[Ohio-talk] October 24 Update

[Barbara Pierce]

Buckeye Update
October 24, 2008

	I feel a bit odd beginning this Update since it will be the last I
write. I have quite a collection of them on my computer. At this time next
week we will be conducting our board meeting, and I have a number of matters
to discuss with you ahead of the convention. The first is that, attached to
this Update, are the minutes from the September 13 board meeting. Their
lateness is not Paul's fault. He got them out, but they did not arrive for
quite a while. At least they will be fresh in your mind when we act on them
next week. I will append them to the email version of this Update, but I
will also attach them in case you wish to print out a Word copy. Print
readers will find the minutes in the envelope with the Update.

	I wish to call to your attention that the Cleveland and Summit
County chapters and the diabetics and merchants divisions have not yet sent
in their corrected lists and their dues. I have already discussed the
parents' situation with Cindy. The deadline for these is Monday, so, if you
don't want to pay an extra $25 or deny your members their right to vote at
convention, I need to know that your checks and lists are in the mail to me.

	Eric and I spent an hour on the phone with Mike Hanes yesterday
morning at his request. He really wanted to be sure that we were still of
the opinion that BSVI counselors should be the only ones to provide service
to blind customers. It is clear that acute problems are going to show up
because of the budget cuts ahead. They will be losing a flock of counselors
and supervisors with the buy-outs that are coming. This will mean that BSVI
counselors will be thin on the ground in many places. The Athens office will
close altogether. I am sure that Mike will be telling you the gory details
in his remarks next Saturday. We repeated yet again that pressing counselors
who know nothing about serving blind consumers into service will only mean
bad advice and wasted expenditures. Hard times are ahead. This is all the
more reason for knowledgeable blind people to be ready to advise and support
those needing BSVI service and looking for help adjusting to blindness.

	The cassette newsletters finally got into the mail last Monday. What
a mess this has been. Resolving this problem will be the first challenge
facing the next editor of the newsletter.

	Here are a bunch of reminders for the convention. Preregistration is
now closed, but, if you know of members who are planning to attend the
convention and will be buying banquet tickets or lunch tickets at the door,
you could help me by letting me know these counts at the start of the week.
I have to give final counts by Wednesday morning. We can raise these a bit,
but not much. We must pay for all the meals I say we will need. This means
that I don't want to inflate the number very much in case we get left
holding the bag. But I also don't want to turn folks away from the banquet.
The more accurate you can help me make the Wednesday count, the better off
we will be.

	Chapter presidents need to give Paul the names of your nominating
committee members. He also needs names of anyone in your chapter or division
who has died in the past year. You can call him at (513) 481-7662 or email
him at <pmd at pobox.com>. He is also the recipient of door prizes. These
should be handed over to him, identified in print and Braille. Include what
the object is and who the contributor is. You can bring prizes to the door
prize table in the front of the Toledo Room  at the beginning of the
Saturday morning session or give them to him on Friday. I am bringing fudge
as usual. 

	Chapters and divisions are asked to bring items for the
not-so-silent auction Saturday evening. These go to Sheri Albers, who chairs
the fundraising committee. They too should be labeled in print and Braille
with a description of the basket or item, the contributor's name, and a
rough estimate of the value of the item. I can tell you the Lorain County is
putting together a chocolate lover's basket. The calorie count will not be
listed. See that Sheri has your basket or knows that you are bringing it to
the social hour.

	We did not hear from anyone about members' needing the FM receivers
for the convention, so we will not be offering this service this year. I
hope that no one forgot to tell us of someone who was counting on this
service.

	I am pleased to say that finally the NFB seems to have made the
switch to the new server. This means that this weekend our Website should be
able to receive new material. Eric is planning to post the agenda for those
who are interested. Of course we will have them in print and Braille at the
convention. The print sheet at the back of the Braille agenda is a
Pre-Authorized Check Plan form for folks to use to begin or raise a PAC
pledge. Help us spread the word about what this page is.

	Remember that we will be selling very attractive and unusual Braille
jewelry at this convention. This is a fundraiser for the affiliate. We will
also have some NFB Whozit pins in case chapters want to stock up or
individuals wish to buy them. The parents will be selling wonderfully soft
and warm fleece stadium blankets in many colors. I am looking forward to all
these opportunities, especially since I lost my NFB pin at the last meeting.
I look forward to seeing you all at the convention next week.
 
National Federation of the Blind of Ohio
Board of Directors Meeting Minutes
September 13, 2008

	President Barbara Pierce called the September 13, 2008 board of
directors meeting to order at 10:18 AM in the Dayton Room of the Ramada
Plaza Hotel & Convention Center, 4900 Sinclair Road, Columbus, Ohio with all
members present for roll call except Deborah Kendrick, who had a scheduling
conflict and Bruce Peters and Mary Pool, who arrived later. Annette
Anderson, Karen Warner, Gus White, William Turner, and Jerry Purcell were
not wearing NFB insignia and paid their $1 fines.

