[Ohio-talk] Fw: Buckeye Update For March 7, 2011

[Dr. JW Smith]

Dr. J. Webster Smith
President National Federation of the Blind of Ohio
P.O.BOX 458 Athens, Ohio, 45701-0458
Phone Number - 740-592-6326 
"Changing What it Means to be Blind"
----- Original Message ----- 
From: Smith, Jw 
To: jwsmithnfb at frontier.com 
Sent: Monday, March 07, 2011 2:54 PM
Subject: Buckeye Update For March 7, 2011


On March 9th, Lord willing and the creek don't rise, I will be 52 years old. Did I mention the creek rising? And how could I, with all this water down here.  Oh well, it must be almost Spring in Ohio. I can't believe that just last week I was sitting in south Texas, enjoying eighty degree breezes and loads of sunshine!  

 

Upcoming Columbus Meeting

 

On March 23rd, we will be meeting with Dan Connors, the director of BSVI, and the new executive director of RSC, Kevin Miller.  We will be discussing several issues, and finding out as many of the ramifications of this transition period and their impact on blind consumers, as possible.  I am a firm believer in direct communication, so keep your fingers crossed that they will be fruitful and productive, and hopefully I will be able to share resulting good news from the meeting in my next update.

 

Convention Matters

 

Here ye, here ye!  The rooms in the hotel for our convention in Orlando are going fast, so you must act quickly if you want to stay in the main hotel. Also, remember that online registration is now available and you can save yourself some money by both registering for the convention, and purchasing your banquet tickets during this time period.  Accordingly, if you will be requesting financial assistance, you should get your forms to me as quickly as possible, so that I can make decisions  as early as possible and perhaps take advantage of the opportunities both in terms of travel and hotel accommodations.  Let me reiterate here though: Our finances will be very, very limited this year, so you should be prepared to find as many ways as possible to reduce your dependence on our support (and this goes for everybody).  

 

Upcoming Spring Board Meeting

 

Our Spring Board Meeting will be held on April 30th in Canton, Ohio.  It will be held at the Philomatheom Society of the Blind, located at 2701 West Tuscarawas Avenue in Canton, Ohio.  Our Stark County president, Mary Pool, tells me that she will be serving finger sandwiches, some chips, and dessert, and donations are encouraged for the lunch.  As we get closer to the time of the meeting, we can talk about more specific directions, but for now, please plan on our usual time (10-3), for our meeting on April 30th.  

 

Final Tidbits

 

We will be holding a Chapter Revival Meeting for Summit County, on Saturday, April 9th, from 12:00-4:00, so please help us spread the word.  Our Lake County Chapter President, Anne Marble, tells me that the chapter continues to move ahead, and that they had a fun day in February, complete with games and prizes and they continue to send out letters to Churches and other appropriate groups, as an outreach effort.  I know that many of us are looking forward to the day when we can finally meet Anne, but for now, I am pleased to tell you that she seems enthused about what's going on in that Chapter. 

Continue to pray for our Ohio River Valley Chapter President, Becky Booth, and her husband and family, with the new addition to their family.  Becky continues to have physical issues related to the pregnancy, so let's keep her in our prayers.  Finally, watch for the newsletter soon, and once again, Barbara Pierce has done an excellent job in putting it together. It is on the website at nfbohio.org, so check it out, and the website in general, and give us your feedback as we continue to make it as informative and effective as possible.

 

Professor JW Smith

Associate Professor

School of Communication Studies

740-593-4838