NATIONAL FEDERATION OF THE BLIND OF MISSOURI Forty-Sixth Annual State Convention March 28 thru March 30, 2008 Crown Plaza Airport Hotel Bridgeton, Missouri The Lewis & Clark Chapter extends a warm welcome to all Federationists and guests to the Saint Louis Metropolitan Area and the Forty-Sixth Annual State Convention of the National Federation of the Blind of Missouri. Our goal is to make this year?s convention one of the best yet and draw you back to St. Louis again and again. After all we are the home of the St. Louis Cardinals, the St. Louis Ramms, the Gateway Arch, and the site of the 2009 NFB of Missouri State Convention! TGI Friday's is the hotel?s restaurant for casual dining. Cloud's Restaurant is open for breakfast seven days a week. The Atrium Lobby Bar is open from 4PM - 10PM each evening. We invite you to experience the spirited hospitality of this remarkable hotel. On Friday afternoon, Dan Flasar will be offering an introductory Yoga class in the Chateau Room. There will be two one hour classes. The first will begin at 2:00 p.m. and the second will begin at 3:00 p.m. Those planning to participate should wear loose comfortable clothing and bring a blanket or mat if possible. For more information, contact Dan Flasar. Members of our Lewis & Clark Chapter invite you to drop by Hospitality in the Cardinal Room which will be open from 5:00 to 10:00 Friday evening. Come enjoy the food and fellowship. Our hospitality will WOW you! Registration will be held Friday evening on the Bridgeway, just off the lobby, from 5:30 until 8:00 and again on Saturday morning from 8:00 to 10:00. Registration at the convention will cost $15.00 per person and $25.00 for the banquet. Please register so you will be eligible for door prizes and other convention activities. Even if you have pre-registered, please come to this area to pick up your registration packet. This year?s hotel convention room rates are $71.00 plus taxes. However, the hotel is not obligated to honor these rates if proof of registration for the convention is not available when you check-out. Also, exhibits will be near registration. The Missouri Association of Blind Students will be holding a luncheon meeting on Saturday at noon in Gateway IV. Tickets are $13.00 and may be purchased at the registration table. You do not need to be a student to attend. A prayer breakfast will be held on Sunday morning at 7:00 in Gateway II. The service will be nondenominational and all are invited to attend. Breakfast tickets are available at the registration table for $12.00. The General Sessions on Saturday and Sunday will be held in Gateway I. The Reception and banquet will be held in Gateway III & IV. All Federation meetings and convention events are smoke free. Door prizes will be given throughout the convention and each chapter is encouraged to bring their donations to Stephanie McDowell or Charlotte Bellmyer, our Door Prize Co-Chairs. You must be in the room or must be working on convention business to win. The check-out time for the hotel on Sunday is at 12:00 noon. Those who can check-out prior to the morning sessions will help us avoid congestion at the front desk upon adjournment. FRIDAY EVENING 6:00 Missouri Association of Blind Merchants, Jeremiah Wells, President ? Clayton 7:00 Membership Committee, Debbie Wunder, Chair ? Frontenac 8:00 Resolutions Committee, James Moynihan, Chair ? Manchester 9:00 Ways & Means Committee Meeting, Shelia Wright, Chair - Clayton 9:00 Missouri Association of Blind Students (MABS), Dacia Luck, President - Frontenac 10:00 Nominating Committee, Shelia Wright, Chair - Room To Be Announced SATURDAY MORNING 6:30 Achievement Award Committee Breakfast, Carol Coulter, Chair ? Atrium I 8:00 National Federation of the Blind of Missouri Board of Directors Meeting ? Gateway I GENERAL SESSION ? Gateway I 8:30 Call To Order 8:35 Welcome & Opening Ceremony at the Direction of the Lewis & Clark Chapter ? Susan Ford President 8:45 Introduction of Scholarship Finalist - Carol Coulter, Chair, Achievement Award 8:50 The 2007 Convention Revisited ? Rita Lynch, Recording Secretary 9:20 The Latest on the Digital Conversion and What It Will Bring To Our Blind Patrons - Dr. Richard Smith, Director, Wolfner Library for the Blind and Physically Handicapped 9:45 Questions from the Audience 9:55 Break 10:05 Nominating Committee Report - Shelia Wright, Chair 10:10 You and I Together, Changing What It Means to be Blind ? Daniel Burke, National