[Ohio-talk] Buckeye Update

[Eric Duffy]

National Federation of the Blind of Ohio
Buckeye Update, March 21, 2014

The calendar says spring is here. The weather hasn't been paying much
attention to the calendar, although today is a pretty nice day. March
Madness has begun, so true spring can't be too far away.

	Congratulations To Tom Ruth. He is retiring at the end of today.
Sherry tells me that they are going to Vegas shortly after the board
meeting. So at the same time I congratulate Tom I extend my sympathy to
Sherry. Tom will be home every day. Wow!! Well if anyone can handle him it's
Sherry.
	We had a good call for chapter and division presidents Tuesday
evening. We talked about the awards process and the questionnaire that
chapters and divisions receive each year to report on activities. Although
we encourage each chapter and division to enter the competition for the
Gavel award, this is also the report that each chapter and division is
required to turn in before the convention. A comment was made during the
discussion that not everyone knows what questions are asked. If that is
true, and I believe it is, then we as presidents have the responsibility to
make sure that we communicate this information to our members. As members we
must be actively engaged in the chapters and divisions. Don't just think
well that report is for the president to worry about. JW., and the Awards
Committee is doing a good job to make sure that the awards process is clear
and understood, and that the information we are asking for and the awards we
are presenting truly meet the needs of the organization. We will be talking
more about this at the April 26 board meeting.


	I remind you that we must all do what we can to get HR 831 passed in
the House of Representatives. Let your member of Congress know that he or
she should help end the discriminatory practice of paying disabled people
less than the minimum wage. 
	We must also find cosponsors for the TEACH Act HR 3505 and its new
companion bill S. 2060. The senate bill was introduced by Senators Warren
and Hatch respectively. Representatives Ryan,  Latta, and Beatty are our
most recent cosponsors from Ohio. I really want to thank Tom Anderson for
his persistence  with Mr. Ryan's office. Don't forget about  the Air
Carriers Access Amendment Act S556.
	 Our next Scrip order will be released on April 6 at 7:00 PM. We
must find ways to get more people participating in this program. I remind
you about this year's contest.  Any chapter or division that gets five new
people to sign up for Scrip and use Presto Pay to make two purchases between
now and September 1 will get convention registration waived for every member
of the chapter or division. So let me be clear about this: Five people who
are members of your chapter or division must sign up for the Scrip Program
between now and September. Those same five people must also make two
purchases using Presto Pay between now and the day we release the September
order. If you or someone comes to me and says I have a first timer or
someone else who wants to come to the convention, could you waive the
registration fee, the answer will be no unless the chapter or division has
met this Scrip challenge in which case I will be able to say registration is
waived for your entire chapter or division.
	Barbara and Bob Pierce are back from their travel abroad. Barbara
would like to begin working on the next Buckeye Bulletin soon. Please get
all materials you have to her by March 28.
	Work for our 2014 BELL program is going on now, and you will be
hearing more about that soon. We are doing a lot of planning right now, but
I don't want anyone to forget about this important program. We need your
support. We need funds. Let's make this a great program for the kids again
this year.

	Don't forget about our Malley's fund raiser. The deadline for orders
to be delivered out of State (and probably best for Ohio orders not in
Greater Cleveland) is April 13. 

 

April 16 is the deadline to place orders shipping to the Cleveland, Ohio
area. 

 

They have eggs and bunnies, chicks and ducks, and even crosses made of
chocolates! Lots of inexpensive items to mix and match to fill an Easter
basket or gift box. Of course, there are some big bunnies, too! And the dark
chocolate square Malleys mints that were so popular among our Christmas
buyers are there again.

http://www.malleys.com/national-federation-of-the-blind-of-ohio#main

 

I will write again next week. Do what you can to make our movement stronger.