[Nfbwv-talk] Convention Agenda 2015 NFBWV Convention Agenda

Tue Sep 8 18:33:47 UTC 2015

Greetings Federation Family,

Please find attached as well as shown below, the agenda for the 2015 National Federation of the Blind of West Virginia convention!!!  When you go to the registration table during convention, you will be provided with your choice of a Braille, large print, or regular print agenda.

If you see something you feel may not be correct or needs to be changed, notify me immediately to see if it can be changed before it goes to print.

Thank you.

Charlene

CONVENTION AGENDA

NATIONAL FEDERATION OF THE BLIND

OF WEST VIRGINIA

September 17-20, 2015

BEST WESTERN BRIDGEPORT INN
100 Lodgeville Road
Bridgeport, WV  26330
(304) 842-5411

"Live the Life You Want"

Welcome to the sixty-second Annual Convention of the National Federation of the Blind of West Virginia (NFBWV).

National Representative: James Brown
4113 Tea Garden Way
Antioch, Tennessee  37013
Phone: (615) 412-9632
E-Mail:  nfb.tennessee at gmail.com

NFBWV OFFICERS

President, Charlene Smyth
401 East Olive Street
Apartment 1-A
Bridgeport, West Virginia 26330
Phone: (304) 841-1111
E-Mail: president at nfbwv.org<mailto:president at nfbwv.org>

First Vice-President, Ed McDonald
151 S. Mineral Street
Keyser, WV 26726
PHONE:  304-788-0129
CELL:  304-790-9069
E-MAIL:  ed at eioproductions.com

Second Vice-President, Sheri Koch
833 Chappell Road
Charleston, WV  25304
CELL:  304-993-5103
E-MAIL:  slk5111 at hotmail.com<mailto:slk5111 at hotmail.com>

Secretary, Karen McDonald
151 S. Mineral Street
Keyser, WV  26726
PHONE:  304-788-0129
CELL:  304-790-9069
E-MAIL:  karen at eioproductions.com

Treasurer, Marcus Soulsby
5309 Venable Avenue
Charleston, WV  25304
CELL:  304-206-4044
E-MAIL:  msoulsby at nfbwv.org

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS AND RECOGNITIONS

          President Smyth would like to thank all chapters and their members for working so diligently to make this year's convention a success.  You guys rock!!!

          To the staff of the Best Western Bridgeport Inn, "Thank you for your help with convention arrangements."

          An extra special thanks of appreciation goes out to John Jackson and his company, Master Conversions, for the Braille production of this agenda.  Master Conversions is a private; Weirton, West Virginia based company offering high-quality Braille and large print transcription services for more than a decade to state and federal agencies, schools and individuals.  For more information, contact:
John R. Jackson
Master Conversions
PHONE:  (304) 748-1963
E-MAIL:  j.r.jackson at comcast.net

          Thank you also to others, whose names may have been inadvertently omitted, for their hard work.

          Financial and logistical support for the 2015 NFBWV Convention was provided by the following businesses, organizations, and individuals:

PLATINUM SPONSOR

Gino's Pizza and Tudor's Biscuit World

GOLD SPONSOR

West Virginia Division of Rehabilitation Services provides vocational rehabilitation services designed to help people with disabilities get or keep a job. Services are individualized and confidential. Vocational rehabilitation counselors help clients to identify strengths and abilities and address barriers to employment so they can achieve their employment goals. Call 1-800-642-8207 for more information.
http://www.wvdrs.org

SILVER SPONSOR

EIO Productions
Keyser, West Virginia
Presenting "Sidetracks"--Music with roots in tradition, branches into the future, and a West Virginia heart.
Broadcast statewide, Sundays at 8:00 PM on West Virginia Public Radio

BEST WESTERN BRIDGEPORT INN

HOTEL DESCRIPTION

          This year's hotel guest room rates are $87 per night for up to four persons per room.  Check in at the Best Western Bridgeport Inn begins at 3:00 p.m.  Check out time is at 12:00 p.m. on Sunday, September 20.

