[Ohio-talk] Excited About Next Year

[Smith, JW]

Dear NFBO Colleagues and Friends,

I have just returned from Orlando and needless to say it was a very exciting meeting. In my opinion, it was sort of like "the long goodbye" but it wasn't sad or morbid. It was a passing of the torch and a renewal of our efforts to making life better for blind people in the world. It was also however, somewhat lonely because we had so few of us buckeyes there and everyone kept asking me if I missed my friend Richard Payne. Sometimes I said yes and sometimes I said no but let me be clear here- an emphatically say "I really did miss Richard" and many of you as well. Next year will be our 75th annual convention and it's going to be an amazing meeting I'm sure. I want to have as many blind Ohioans there as is possible so I am going to do all in my power to raise the necessary funds to help people get there to be a part of what I think will be a magical, life-changing experience. Over the next few months, President Duffy and I will be putting together a strategy and a committee to make this happen, which I would like to have hit the ground running right after our state convention. Please think about whether you'd want to serve on this committee but, If you do I need you to be serious, committed and excited about our charge. I don't want the committee to be too big as I am interested in quality versus quantity, but I don't want to miss anyone that could make a positive contribution to the committee and the effort. I have not spoken with President Duffy about this yet but my initial thinking is to have at least one major fundraising event in our 5 largest cities i.e. Cincinnati, Columbus, Cleveland, Dayton and Toledo. This is just a teaser so stay tuned. And one more thing that I want to make clear- I and the committee will just raise the money but it will be the President and the elected board members of the affiliate that will distribute the funds and make decisions about how all that will happen.

Jw

Dr. JW Smith
Associate Professor
School of Communication Studies
Lasher Hall, Rm. 112
Athens, OH 45701
smithj at ohio.edu<mailto:smithj at ohio.edu>
T: 740-593-4838
F: 740-593-4810

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