THE BRAILLE FORUM Volume XLVIII January 2010 No. 7 Published by the American Council of the Blind THE AMERICAN COUNCIL OF THE BLIND STRIVES TO INCREASE THE INDEPENDENCE, SECURITY, EQUALITY OF OPPORTUNITY, AND TO IMPROVE QUALITY OF LIFE FOR ALL BLIND AND VISUALLY IMPAIRED PEOPLE. Mitch Pomerantz, President Melanie Brunson, Executive Director Sharon Lovering, Editor National Office: 2200 Wilson Blvd. Suite 650 Arlington, VA 22201 (202) 467-5081 fax: (703) 465-5085 Web site: http://www.acb.org THE BRAILLE FORUM (TM) is available in braille, large print, half-speed four-track cassette tape, and via e-mail. Subscription requests, address changes, and items intended for publication should be sent to Sharon Lovering at the address above, or via e-mail to slovering@acb.org. The American Council of the Blind (TM) is a membership organization made up of more than 70 state and special-interest affiliates. To join, visit the ACB web site and complete an application form, or contact the national office at the number listed above. Those much-needed contributions, which are tax-deductible, can be sent to Mike Godino at the above mailing address. If you wish to remember a relative or friend, the national office can make printed cards available for this purpose. To remember the American Council of the Blind in your Last Will and Testament, you may include a special paragraph for that purpose. If your wishes are complex, contact the ACB national office. Join the Monthly Monetary Support (MMS) Program and help improve tomorrow today in ACB. Contact Ron Milliman by e-mail, rmilliman@insightbb.com, or by phone at (270) 782-9325 and get started making tomorrow look brighter today! To make a contribution to ACB via the Combined Federal Campaign, use this number: 11155. For the latest in legislative and governmental news, call the "Washington Connection" toll-free at (800) 424-8666, 5 p.m. to midnight Eastern time, or visit the Washington Connection online at http://www.acb.org. Copyright 2009 American Council of the Blind TABLE OF CONTENTS President's Message: Some Personal Reflections on Braille, by Mitch Pomerantz The Earned Income Tax Credit, A Little-Known Benefit for People with Disabilities, by Melanie Brunson and Richard Keeling ACB Seeks Testing Accommodations Horror Stories 2010-2011 Scholarship Applications Available Now And the Scholarship Winners for 2009-2010 Are …, by Patty Slaby Good Will to All Through ACB Radio!, by Debbie Hazelton On with the Ironman Quest, or, Life as an Advocate, by Doug Powell Affiliate News ACB Membership Focus: Reactivating and Keeping Members, by Ardis Bazyn BFLAG's Evolution Leads to Its New Name, by Don Brown Banging the Drum Loudly, by Peter Altschul Blind Grandmother Goes Backpacking with Llamas in the Colorado Rockies, by Judy Presley Visit to the White House with Live Audio Description, by Jean Shiner Here and There, edited by Sue Lichtenfels High Tech Swap Shop FORUM SUBSCRIPTION NOTES You can now get "The Braille Forum" by podcast! To subscribe, go to "The Braille Forum" page on www.acb.org. If you do not yet have a podcast client, you can download one from the Forum page. To subscribe to "The Braille Forum" via e-mail, go to www.acb.org/mailman/listinfo/brailleforum-L. ARE YOU MOVING? DO YOU WANT TO CHANGE YOUR SUBSCRIPTION? Contact Sharon Lovering in the ACB national office, 1-800-424-8666, or via e-mail, slovering@acb.org. Give her the information, and she'll take care of the changes for you. ***** PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE: SOME PERSONAL REFLECTIONS ON BRAILLE by Mitch Pomerantz Perhaps this particular column should have appeared sometime during 2009, the 200th anniversary of the birth of Louis Braille. Then again, now that the pomp and circumstance of that historic anniversary has come and gone, it may be useful to reflect a bit on the code which has had such a profound effect on tens of thousands of blind people for so long. Actually, given the lead time necessary to publish "The Braille Forum," this piece is being written the day after Thanksgiving, 2009; hence, I'm at least doing my reflecting during the 200th year since the great man's birth. I've been a braille reader since my introduction to it in kindergarten, or possibly first grade. As I may have mentioned previously in these pages, I attended elementary school at one of only two K-through-6 dedicated day-school programs for blind children in the country during the 1950s. In those days, every teacher, except for the lady teaching the "sight-saving" class, knew and taught braille grades 1 and 2, and the Nemeth Code. There was absolutely no question that every blind child was going to learn to read braille, even if he or she had some usable vision, as I did at the time. This did not mean, however, that I was an enthusiastic student. I tolerated those lessons and the boring little books we had to use. The Dick and Jane readers were not attention-holders for me or many of my classmates. My mother, thankfully, changed all that when I was about 7. She was constantly trying to