort and Conference Center for the Blind in
Sunset, South Carolina, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, it was held virtually.

Sixty attendees "Zoomed" together to accelerate (small pun for you there) a
sense of well-being and self-confidence for those with newly acquired vision

loss, or life-long blindness.

There were eleven of us in attendance from New Jersey (the most of all of
the twenty states represented) and the fifteen volunteers running the
show-including

instructors, presenters, and Zoom hosts-did a phenomenal job.

Even though the topics were varied-leather-crafting, military collectibles,
knitting, gardening, creative writing, auto-maintenance, jewelry-making,
technology,

and cane travel-they all spoke with enthusiasm and energy about their pet
passions.

For example, my Krafters' Korner pal, Jill Rossiter, taught participants how
to create a craft out of a towel. Even though my origami project ended up

looking more like a hammerhead shark than a swan, I was still proud of my
crafty creation, whom I named JAWS after the movie monster (and the screen
reader!).

The next day, during a presentation by Shelley Alongi, President of the
NFB's Writers' Division, I went to their website and signed up. Finding
people

with shared experiences is a way to keep thriving.

Fast forward to 2021, and, while we're still holding the NFB National Senior
Division meetings virtually, this one was just as jam-packed with
interesting

discussions and warm fellowship. It was held from September 19 to 25, 2021.

There were so many sessions of interest that it's hard to focus on just one,
but I got a lot out of the conversation about how to respond when you find

yourself in unexpected social situations. For example, a small child points
at your white cane and says loudly, "What is that stick, Mommy?" It's always

best to be tactful when this happens and to regard it as a teachable moment.
There's no better way to mitigate the sense of stigma around blindness than

to address it kindly but directly. You could say something like, "I'm using
this stick to find my way around, since I can't see. It helps me feel what's

in my way."

All in all, it's been my experience that the NFB Senior Retreat is a
terrific resource for those of us in our golden years living with vision
loss.

The way I see it, another way of saying "aging gracefully" is simply "living
with grace;" being yourself in a world that counts on conformity; putting

aside metrics like net worth and social status to set your moral compass by
the Golden Rule.

So how do you find the "zhoosh" you need to keep going strong, well into
your later years? Find what lights you up from the inside. For me, it's
reading

books, writing stories, and knitting on a round loom. Find the people who
"get" you. For me, it's my friends who are like sisters-of-the-soul. It's
also

the kind, kindred spirits in my network of support groups. Find a way to
share what's important to you with others. For me, it's positivity,
spirituality,

and standing up for my principles.

As you age, you realize that problems are projects in disguise, and every
time you overcome an obstacle, you build resilience muscles you can use to
move

the next mountain. You also learn you don't have to climb every mountain.
Some of them, dear hearts, you can go around!

If you think about who you are today, at whatever decade you're in, it's the
most "you" you've ever been. You've survived exactly 100 percent of your
worst

days, so you must be doing something right.

It doesn't matter that you can't see well, if at all. So you've got grey
hair and wrinkles? You've earned every one of them. Wear them with pride.
You've

got wisdom to share, time in which to do it, and a world in need of
encouragement.

Before you know it, you'll have found your calling, and once you've figured
that out, you're golden.

--

Seniors Division Retreat

what

Seniors Division Annual Retreat - Virtual Version! 

When

Sunday, January 22nd - Saturday, January 28th, 2023   (All times are
Eastern.)

Meet & Greet and Wrap-up

Will be Held 1 PM - 2:30 PM

Monday thru Friday, Noon - 5 PM

Where

Via Zoom

FEATURING . Cane Travel . Daily Living Skills . Beginning Braille .
Organizational Skills & Tactile Learning . Useful Aids & Devices . Cooking
Techniques & Food Preparation

Technology Topics . Newsline

web address

seniors.nfb.org

eligibility

.    Legally Blind

.    Strong desire to learn nonvisual techniques

.    Over 50 preferred

Cost

$50

application

Now available on 

seniors.nfb.org 

on the Senior Retreat page through January 9, 2023.

Questions should be directed to nfbseniors at gmail.com
<mailto:nfbseniors at gmail.com>  or to 443-681-9345. If you have difficulty
completing the online form, call or email us for assistance.

email

nfbseniors at gmail.com <mailto:nfbseniors at gmail.com> 

--

Convention Bulletin 2023

Hilton Americas-Houston Convention Center Hotel

There are plenty of reasons one might travel to Houston, Texas, the fourth
most populous city in the United States. One might visit for the nearly
three-week-long

Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo. The city's vibrant arts scene boasts the
largest concentration of theater seats outside of New York City. And no
Houston

resident would let a visitor forget that the city is home to the 2022 World
Series Champion Houston Astros. There is little question that Houston has a

great deal going for it. The city's real draw, however, is that it will play
host to the National Federation of the Blind's 2023 National Convention.

