National Federation of the Blind of Missouri

The hotel is two miles from downtown Columbia and the University of Missouri. Columbia is the proud home of Tigers, Cougars, Bruins, and the fighting Kewpies. With all of that wildlife convention attendees had a grand time surrounded by the first class amenities. Attendees could relax and enjoy a swim in the indoor or outdoor pools, relax in the outdoor hot tub or exercise in the 3,000 square foot state-of-the-art gym (the largest gym of any hotel in the Midwest).

For dining pleasure, this hotel features three restaurants. Piccadilly’s serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner daily, Churchill's offers a fine dining experience. Churchill’s is a five star type restaurant and formal attire is required. Attendees could catch their favorite sporting events at Spanky's Sports Zone (featuring 24 HD Plasma TVs).

Guestroom amenities include on site beauty salon, gift shop, business center, and an on site ATM. The hotel offers complimentary wireless high speed internet access in all guestrooms and public areas. Premium cable TV and pay per view movies are also available in each room along with mini-bars.

Several planned meals throughout the weekend at prices lower than the industry norm were offered to convention attendees. The highlight was the Saturday banquet for $25.00. A lunch on Saturday was hosted by our Missouri Association of Blind Students division for $13.00 and an annual Prayer Breakfast Sunday morning was offered at a cost of $12.00. Attendees were encouraged to take advantage of the planned meals as there are not many other restaurant facilities in easy walking distance. The street running between the hotel and the Columbia Mall is extremely busy and there is no traffic signal nearby.

Child care for those children in need of supervised care was offered. The cost was $20.00 for the first child and $10.00 for each additional child for the entire weekend. Care was provided on Saturday during the morning and afternoon sessions, the evening banquet until 9:30 p.m. and the Sunday morning session which adjourned at 12:00 p.m. Meals were not provided in child care. Parents needed to make arrangements to feed their children.

Exhibit space was free to the chapters and divisions of the Federation for federation fund raising and information distribution and for a cost of $25.00 to outside exhibitors.

National Representative

This year the National Federation of the Blind of Missouri was honored to have Cathy Jackson of Kentucky as its National Representative. Cathy is the President of the NFB of Kentucky, and a Member of the National Board of Directors. Throughout the weekend she shared with conventioneers the latest news from our national office, shared important information with those wishing to become advocates for blind individuals, and delivered a stirring banquet address on Saturday evening. Biographical information about Cathy can be accessed by selecting the link below:

FRIDAY EVENING

SATURDAY MORNING

SATURDAY MORNING GENERAL SESSION
Parliament I

SATURDAY AFTERNOON GENERAL SESSION
- Parliament I

SATURDAY EVENING

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:
Kathy Jackson,
President, National Federation of the Blind of Kentucky
Board Member,National Federation of the Blind

SUNDAY MORNING

SUNDAY MORNING GENERAL SESSION
- Windsor I

9:40 A.M. My Vacation at Mount St. Helen's
- Loretta Benavidez

9:50 A.M.

Wait, Wait, Don’t Tell Me
- Debbie Wunder and Bill Neal

10:15 A.M.

Bringing the Classroom to the Home:
Can the Blind Participate in On-line Classes?
Bryan Schulz
St. Louis, Missouri
Gayle Bryant
Columbia, Missouri
Dacia Luck
Columbia, Missouri

Bringing the Classroom Home, (Audio) 5.34 MB

10:30 A.M.

Resolutions
- James Moynihan,
Chair, Resolutions Committee
Kansas City, Missouri

10:45 A.M.

Report from the Ways and Means Committee
- Debbie Wunder, Chair
Columbia, Missouri

11:05 A.M.

Elections
Shelia Wright,

Chair, Nominating Committee
Kansas City, Missouri

11:30 A.M.

Old Business

11:40 A.M.

The 2008 State Convention
- Eugene Coulter,
Convention Chair
Columbia, Missouri

11:50 A.M.

