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Location: Downtown Nashville Library
-Minutes : Read from last meeting. Submitted and approved (moved by Dominique Lawless, seconded by John Brown).
Treasurer’s report: Not much activity. Three people gave checks for convention expenses. $31 for John Haendel including membership dues. John wrote h himself a check back since he could not go. Gene Eichelberger paid. Keith Anderson and Heather Field paid (verify that check was deposited by John Brown). $433.10 balance as of today, May 8, 2004 .
-Convention report: Heather Field won door prizes, among which was an NFB T-shirt which she presented to John Brown! Gene Eichelberger won FOUR door prizes. Amazing. Discussion about main issue of minimum age for voting in NFB. Some think there should not be an age limit. Others think that if there was one, that it should be lower than 18. Discussion ended.
-President’s report: Not listened to since tape recorder would not work.
-Heather Field Report on visit to Jernigan Institute in Baltimore , MD. Lots of windows/light. 2 floors of parking. Archive area for Jacobas Toenbrook Research Library (President emeritus of NFB – law professor and highly respected). Third floor has many papers in Braille. Also has an incubator. People work on technology to benefit the blind. Companion will partner with them. Fourth floor is the actual library. Members’ hall for meetings. Auditorium, little stage, balconies. Joined new building to old building. Lots of space. Has computer-training lab.
-Dominique Lawless submitted and won an NFB scholarship. She will be attending the convention and all business classes. She was formally congratulated!
-Picnic in June? Date not confirmed.
-Rick Williams (from Chattanooga NFB chapter) has organized a forum weekend at the Tennessee School for the Blind and arranged for people to stay there for $5/night and $5/meal on May 29 th and 30 th. Heather Field will be speaking. May have table and sign up new members.
-Heather Field and Dominique will talk/battle with getting things squared away with what she needs for assistance from the state of Tennessee .
-Fundraising: Christmas stacking Raffle? John Brown moved that a Christmas stocking committee be formed. Keith seconded. Dominique, Robbie and Heather Field will be the donations committee to obtain merchandise for the stocking (Keith Anderson and Trish Vigil to give rides).
-Discussion about convention: Everyone encouraged to go. John Brown, Dominique Lawless, Heather Field, Keith Anderson will be going. Hopefully Robbie Mogan can go as well. John Brown will contact the lottery commission early next week and have information on the legal end of things by the end of next week.
-Funding for National convention ideas?…..still thinking.
-Typically if you share a room - $18/night plus food, etc. $55 night plus tax. For the whole room.
-Stipends to people who have not been to convention before. $100 stipend to first timers. Need to know by June 5 who is going to convention John Brown moved that we need to know who is going. New people get first preference regarding funding. Then to officers.
No grocery delivery service in Nashville . Discussed and will revisit topic in the future.
-Dominique Lawless edited a version of a student letter and wrote letter to Dr. Mauer (with Heather Field’s knowledge and approval) regarding poor service of Tennessee services for the blind. Dr. Mauer’s response was to do the best we can to be an active chapter.
-Michael Seay (Tennessee NFB president) will try to reorganize the old Nashville chapter. It is our intention to work however we can with them, should they be reorganized.
-Regarding Student Division letter – John “somebody” oversees the disability area at MTSU and has tried to get ACB and BNFB people to come and talk at the school, but had not had much response. So we will attempt to contact (Heather Field will call him) about forming a student division of the NFB. Dominique will forward a letter to Heather Field for further work/editing.
-John Brown encouraged everyone to get the Braille Monitor
-Keith Anderson discussed raising funds for National Convention. John Brown suggests getting donations from people. Keith volunteered to get a Tax ID# when needed. We will write thank-you cards to those who donate.