Braille Monitor May 2006
Monitor Miniatures
News from the Federation Family
Resolutions for Convention:
Here is a message from Sharon Maneki, who chairs the NFB Resolutions Committee:
Do you think we should change a government policy, take a stand concerning an agency for the blind, or create new regulations? If you do, consider writing a resolution. At the 2006 national convention the Resolutions Committee meeting will be held on Sunday, July 2. The committee will debate and discuss resolutions on a wide variety of subjects. These resolutions will become the policy statements of the organization.
To ensure that your resolution
will be considered by the committee, please send it to President Maurer or to
me by June 17, two weeks before the committee meeting. If you miss this deadline,
you must get three members of the committee to sponsor your resolution and then
get it to the chairman before the meeting begins. I will be pleased to accept
resolutions by email, <[email protected]>; fax, (410) 715-9597; or snail
mail, 9013 Nelson Way, Columbia, Maryland 21045.
Elected:
The Lansing Chapter of
the NFB of Michigan held its elections in January, and the officers elected
were president, David Robinson; vice president, Diana Moehnk; secretary, Kim
Moehnk; treasurer, Geer Wilcox; chapter representative, Sheila Lathum; and board
member, Mary Wurtzel.
In Memoriam:
|
Sadly we must report the
death on March 6, 2006, of John Ford, a longtime Federation leader and true
gentleman. At one time he was president of our Montana affiliate, and more recently
he was a chapter president and affiliate leader in Missouri. John had been in
poor health for some time. He made it clear to his friends and family that he
wanted a Federation memorial service, and on March 13 that is what he was given.
NFB of Missouri President Gary Wunder delivered the eulogy. It was moving and
thoughtful. Here are a couple of excerpts:
Our friend John became a Federationist at the tender age of six. The person
who recruited him was none other than Dr. Jacobus tenBroek, the founder and
first president of the National Federation of the Blind. John has dealt with
every man who has ever held the office of president, and his service has graced
every level of the organization he so loved. John Ford was a member of the NFB
longer than he was married--even in Arkansas six is too young to get hitched.
John told his friends and family his was to be a Federation memorial service,
but John knew that being a Federationist meant more than just being a member
and going to Federation meetings. Federation philosophy isn't just to be shared
among blind people--it is to be lived and realized through active association
with all kinds of people in all walks of life. So in this audience today you
will see members from the Lions Club of which John was a member; parishioners
from John's church; independent businessmen with whom John worked; professionals
in the field of rehabilitation; and, yes, many members of the National Federation
of the Blind.
Of all I've said about
John and the qualities I admire, the one I would most like to incorporate into
my life is the way he treated his fellow man. It didn't matter whether you were
a wit, an academic with initials after your name, or an elected official who
wielded power in the Federation or in government, you were treated no differently
from the man without an education or the woman with a handicap beyond blindness
who attended meetings more for their social value than because she understood
the what and why of our organization. John was your friend whether you wowed
an audience with your words or rambled nonsense in a meeting as you relived
an experience from Vietnam. This man treated others the way he wanted to be
treated, and the world would be a far better place if more of us lived rather
than just quoted these words. Thank you, John--for your friendship, your love,
your commitment, and your example. We love you.
Attention Past NFB Scholarship Winners:
If you have won an NFB
scholarship and are planning to attend this summer�s convention, please carefully
read and consider the invitation in the following letter from Joanne Wilson:
Dear Past NFB Scholarship Winner:
I hope that your year is off to a wonderful start and that you are well on your way to accomplishing your 2006 goals. I am busily working on a new project, and I am contacting you because I need your help.
The department of affiliate action at our national headquarters is developing a year-round mentoring program to operate in conjunction with our existing scholarship program. It will enhance the experience of our scholarship winners through peer mentoring. The program will not replace or alter our traditional scholarship program; it will simply add another layer of mentoring to the experience.
I am asking for your help
because you are the expert. As a past recipient you can relate to a new scholarship
winner because you too felt excitement when finding out that you were a finalist,
nervous before introducing yourself at the board meeting, proud as your friends
and family cheered you on, and perhaps a little bit sleep-deprived as you shared
a cup of coffee with your mentor at six in the morning. I hope that you will
consider becoming a mentor to one of the 2006 winners to support him or her
through the process.
Your role would be to serve as a friend to the student. You would not be asked
to judge the person in any way, so your sole responsibility would be to cultivate
a relationship and bring the newcomer into our Federation family. This program
will not be time-intensive. We will have a couple of informal activities at
national convention and quarterly conference calls to stay connected. We will
hold a short training session by telephone to answer any questions and review
details. Furthermore I hope that your attendance at our conventions and seminars
will prompt the 2006 scholarship winners to participate more fully in Federation
activities.