encourage me to read braille. She signed me up very early for the National Library Service. The closest regional library to our home was housed at the Braille Institute in Los Angeles, just a few miles away. As I recall, the book she ordered -- and which sat in its container for months -- was "Little House in the Big Woods," by Laura Ingalls Wilder. It was in grade 1 or possibly 1 and a half and was single-spaced, something which I was struggling to master. The big volumes seemed overwhelming to me. I would read a page or two, then put the book aside for a week or so. After considerable nagging, I finally decided to read a whole chapter, or at least more than a couple of pages. For whatever reason, the proverbial light went on and I became thoroughly engaged in finding out what happened to the characters. As that old saying goes, the rest is history. As I proceeded through the primary grades, I read pretty much everything for boys in the school's meager library. When I was 12, my mother and I took a car trip down the East Coast and one of our stops was in Washington, D.C. Along with the time spent in the Senate Gallery listening to the debate over some long-forgotten piece of legislation, the other highlight for me was a visit to the Library of Congress where I got the privilege of going up and down several of the aisles and reading the titles embossed on the covers of the shelved books. I could have spent days, even weeks, just looking at everything. Reading generally, and braille reading specifically, has been a passion of mine for 50-plus years. While the balance has unfortunately shifted over the decades from braille to cassettes, braille has been an integral part of my working life and leisure time activities. In my nearly 34 years in human resources and ADA compliance, any report of even minor significance was first drafted in braille. Notes to myself, my personal calendar, material related to the Americans with Disabilities Act, all were at my fingertips thanks to braille. Yes, once the computer became prevalent in our office and I needed to edit the work produced by my staff, I turned increasingly to speech for that aspect of my job. Nonetheless, I am living testimony to the statistic released by the American Foundation for the Blind a number of years ago that 70 percent of all braille readers of working age are employed. Unfortunately, my leisure time braille reading is limited these days to "Syndicated Columnist Weekly," that excellent publication produced by National Braille Press, and CCB's magazine, "The Blind Californian." However, just as when I was working, everything pertaining to ACB, my personal files and whatever else I need to access on a regular basis is in braille; in this case, on VersaBraille disk (thereby upholding my previously discussed reputation as a dinosaur). My one disappointment since retiring has been my lack of spare time in order to read an honest-to-goodness novel in braille. Ah well, someday ... So, aside from 2009 being Louis Braille's 200th birthday, what got me musing about the present and future of braille? It probably began a few months ago when it became apparent that there was a growing threat to the continued existence of residential schools for the blind across the country. With the demise of several of these facilities and the growing shortage of qualified teachers with specialized VI (vision impairment) credentials, I began wondering just who is going to teach braille reading and writing to the next generation of blind children. Additionally, the two generations of blind children following my own were largely raised to believe that tape recorders (in the case of the first generation) and computers and other audio technology (in the case of the second generation) were perfectly appropriate substitutes when it came to reading and writing. Such musings were crystallized into the basis for this column a week ago (as this is being written) while attending the semiannual meeting of the National Council of State Agencies for the Blind (NCSAB) in Phoenix. I listened to a presentation on technology, particularly technology which allows us to read almost anything: print menus, street signs, print meeting agendas, and yes, currency. It isn't especially important to mention who the speakers were. What struck me as I listened was the thought that if blind children are presented with such technology at an early age, what interest or incentive will they have in learning to identify those funny little dots and figure out each individual letter or sign in the braille cell? If blind children can learn to use cool, hand-held gadgetry, or nifty laptop computers in school and elsewhere, why should they become familiar with braille at all? And, if there continues to be a shortage of qualified braille teachers, who will be available to even attempt to motivate them in the first place? It is my personal and strongly held belief that assuming someone is unable to comfortably read print for any length of time, unless they can read and write braille sufficiently well