It has now been more than fifty years since the largest gathering of the
organized blind last convened in Houston, Texas, and our return in 2023 will
be

an event not to be missed. The Hilton Americas-Houston hotel (1600 Lamar
Street, Houston, TX 77010) will serve as our convention headquarters hotel.
Situated

in the heart of downtown Houston across the street from the beautiful
twelve-acre Discovery Green Park, the Hilton Americas is an ideal location
for our

annual event. Ballrooms, breakout space, and sleeping rooms are all stacked
in the same tower housed on a single city block, simplifying navigation and

minimizing travel distances. In-room internet is complimentary to all
attendees as is access to the health club and swimming pool on the 22nd
floor. There

are several dining options on the hotel's lobby level (including a Starbucks
for those of you requiring a caffeine fix) and many more choices within easy

walking distance from the Hilton's front door.

The nightly rate at the Hilton Americas-Houston is $105 for singles,
doubles, triples, and quads. In addition, the sales tax rate is 8.25
percent, and

the hotel occupancy tax rate is 17 percent. To book your room for the 2023
convention, call 1-800-236-2905 after January 1 and ask for the "NFB
Convention"

block. For each room, the hotel will take a deposit of the first night's
room rate and taxes and will require a credit card or a personal check. If
you

use a credit card, the deposit will be charged against your card
immediately. If a reservation is cancelled before Monday, June 1, 2023, half
of the deposit

will be returned. Otherwise refunds will not be made.

We have also secured overflow space at the wonderful Marriott Marquis
Houston. The Marriott is only a three-block walk directly across Discovery
Green,

or attendees can walk entirely indoors through the George R. Brown
convention center, connecting both hotels on the second level. You will find
many of

the same amenities at the Marriott as well as a Texas-shaped lazy river
pool. The room rate at the Marriott Marquis is a slightly higher $119 per
night

for singles, doubles, triples, and quads. To book a room, call
1-877-622-3056 after January 1. Again, ask for the "NFB Convention" block.
Similarly, the

same deposit and cancellation policies apply.

The 2023 convention of the National Federation of the Blind will be a truly
exciting and memorable event, with an unparalleled program and rededication

to the goals and work of our movement. A wide range of seminars for parents
of blind children, technology enthusiasts, job seekers, and other groups
will

kick the week off on Saturday, July 1. Convention registration and
registration packet pick-up will also open on Saturday. Breakout sessions
continue on

Sunday along with committee meetings. Monday, July 3, will kick off with the
annual meeting, open to all, of the Board of Directors of the National
Federation

of the Blind. National division meetings will follow the board meeting that
afternoon and evening. General convention sessions will begin on Tuesday,
July

4, and continue through the afternoon of Thursday, July 6. Convention ends
on a high note with the banquet Thursday evening so be sure to pack your
fancy

clothes. The fall of the gavel at the close of banquet will signal
convention's adjournment.

Remember that as usual we need door prizes from state affiliates, local
chapters, and individuals. Once again prizes should be small in size but
large

in value. Cash, of course, is always appropriate and welcome. As a rule, we
ask that prizes of all kinds have a value of at least $25 and not include
alcohol.

Drawings will occur steadily throughout the convention sessions, and you can
anticipate a Texas-sized grand prize to be drawn at the banquet. You may
bring

door prizes with you to convention or send them in advance to the National
Federation of the Blind of Texas at 1600 E Highway 6, Suite 215, Alvin, TX
77511.

The best collection of exhibits featuring new technology; meetings of our
special interest groups, committees, and divisions; the most stimulating and

provocative program items of any meeting of the blind in the world; the
chance to renew friendships in our Federation family; and the unparalleled
opportunity

to be where the real action is and where decisions are being made-all of
these mean you will not want to miss being a part of the 2023 National
Convention.

To assure yourself a room in the headquarters hotel at convention rates,
make your reservations early. We plan to see you in Houston in July.

--

Buy your Honey Baked gift cards today to help raise money for the Ohio
Association of Guide Dog Users!

We'd love your help in spreading the word and helping us out! Please share
this link with others who may be interested.

Please check out our fundraising page at:

https://honeybakedfundraising.com/fundraisers/oagdu_honeybaked_ham_fundraise
r/

You can purchase gift cards to use online or at any Honey Baked Ham retail
store. These would make excellent gifts for your friends, family, neighbors,
co-workers, and others! You can purchase a plastic gift card (which Honey
Baked Ham will mail to you) or an electronic gift card. The possibilities
are endless with the selection of wonderful items that Honey Baked Ham
offers!

Please spread the word far and wide!

Thanks for your support!

Deanna

--

The Difference between Forgetfulness and Alzheimer's

https://youtu.be/mJk02XI_sRA

--

Zoom Hall

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National Federation of the Blind of Ohio (NFBO)

Suzanne Turner, 

Cleveland Chapter, President

(216) 990-6199

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