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</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--></head><body lang=EN-US link=blue vlink=purple><div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal>Good Evening Fellow Federationists:<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>If you’ve listened to this month’s presidential release, you know that convention rooms are filling up fast. At last report, the room block was 90% full. If you have not made your reservation, do it today before they’re all gone!<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Here are some kea dates to keep in mind:<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoListParagraph style='text-indent:-.25in;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1'><![if !supportLists]><span style='font-family:Symbol'><span style='mso-list:Ignore'>·<span style='font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"'> </span></span></span><![endif]>May 15<sup>th</sup>: financial assistance decision letters will be sent to those who will be receiving affiliate assistance for convention.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoListParagraph style='text-indent:-.25in;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1'><![if !supportLists]><span style='font-family:Symbol'><span style='mso-list:Ignore'>·<span style='font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"'> </span></span></span><![endif]>May 31<sup>st</sup>: Preregistration for national convention closes.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoListParagraph style='text-indent:-.25in;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1'><![if !supportLists]><span style='font-family:Symbol'><span style='mso-list:Ignore'>·<span style='font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"'> </span></span></span><![endif]>June 1: Deadline to cancel a hotel reservation and still get half the room deposit refunded. Any cancellations after this date will not have the deposit refunded.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoListParagraph><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoListParagraph>Many of you have asked about state convention. I hope to get details finalized in the coming days, and once I have them, I will share them and get our convention organizing committee in place to start the planning process. This will be my first time planning something like this, so bear with me as I go through it. <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoListParagraph>In other news, I am currently at the Seeing Eye in Morristown New Jersey training with a new dog. I will be happy to respond to things as they come up, so please don’t hesitate to contact me. Meanwhile, I’ll send needed updates as I can.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoListParagraph>I am still looking for someone to help organize the affiliate exhibit table at convention. If you are willing to help please get in touch with me as soon as possible so we can start to set things up. If you are interested in working at the exhibit table, please also get in touch with me.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoListParagraph>Lastly, we are nearing the finish line for Iowa to receive membership coins. Thanks to Michael Barber for helping to get the last pieces of information together. Once I have received what I need, I will send it to the national organization and arrange to get the coins shipped out. The national organization has given affiliates a deadline of May 15<sup>th</sup> to get everything turned in so we can get things ready for national convention, and I am confident we will meet this deadline.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoListParagraph>I believe that is all of the updates I have for now. Please feel free to reach out if there are any other questions or concerns and I’ll do what I can to help. When I return from class, I’m confident that we will be able to continue the momentum that has been started. Thank you all for your support, and let’s go build the national Federation of the Blind of Iowa!<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.5in'><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>Scott Van Gorp, President<br>National Federation of the Blind of Iowa<br>Phone: 515-720-5282<br></span><a href="mailto:svangorp@nfbi.org"><span style='color:#0563C1'>Email</span></a><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><a href="http://www.nfbi.org/"><i><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:#0563C1'>Website</span></i></a><i><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'> <br></span></i><a href="https://www.facebook.com/National-Federation-Of-the-Blind-Of-Iowa-372681823082570/posts"><i><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:#0563C1'>Facebook</span></i></a><i><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'> <br></span></i><a href="https://twitter.com/nfb_iowa"><i><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:#0563C1'>Twitter</span></i></a><i><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'> <br>Live the life you want.<br></span></i><br>The National Federation of the Blind of Iowa is a community of members and friends who believe in the hopes and dreams of the nation’s blind. Every day we work together to help blind people live the lives they want.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p></div></body></html>