          Guest rooms at the Best Western are located on two floors and there is now an elevator.  The facility includes the Simmering Pot Family Restaurant and Lounge.  The restaurant is open for breakfast from 6:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. Monday through Friday and 7:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. on Saturday and Sunday.  Dinner is available from 5:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m.  The restaurant is not open for lunch.  Room service is also available by dialing 520.

          When entering the main lobby of the hotel, you are facing east.  The check-in desk is situated along the left-hand (north) side of the lobby.  There is a seating area across from the check-in desk on the right-hand (south) side of the lobby.  The convention registration desk will be located just beyond the check-in desk, across the lobby on the right-hand (South) side.

          Along the right-hand (south) side, near the east end of the lobby, is the entrance to the Simmering Pot Family Restaurant.  Just inside this entrance, the dining room and the lounge open on the right.  The Imperial Room-the room which will be used for most convention activities--opens on the left.

          The entrance to the large ballroom area, the Coal and West Virginia Rooms, is found on the east end of the lobby, opposite the main entrance.  The West Virginia Room will be used on Friday afternoon for chapter and committee meetings.

          On the north wall at the east end of the lobby is an opening which leads into a north-south corridor.  Restrooms are located along the left-hand side of this corridor, and public telephones are on the right.  A hotel house phone is located to the left of the bank of pay phones.  Pick up the handset and the hotel operator will assist you.

          After passing the phones, the first corridor branching to the right (east) is a rather long and winding hallway which leads to sleeping rooms.  Continuing north down the north-south hallway, there are three vending machines on the right.  A snack machine is in the middle with a Coke machine on either side.  The elevator is slightly beyond these machines on the opposite side of the corridor.

          The north-south corridor eventually ends at en exit.  At this point, turning right (east) leads into the first corridor of guest rooms which begin with 101 on the left and 102 on the right.  A room number in Braille can be found on the wall next to each door.  This east-west corridor ends with room 145 on the left and 148 on the right.  The next door past room 138 opens into a room that contains an ice machine.

          At this point, a right-hand (south) turn leads into another corridor of guest rooms which begins with 149 on the left and 150 on the right.  The guest room corridors surround a courtyard which includes the pool.  (The weather in September will determine whether the pool will be open for guests.)

Thursday, September 17, 2015

6:00 PM:  NFBWV BOARD OF DIRECTORS MEETING:  This meeting is open to all convention attendees--Charlene Smyth, NFBWV President; West Virginia Room

FRIDAY, September 18, 2015

9:00 AM - 12:00 PM: BRIDGING THE GAP:  NFBWV Hands-On, How to Seminar on How to Live with Blindness or Low Vision--Sheri Koch, Coordinator; Imperial Room

Do you find it difficult to do everyday tasks because of vision loss?  If so, we can help. We are the members of the National Federation of the blind of West Virginia and we invite you to join us and increase your personal independence as a person with low vision or who is blind.

Bridging The Gap is an individualized, hands-on seminar designed to answer your questions. You can learn directly from others who share your visual problems. Find out how they solve every day challenges and how they are living the lives they want.

Part 1:  A discussion panel of successful blind people will interact with the audience to share tips and ideas on how to do a variety of tasks without, or with limited vision.

We will discuss such activities as:

Reading Books

Home Management

Reading and Paying Bills

Shopping

Meal Preparation

Clothing Management

Eating and Cutting Techniques

Computer and Cell Phone Access

Part 2:  Spend time with the panelists - It's hands-on and individualized to answer your questions. They are looking forward to sharing the techniques they discussed with you.

Visit a variety of life stations to see adaptive aids used to carry out daily living tasks.

OTHER STATIONS INCLUDE:

THE BRAILLER DEPOT--Knick Johnson, Senior Account Manager, of The Brailler Depot LLC, will have products available for you to see and use.  These products include Braille embossers and tactile graphics as well as low vision magnifiers including Mac compatible devices.