to understand a note from someone else, such individuals are illiterate, in the strictest sense of the word. Whatever one's primary written and spoken language is -- English, Spanish, Tagalog, whatever -- if a blind person can speak, but not read or write that language, that's illiteracy, purely and simply. Sorry, utilizing spell- and/or grammar-check for one's written communications doesn't count or substitute for knowing how a word is spelled or a sentence is constructed. Obviously, it becomes far more difficult to learn braille if someone loses their sight later in life, but it's certainly not impossible. The Hadley School for the Blind and many other outstanding organizations teach braille to hundreds of people annually who have recently become blind. It seems to me that all of us who use braille as a primary medium for reading, or simply to jot down telephone numbers or shopping lists, have a tremendous responsibility to be strong advocates for the teaching and learning of braille. Within ACB, we should be encouraging more of our students to become teachers of blind children. Outside of the organization, we must challenge any and all efforts at closing the few remaining VI teacher preparation programs. We need to begin today to take the steps necessary to ensure that succeeding generations of blind people will celebrate and honor Louis Braille's 250th and 300th birthdays, just as we have done his 200th this past year. ***** THE EARNED INCOME TAX CREDIT, A LITTLE-KNOWN BENEFIT FOR PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES by Melanie Brunson and Richard Keeling By the time you read this, we will have observed the end of another year, and ushered in a new one. However, for many of us, the old year doesn’t actually get put behind us until we have made our little contributions to the IRS. Since the completion of tax returns will be on the minds of many Forum readers soon, if it isn’t already, I thought it timely to share some information with you about a little-known opportunity that many of you may be able to take advantage of. I received this information from a good friend of ACB’s, Richard Keeling of the IRS Office on Stakeholder Partnerships, Education, and Communication (SPEC). Since the information is timely, I will include his article here as the remainder of my column this month. Please read on, and if you have any questions, contact me or the contacts listed below. Many Americans with disabilities may not be aware of the valuable federal Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) that can help lift them out of poverty. Approximately 20 percent of Americans live with some level of disability, and many of these people have first-hand experience with financial hardships. In fact, more than one-third of all adults with disabilities live in households with a total income of $15,000 or less according to a National Organization on Disability/Harris Poll. In addition, 83 percent of people with disabilities said they had never claimed an income tax credit or deduction related to their employment or disability. Enacted in 1975, the EITC is a credit for people who work, but do not earn high incomes. It has lifted millions of individuals and families above the poverty line for years. In 2008 alone, approximately 24 million taxpayers received more than $48 billion as a result of the EITC. The IRS estimates that 15 to 25 percent of American taxpayers who qualify for the credit do not claim it. Many people may be unaware of the EITC or may not claim it simply because they don't know how to do so. It is critical for people with disabilities to understand how claiming tax credits may affect other public benefits they depend on. Thus, outreach to provide workers with disabilities and working families raising children with disabilities clear and accurate information about the availability of the credits and how to claim them is extremely important. To help combat this crisis, IRS partnered with the National Disability Institute to create the Real Economic Impact Tour or REI Tour. This campaign for people with disabilities is a national initiative delivering financial education, free tax preparation and asset-building services to low-income people with disabilities in more than 100 U.S. cities. The REI Tour is the public and private partnership utilized to join organizations together around the mission of building a better economic future for people with disabilities and their families. Volunteer Income Tax Assistance or VITA sites are an integral part of the free tax preparation coalitions being formed today. Community partners recruit and train volunteers who then prepare tax returns free for people who cannot do their own returns and cannot afford a paid preparer. Partners host VITA sites in locations that are easily accessible to and trusted by the community, thus attracting an audience of taxpayers —many of whom are eligible for EITC — by offering free tax preparation. Last year volunteers prepared 3.5 million tax returns for low- to moderate-income earners (those