I ask you to give serious
consideration to becoming a mentor. You possess talents and abilities that we
need in this program. For those who are not familiar with our organization,
the investment of a bit of your time can turn a weeklong introduction to the
NFB into a lifetime of personal success and constructive service. Please contact
me if you have any questions at (410) 659-9314, extension 2335, or by email
at <[email protected]>. I look forward to hearing from you.
Sincerely,
Joanne Wilson
Executive Director of Affiliate Action
National Federation of the Blind
Elected:
On February 4, 2006, the
Kankakee Heartland Chapter of the NFB of Illinois elected the following officers:
Bryan Turner, president; Frank Einfeldt, vice president; Ruth Isaacs, secretary;
Bill Isaacs, treasurer; and Marcia Beck, board member.
New Chapter:
The newest chapter of the
NFB of Washington was welcomed on Sunday, April 2, 2006, during the affiliate�s
mini convention. It is located in Bellingham, in the northwest area of Washington.
The officers elected were president, Jennifer Moerke; vice president, Jacob
Struiksma; secretary-treasurer, Lisa A. Owen; and resource manager, Mark Clifford.
Congratulations to this new member of the Federation family.
In Memoriam:
Susie Stanzel, president
of the NFB of Kansas, has written with sadness to report that longtime Federation
leader Carol Clark died on January 29, 2006. She was one of Dr. Jernigan's early
students at the Iowa Commission for the Blind. Those days spent in training
were probably the happiest of her life. For many years she was a medical transcriptionist
at Iowa Methodist Hospital. After coming to Kansas City, she was hired at the
Kansas School for the Blind and saw to it that many thousands of Braille pages
were made available for Kansas students. She founded and was the first president
of the Secretaries and Transcribers Division, now the National Association of
Office Professionals. She was secretary of the NFB of Kansas and served as the
president of the Johnson County Chapter. Carol had been ill for some time before
her death. We will miss her greatly.
New Division for Antique Car Lovers:
Joe Naulty, president of
the newly established classics, antiques, rods, or special interest vehicles
(CARS), writes to announce meetings of the newest NFB division during the upcoming
convention. This is what he says:
Interested in classics, antiques, rods, or special interest vehicles--trucks,
motorcycles, or model cars? Well, here it is, a brand new division to develop
friendships, share experiences, and have fun. We are planning special surprise
activities to be outlined in the convention agenda. Sunday, July 2, 7:00 p.m.,
general meeting, guest speakers from automobile clubs and automotive groups
in the Dallas/Ft. Worth area. On Tuesday, July 4, 7:00 to 9:00 p.m., there will
be a business meeting.
The CARS division will
have a table in the exhibit hall. We will provide program agendas for the division,
offer car-related items for sale, and connect car lovers. Annual membership
dues of $5 may be mailed to the CARS division treasurer Mike Stauffer, 696 Lancaster
Pike, New Providence, Pennsylvania 17560, (717) 572-8008. Specific inquiries,
comments, and suggestions may be forwarded to Joseph Naulty, 11943 Suellen Circle,
Wellington, Florida 33414, (561) 753-4700, or email <[email protected]>.
In Brief
Notices and information in this section may be of interest to Monitor
readers. We are not responsible for the accuracy of the information; we have
edited only for space and clarity.
Seeing it Our Way:
Craft patterns, recipes,
puzzles, and poems--you'll find all these and more in Seeing it Our Way,
the monthly publication of Horizons for the Blind. This magazine is available
in both Braille and large print. To subscribe for one year, make your check
or money order for $30 payable to Horizons for the Blind, 2 N. Williams Street,
Crystal Lake, Illinois 60014. You can also telephone your credit card order
to (815) 444-8800. While you're at it, why not get a head start on those summer
and fall craft and gardening projects by asking for their free product catalog,
available in Braille, large print, and audiocassette.
New Tactile Maps Available:
Atlas of Southeast Asia is a single volume of Braille and tactile maps covering eleven countries: Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, Thailand, Myanmar (formerly Burma), Malaysia, Singapore, Brunei, Indonesia, Timor-Leste, and the Philippines. Each country has an introductory page of facts followed by one or more key pages and a full-page map. Indonesia, a far-flung nation, has been subdivided into seven regional maps. Both Myanmar and the Philippines have been divided into northern and southern parts.
Maps show important cities, rivers, mountains, and bodies of water. A few maps appear on facing pages or have foldout sections. Maps are generally labeled with key letters that are identified in the Brailled key pages preceding the map. The maps were originally created by hand in metal foil; the Thermoform copies are sharp and clear. Maps are detailed, and some experience with tactile drawings is recommended. A number of other atlases and maps are also available from the Princeton Braillists.