The Brailler Depot

PHONE:  973-272-7667

WEBSITE:  http://www.braillerdepot.com

West Virginia Assistive Technology System (WVATS) will be represented by Jamie Hayhurst-Marshall who will be offering a Demonstration of Low-Tech Items from the WVATS Lending Library.  West Virginia Assistive Technology Services

959 Hartman Run Road

Morgantown, WV  26505

PHONE:  (304) 293-4692

TOLL-FREE:  1-800-841-8436

WEBSITE:  www.cedwvu.org

12:00 PM - 1:00 PM: LUNCH--Imperial Room This lunch is available only for those who made prior reservations.

1:30 - 4:30 PM:  REGISTRATION; There will be a table at the south-east end of the lobby across from the hotel's check-in desk.  (Those who pre-registered at least 14-days in advance will have already paid the convention registration fee of $10.00 per person, which covers admission to all convention sessions including the Friday night reception.  The convention banquet fee is $25.00 per person.)  The onsite convention registration fee is $15.00 per person and the convention banquet fee is $30.00 per person.

1:30 - 3:00 PM:  BRAILLE LITERACY DIVISION MEETING--Karen McDonald, President; West Virginia Room

3:00 - 4:00 PM:  RESOLUTIONS COMMITTEE MEETING:  This is an open meeting and all are welcome and encouraged to attend--Ed McDonald, Chairman; Imperial Room.  Members are Sheri Koch, Karen McDonald, and Mary Ann Saunders.

6:00 - 7:30 PM:  RECEPTION-- Sponsored by all chapters and coordinated by the Eastern Panhandle chapter; Imperial Room.  This includes a full dinner buffet.

7:30 - 11:00 PM:  MEMBERS AUCTION and SOCIAL TIME--Sheri Koch, Coordinator; Rick Richmond of the Members at Large Chapter and Jack Yahnke of the Sightless Workers' Guild, Auctioneers; Imperial Room

SATURDAY, September 19, 2015

8:00-8:45 AM:  REGISTRATION (See NFBWV Treasurer Marcus Soulsby)

9:00 AM:  GENERAL SESSION; Imperial Room

* CALL TO ORDER--Charlene Smyth, NFBWV President

* INVOCATION--Marcus Soulsby, NFBWV Treasurer

* PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE-First Sergeant Joe Regnier, Retired; Huntington Area Chapter; Joseph Regnier served in the United States Army for more than 22 years retiring as a First Sergeant.  He met Brad Hodges in 1997 while Brad was working and living in Western Wisconsin.  Since then, Joe has been an active Federationist in his own right.  We usually see Joe behind the wheel of the Huntington van, but we are also proud to introduce him to lead us in the Pledge of Allegiance.

* 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.

* ANNOUNCEMENTS AND CONVENTION ARRANGEMENTS

* ROLL CALL OF CHAPTERS--Charlene Smyth, NFBWV President

* RESOLUTIONS COMMITTEE:  Preliminary Report--Ed McDonald, Chairman

9:40 AM:  NATIONAL REPORT--James Brown, National Federation of the Blind Board Member and President, National Federation of the Blind of Tennessee

10:25 AM:  PRESIDENT'S REPORT--Charlene Smyth, NFBWV President

10:50 AM:  WEST VIRGINIA DIVISION OF REHABILITATION SERVICES UPDATE-Kevin L. Maynus, Program Specialist, Blind/VI Services, Sensory Specialty Programs; Charleston, West Virginia

11:10 AM:  REPORT FROM THE AMERICAN FOUNDATION FOR THE BLIND TECH OF HUNTINGTON--Aaron Preece, National Technology Associate; and John Lilly, National Technology Associate, Mobile; Huntington, West Virginia

11:30 AM:  UPDATE ON SERVICES FOR THE BLIND, WV LIBRARY COMMISSION, AND NEWSLINE--Donna Calvert, Director of Special Services; Charleston, West Virginia

11:50 AM:  PAC PLAN--Marcus Soulsby, NFBWV PAC Plan Coordinator

11:58 AM:  SPLIT THE POT--Mary Grogg and Sandy Streets, Harrison County Chapter

* RECESS

12:00 - 2:00 PM:  MEMBERS AT LARGE CHAPTER MEETING--Ed McDonald, President; Imperial Room

Lunch for everyone else who ordered in advance will be served in the Simmering Pot Family Restaurant and Lounge.

