[Ohio-talk] Fw: BUCKEYE UPDATE - February 25, 2009

[Dr. Smith]

Enjoy.

JW

----- Original Message ----- 
From: J. W. Smith 
To: Dr. John W Smith : 
Sent: Wednesday, February 25, 2009 8:12 PM
Subject: BUCKEYE UPDATE - February 25, 2009


The weather is gorgeous today, I feel great physically, and "It's all good!"

Spotlight on Tom Anderson

Many of you know that Tom Anderson has been a leader in this organization for many years, and at present he serves as the president of our At Large chapter. I want to take a moment and tell you what a valuable member he is to our affiliate, and what a great example he is of someone who can effectively work behind the scenes.  I want to shine the spotlight on him because I had the opportunity to visit his congressman (Tim Ryan) this year at the Washington seminar, and before arriving I called Tom and told him to pave the way for our visit.  Needless to say, when we got there the office was very receptive to us and quite familiar with Tom Anderson's advocacy and more than willing to help us in any way.  Shortly after our return from Washington I received an email from Jim McCarthy informing me that Congressman Ryan was one of only five members presently sponsoring our social security bill. I must tell you unequivocally this is a result of Tom Anderson's efforts on behalf of our movement, and he is a great example of how, even though you may not attend the seminar, you can play a vital role in making our trip as successful as possible. I want to personally thank Tom for all of his past and present efforts on behalf of the blind of this state, and because of his consistent and tenacious advocacy, we have a genuine friend in Congressman Ryan. 

The Tour Has Begun

I told you some time ago that in the next two years I would like to visit each chapter, and on Friday February 20th, I was privileged to be a guest at the Cleveland Chapter meeting. It was a wonderful time of business and fellowship and I am so pleased with the progress of William Turner as its president. I saw some new and old faces and I even played the piano as a prelude for the meeting.  We met at the Cleveland Sight Center and although it was my first time ever being there, I was impressed with the building and the meeting space.  I tried to help the chapter with possible fundraising ideas and to answer any questions they might have about issues at the state level.  It was clear to me that it is vital that chapter presidents create an effective means of communication with their members, i.e. take the relevant information from these updates and other outlets and make sure that they are effectively disseminated to your chapter members in a timely manner.  It is always interesting to me to visit with people in their home environments and to observe the art of hospitality at work.  This was a gracious group and afterwards our fellowship time at a local restaurant was most enjoyable. 

I want to visit each chapter and as I said earlier, make sure that our meetings are a combination of business and fun.  This is a critical time for us in terms of chapter membership and it will take all of our efforts to make our chapters as vibrant and effective as we can. Dr. Jernigan used to say, "Our organization is only as strong as our local chapters."  With this in mind, I want chapter presidents to let me know how I and those of us on the board can assist you in making your chapter as strong and energetic as the one I found in Cleveland last week. 

The Bus and Convention Assistants

There will be a bus for the National Convention in Detroit.  The bus will leave from Cincinnati, making stops in Dayton and Toledo and arriving in Detroit on July 2nd.  It will make the return trip on July 9th, stopping at those same destinations along the way.  At the appropriate time, I will make the scheduled stops and pickup times available, and now here is the good part.  The bus will be absolutely free. That's right, it will cost you nothing for the round trip! We will have to work out logistical details in terms of making sure that we have an accurate number relative to the 54 possible seats, but I think this is the best way to go for all concerned. Some at the Cleveland chapter meeting expressed their desire not to attend the entire convention, and so we will be open to supporting those who will be making different transportation arrangements, especially from the Cleveland area since it is relatively close to Detroit. I want to have a minimum of 100 Buckeyes at the convention this year, so I will be doing everything in my power to make that happen.  We have been blessed to have a generous benefactor to subsidize our bus, and I'm hoping for additional funds like this to make this one of the best conventions we've ever had. Stay tuned for more news in this area. 

Shortly I will be sending out information about convention assistants and how you may apply for that.  It may be some time before we will have a convention this close to us, so I want chapter presidents to really talk this one up and get people enthused about attending, and I'll make sure that we can find the necessary funds to support them.  

Final Comments and Reminders

I am off to Baltimore this weekend for the state president's seminar and if you need to contact me, use my cell number from Friday to Sunday.  If you need immediate personal attention, contact First Vice President Eric Duffy or President Emerita Barbara Pierce. 
Here are a few reminders:
March 7th - My birthday party in Athens from 7-10 at the Athens Community Center
March 21st- An informational and acquaintance event in Toledo
March 28th- A Chapter building event in Wooster
April 15th- Deadline for submission of articles for the newsletter 
April 18th- Chapter building activity in Toledo
April 25th- Spring board meeting in Columbus

-JW