[Nfbv-announce] The Vigilant - July 2017

Tue Jul 4 16:42:32 UTC 2017

The Vigilant - July 2017

Joe Orozco, Editor

>From the President's Desk

Our NFB national convention is around the corner. As you can imagine, things are rather busy at all levels of the organization. Like many of you, I am energized by the great spirit of camaraderie this annual tradition offers. I look forward to connecting with friends, being inspired by our members pushing themselves to try new things, and recharging my batteries with our philosophy at our “Federation family Reunion.”

Please plan to join us at the Virginia Caucus on Tuesday, July 11 at

10:00 PM in Weikia 6.

State convention planning is heating up. If you have ideas for state convention programming, seminars, speakers, and other components, I want to know.  We will be discussing some of the ideas at our August 5 Board of Directors meeting in Richmond. At our August meeting, we will also be discussing our 2 BELL programs and our plans for a pilot transition program for students ages 14-22. All are welcome to attend the meeting, and I welcome your ideas for the agenda. Details of time and place will be forthcoming.

Looking farther out, we are reaching out to properties for the 2018 Richmond Seminar and the 2018 State Convention. Please stay tuned for news of our progress.

In June, the NFB of Virginia Leadership Fellows met with President Riccobono and other national leaders for 2 days of training in leadership development, member engagement, fundraising, applied NFB philosophy and public speaking. It was an outstanding session and I am confident you will be pleased by the results our Fellows will achieve in service to our affiliate.

Thank you for all your hard work. Thank you for being a valuable asset to the movement. Whether we have the privilege of seeing you next week in Orlando or not, please know we are thinking of you and consider it a privilege to work alongside you as we gear up for a late summer and fall season of Federation fervor in this great commonwealth we call home.

Yours in service,

Tracy Soforenko, President

National Federation of the Blind of Virginia

This Month's Words of Inspiration

"We must have understanding for the goodwill that we encounter, and we must exercise politeness because this is the attitude that promotes     growth in civilized     society. But we must not forfeit our right to self-determination. No amount     of politeness requires the blind to wait for somebody else to make our decisions     for us. If we were to take this course, the waiting might continue indefinitely."

--Marc Maurer, Immediate Past President of the National Federation of the Blind

To read The Rest of Reality, a banquet address, please visit:

 <https://nfb.org/Images/nfb/Publications/convent/banque03.htm> https://nfb.org/Images/nfb/Publications/convent/banque03.htm

General Announcements

Banquet Ticket Exchange at Convention

If you are planning on joining us for the banquet at convention on Saturday, July 15, please speak to Robert Parsons. You can catch Robert at our affiliate caucus on Tuesday, July 11, or you may reach him via phone: 804-200-3275, or via email at:  <mailto:rob.parso3389 at gmail.com> rob.parso3389 at gmail.com.

Virginia Exhibit Table 2017

Following is the shift schedule for the Virginia affiliate table in the exhibit hall for your convenience:

Monday, July 10, 2017

12pm-2pm (Set Up): Domonique/Earl Lawless Everett

Tuesday, July 11, 2017

9am-11am: Kinston Walker| Andrea Perry

11am-1pm: Jeremy Grandstaff| Uricka Harrison

1pm-3pm: Elsie Castleman| Joe Hobson

3pm-5pm: Robert Parsons| Michael Kitchens

Wednesday, July 12, 2017

8:30am-10:30am: Joy Relton|Brittany Fraher

10:30am-12:30pm: Domonique Lawless| Gerald Meredith

12:30pm-2:30pm: Emmanuel Finnell| Fred Schroeder

2:30pm-4:30pm: William Werwie| Jimmie Morris

4:30pm-5pm: Robert Parsons

Thursday, July 13, 2017

12pm-1:45pm: Earl Everett| Porsha Baskerville

7pm-9pm: Robert Parsons| Earl Everett

Friday, July 14, 2017

12pm-1:45pm: Brandon shuttleworth| Sean McMahon

6pm-8pm (Break Down):  Robert Parsons| Earl Everett

For questions about the exhibit table and shifts, please contact Domonique Lawless via phone at: 615-904-4225.

Interested in the Foreign Service or Living Abroad?

Learn from a fascinating trailblazer who opened the door for blind people to serve in the Foreign Service  and has lived outside the US for many years.

It required an act of Congress to compel the Department of State to accept foreign service officers who are blind.  Ramie Rabby, one of the first two of these officers, will be the guest speaker at the July

22 meeting of our Fredericksburg Chapter.  He is an  eloquent, dynamic speaker with a long and fascinating history to relate.  His topics will include his experience with the foreign service, extensive international travel background and life in Israel where he currently resides.

We want to extend an invitation to all our neighboring chapters an anyone interested in a career in the Foreign Service.

The meeting will be held at the Fredericksburg Library in downtown Fredericksburg. It is a short cab ride from the Fredericksburg Amtrak station.

Space is limited to 25 so please RSVP to let us know you are coming and reserve your space.

If you are interested in attending, it would be extremely helpful and appreciated if you would please contact me either by phone, in person or through email.  Our meeting will begin at 10:00 and end at noon.

Ramie most graciously agreed to come all the way from New York, where he is visiting before returning to Israel, to talk with us.  I urge you not to miss this opportunity to hear what I know will be an outstanding presentation.  To reserve space for yourself, family, friends and fellow chapter  members, you can always email me at  <mailto:holly at volunteersfortheblind.org> holly at volunteersfortheblind.org < <mailto:holly at volunteersfortheblind.org> mailto:holly at volunteersfortheblind.org> .  You can also contact me either at home, 540 899 7747 or at work, 540 899 8847.  Even if I am not there, despite the large number of rings, my answering machines at both locations work, and I check them regularly.  Thank everyone in advance for doing your part to make this one of our most successful programs.

Holly Frisch

BELL Program Request for Volunteers

The month of August is around the corner, and as such so is our BELL program!

Now is the time to volunteer your time, Braille skills, Cane skills, and anything else you can think will be of great use for our BELL kids.

•             Braille readers for story time

•             Volunteers for our 2 field trips

•             Runners for picking up every day items

•             Volunteers to work with our kids (any volunteers working directly

with the children must go through a mandatory background check)

•             Drivers for our field trips

Please note: There will be a mandatory Training on Sunday July 30 for volunteers.

For questions, and a copy of the application, please contact Alex Castillo at:  <mailto:alexandera.castillo at gmail.com> alexandera.castillo at gmail.com, or via phone at:

917.532.7439.

News in Brief

* Time Sensitive

Two very popular smartphone apps

for reading and writing are on significant sale until July 4th 2017.

Both Voice Dream Reader and Voice Dream Writer are well-regarded, and now is a good time to buy, for iOS or Android:

 <http://bit.ly/2sjzSap> http://bit.ly/2sjzSap

This 16-minute Cool Blind Tech Podcast discusses the cool new image description feature in Microsoft Narrator:

 <http://bit.ly/2sjN5Qp> http://bit.ly/2sjN5Qp

The HIMS Braille Sense Polaris, a modern and effective Android-based Braille tablet, is shipping and can be seen and purchased at the conventions:

 <http://bit.ly/2sTGFq1> http://bit.ly/2sTGFq1

NFB     Pledge

I pledge to participate     actively in the effort of the National

Federation of 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