2:00 PM:  GENERAL SESSION; Imperial Room

2:05 PM:  WEST VIRGINIA SCHOOL FOR THE BLIND UPDATE--Anita Adkins, Teacher; Romney, West Virginia

2:25 PM:  HOW TO WIN A NATIONAL SCHOLARSHIP AND MORE ABOUT THE NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF BLIND STUDENTS (NABS)--Bre Brown, Second Vice-President, National Association of Blind Students and 2015 Jernigan Scholarship Winner; West Virginia/Texas

2:45 PM:  NON-24--Trey Williams, Medical Science Liaison; and Vicki L. O'Connor, RN, BSN, Account Manager; Vanda Pharmaceuticals

3:05 PM:  BUILDING SOMETHING FROM NOTHING, REFORMING SERVICES FOR THE BLIND IN WEST VIRGINIA--Brad Hodges, President, Huntington Area Chapter of the NFBWV; Sheri Koch, NFBWV Second Vice-President; and Bre Brown, NABS Second Vice-President

3:40 PM:  NATIONAL FEDERATION OF THE BLIND:   75-YEARS IN SOUND--Ed McDonald, NFBWV First Vice-President

4:00 PM:  YOUR CHANCE TO SAY WHAT'S REALLY ON YOUR MIND--This is your opportunity to let your president and NFBWV Board of Directors know what is on your mind regarding our affiliate, what direction you would like to see us take, suggest activities we might undertake, and any other topics you would like to bring to the convention floor.

4:25 PM:  SPLIT THE POT--Mary Grogg and Sandy Streets, Harrison County Chapter

4:30 PM:  RECESS

6:30 PM:  BANQUET--Ed McDonald, Master of Ceremonies; Imperial Room

* INVOCATION--Patricia Walker, Huntington Area Chapter

* INTRODUCTION OF GUESTS--Ed McDonald, NFBWV First Vice-President

* RECOGNITION OF ROYAL COURT WINNER--Marcus Soulsby, NFBWV Treasurer

* AWARDS AND HONORS--Sheri Koch, Chairperson

* FEDERATIONIST OF THE YEAR AWARD--Bre Brown, 2012 Recipient

* KEYNOTE ADDRESS--James Brown, NFB National Board Member and President, National Federation of the Blind of Tennessee

* SPLIT THE POT--Mary Grogg and Sandy Streets, Harrison County Chapter

8:45-11:59 PM:  IT'S ONLY A GAME:  An Evening of Contests, Table Games, and Friendly Competition--Sponsored by the Members at Large Chapter and hosted by Anita Adkins; Imperial Room

SUNDAY, September 20, 2015

8:30 AM:  GENERAL SESSION; Imperial Room

* CALL TO ORDER--Charlene Smyth, NFBWV President

* FINAL REMARKS-James Brown, National Representative and President, National federation of the Blind of Tennessee

* MEMORIAL SERVICE--Mike Smith, Kanawha Valley Chapter

* THE ABLE ACT, AN OPPORTUNITY TO BUILD FINANCIAL INDEPENDENCE--Brad Hodges, President, Huntington Area Chapter

* PAC PLAN--Marcus Soulsby, NFBWV PAC Plan Coordinator

* RESOLUTIONS COMMITTEE REPORT--Ed McDonald, Chairperson

* AGENCY PARTNERSHIP COMMITTEE REPORT--Ed McDonald, Chairperson

* BRAILLE LITERACY DIVISION REPORT--Karen McDonald, President

* LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEE REPORT--Sheri Koch, Chairperson

* CHAPTER REPORTS

* BRIEF FINANCIAL SUMMARY--Marcus Soulsby, NFBWV Treasurer

* OLD BUSINESS

* NEW BUSINESS

* FINAL ANNOUNCEMENTS AND CLOSING REMARKS

* SPLIT THE POT--Mary Grogg and Sandy Streets, Harrison County Chapter

11:30 AM:  ADJOURNMENT

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