[Ohio-talk] board meeting minutes

Tue Nov 12 13:35:53 UTC 2013

Pasted below are the minutes from the board of directors meeting which was
held at our state convention. These are the minutes that the board will vote
on at our next meeting. The president will announce the date of that
meeting.

Shelbi

Minutes of the November 1, 2013, Meeting

Of the Board of Directors of the National Federation of the Blind of Ohio

1. President Eric Duffy called the meeting to order at 11:04 a.m. We met in
the Gallery Room of the Wyndham Garden Dayton South Hotel, 31 Prestige Plaza
Drive, Miamisburg, Ohio 45342. 

2. Roll call of the board was taken with members asked to state whether or
not they were clad with NFB insignia. Fines were incurred by Richard Payne
and Susan Day, but neither was paid. Bruce Peters arrived late. William
Turner and Barb Fohl were absent because of a late bus. We did not do
audience introductions. 

3. Richard Payne moved that the September 21, 2013, minutes of the board
meeting be accepted as emailed. Sherry Ruth seconded the motion. It carried.

4. Eric introduced our national representative, Sam Gleese, of Jackson,
Mississippi, and  he spoke briefly. 

5. Shelbi Hindel gave a brief description of the NFB Scrip Ohio fundraising
program. This is our only ongoing fundraiser at this time. She included a
plea for people to participate in it.

6. Eric spoke about the Dine to Donate fundraising opportunity at Bob
Evans’s  Graceland location in Columbus. This event must be setup with
individual restaurant locations. The manager can assist you to set up the
procedure. At the time of paying your bill, you must present a flier. The
proceeds from a Dine to Donate activity can be designated to either the
state affiliate or a local chapter. Other restaurants participate in this
program, such as Applebee’s. Currently we have one more date set up with the
Graceland Bob Evans’s, November 9. 

7. Milena Zavoli of Cuyahoga County chapter brought a fundraiser to our
attention. It is with Malley’s Chocolates. These are very popular in the
Cleveland area. A website has been set up for us to order. It is
<www.malleys.com/national-federation-of-the-blind-of-ohio>. This lets the
company know to attribute the sales to our organization. There are fliers to
look at for selections, but the orders must be done online. If a sale is
greater than $60 and shipped to the same address, the shipping is free. If
the sale is under $60, there is a charge for shipping. The Christmas and
Easter campaigns are different, with the Easter having a larger selection.
The Christmas campaign has 48 choices. For more information check out the
website for specific details. 

8. Tomorrow afternoon we will have a BELL presentation. If you wish to
participate in this, you must be prepared to get to the stage  quickly. A
couple of BELL families will be joining us for this presentation. 

9. Barbara Pierce gave a report from the legislative committee. She
described an activity taking place today in which people are presenting to
Goodwill regional offices petitions with 170,000 signatures on 5,000 sheets
of paper opposing paying subminimum wages. Ohio did not participate in this
effort because of convention preparations. The TEACH bill (Technology,
Education, and Accessibility in Higher Education and Colleges Act)is about
to be dropped. We will need to go back to the House to talk about this
legislation. We also want Senators to know that we are opposed to Section
511 and the Workforce Investment Act, which would establish the subminimum
wage for workers with disabilities. We are also opposed to transferring  the
Rehabilitation Services Administration  from the Department of Education to
the Department of Labor. This will be an uphill struggle because Tom Harkin
of Iowa, the chairman of the HELP (Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions)
Committee, is backing these provisions. Barbara reminded us that our work
starts in Washington D.C at the Washington Seminar but must continue at
home. 

10. If you are interested in going to the Washington Seminar, you must let
Eric or Barbara know by December 1. Eric reminded us that last year people
did a good job of finding support and that the affiliate was able to help
some. This year the affiliate has even less money with which to assist
people in attending the Washington Seminar, so interested participants must
be able to cover their costs. 

