by Charles S.P. Hodge
ACB is certainly going through some turbulent and challenging times. Yet despite widely circulated rumors within the blind community that ACB is in mortal crisis and is coming apart at the seams, our officers and undermanned national office staff continue to function normally and to carry the ball forward toward accomplishing a myriad of advocacy and public policy objectives to better the lives and equality of opportunity for every blind or visually impaired individual. Our hard-working acting editor, Sharon Lovering, continues without missing a beat to put together and publish the quality product that you are currently reading and of which you can continue to be proud, “The Braille Forum.”
ACB is struggling to cope with some trying and stress-provoking budgetary and financial challenges, as reflected in the austere 2004 budget adopted by the board of directors at its mid-year meeting, reported upon more fully elsewhere in this issue. Right now, especially when ACB is hard-pressed financially, those of you who believe in its underlying core principles and values and have dedicated yourselves to support our blind consumer membership advocacy organization are, in an ironic way, being presented with a truly unique opportunity to step forward and demonstrate your support by becoming a life member. At the same time, local chapters and state and special-interest affiliates also have a unique and particularly timely opportunity to assist ACB in coping with its budgetary shortfall by purchasing life memberships to honor their own deserving living members who have made important and meritorious contributions to those respective organizations as well as to ACB. Life membership dues are not cheap, $1,000, but you can pay it in up to five annual installments of $200, which comes to 55 cents per day over the course of an entire year. ACB needs the financial support of its affiliates, local chapters, and devoted and dedicated individual members and friends during these difficult and challenging times.
Affiliates, local chapters and/or interested individuals who wish to learn more about ACB’s life membership program should contact Jim Olsen at (800) 866-3242. As a life member myself, I am looking forward to welcoming a large, new delegation of life members at our 43rd annual national convention in Birmingham, Ala. I have every expectation that the 2004 class of life members will push the honor roll of such members past the milestone of 200 members in this membership category. You — yes, you! — could well become that much sought-after 200th life member.