Atlas of Southeast
Asia contains twenty-three maps, eighty-three pages total. It is bound
with cardboard covers and a multi-ring binder. Cost is $18. Shipping is by the
Free Matter privilege unless other arrangements are made. Please send check
or purchase order to the Princeton Braillists, 76 Leabrook Lane, Princeton,
New Jersey 08540. Credit card and fax service are not available. Allow four
weeks for delivery. For further information please call Ruth Bogia at (215)
357-7715 or Nancy Amick at (609) 924-5207.
New CD Available:
 |
Ohio convention banquet
and memorial service audiences have thrilled for years to the voice and musicianship
of Dr. J. W. Smith. Now his latest CD, Hymns Plus, is available. A
combination of his favorite hymns and dramatic prose, it is filled with comfort,
inspiration, and encouragement to everyone who hears it. The cost is $10 at
convention, and the Ohio delegation can direct you to the best place to purchase
it at our hotel this summer. To order it for yourself or someone else who needs
a lift, send a check or money order in the amount of $12 ( this includes $2
for postage and handling) to Dr. J. Webster Smith, 2 Canterbury Drive, Athens,
Ohio 45701-3707. Email <[email protected]>.
Monitor Mart
The notices in this section have been edited for clarity, but we can pass along
only the information we were given. We are not responsible for the accuracy
of the statements made or the quality of the products for sale.
For Sale:
I am selling a Compact electronic magnifier from Optelec. Original price $790; asking $650. Used only a few times because it didn't work out well for me with my level of vision.
The colors can be changed
from black to white background with the opposite color for contrast. Blue and
yellow can also be obtained with a button control. Focuses well. Print size
is constant. The Compact comes with an instruction booklet and a cord for recharging.
The charge lasts for four hours. It may be ideal for a student or someone who
likes to read. Materials must be laid on a flat surface for viewing with the
unit. Consult Optelec's Web site for more details about the Compact. I can send
it UPS if desired. If interested, contact Susan Blake at <[email protected]>,
or (760) 241-7484.
Pen Friends Interested in the Bible Wanted:
I would like to hear from
fellow blind Bible readers who also like to write letters. I don�t have topics
in mind, but I promise to write back to any Bible reader who writes to me. Send
Braille letters to Sue Perry, 21474 Waverly Dr., Macomb Township, Michigan 48044.
For Sale:
I am selling JAWS Professional,
never opened, still in box. Purchased in March of 2006 for $1,095. Asking $800
or best offer received by June 15. Call (812) 282-4240 or (502) 314-4472, or
email <[email protected]> with the word �JAWS� in the subject line.
For Sale:
Nokia 3600 Series 60 cell
phone for sale with Talks software included. Asking $200. Contact Bob Rehahn
at (734) 324-7700 if interested.
For Sale:
I would like to sell a
Braille Lite Millennium 20 in good condition. I am asking $2,000 for the unit.
Included will be the battery charger and the cable to connect it to a computer
to transfer files. If interested, email me at <[email protected]>,
or call (806) 382-4870.
Low-Cost Computers Available:
Join your friends in using a refurbished 350-MHZ-or-faster pentium-based computer for a gift of $100. Listen on your Talking Book playback machine to eight audio cassettes for a step-by-step tutorial on how to use Windows and Window-Eyes from Brian Hartgen, including email and reading Web pages. The package includes a demo copy of Window-Eyes. Keep track of your tax and insurance files. Write letters and emails to your friends and family. Keep your own recipes and family genealogy records. Send and receive email. A sample copy of an email service, Juno, and a shareware screen-enlargement program are provided.
If you have wanted to own
your own computer, now is your chance. Call Bob Langford at (214) 340-6328 during
business hours. CDT. This offer is good in the U.S. and Canada only. Mastering
the computer is a lot of work, but it offers you many new pleasures.
For Sale:
I have a Magic Chef Talking Microwave Oven, model #TMOD-MCMCD11E3W for sale. It is one cubic foot in size and 850 watts. Tells current time and how to set cook time and power level. Has volume control and labeled touch pad. Never used because it doesn�t fit built-in space. Measures 21.25 inches wide by 14.25 inches high by 11.75 inches deep. Asking $250.00 plus $30.00 shipping. Catalogue price was $369.95. Contact Larry at <[email protected]>, or call (281) 444-0907.
NFB Pledge
I pledge to participate actively in the efforts of the National Federation of the Blind to achieve equality, opportunity, and security for the blind; to support the policies and programs of the Federation; and to abide by its constitution.