Fire Up Your Commitment with Indiana
This year’s ACBI State Convention will be held Sept. 12-14 at the Turkey Run Inn, at Turkey Run State Park in Marshall, Ind. Our convention theme this year is “Every degree makes a difference – fire up your commitment with ACBI.”
Activities begin on Friday evening at 7 p.m. and will conclude mid-morning on Sunday with a memorial service for members and friends who have passed away since our last convention.
We have some distinguished presenters this year. Our banquet speaker will be Carla Ruschival from Kentucky. Carla is currently the treasurer of ACB at the national level. Eric Elett from Bosma Enterprises will talk about Bosma’s independent living programs. Katie Frederick, who is the executive director of ACB-Ohio, will give a presentation on interesting technology. Another guest from ACB-Ohio is Chris Schumacher, who will be part of the entertainment Saturday evening. Chris will lead one of the games he set up at last year’s national convention in Columbus, Ohio. And yes, there will be an auction on Friday evening!
Another feature at this year’s convention will be our own members sharing their life experiences. Mike and Kim Trent of Indianapolis will share stories of their travels near and far. The Trents have traveled all over the world, including Australia, Spain and the USA. There will also be a panel of members who have been or currently are guide dog users. They should have some humorous stories to tell.
Our Hall of Vendors will include some old favorites and more. To view the program, visit www.acb-indiana.org.
Room reservations must be made by Aug. 11. You will be charged for the first night's lodging when you reserve your room. To make a reservation, call 1-877-563-4371 or go to www.indianainns.com.
Want to Help Start a New Affiliate?
Alexander Scott Kaiser is a young blind adult with cerebral palsy. He would like your help in forming a special-interest affiliate for blind and visually impaired individuals who have cerebral palsy. His goals in forming an affiliate are to provide socialization, support, education, fellowship, information, advice, mentoring, and legal advocacy. From problem-solving and rehabilitation training issues to civil rights challenges unique to those with physical impairments and blindness/visual impairment, this affiliate will provide support from others who understand.
Meetings will be held by conference call on the first Saturday of the month, beginning Oct. 4, 2014, at 9:59 p.m. Eastern time. To access the conference, dial (567) 704-7620 and use access code 999999#. If you are interested in joining the affiliate, contact Alexander Scott Kaiser by mail at 2720 Middle Way Lot 129, Forks Township, PA 18040; e-mail him at[email protected], or call him at (848) 205-0208. He hopes to hold an in-person meeting at the 2015 conference and convention.
New Jersey Convention Coming Up
The New Jersey Council of the Blind will hold its biennial conference at Grace Lutheran Church in Perth Amboy on Oct. 25. Attendees will enjoy a continental breakfast from 8:30 to 9 a.m. before attending the day-long meeting, which will feature election of officers, interesting speakers, door prizes, a 50/50 raffle, and more! Lunch will be served, too; your choice of a roast beef sandwich, a turkey sandwich, an Italian hoagie, or a tuna salad sandwich.
To register for the conference, or for more information, contact Bob Lucas at (609) 882-2446.
Meet Us in Long Island!
The American Council of the Blind of New York, Inc. will hold its convention Nov. 14-16 in Ronkonkoma, N.Y., located on Long Island. On Thursday, Nov. 13th, there will be a seminar for presidents and treasurers of chapters as well as state officers. On Thursday evening, we’ll attend an audio-described Broadway show. There will be exhibits on Saturday. Call Mike at (516) 887-1336 for more information.