by Winifred Downing
President Christopher Gray called the meeting to order at 2:45 on July 7, welcoming officers and board members and introducing guests. The agenda was approved following Mitch Pomerantz’s recommendation for discussion of establishment of a task force on employment issues and Oral Miller’s reminder to hear the report of the committee concerned with ACB product endorsements.
Committee Appointments
In keeping with his first priority for his administration, President Gray appointed Sandy Sanderson as head of the resource and development committee (fund-raising). Ralph Sanders will serve on that committee, and other members will be appointed. Pam Shaw is the new chair of the membership committee which will concentrate on preparing a membership report by the September meeting, establishing procedures for re-chartering chapters which have become inactive, and developing a questionnaire for chapter and affiliate presidents to evaluate and organize their membership strategies.
The chair of the board of publications is Kathleen Megivern, and the appointed board member is Adrian de Blaey. The BOP will look into the possibility of a second ACB magazine, this one slanted toward fund-raising and encouraging bequests.
Convention Report
LeRoy Saunders reported that the members of the convention committee had worked well together and that their plans had proceeded fairly well. The number of people with special needs, like those who have difficulty with anything more than minimal walking, brings ever greater responsibilities in convention planning. Increased consideration must be given to accommodate the need for more break-out rooms and to deal with ever higher room rates.
ACB Endorsements
Oral Miller and Charlie Crawford reported on the benefits and problems of endorsements of products by ACB. This matter had not arisen for consideration in the past but has been initiated with the advent of talking ATMs. To merit our endorsement, an item must be of benefit to blind persons and within the mission to which ACB is committed. It is not beyond expectation that ACB would receive some monetary reward for endorsements, but that approach can bring its own set of problems if, for example, a product which we endorsed were to be subject to public inquiry. Careful analysis must be given to both the positive and negative consequences of endorsements. The report will be distributed and further considered at the September board meeting.
Elections
The members of the budget committee elected were Ardis Bazyn, Brian Charlson, and Sandy Sanderson. The executive committee, consisting of two officers, two board members, and the ACB president, was elected. Members include Paul Edwards, Steve Speicher, Mitch Pomerantz, and Oral Miller. Responding to a discussion of voting procedures and the permissibility of voting by the president, a committee composed of Ed Bradley, Brian Charlson, and Donna Seliger will consider these issues and report to the September meeting.
Prioritizing Resolutions
Sanford Alexander explained the thinking used in classifying the resolutions adopted by the convention with respect to the action to be taken. Those classified under the number 1 require action immediately because they are time-sensitive. Some are of transitory significance like expressions of gratitude and appreciation to the hotels, volunteers, and the like, while others, though requiring immediate attention, have continuing importance. Resolutions in classification 2 concern significant matters that are not particularly time sensitive, like program suggestions for next year, and concerns of ongoing interest, like disability and age discrimination. Resolutions classified in the third group may reflect action that is already in progress or require continuing support. The resolutions are still being checked for accuracy; this preliminary report indicates that 15 of the resolutions were classified as 1’s, 9 as 2’s, and 5 or 6 as 3’s.
Task Force on Voting Rights
One resolution calls for the appointment of a task force consisting of one person from environmental access, one from information access, three people appointed by the president, three members to be chosen from among the board of directors, the director of advocacy services and governmental affairs, and a chair to be elected by the board. The purpose of this task force is to ensure that blind and visually impaired persons are represented in the measures taken to establish fairness and accessibility in the election process. A deadline of 45 days has been set for the work to be done because things are happening very quickly in Congress and in the states, and some states have already decided upon the voting procedures and machines they will employ. It is hoped that ACB leaders already on the national task force working on the same subject will be included on this task force.
Logo Committee
At the pre-convention board meeting, Cynthia Towers was appointed as chair with Penny Reeder, Kim Charlson, Jerry Annunzio, and Sharon Lovering as members. A discussion occurred regarding the negative aspects of changing the logo, for it is an expensive process since it concerns all the forms, brochures, and stationery ACB uses and similar items used by many of the affiliates. The ACBES trucks also bear the ACB logo. Perhaps the change can be phased in gradually as supplies need to be replenished.
When the existing logo, an oval with a circle resembling an eye and the letters ACB across the top, was described, the sentiment was that a change must be made. The committee to further investigate this matter is chaired now by Jerry Annunzio with Ardis Bazyn, Kathleen Megivern, and Mitch Pomerantz as members. Sharon Lovering’s opinions, as well as those of “The Braille Forum” editor, will also be considered. It was acknowledged that judgment concerning an appropriate logo necessarily requires visual discrimination. A motion was passed requiring the logo committee to review the financial impact of a new logo if the change is endorsed by the board.
Decision on Working Committees
While some new committee assignments have already been made and others will follow, in the meantime, committees which have been working on matters of ongoing interest and importance to ACB will go forward and turn over their work or join with new members in completing it.
Next Board Meeting
The fall board meeting will be held on September 22 in Albuquerque to encourage the fledgling New Mexico affiliate. A planning committee will be established to make appropriate arrangements, and information concerning the meeting will be posted on the ACB leadership list so that persons living nearby can plan to attend.
Unemployment Roundtable
As a consequence of the Government Employees’ sponsorship on July 5 of a Roundtable “Exploring the Reasons for Our 70 percent Unemployment Rate,” Mitch Pomerantz suggested some ongoing mechanism to consider matters like the impact of public attitudes, advancing blind and visually impaired persons as role models, and problems in transitioning from school and training programs to work. Ten people on Thursday, and others subsequently, requested involvement in such a project. These are individuals who do not ordinarily participate in ACB committees and who could be valuable additions to the work of the organization. In the proposed three years of operation, the project could sponsor workshops under the guidance of ACB Government Employees. At the end of that time, a review would be conducted to evaluate the process. A motion was passed to establish such a task force. By the September meeting, Pomerantz will develop a mission statement for this employment issues task force.
The mid-year board meeting will occur in February, over the Presidents’ Day weekend.