by Kim Charlson
Paul Edwards opened the mid-year meeting held in Des Moines, Iowa by welcoming all board members and guests.
The minutes of the July 2000 pre- and post-convention board meetings as well as the September 2000 board meeting were adopted.
ACB Takes a Leadership Role in the Global Blindness Community
In his report to the board concerning the ACB’s international activities within the North American/Caribbean Region of the World Blind Union, Edwards said that he and Brian Charlson had represented ACB at the 5th quadrennial meeting of the World Blind Union in Melbourne, Australia in November 2000, where WBU elections were held. Kicki Nordstrom of Sweden was elected to the office of president. She is the first woman to hold this position.
Edwards presented a paper to the assemblage, on managing change within the blindness service delivery system, and he also delivered remarks about ACB Radio during a program segment on international radio and other information services.
“ACB should recognize that as an organization, we are truly taking a leadership role in the global arena on blindness issues,” Edwards said. “ACB Radio has made a vast difference in the way information gets disseminated around the world. Selected programming from ACB Radio will now be carried on the reading services in New Zealand, Australia and Canada.”
Jim Gibbons of National Industries for the Blind was elected to the position previously held by Frederic Schroeder of the Rehabilitation Services Administration on the WBU North American/Caribbean board. The next regional meeting is planned for March 2001 in the Caribbean, to be held in conjunction with a WBU-sponsored leadership training seminar for Caribbean women who are blind.
Executive Director and Committee Reports
The report of the executive director, Charles Crawford, focused on internal operational issues. Crawford has developed an automated spreadsheet inventory tracking system for monitoring supplies and petty cash. ACB has also increased its access to information about grants and other funding opportunities.
Several committee reports were given, including the ACB membership committee report. Debbie Grubb, membership committee chair, announced that the Growing a Great Convention document and the officer and board member manuals are finished and will be available in alternative formats and on the ACB web site soon.
LeRoy Saunders presented a convention committee report. He outlined what is involved in identifying an appropriate location and city for an ACB convention. His most recent efforts took him to Birmingham, Ala. as a possible location.
ACB Approves Birmingham as 2004 Convention Site
Saunders introduced Jim Windsor of the Birmingham Convention and Visitors Bureau to the board. Windsor spoke about the various advantages of Birmingham for hosting a convention. He described the topography and culture of the city along with other attractions. Saunders moved that ACB accept the bid for Birmingham, Ala. as the location for the 2004 convention. The motion was approved. Mitch Pomerantz then asked if a location for the 2003 convention had yet been identified. Saunders explained that no appropriate site had yet been determined and that efforts were ongoing.
Update on NAC
Sanford Alexander gave a report concerning activities of the ad hoc committee on the National Accreditation Council. The committee held a conference call meeting that included MJ Schmitt and Paul Edwards. Alexander reported that more research is needed for the committee’s members to gain a clearer understanding of NAC’s current status and activities. President Edwards urged the committee to continue its work and present a report at the July pre-convention board meeting.
Resource Development Committee Seeks Resources
The resource development committee report was given by ACB treasurer Pat Beattie. The committee recommended to the board that ACB examine the issue of the low per capita dues for individual membership in ACB. This amount is currently $3 per member. Their recommendation to the board was to increase the dues to $5.
It was also recommended that the committee examine the maximum membership ceiling of 625 members, which are paid for by an affiliate. Above that number, no dues are paid by an affiliate regardless of the total number of members. These issues were referred to the membership committee for input and recommendations to be presented to the board for consideration.
Some discussion ensued as to whether ACB should apply for federal funding for specific projects. It was the general opinion of the board that there is no policy-based prohibition of ACB seeking federal funds.
The issue of whether ACB should consider giving organizational endorsement to products was discussed. There was consensus that it could be beneficial to ACB to investigate this possibility. A motion was made by Dawn Christensen directing the president to appoint a committee which would be assigned the task of developing a policy recommendation for the board’s consideration on ACB endorsing products and the scenario of receiving revenue for such an endorsement. Oral Miller will chair this committee with Pat Beattie, Charlie Crawford and Jim Olsen as members. A preliminary report will be made to the pre-convention board meeting.
ACB Welcomes New Affiliate from New Mexico
Alan Beatty reported on efforts to establish a state affiliate in New Mexico. An organizational meeting took place in December 2000, and there are at least 26 individuals who have paid their dues. This group has met all ACB constitutional requirements for affiliation. Alan Beatty proudly moved that we accept New Mexico as an affiliate of ACB. Following a second the motion passed unanimously. David Armijo was recognized for his efforts in organizing the New Mexico affiliate.
BOP Report
Kim Charlson reported on the meeting of the board of publications. A disclaimer statement has been developed for ACB Radio which will be aired before original blind-hosted programming. The disclaimer outlines the policy that ACB neither restricts nor censors program content with respect to the blind-produced programming on ACB Radio. The BOP is working on developing guidelines for monitoring coverage of ACB candidates for office on ACB Radio and the web site. The BOP will work closely with the ACB Internet committee to develop appropriate guidelines. The BOP welcomed its newest ex officio member, Earlene Hughes. Hughes is the ACB webmaster, and her expertise in this area will be extremely valuable to the BOP as policies regarding the web site are developed. The BOP wishes to thank Laura Oftedahl for her many years of service as an ex officio member of the board of publications.
40th Anniversary Memento Planned
Jerry Annunzio reported on the idea of marketing an ACB lapel pin or patch. The board appointed Alan Beatty to serve as chair of this committee, with the expectation that this product could be available for the July convention. Also serving on the committee are Jerry Annunzio, Dawn Christensen, Charlie Crawford, and Jim Olsen.
Public Relations Committee Formed
When the board meeting reconvened on Monday, Paul Edwards announced the formation of an ACB Public Relations Committee, with Ralph Sanders serving as chair. Others appointed to this committee include: Kim Charlson, representing the board of publications; Penny Reeder; Terri Lynne Pomeroy; Pat Shreck; DeAnna Noriega; and Pam Shaw. As one of its first official activities, this committee will be hosting a public relations seminar at the July convention.
Board Approves Balanced Budget
Pat Beattie, ACB treasurer, and Jim Olsen, ACB Chief Financial Officer, provided the board with an analysis of the current financial situation and projections through the 2001 fiscal year. The board approved the hiring of PriceWaterhouseCoopers as the official ACB auditor for the year 2000.
Pat Beattie, the new chair of the American Council of the Blind Enterprises and Services (ACBES), then reported on the results of the elections: Vice-Chair, Dawn Christensen; Secretary/Treasurer, LeRoy Saunders; and board members, Michael Garrett and Oral Miller. A proposal is being considered to hire a consultant for ACBES to advise on strategies to enhance revenue in the thrift stores.
The board then dedicated considerable time to discussion of the fiscal year 2001 budget. The discussion was separated into revenue issues and then expense categories. After considerable discussion, a 2001 budget was approved amounting to $1,181,000.
After meeting in a brief executive session to discuss personnel matters, the board adjourned its mid-year meeting.