ACB of Maryland Continues to Welcome New Chapters
During the summer of 2001, the recently formed Southern Maryland Council of the Blind elected officers for a full two-year term. The president is Bob Kerr, vice-president is Antionette Ward and secretary-treasurer is Lisa Kerr. Also, the Northwest Council of the Blind has applied to become a new chapter of ACB of Maryland. At a recent meeting in Westminster, Gary LeGates was elected as president. Other officers include Gerry Cutler as vice-president, Ninette LeGates, secretary and Richard Cutler as treasurer.
VAB Honors Ken Lovern
The Virginia Association of the Blind-Shenandoah Valley chapter recently announced the winner of the 2000-01 Nelson Malbone Award: Ken Lovern, president of the chapter. Lovern received the award in appreciation of his work, dedication and support to VAB in an awards ceremony in Roanoke Sept. 10, 2001.
The Nelson Malbone Award was established to honor the founder of the Virginia Association of the Blind, and to honor recipients who exhibit the same type of dedication to blindness issues. Lovern’s contributions to the local chapter include the initial organization and startup of the chapter in 1999, and work as the president in membership recruitment, fund-raising, adaptive technology, education, transportation and membership support.
New Jersey Council Convention
The New Jersey Council of the Blind will hold its annual convention on Saturday, October 27 from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. at the Days Inn, 1073 Route 206, Bordentown, N.J. The hotel phone number is (609) 298-6100. Room rates are $49 per night plus tax for up to 4 people in a room. Hot topics at the convention include low vision & blindness high- and low-tech accommodations; your rights; and volunteers: how to get them and how to work with them to keep them. The keynote speaker will be Jamie Hilton, the director of the New Jersey Commission for the Blind and Visually Impaired. For additional information contact us through the national ACB web site or by e-mail to lcasey@voicenet.com, mikeswenten@hotmail.com, or MMarr19130@aol.com. You may also fax (732) 291-7215.
Editor Thanks GCB for Including Her in August State Convention
The Georgia Council of the Blind has a long history as a place where what needs to get done to make the world a better place for people who are blind and visually impaired is done — and with style and celebration! At their convention, which opened with a beep ball game, complete with hot dogs for the fans in the stands, and closed with a membership meeting where plans were initiated for next year’s 46th annual state convention, GCB members celebrated the accomplishments of long-time members as well as youthful leaders. Gerald and Geraldine Pye were honored for their many years of service to Georgians, including an annual barbeque which they host. Last year’s barbeque raised more than $3,000 to further the work of GCB.
In his report to the state convention, ACB national convention first-timer Roger Keeney told the group that the ACB national had been a wonderful, exhilarating experience. “I was so impressed by the range of technology on display at the convention,” Keeney said.
No wonder he was impressed — he was the winner of the PulseData Voice Note, a note-taker with speech output and Windows CE operating system, which has a value in excess of $3,000!
“Things really began to happen for me,” said Keeney, “watching the political process of ACB in action, being able to actually ask questions of the candidates who came to our state caucus, and then the election itself, hearing people standing up on the floor for the candidates they supported, and then hearing the votes being tallied up. I think we have some very capable folks who have taken office, and I am proud to be a member of the GCB and of ACB.”
Encouraging chapters to continue to raise funds to send first-timers to the national convention, Keeney said, “Once a person goes, he gets hooked!”
Other highlights included a report on the positive impact of making physical education accessible to children who are blind, a focus group where Kay McGill, the administrator of Georgia’s Chapter II program to assist older people who lose vision, asked members to help her figure out the best ways to spend limited funding to make the world a friendlier place for as many older folks who are learning to cope with blindness as possible; a discussion of RFB&D’s new foray into the arena of making textbooks accessible in electronic, searchable formats; conversations about ups and downs in Georgia Industries workshop and customer service employment programs, and creating rural transportation programs that really work for blind people; an update on the unique cooperative effort among all of Georgia’s blindness-related groups to save specialized services for people who are blind and visually impaired; a talent show and an auction featuring some great entertainment, including a tabletop tap dance by Georgia President Jack Lewis; a worship service conducted jointly by two ordained ministers from the Council ranks; and a banquet presentation by a dynamic Paralympian named Lilo, who was as beautiful and motivating as she is successful on the field of competition.
Thank you to the members of the Georgia Council of the Blind for allowing me to share the spirit and the camaraderie of your state convention. I met new friends and found a commitment to advocacy and democracy which make me feel good every time I remember the weekend I spent with you all in the beautiful city of Athens. Go Bulldogs!