1.	Sherry Ruth moved to approve the April 19, 2008, minutes as
circulated. Richard Payne seconded the motion, and it carried.

2.	As of July 31, 2008, the affiliate's total assets were $107,367.76.
Debbie Baker moved to approve the treasurer's report as read. Crystal
McClain seconded the motion, and it passed. The audit of affiliate accounts
will cost considerably more this year because it is being done by a firm in
Maryland.

3.	Because of high gasoline prices and because other agencies and
organizations are increasing their mileage rates, Sherry Ruth and Sheri
Albers moved and seconded a motion to increase NFB-O's rate from $.40 per
mile to $.48 per mile-motion passed. 

4.	Richard Payne moved to allocate $6000 for convention assistance.
Sherry Ruth seconded the motion, and it passed.

5.	Cindy Conley, president of NFB-O's Parents Division, described
50-by-60-inch fleece blankets with the Whozit logo and NFB embroidered in
print and Braille that the division is selling for $20 each. 

6.	Sheri Albers, chair of the affiliate's fundraising committee,
displayed Braille jewelry made and designed by Leslie Ligon. There are ten
possible selections. J.W. Smith moved to authorize the committee to order
$500 worth of Braille jewelry as a fundraiser. Richard Payne seconded the
motion, and it carried. It will be available at the convention.

7.	The New Jersey affiliate conducts a national rummage sale on e-Bay
using PayPal accounts. Apparently UPS offers a service delivering the
merchandise for 25 percent of the profit. Debbie Baker moved to authorize
the fundraising committee to explore this project more thoroughly. Bruce
Peters seconded the motion, and it carried with the understanding that Sheri
Albers was willing to begin doing the selling online if we go forward. The
fundraising committee will give a more detailed report at the October 31
board meeting. 

8.	Debbie Baker, chair of the ad hoc committee to devise ways to
celebrate Louis Braille's 200th birthday reported on the following
suggestions: encourage the Ohio State School for the Blind and Clovernook
Center to change the names of their streets to Braille Place; obtain the
names of teachers of Braille in the larger cities in Ohio; strive to double
Braille literacy rate by the year 2015; present libraries with a biography
of Louis Braille for children; determine the number of people who are
employed and use Braille; find a way to increase the number of restaurants
that have Braille menus; and create press releases highlighting the life and
contributions of Louis Braille. Once the cost of minting the coin has been
covered and the NFB has raised the required match money, $10 from sales of
each Louis Braille commemorative coin will be available to promote Braille
literacy.

9.	Convention arrangements were then discussed: following the 9 AM
board of directors meeting on October 31, a workshop will be conducted for
users of the Victor Reader Stream to increase their proficiency; a seminar
covering aspects of attracting, recruiting, and retaining chapter members
will be held Friday afternoon and will cover such topics as chapter
building, communication, leadership, advocacy, and media relations. The
theme for the Parents' Division workshop will be "Is Your Child Age
Appropriate?" Debbie Baker will chair the resolutions committee, and Eric
Duffy will chair the nominating committee. The Parents Division will host a
Friday evening Halloween Party. We will have a three-hour break for lunch
workshops on Saturday and a not-so-silent auction at the banquet. Trivial
Pursuit, a euchre tournament and music by members will conclude Saturday
night. 

10.	We will begin organizing a chapter in Wooster on October 11.

11.	Board members were encouraged to visit their congressional members'
district offices to seek cosponsors for HR 5734 (the Pedestrian Safety
Enhancement Act) and HR 3834 and S 2559 (the Blind Persons Earnings Fairness
Act). 

12.	Publicity is needed to dramatize the threat posed to blind
pedestrians as well as children and seniors by quiet cars; someone suggested
that we invite members of the media to our demonstration of a hybrid during
our convention and ask them to wear sleepshades while the hybrid drives past
them. 

13.	It will be difficult to obtain increased funds for NFB-NEWSLINE,
given the tough economic times and the state budget cuts.

14.	Chapter presidents were encouraged to canvass their members to
determine the degree of interest in chartering a bus to the national
convention in Detroit; in order to make the cost of transportation
attractive, chapters will have to agree to sell drawing tickets to defray
the bulk of the bus charter cost. Only if chapters are willing to put a lot
of effort into such a project could we consider renting buses.

15.	Richard Payne moved to conduct a $50 drawing again for first-time
attendees at the state convention. Mary Pool seconded the motion, and it
passed. 

16.	Members were reminded that December 1 is the deadline for being
considered for participation in the Washington Seminar, which will start
with the great gathering-in on Sunday, February 8.

17.	Meeting adjourned at 2:43 PM.

Respectfully submitted,

Paul Dressell, Secretary