Representative and President of the National Federation of the Blind of Montana 10:50 Knowledge to Empower Your Success - Dr. James Sucharski, Superintendent, Missouri School for the Blind 11:15 Questions from the Audience 11:20 We?re Blind Too; Don?t Let Our Vision Confuse Any of Us : When to Make the Most of What We Have In Our NFB ? Debbie Wunder, Mike Edwards and Dan Flasar 11:40 Building a Framework for Tomorrow - Dacia Luck, Katie Juettner, and Robin House 12:00 Adjourn for Lunch 12:00 Missouri Association of Blind Students Luncheon - Dacia Luck, President ? Gateway IV SATURDAY AFTERNOON GENERAL SESSION ? Gateway I 1:30 Recognition of King & Queen Contestants - Ways and Means Committee 1:35 Dialogue With the Computer ? Debbie Wunder 1:50 My Role In the Education of Blind Students ? Mary Donahue, Braille Proofreader, Education Service Center, Region 20, Braille Services, San Antonio, Texas 2:00 ?What, I?m the Expert?? Finding Out You Knew More Than You Knew ? Dan Flasar 2:15 STEM Careers for the Blind, Not Just Hype: Meet the Blind Chemist - Cary Supalo, Ph.D. Candidate, Penn State University, University Park, Pennsylvania 2:25 The 2008 Presidential Address - Gary Wunder, National Federation of the Blind of Missouri 2:55 With No Apologies - Shelia Wright 3:15 Mid- Afternoon Break 3:25 A Report From the Resolutions Committee ? James Moynihan, Chair 3:45 Our Greatest Success This Year: A New Twist To Chapter Reports ? Helen Parker-South central Chapter President, Bryan Schulz-St. Louis Chapter President, Rita Lynch-Jefferson City Chapter President, and Carol Henderson-St. Joseph Chapter President 4:05 Update From the Missouri Association of Blind Merchants ? Jeremiah Wells, President 4:10 Lessons From the Trenches: Experiences of a Blind Webmaster - Peter Donahue, San Antonio, Texas 4:20 Of Budgets, Publishers and Cars - Brian Wekamp, Governmental Affairs Chair 4:30 Come Cruise With Us - Marsha Schuman, Damar Travel and Cruise, Maryland Heights, Missouri 4:40 Climbing High, Reaching Out, and Broadening Our Federation Family - Debbie Wunder 5:00 Adjournment SATURDAY EVENING 6:00 Cash Bar and Reception ? Gateway III- IV 6:30 Banquet of the National Federation of the Blind of Missouri ? Fred Olver, Master of Ceremonies Invocation Crowning of the King and Queen Introduction of Guests Presentation of Awards Other Business at the direction of the Master of Ceremonies Banquet Address: Daniel Burke, President, National Federation of the Blind of Montana Auction by the Ways and Means Committee 9:00 The Connection Spot: It is hard to really cultivate relationships with old friends and establish new ones when we only can grab a few moments between meetings or over a quick business lunch. This year the Lewis & Clark Chapter wants to provide a relaxed atmosphere to encourage members to visit and get to know one another better. A Cash bar will be available. 9:30 WWW.NFBMO.ORG: Our Window to the World ? Cardinal Room SUNDAY MORNING 7:00 Prayer Breakfast hosted by the Lewis & Clark Chapter - Gateway II GENERAL SESSION ? Gateway I 8:30 Call to order 8:35 The 2008 Audit Committee Report ? Dan Flasar, Chair 8:45 Translating Our Work Into Dollars and Cents: Treasurer?s Report - Carol Coulter, Treasurer 9:20 RSB: An Update on Case Management, Policies and Procedures, and On Bringing Service to You ? Mark Laird, Interim Deputy Director, Rehabilitation Services for the Blind, Family Support Division, Missouri Department of Social Services 9:40 Questions from the Audience 9:45 Morning Break 9:55 The Secret To Our Most Successful Project this Year: How We Did It! - Eugene Coulter-Columbia Chapter President, Susan Ford, Lewis & Clark Chapter President, Pat Arnold-Springfield Chapter President and James Moynihan-Kansas City Chapter President 10:15 Building Credibility With the Legislature ? Representative Rachel Storch, District 64, St. Louis, Missouri House of Representatives 10:45 Elections - Shelia Wright, Chair, Nominating Committee 11:15 Wrapping Up the Work of the Resolutions Committee - James Moynihan, Chair 11:30 Old Business 11:40 The 2009 State Convention - Eugene Coulter, Convention Chair 11:50 New Business Appropriations of Funds to tenBroek, the National Treasury, etc. National Convention Stipend Matters Presented from the Floor 12:00 Adjourn PLEDGE OF THE NATIONAL FEDERATION OF THE BLIND I pledge to participate actively in the effort 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. ?? ?? ?? ??