<div dir="ltr">Hello Everyone, <div><br></div><div>Summarized below are the July Meeting minutes from our NFB Winchester Chapter meeting. Please review and let me know if you have any questions or suggested revisions. We will vote on minutes in our next chapter meeting. Agenda is forthcoming in a future email. Please let me know if you want anything added. Thank you to Jim Greene for drafting the July meeting minutes!</div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in;font-size:12pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">MINUTES OF THE WINCHESTER CHAPTER OF THE N.F.B.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in;font-size:12pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in;font-size:12pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">July 15, 2023</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in;font-size:12pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in;font-size:12pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The meeting was called to order by Vice President James
Shobert, at</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in;font-size:12pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">10:03 AM. including
members and guests, there were twelve folks</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in;font-size:12pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">present in person and two by phone. Along the way, two more folks</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in;font-size:12pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">joined by phone.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in;font-size:12pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in;font-size:12pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Wayne Williams led our members in the NFB Pledge.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in;font-size:12pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in;font-size:12pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">With all the weather and high temps this Summer, the
Ice-Breaker this</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in;font-size:12pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">month was to name our favorite flavor of ice cream.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in;font-size:12pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in;font-size:12pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">James Shobert said we had been given a contribution of $232
by the</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in;font-size:12pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">local Lion's Club.
Asked what the background was, Wayne Williams said</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in;font-size:12pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">a discussion at a meeting about eating marshmallows, turned
into a</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in;font-size:12pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">contest involving fees and betting on contestants. He won!
He did</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in;font-size:12pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">the sensible thing and took the money. He suggested we pass it along</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in;font-size:12pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">to the NFB's White Cane Fund. A motion to do just that was made,</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in;font-size:12pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">seconded and passed.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in;font-size:12pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in;font-size:12pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">With our decision that we would no longer read aloud the
minutes of</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in;font-size:12pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">the previous meetings, or the Treasurers Reports, we were
asked for</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in;font-size:12pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">any corrections or concerns about these documents from last
month.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in;font-size:12pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">hearing none, a motion was made and seconded, and these
documents were</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in;font-size:12pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">approved.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in;font-size:12pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in;font-size:12pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The one problem with this is that this months Treasurers
Report was</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in;font-size:12pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">not prepared yet. A statement
from the bank was late, which made an</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in;font-size:12pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">accurate report impossible.
With us having no meeting in August,</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in;font-size:12pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">things will be sorted out before the September meeting.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in;font-size:12pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in;font-size:12pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Chris Walker and David Baggett gave reports and opinions of
the recent</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in;font-size:12pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">National convention.
Chris attended via Zoom, while David attended in</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in;font-size:12pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">person. Both had a
positive experience and recommended that members</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in;font-size:12pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">try to attend both State and National conventions whenever
they can.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in;font-size:12pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Next years National Convention will be back in Florida.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in;font-size:12pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in;font-size:12pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">James Shobert said the Communications Committee had no
report this</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in;font-size:12pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">month, but was entertaining the idea of recording our
meetings, to be</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in;font-size:12pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">posted on the NFB website.
This would take a lot of planning, as a</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in;font-size:12pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">majority of the meeting would be of little interest to anyone
outside</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in;font-size:12pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">the Chapter itself.
editing would be needed. Our
various committees</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in;font-size:12pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">will ponder this further.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in;font-size:12pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in;font-size:12pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Asked about her phone calls as Corresponding Secretary,
Janet Lincoln</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in;font-size:12pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">said it went well this month. She did request that a NFB membership</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in;font-size:12pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">lis would be made available to whoever needed one. Mary Green offered</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in;font-size:12pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">the opinion that only dues paying folks would be in this
document.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in;font-size:12pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Chris said he would get this out as soon as he could.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in;font-size:12pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in;font-size:12pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The Technology committee report was given and submitted by
Wayne</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in;font-size:12pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Williams (see attached).
He said that though he was busy, he would be</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in;font-size:12pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">happy to help members with any technology problems, and we
should not</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in;font-size:12pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">hesitate to call him..</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in;font-size:12pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in;font-size:12pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Daniel Perry gave us a report on an educational program for
the Blind,</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in;font-size:12pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">called Clusiv. Some
courses are available at no cost. Most
of the</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in;font-size:12pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">more involved courses are paid for by the State's VDVI and
are</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in;font-size:12pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">tailored toward preparing a blind person for a career. Most of the</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in;font-size:12pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">focus is on careers that can be performed remotely from
one's</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in;font-size:12pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">residence. Daniel is
taking several courses, and highly recommended</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in;font-size:12pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">this program.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in;font-size:12pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in;font-size:12pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Chris took a minute to tell us how impressed he was with us,
moving</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in;font-size:12pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">the Chapter forward.
In his opinion, we are headed in the right</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in;font-size:12pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">direction.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in;font-size:12pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in;font-size:12pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">We discussed plans for our Summer Luncheon. Again this year, we would</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in;font-size:12pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">hold it at Glory Days, on our meeting day in August, at
11:00 A.M. As</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in;font-size:12pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">always, the Chapter would cover the cost of the meal. Chris said it</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in;font-size:12pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">was too early to make all the arrangements. He would need to know how</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in;font-size:12pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">many folks plan on coming.
He needs this information by early August.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in;font-size:12pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in;font-size:12pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The meeting adjourned at around 11:30 AM.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in;font-size:12pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"> </p><div><br></div><span class="gmail_signature_prefix">-- </span><br><div dir="ltr" class="gmail_signature" data-smartmail="gmail_signature"><div dir="ltr"><div>Respectfully, </div><div><br></div>James Shobert<div>Vice President | Co-Chair Communication Committee<br><div>National Federation of the Blind, Winchester Chapter</div><div>Cell Phone: 989-992-7932</div><div>email: <a href="mailto:Jrshober@gmail.com" target="_blank">Jrshober@gmail.com</a></div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div><br></div></div></div></div></div></div>