11. Last year the board made the difficult decision by vote to stop the
scholarship program. Because the McClains and the Springfield chapter
stepped forward, we do have a scholarship class this year. Eric said that
this year there would not be a vote of the board, but, unless a lot of
fundraising took place, there would not be a scholarship program in 2014.
Barbara introduced the 2013 scholarship winners. Sheri Albers was the only
winner present at the meeting. The other was in class. Jason Ewell has been
in contact with Eric, and he says that the Norwalk Lions Club may contribute
to this program. We should know within a couple of weeks.

12. Eric reminded us that door prizes are fun, but they are not an important
part of the convention. If you are not in the room, you do not win. Paul
Dressell is in charge of door prizes. 

13. The proposed amendments to the constitution will be read this afternoon
and again on Sunday. We will vote after that reading. Shelbi Hindel chaired
the constitution committee. 

Colleen Roth, Annette Anderson, and Barbara Pierce also served on the
committee. 

14. A Buckeye Bulletin will be published shortly after convention. The
deadline for getting articles to Barbara is December 1. 

15.  An online auction sponsored by the national organization will take
place November 29 to December 3. Each state has been asked to contribute
something specific to their state for this auction. Ohio has two
contributions. The Pierces’ friend, Maria Ferguson, has donated two cabinas
in Costa Rica, one housing two people and the other housing four. Bob Pierce
read the description as it will appear in the auction; the blurb is attached
to these minutes. A member of the Capital Chapter has donated a handmade OSU
comforter, which Shelbi described. 

16. Eric reminded us that the first general session of the convention starts
at 1:30 this afternoon. This is a jam-packed convention, so look at your
agenda frequently.

17. Chapters and divisions were asked to submit  a corrected copy of their
membership list to Sylvia and Eric. Dues were to be sent to Sherry. The
deadline for submission was October 24. Eric reported that everything is in
and that all members can vote at the convention.  

18. The meeting adjourned at 12:06 p.m. 

ATTACHMENT:

What: Live among Costa Rican locals for one week in a quaint cabina in a
nontourist setting!

Where: Uvita, a little-visited area on the Pacific Coast.

When: No blackout dates, but please avoid December bookings.

Cabina Amenities:  An out-door kitchen has a refrigerator and dishes. There
is also a washer/dryer. 

Nearby attractions: Beaches are hidden treasures--long and quiet, making the
perfect escape from the chaos of US life. Maria Ferguson’s Cabinas Pequeña
Luna are located within walking distance of Punta Uvita and Marino Ballena
National Park, called the “whale tail” or “Moses Passage,” because at low
tide the ocean recesses and a six-hundred-meter-long sand passage opens up.
Punta Uvita is a beautiful spot for an uncrowded beach vacation. The birds
and wildlife are incredible. The walk to the beach takes you past a river
and street vendors. Visitors enjoy swimming, surfing, kayaking, scuba
diving, snorkeling, and horseback riding. Hiking to nearby waterfalls and
taking a tour of the wealth of mangroves and estuaries surrounding Uvita are
also popular activities. From May to October it may be possible to witness
Olive Ridley and hawksbill sea turtles coming ashore to nest.    Between
December and April watch majestic humpback whales migrate through the waters
just offshore. 

Sixty-five kilometers north of the cabins is Manuel Antonio, the most
popular national park in Costa Rica. A somewhat longer drive south is
required to visit the enormous Corcovado National Park, ranked by National
Geographic as the world's third best national park. It's one of Costa Rica's
premier wildlife viewing destinations, because its rainforests host
unbelievable biodiversity--over 140 species of mammals, including the jaguar
and endangered Baird's tapir, 400 species of birds, and 116 species of
reptiles. Declared a protected area in 1975 to prevent the harvest of
precious resources, it is believed to have the largest concentration of
macaws and virgin lowland rainforest in Central America. it is one of the
very few locations in Costa Rica that harbor the endangered squirrel monkey.

               The San Jose Airport is a 2.5-hour drive from the cabins.
Rental cars are available at the airport or in Uvita. You will want to
choose a four-wheel drive car.

Special Notes: At a nearby supermarket you can buy food and prepare it
yourself at your cabina kitchen, or you can pay a nominal fee to have the
staff prepare your supermarket-bought meals.

Respectfully submitted,

Shelbi Hindel