Present: Heather Field (president), Joe Shaw (vice president), Keith Anderson (secretary), Tony Garcia, Ruth Hollingsworth, Gayle Prillaman, Warren and Sharon Bragg, Roxie Chamberlain and Johnny Jones. Apologies from Michael Seay.
Call to order.
- Minutes from April 2005 meeting read by Keith Anderson. Highlights: Total Sales from candy should be $300. Next year the NFB State convention will be held in Nashville. Elections were held for all officers except Secretary, which was referred to next meeting. Dues from this day forth will be $10 (includes $2 to State affiliate). Call 650-5155 Joe Shaw, to sign up for Newsline. NLS provides Braille service to only 50 persons in TN. Minutes approved as read.
- Treasurer's Report.
No report. Treasurer, Ryan Smith, not present. Mrs. Prillaman gave $25 cash for the box of candy bars she took last month.
- President's Report.
- Heather spent a week at NFB National office involved in the “Blue Prints and Beginnings” early childhood conference, which was held in partnership with the Maryland School For The Blind. The Jernigan Institute has a policy of fostering partnerships with other blindness organizations.
- Heather assisted wit the Braille Readers Are Leaders competition. 390 certificates were sent out
- Report on IEP meeting regarding issue of getting braille materials for tests in Lincoln County, TN.
- Gayle Prillaman (from our chapter) has been nominated for the NFB Teacher of the Year Award. Heather read the nomination letter sent to Mrs. Maneki.
- Business arising out of minutes.
- Read and Reviewed Constitution. The constitution was accepted.
- In compliance with the new constitution the motion was made and seconded to elect one additional board member. Roxie Chamberlaine was elected. Current board members are: President, Heather Field; Vice President, Joe Shaw; Treasurer, Ryan Smith; Secretary, Keith Anderson; Recording Secretary, Gayle Prillaman.
- State Conventions 2006. No update on Ryan’s efforts to locate a hotel in the area.
- Fund Raising Chairman – Tony’s Garcia’s report.
The Sunset Grille was not available as a venue for our silent auction. Tony suggested we delay our silent auction until July. Possibilities are for Friday, July 29 th evening, or Sunday, July 31 st from 2-4pm. He reported that The Flying Saucer restaurant, near the Frist Center downtown, would donate a room which accommodates over 100 people. Good parking available.
Heather volunteered to contact The Flying Saucer to negotiate for another date and time, an evening during the week being preferable for attracting workers.
Donations: A number of sponsors have made donations and several others have promised to do so. Donations currently secured include Executive Suites, 1 night. Executive Suites, 2 nights in Atlanta; Nashville Shores, all day passes; four hours recording studio time in a Nashville studio; one hour massage; one high value sports memorabilia; one hour vocal lesson form Susan Anders, 2 tickets on Southwest Airlines; Titans donation;. Roxie suggested Sam’s Wholesale Club and Wal-Mart.
We will need volunteers to stuff envelopes, and also to help with publicity and advertising. Fundraising committee meeting was set for the following Saturday at 9:00am.
- New Business
- Report on the 2005 BLAST conference.
Roxie Chamberlaine reported on the annual NFB Conference of the Merchants Division (BLAST Conference) that she attended in Denver, CO in April 2005. She briefly described some of the agenda items and exhibits, which were very relevant and suited to merchants. She said that it was well organized and very enjoyable.
- Heather Field described proposed reforms to Vocational Rehabilitation Services, which is reorganizing to save money. Fred Schroeder’s letter addressing this was outstanding. If Regional offices are eliminated then there will be no oversight of state and local offices of blind services as part of Voc. Rehab. All members were encouraged to write Secretary Of Education, Margaret Spellings, directly sharing their personal stories regarding the valuable role played by voc. Rehab in providing their training and equipment and assisting with employment. Details were given on the NFB sponsored rally to be held in Washington outside the department of Education offices to protest the proposed changes to the voc. Rehab system.
C. Website: Steve Law, our Webmaster, donated the $30 fee to renew our website hosting.
It was noted that the website continues to bring us contacts from people in the community who need blindness related information and support.
- Other Business
Heather shared an article about a blind couple that was denied a license for daycare in Colorado. Discussed the court imposed restrictions and how NFB members in other states had run their own in-home day-care facilities with no restrictions and no mishaps. The case is presently in the courts.
Next meeting Saturday: June 11, 2005. 10:30AM Nashville Public Library, conference room 2.
Meeting adjourned.
Respectfully submitted by Keith Anderson - recording secretary.
