Editor's note: As the Hastings chapter is dissolving effective December 31, 2007 per executive council action; we are including a brief history of how the chapter began. Many thanks to Don & Vivian Pohlmann for providing us a look back. Having said that, here's a brief history of the Hastings Chapter.
The first members of the Hastings Chapter were former NFB members. In the early eighties a group of Hastings members decided not to be a part of the NFB and started their own group calling themselves the Independent Organization of the Blind. From the start of this group our main goal was to be available to people who were losing their sight as a support and friend. In the mid eighties after an ACB state convention was held in Hastings our organization began to look into becoming a chapter of the State of Nebraska, in fact we were the first state chapter.
Our meetings were held in Homes for awhile then we thought it might be more appropriate to meet where there were groups of retired persons who might have sight problems and who might consider joining us. So we met at the Samaritan Village for a while and at the Kensington in Hastings.
We were always concerned with transportation and especially concerned that our members and those interested had a way to our meetings. We had stipends given to people willing to provide this transportation for us. Ever since the Health fair was started in Hastings, our group always had a manned booth of information. This was our biggest project.
We were fortunate in receiving two inheritance gifts. The first was a man by the Name of Mr. Bromer, who Richard Smart worked for; we kept this fund separate and used it for special things until the monies were depleted. Then several years ago Emma Hunter gave us a large amount of money and we worked at using this money in accordance to her wishes.
Our membership had people represented from several towns besides Hastings. Those towns in the area where we had members were York, Grand Island, Blue Hill and Juniata.
Our group always looked forward to our Christmas festivities. we at first held these in our homes with a pot luck and a gift exchange following. As time went on our group moved to a restaurant. We especially enjoyed our gift exchanged and it seems we looked for the perfect thing through out the year. We drew numbers and then chose gifts according to the number. A person was allowed to exchange a gift with anyone who had already opened his gift. Our goal was to find gifts that we thought would be exchanged many times.
"People First, Causes second" surely expressed the sentiments of our Hastings Chapter...