making less than $48,000), bringing back $3 billion in refunds as well as saving approximately $1 billion in tax preparation fees and refund anticipation loans. To find a VITA site near you, call the VITA Hotline at 1-800-906-9887. For general tax information, visit www.irs.gov or call 1-800-829-1040. For more information on EITC, please visit the “EITC Central” web site at www.eitc.irs.gov. This site offers up-to-date EITC data. There is also a “Partner Toolkit” and there you will find an array of general and specialized marketing tools, including templates, statistics, fact sheets, how-to tips, specialized products and links to other helpful resources. To find out more about the REI Tour, visit www.reitour.org. ***** ACB SEEKS TESTING ACCOMMODATIONS HORROR STORIES While Halloween has come and gone, testing accommodations concerning the GMAT, GRE, LSAT, and others have haunted and continue to horrify blind or visually impaired students across the country. ACB has anecdotal evidence that the administration of these and other admissions tests by organizations like Pearson Education have been completely inadequate for many years. We are seeking concrete information from members who feel that they experienced discrimination before and during the standardized testing process over the past two years. Please answer the questions below, providing as much detail as possible. This information will allow ACB to approach testing entities, Congress, and the federal government to highlight egregious inequities in this arena. When finished, e-mail your responses to ebridges@acb.org. As always, please let me know if you have any questions or concerns. Name of person: Contact information: Name of test taken: Date of test: Name of the party/organization that discriminated: If possible, the name(s) of individual(s) contacted from the party/organization: Place of discrimination located at: Description of discrimination: If applicable, please describe proposed resolution by the offending party/organization: Current status of your situation: Describe how your experience impacted your ability to gain acceptance to school: -- Eric Bridges ***** 2010-2011 SCHOLARSHIP APPLICATIONS AVAILABLE NOW! The American Council of the Blind annually awards approximately 20 scholarships ranging in amounts from $1,000 to $2,500 to college students (undergraduate, graduate and vocational) who are legally blind, maintain a 3.3 GPA and are involved in their school and/or local community. Applications may be submitted beginning Jan. 1, and all materials must be received by 11:59 p.m. Eastern time on March 1. Scholarship monies will be awarded for the upcoming academic year. To read the scholarship guidelines and complete an on-line application, visit www.acb.org. For more information, please contact the ACB national office at (202) 467-5081 or 1-800-424-8666. ***** AND THE SCHOLARSHIP WINNERS FOR 2009-2010 ARE … by Patty Slaby The following winners received scholarships for the 2009-2010 school year. There are five winners of the Floyd Qualls Memorial Scholarship: Sara Conrad is an entering freshman at Calvin College in Grand Rapids, Mich. She is pursuing a degree in occupational therapy. Alexandra Kraut is an entering freshman at Keene State College in Keene, N.H. She is majoring in music education. Daniel Guenther is the undergraduate winner attending Berkley College of Music in Boston, Mass. He is obtaining a bachelor’s degree in music production and engineering. Miranda Hitzemann is a graduate student attending the University of Pennsylvania. She is working on a master’s degree in urban spatial analytics. Samuel Muwanguzi is working on his Ph.D. in information sciences at the University of North Texas in Denton, Tex. The Dr. Mae Davidow Memorial Scholarship was awarded to Rebekah Balmer. She is a junior at West Chester University of Pennsylvania and is majoring in women’s studies. The William G. Corey Scholarship was awarded to Dawn Lloyd. She is a senior at Reading Hospital School of Health earning a degree in nursing. The NIB/Grant M. Mack Scholarship has been won by Laura Palmaro. She is attending Georgetown University in Washington, D.C. where she is majoring in marketing and international business. Lisa Drzewucki won the Arnold Sadler Memorial Scholarship. She is a graduate student working toward a master’s degree in social work. The Kellie Cannon Scholarship went to Casey Burkhardt; he is a junior at Villanova University, which is in Villanova, Pa. Justin Hodge won the Dr. S. Bradley Burson Science Scholarship. Justin is attending the University of Evansville in Evansville, Ind. His major is mechanical engineering. The John Hebner Memorial Scholarship was awarded to Christina Tran. She is working full-time while attending the Chicago School of Professional Psychology. Her major is industrial and organizational psychology. Katherine Moss won the Bay State Council of the Blind Scholarship. Jenny Emery earned the Eunice Fiorito Memorial Scholarship. She is in her second year of graduate school earning a master’s in professional