[Ohio-Talk] The importance of attending the national convention!

[Suzanne Turner]

The importance of attending the national convention!

 

By Richard Payne

 

I have attended almost every National convention since I joined the National
Federation of the Blind. I have travel to many states, like Louisiana,
Illinois and across to Michigan and then to Florida, each was empowering and
thrilling to say the least.  As I look back on all the occurrences, what
sticks with me are the laws that were enacted because of the work of the
National Federation of the Blind. I can still remember the gavel dropping
and how loud the crowd was and the over-whelming excitement that filled the
room from the conventioneers. Moreover, the National Convention hotel will
test your skills, and yet strengthen them as well, but it is the members and
fellowship that has a long-lasting impact. The national convention is where
all fifty-two states get together and make decisions about laws and set
policies for the organization. We benefit by attending for several reasons;
for example, to connect likeminded members, to break down barriers and share
advice from a real-world point of view. There is always someone who has
"been there and done that"! Furthermore, there are division and committee
meetings that represent just about every topic and profession; such as
Rehabilitation Counselors, Artist, Sports and Recreation and more. For five
years, the National Convention has held a National Federation of the Blind
Career Fair with over thirty employers from across the country who offer
vocational guidance and employment opportunities for our job seekers. And,
who could forget about the spectacular Exhibit Hall with rows and rows of
tables featuring technology, hand-held gadgets, T-shirts, unusual products
and more. 

 

Additionally, during the Convention one of the most uplifting aspect, in my
opinion is the banquet.  President Riccobono delivers the best speeches. You
can assure if you attend this year's National Convention, it will be one of
the largest and most moving events that you will ever have an opportunity to
attend. As many of you know, I come from Arkansas, a state that had no
convention assistance. Hence, we shared rooms and helped out with
transportation so all could attend. If you are planning to go to Houston for
the 2023 National Convention, reach out to your Chapter President for
support, consider sharing rooms and start talking to friends, family members
and sponsors for contributions. It is also important to   apply for the 2023
Kenneth Jernigan Scholarship Fund, if you are a first-timer. We invest in
our membership and if you are attending your first Convention, you should
apply for the grant. Those who are not first-timers, the cost of the rooms
this year are approximately $144.00. The pre-registration will be announced
soon. We can do this together and make it to the 2023 National Convention in
beautiful Houston Texas. 

 

Finally, I have met many blind people who say that the Convention was quite
overwhelming, but an experience that they would not change. Perhaps, it is
the meeting of new blind friends and the discovery that blind people work
and play as their sighted peers. The Convention is where we are in the
majority and it is organized by blind people and for the blind. We can
assist you with filling out the forms or just providing mentorship. So, if
you are a first-timer or seasoned and need help then please feel free to
reach out to the Ohio leadership. It is through love, hope and
determination, the National Federation of the Blind transform dreams into
reality. We can live the life we want; blindness is not what holds us back. 

 

Here is the 2023 Kenneth Jernigan Convention Scholarship Fund Program:

This year we will be accepting applications online. Since applications must
be completed in a single session online, we strongly recommend you prepare
your responses in a document, and then cut and paste your responses into the
application form. The application form does not support complex formatting,
so we recommend avoiding formatting such as bullet points and fonts/styles.

Effective January 1, 2023, the application form can be found at the
following link:
<https://nfb.org/form/kenneth-jernigan-convention-scho?q=form%2Fkenneth-jern
igan-convention-scho>
https://nfb.org/form/kenneth-jernigan-convention-scho?q=form%2Fkenneth-jerni
gan-convention-scho

The application will ask for the following information:

*	Contact information: Include your full name and both your primary
phone where you can be contacted by your state president and your mobile
phone you might use at convention, if available.
*	Please include your mailing address and, if you have one, your email
address. If you don't have an email address, please consider if there is a
friend or chapter member who might be able to assist with email
correspondence.
*	State Affiliate/chapter information: Include your state affiliate,
your state president, chapter, and chapter president, if you attend a
chapter.
*	Mentor information: Include your personal convention mentor and
provide that person's phone number.
*	Funding request: Include your specific request and explain how much
money you need from this fund to make this trip possible for you. We suggest
you consult with other members to make a rough budget for yourself.
*	Essay questions to explain why this is a good investment for the
NFB: 
*	How do you currently participate in the Federation?
*	Why do you want to attend a national convention?
*	What would you receive?
*	What can you share or give?
*	Any special circumstances you hope the committee will take into
consideration.

If you cannot apply online, you can still apply by writing a letter to your
state affiliate president answering the above questions. This letter should
be emailed to your state affiliate president. Once you have decided you will
apply, please contact your state president in person or by phone to request
his or her help in obtaining funding. Be sure to tell the state affiliate
president when to expect that your application will be submitted and mention
the deadline.

Once your application has been submitted, your application will be provided
to your state president via email. It is still your responsibility to
contact your affiliate president. He or she must email a president's
recommendation directly to the Kenneth Jernigan Convention Scholarship Fund
Committee at  <mailto:kjscholarships at nfb.org> kjscholarships at nfb.org. Your
president must email the recommendation no later than the deadline of April
15, 2023. If you have applied outside of the online form, the state
affiliate president must email both the recommendation and the application
letter.


Notification of Award


If you are chosen to receive this scholarship, you will receive a letter
with convention details that should answer most of your questions. The
committee makes every effort to notify winners by May 15, but you must do
several things before that to be prepared to attend if you are chosen:

*	Make your own hotel reservation. If something prevents you from
attending, you can cancel the reservation. (Yes, you may arrange for
roommates of your own to reduce the cost.)
*	Register online for the entire convention, including the banquet, by
May 31.
*	Find someone in your chapter or affiliate who has been to many
conventions and can answer your questions as a friend and mentor.
*	If you do not hear from the committee by May 15, then you did not
win a scholarship this year.