New Business
Appropriations of Funds to tenBroek, the National Treasury, etc.
National Convention Stipend
Matters Presented from the Floor

12:00 Noon

Adjourn

Sunday Morning Session, [Complete], (Audio) 80.4 MB

CONVENTION EXTRAS

The following material is offered to complement the presentations given during this year's National Federation of the Blind of Missouri State Convention. They build on discussions held and actions taken during the convention and enable one to gain a better understanding of what blindness is, what it is not, and the role played by the National Federation of the Blind in changing public attitudes concerning blindness, and shaping public policy to create greater opportunities for the blind of today and tomorrow.

National Federation of the Blind Youth Slam

In her presentation to the convention Cary Modesitt outlined the plans for the first-ever National Federation of the Blind Youth Slam; an event that brought together about 200 blind junior high and high school students from throughout the country and about 80 blind mentors for four days of fun and learning activities. The event was designed to prove that carees in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics, (STEM) were possible for a blind person desiring to enter these fields. This was accomplished by exposing the blind youth to successful blind role models employed in these careers as well as engaging them in various STEM-related activities, acquainting them with the alternative techniques of blindness, and what they must do to succeed as blind individuals. The link below will allow you to access an archive of information related to the NFB Youth Slam. It includes a blog, a photo gallary, and podcasts of various SLAM Activities.

National Federation of the Blind Youth Slam Archive

BLINDNESS: THE COMING OF THE THIRD GENERATION

Presidential terms are for two years in the National Federation of the Blind. In 1984 President Jernigan had told the delegates that while he intended to stand for election that year, he would definitely not be a candidate in 1990. He left open the question as to whether he would stand for election in 1988 or even 1986. In 1985 he told the convention that he would not be a candidate in 1986. He said he felt that many organizations destroyed themselves by not planning for an orderly succession to their top offices and, particularly, by not allowing for a long enough period of transition in the change of executives.

This was a subject which Jernigan had been discussing at the leadership seminars from the time of the mid-seventies. He felt that he should step aside as President some time during the mid-eighties and then assist in the training of a new leader. The membership repeatedly and overwhelmingly expressed its wish that he continue as President, but in 1985 he announced that a new President must be elected in 1986.

He told the convention delegates that he intended to support Marc Maurer for the presidency in 1986 and that he was making his feelings known so that anyone who had other ideas would have time and opportunity to promote other candidates. In 1986 Maurer was unanimously elected, and the Jernigan presidency ended. Shortly thereafter, Jernigan accepted the unsalaried position of Executive Director of the Federation, working through the remainder of the decade to assist the new President in the duties of the office.

At the 1986 convention, one year after describing the "Pattern of Freedom", Kenneth Jernigan made his final banquet speech as President to the convention of the National Federation of the Blind. This final summation, entitled, "Blindness: The Coming of the Third Generation," spoke of the urgent need for self expression of the blind in the context of the fourth dimension time. The striving of blind people to make themselves heard through the organized blind movement had been proceeding for forty-six years. How could the spirit of independence and the urgency and immediacy of the need be kept alive and poignant for the decades ahead? What could be expected to be built on the solid and substantial foundation of philosophy and practice developed in the Federation from its beginning? These questions were central to the final banquet address of the Jernigan presidency, delivered in Kansas City, Missouri, on July 3, 1986.

Many organizations (and some countries) have ceased to be significant because their leaders have failed to consider the effects of time. But in the Federation plans had been made for the third generation, the fourth generation, and the fourth dimension. The maturity of the organized blind movement can be seen by the degree of care that it gave in planning for the decades to come. As Jernigan said, "The progress of a people toward civilization can probably best be measured by the degree to which it is concerned with time."

Blindness: The Coming of the Third Generation, (Text)

Blindness: The Coming of the Third Generation, (Audio) 55.6 MB

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.

2007 NFB of Missouri State Convention