counseling. She is attending Olivet Nazarene University in Bourbonnais, Ill. The Richard Bennet Memorial Scholarship was awarded to Nicole Peters. She is a graduate student at St. Michael’s College in Colchester, Vt. The Dr. Duane Buckley Scholarship was presented to Justin Salisbury. He is majoring in mathematics education and psychology at East Carolina University in Greenville, N.C. Patricia Kepler is a senior at Warner Pacific College in Portland, Ore. She won the Oregon Council of the Blind Scholarship. She is working on a bachelor’s degree in business. The last winner for this year is Barry Hyde. He received the James R. Olsen Memorial Scholarship and he is working on his Ph.D. in aeronautical safety with a specialization in business administration. He is at the North Central Valley University. The winners who attended the convention were pleased to take part in many of the events, activities, and programs. Many thanks to my hard-working committee! ***** GOOD WILL TO ALL THROUGH ACB RADIO! by Debbie Hazelton, ACB Radio Public Relations In the spirit of ACB Radio’s 10th birthday celebration, we want to extend thanks to our participating vendors and a gift to our affiliates! What a celebration it was! Born on December 1 at 0:00 UTC. We decided to begin airing ACB Radio's most memorable replays from that date throughout the month, and to begin the actual celebration the last week of the month, to culminate on New Year’s Day! In true birthday style, plenty of gifts of appreciation were given. Special thanks to the following vendors for their generous gifts: Serotek Corporation - a license to System Access, and a year of access to the SAM network, www.serotek.com GW Micro – a BookSense and a copy of Window-Eyes or an SMA, www.gwmicro.com Independent Living Aids, thanks to Mainstream broadcaster Stephen Guerra – a clock radio, www.independentliving.com Lynn Cooper – one complete and two mini image consulting sessions, www.lynncooper.us All In Play – one 1-year, two 3-month and three 1-month memberships, www.allinplay.com Blind Adrenaline - two 1-year and two 6-month memberships, www.blindadrenaline.com Debbie Hazelton - two aromatherapy gift box product assortments, www.debbiehazelton.com Blind Mice Mart – an assortment of Christmas ornaments and trinkets, www.blindmicemart.com Fancy Pants Bakery did a beautiful job of baking its cookies and frosting them with “ACB RADIO” in braille. They were given to broadcasters and others as appreciation of support and involvement. Visit www.fancypantsbakery.com. All In Play has a good-will offering for any affiliate wishing to take advantage of the opportunity. Add their link, www.allinplay.com/play_for_free.php?referrer=81119728&reftype=URL, to your affiliate web site, and any membership that comes through this link will result in an extra $5 for your affiliate. Thank you All In Play! Thanks to an anonymous donor, we now are members of the International Association of Audio Information Services. This membership will enable ACB Radio to more easily network with a variety of content providers and other broadcasters. During 2010, you can expect much new content and programming to come to ACB Radio, as well as opportunities for some of our content to be heard on radio reading services. This means that ACB Radio will be gaining much more exposure while we strengthen our listener base, adding new programming to our schedule. We encourage and anticipate more streaming of affiliates, new shows and new broadcasters from within our community. Listen for more artists and music to be added to the Café stream. And watch and listen for a makeover to the Treasure Trove stream, as old-time radio grows with content and promos soon to be managed from in-house! We appreciate the good working relationships we have with all contributors. They stepped up to give as good-will team players. Now in its second decade, we are proud, and anticipate many projects and partnerships with an array of talent and creativity as ACB Radio continues to grow as your station, your mouthpiece of ACB, and “the voice of the blind community!” ***** ON WITH THE IRONMAN QUEST, OR, LIFE AS AN ADVOCATE by Doug Powell Since I wrote my October article, much has happened and I wanted to bring you up to date on my “Long Haul” Ironman quest. In September, I went out to Madison, Wis. to check out the course and to sign up for the 2010 Ironman Wisconsin Triathlon (I chose this one because my team had decided to have it be its official Ironman focus for the year). So I’m committed! On Oct. 4, I did my second half-Ironman distance triathlon of this season. The Bassman Triathlon was in New Jersey. I had been working hard, and hoped to take a lot of time off my previous result from the June race. I did take 12 minutes off – not as much as I was hoping, but definitely in the right direction. Here’s the advocacy part: As I usually do, a couple of weeks prior to the race, I wrote to the race director telling him I was coming, who my guide was, and that I was bringing a tandem bike that wouldn’t fit in the