[NFBOH-Cleveland] The importance of attending the national convention! By Richard Payne

Thu Feb 29 17:49:34 UTC 2024

The importance of attending the national convention!

By Richard Payne

I have attended almost every National convention since I joined the National
Federation of the Blind. I have travel to many states, like Louisiana,
Illinois and across to Michigan and then to Florida, each was empowering and
thrilling to say the least.  As I look back on all the occurrences, what
sticks with me are the laws that were enacted because of the work of the
National Federation of the Blind. I can still remember the gavel dropping
and how loud the crowd was and the over-whelming excitement that filled the
room from the conventioneers. Moreover, the National Convention hotel will
test your skills, and yet strengthen them as well, but it is the members and
fellowship that has a long-lasting impact. The national convention is where
all fifty-two states get together and make decisions about laws and set
policies for the organization. We benefit by attending for several reasons;
for example, to connect likeminded members, to break down barriers and share
advice from a real-world point of view. There is always someone who has
"been there and done that"! Furthermore, there are division and committee
meetings that represent just about every topic and profession, such as
Rehabilitation Counselors, Artist, Sports and Recreation and more. For five
years, the National Convention has held a National Federation of the Blind
Career Fair with over thirty employers from across the country who offer
vocational guidance and employment opportunities for our job seekers. And
who could forget about the spectacular Exhibit Hall with rows and rows of
tables featuring technology, hand-held gadgets, T-shirts, unusual products
and more. 

Additionally, during the Convention one of the most uplifting aspect, in my
opinion is the banquet.  President Riccobono delivers the best speeches. You
can assure if you attend this year's National Convention, it will be one of
the largest and most moving events that you will ever have an opportunity to
attend. As many of you know, I come from Arkansas, a state that had no
convention assistance. Hence, we shared rooms and helped out with
transportation so all could attend. If you are planning to go to Houston for
the 2023 National Convention, reach out to your Chapter President for
support, consider sharing rooms and start talking to friends, family members
and sponsors for contributions. It is also important to   apply for the 2024
Kenneth Jernigan Scholarship Fund, if you are a first-timer. 

We invest in our membership and if you are attending your first Convention,
you should apply for the grant. Those who are not first-timers, the cost of
the rooms this year are approximately $146.00 per night. The
pre-registration will be announced soon. We can do this together and make it
to the 2024 National Convention in beautiful Orlando. 

Finally, I have met many blind people who say that the Convention was quite
overwhelming, but an experience that they would not change. Perhaps, it is
the meeting of new blind friends and the discovery that blind people work
and play as their sighted peers. The Convention is where we are in the
majority, and it is organized by blind people and for the blind. We can
assist you with filling out the forms or just providing mentorship. So, if
you are a first-timer or seasoned and need help then please feel free to
reach out to the Ohio leadership. It is through love, hope and
determination, the National Federation of the Blind transform dreams into
reality. We can live the life we want; blindness is not what holds us back. 

Here is the 2024 Kenneth Jernigan Convention Scholarship

by Tracy Soforenko

>From the Editor: Tracy is a member of our National Board of Directors and is
the president of the National Federation of the Blind of Virginia. He is
also the chairman of the Kenneth Jernigan Fund, and it is in this capacity
that he writes:

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 Center Orlando 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. In recent years, the grants have been $750 for individuals.

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 in-person
NFB national convention because of lack of funding are eligible to apply. If
you have attended a convention virtually but have never attended an
in-person convention, you are still eligible to apply.

How do I apply for funding assistance?

This year we will be accepting applications online. Since applications must
be completed in a single session online, we strongly recommend you prepare
your responses in a document, and then cut and paste your responses into the
application form. The application form does not support complex formatting,
so we recommend avoiding formatting such as bullet points and fonts/styles.

Effective January 1, 2024, the application form can be found at the
following link:
<https://nfb.org/form/kenneth-jernigan-convention-scho?q=form%2Fkenneth-jern
igan-convention-scho>
https://nfb.org/form/kenneth-jernigan-convention-scho?q=form%2Fkenneth-jerni
gan-convention-scho

The application will ask for the following information:

*	Contact information: Include your full name and both your primary
phone where you can be contacted by your state president and your mobile
phone you might use at convention, if available.
*	Please include your mailing address and, if you have one, your email
address. If you don't have an email address, please consider if there is a
friend or chapter member who might be able to assist with email
correspondence.
*	State Affiliate/chapter information: Include your state affiliate,
your state president, chapter, and chapter president, if you attend a
chapter.
*	Mentor information: Include your personal convention mentor, and
provide that person's phone number.
*	Funding request: Include your specific request, and 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.
*	Essay questions to explain why this is a good investment for the
NFB: 

*	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?
*	Any special circumstances you hope the committee will take into
consideration.

If you cannot apply online, you can still apply by writing a letter to your
state affiliate president answering the above questions. This letter should
be emailed to your state affiliate president. Once you have decided you will
apply, please contact your state president in person or by phone to request
his or her help in obtaining funding. Be sure to tell the state affiliate
president when to expect your application, and mention the deadline.

Once your application has been submitted, your application will be provided
to your state president via email. It is still your responsibility to
contact your affiliate president. He or she must email a president's
recommendation directly to the Kenneth Jernigan Convention Scholarship Fund
Committee at  <mailto:kjscholarships at nfb.org> kjscholarships at nfb.org. Your
president must email the recommendation no later than the deadline of April
15, 2024. If you have applied outside of the online form, the state
affiliate president must email both the recommendation and the application
letter.

Notification of Award

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 winners by May 15, but you must do
several things before that to be prepared to attend if you are chosen:

*	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.)
*	Register online for the entire convention, including the banquet, by
May 31.
*	Find someone in your chapter or affiliate who has been to many
conventions and can answer your questions as a friend and mentor.
*	If you do not hear from the committee by May 15, then you did not
win a scholarship this year.

Receiving the Award

At the 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 send 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.

More Information

For additional information, please contact the chairman of the Kenneth
Jernigan Fund Committee, Tracy Soforenko, at
<mailto:kjscholarships at nfb.org> kjscholarships at nfb.org or 410-659-9314,
extension 2020.

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.

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