[NFBWATlk] 2020 Washington Seminar application

Wed Dec 11 22:51:01 UTC 2019

Hello,

Since some have had difficulty filling in the file I sent here isa the form pasted below in its entirety. Complete the form by this Friday. Contact me with any questions.

Marci Carpenter

 NATIONAL FEDERATION OF THE BLIND OF WASHINGTON 

2020 Washington Seminar Application

Must be submitted to the NFB of Washington President by December 6, 2019

The NFB Washington Seminar is one of the most important activities of the National Federation of the Blind. It is a great experience for anyone in the NFB! Every year 500-600 blind people from across the country gather for this event. We invite new members and those who have attended before to join us in Washington DC in February 2020. We hope to have members attending from all 10 of our Congressional Districts. We meet with our Senators and Representatives about our national legislative agenda and do follow-up work with them after the Seminar. Fact sheets on our legislative agenda (the bills we will discuss) are provided to us by our national legislative coordinators. This form was developed to help all attendees understand the expectations we have before, during and after Washington Seminar. We want everyone to have a good experience.

This form applies to members of the National Federation of the Blind of Washington who wish to be delegates at the 2020 Washington Seminar whether or not assistance is sought from the organization. Anyone seeking financial assistance is required to complete this form. All others attending Washington Seminar are requested to do so. It must be returned to me via e-mail at presidentnfbw at gmail.com <mailto:presidentnfbw at gmail.com> by December 6, 2019. A committee of Federationists will review applications for financial assistance. We will notify everyone by December 13, 2019. If you have any questions about the form or Washington Seminar you can send me an email or call me at 206-604-5507.

Washington Seminar begins Monday, February 10, 2020 and ends on Thursday, February 13. All delegates are expected to arrive by Sunday, February 9, 2020 by nighttime and make plane reservations home no earlier than 5:00 p.m. Thursday, February 13th. Delegates are expected to make their own flight and shuttle arrangements to and from the hotel unless you need financial assistance up front, in which case Corey Grandstaff will work with you to purchase plane tickets,  make hotel reservations and send grants. Please notify me about your specific confirmed travel itinerary. The affiliate will pay for shared rooms only with members of the same gender in each room. Travel reimbursements will be processed after the seminar.

Those who are selected as delegates must attend a mandatory two hour teleconference, which will take place in late December or early January. This training will cover protocols such as the need for participants to attend assigned appointments and fulfill specific roles at the meetings. First time attendees will have the opportunity to listen at the first appointment and then speak at a future appointment. Participants are also expected to attend an afternoon training session at the Holiday Inn in Washington, D.C. on Monday, February 10, and the Great Gathering In at 5:00 PM that day. We will hold a Washington state caucus before our first appointment to review the schedule of appointments and the issues, practice our presentations and assign roles. All attendees are expected to dress appropriately for Washington Seminar; suits or nice slacks and shirts, dresses, skirts or nice slacks and shirts (no jeans, t-shirts or tennis shoes)

Following the seminar, delegates are expected to send at least one follow-up email to a staff member who attended the meeting in the federal legislator’s office and must attend at least one follow-up meeting in the district office in order to garner or confirm support for our initiatives. These follow-up meetings will be arranged by me or someone I designate. 

All applications will be considered.  NFB of Washington will give preference to veterans, first time attendees, students, and members from under represented geographic areas in the state. The committee shall consider whether an applicant listed the correct congressperson below in weighing the applicant’s ability to follow up and participate in Washington Seminar activities and legislative initiatives.  The same person may be counted in more than one category, e.g. a student may also be a new attendee. Before final selections are made, applicants must give a telephonic presentation to me to confirm their understanding of the bills. I will contact applicants to schedule the interview.

 2020 Washington Seminar Application

Must be submitted to the NFB of Washington President by December 6, 2019.

APPLICATION

Name:	

Date:	

Address:	

City, State, Zip:	

Phone (Cell):	
The cell phone number above should be the one you will have with you in D.C.

Email:	

My congressional Representative is:

Please explain any relationships that you or members of your family may have with other federal legislators, even if you do not live or vote in their districts:

Please check all of the following that apply by placing a letter “X” in between the brackets.
[] I am a student.
[] I would like to also attend the Student Seminar.
[] I am a veteran.
[] I am a senior citizen.
[] I am a blind merchant.
[] I am the parent of a blind child.
[] I have attended Washington Seminar before.
[] I have never attended Washington Seminar before.

INTERVIEW

Before final selection as a delegate, please be prepared to give a presentation to me. I will contact applicants to schedule interviews.

ESSAY

The NFB of Washington would like to know why you should be selected as a delegate to Washington Seminar 2020:

The NFB of Washington would like to know how well you understand our legislative initiatives. Please explain your knowledge about the Access Technology Affordability Act (ATAA): 	 

The NFB of Washington would like to know if you have had any of the following experiences, check all of the following that apply by placing a letter “X” in between the brackets:
[] Have written a bill
[] Sent a letter to the congressperson.
Please provide a copy or response from the office
[] Have received a sponsor or co-sponsor on a bill at the state or federal level
[] Visited with your legislator’s office.
If so which one and which office?	(type here)
[] Testified before the legislature at the state or federal level.
Please provide a copy 
of the testimony

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

By signing below, you understand and agree to the following:

Delegates are expected to arrive by Sunday, February 9, 2020 by nighttime and make plane reservations home no earlier than 5:00 p.m. Thursday, February 13th..
Delegates are required to make their own flight and shuttle arrangements to and from the hotel or work with Corey Grandstaff if advance financial assistance is requested. 
If the affiliate is purchasing your plane ticket and/or making your hotel reservation you are expected to contact Corey Grandstaff promptly after being notified of your selection and to make those arrangement with him within one week of being notified of your selection so that we can get the best available airfare.
Unless requesting advance financial assistance, delegates are expected to make their own hotel reservations. Hotel information will be available soon.
Delegates must attend the mandatory two hour teleconference to prepare for the seminar.
Delegates must attend the Monday afternoon training session in Washington, D.C., unless assigned to another commitment at that time, and must also attend the Great Gathering In at 5:00 PM that day.
Following the seminar, delegates will send at least one follow-up email to at least one of the Congressional staff members who attended the meeting on behalf of the federal legislator in Washington, D.C.
Following the seminar, delegates will attend at least one follow up meeting in the district of the federal legislator.
Failure to complete any requirements will result in denial of future funding. 

Signature of applicant:	
Date:	
Email completed forms to Marci Carpenter at presidentnfbw at gmail.com <mailto:presidentnfbw at gmail.com>.  If you have questions about the form call me at 206-604-5507