regular bike racks. I find that it makes things easier if I give race officials time to think about how they need to support me and their administrative processes and I don’t just show up and surprise them. Here’s the rub: Right now, the USA Triathlon organization, the governing body for the sport, has competitive rules including rules for physically challenged athletes. The rules currently state that a visually impaired athlete have one guide for all three events, and that that guide be of the same sex as the participant. I was aware of these rules, and had asked that they be waived in previous events. The race officials were happy to do so, so I was excluded from the age group competition and won the Challenged Athlete category since I was the only one – for which there was no award or recognition. On one hand, I’m just happy to be able to do the event. On the other, it feels like the rules make it almost impossible for us to compete on anywhere near a level playing field with our sighted peers. So, as well as training, and trying to find guides of either sex, etc., my coach and I are working on advocating for rules that help people compete – not stand in their way. If you know visually impaired athletes who have run into these issues, please have them get in contact with me at oldjock1@cox.net. Since two of the people who have already said they would guide me at Wisconsin are women, it would be great to find some better resolution to the rules issue now, because it isn’t going to go away anytime soon. Sometimes I’d like to do something that doesn’t require advocacy. Oh well, such is life. So, during this winter, I’ll be working on that as well as continuing my training for the 2010 season. I’ve already signed up for a marathon run in March to keep me on my toes (slightly frozen at times). And soon, I’ll be developing my race calendar for the rest of the spring and summer. And, if you’ve forgotten, I’m reminding you again that I’d love for you to sign up for the Monthly Monetary Support program that supports ACB’s and its affiliates’ ability to develop their programs and services for you in the coming year by giving them a monthly financial base they can count on. The avalanche of new enrollments hasn’t hit yet, but I know you’re out there, and if you forgot in October, it’s not too late to get “in it for the long haul” with me. Enrollment information is near the beginning of this Forum, so please enroll now so you don’t forget! Thank you for your support of me and ACB. ***** AFFILIATE NEWS Cruise with Guide Dog Users of Florida! Guide Dog Users of Florida and Cruising Canines invite you to come cruising Sept. 10-13, 2010. We'll be sailing on Royal Caribbean's Majesty of the Seas, departing from Miami and visiting Coco Cay and Nassau in the Bahamas. Inside cabins starting at $276.50 per person; outside cabins starting at $306.50 per person. Rates are based on double occupancy and include cruise fare, tax, government fees and port charges. Valid passports are required by all humans. Guide dogs will require a Bahamian permit and international documentation stating that the dog is disease- and parasite-free, which is to be certified by a licensed veterinarian just prior to departure. Travelers are responsible for obtaining these documents at their own expense. To reserve your cabin, a $200 deposit is required. Final payment is due by June 30, 2010. Trip cancellation insurance is available at an additional fee. This activity is a fund-raising opportunity for GDUF through Outta Sight Travel. Cruise Connection bus service is available from select Florida areas for $75 per person. Transfers from Miami or Fort Lauderdale airports are available through the cruise line. For more information, contact Gary at (772) 342-8246 or gmtravel@bellsouth.net, or Jackie at (772) 418-7937 or jacqueli0909@hotmail.com. ACB Diabetics In Action We hope you all had happy holidays! It is now time to get back to work on this year's activities in ACB-DA. Our new president, Shirley Roberts, and the board of directors of ACB-DA have already started preparing for the informative programs and fun events that will be held in Phoenix this summer. ACB-DA is a special-interest group designed to bring together folks who have diabetes or have an interest in this disease. ACB-DA holds a monthly conference call, and you're invited to participate. Topics vary from month to month. It is normally on the first Thursday of the month at 9 p.m. Eastern. The number is (218) 844-3388 and the code is Diabetics, 34223842. Dues are $10 a year. You can mail your check or money order to our treasurer, Alice Ritchhart, at ACB-DA, c/o Alice Ritchhart, 139 Alatama Connector, Suite 188, Brunswick, GA 31515. ACB-DA has an e-mail list you can join, a quarterly newsletter and a web site. For more information, call Shirley Roberts at (937) 898-1989. ***** ACB MEMBERSHIP FOCUS: REACTIVATING AND KEEPING MEMBERS by Ardis Bazyn Our last focus call was on a topic that is of interest to chapters in all affiliates: “How can we reactivate past members and 'wow' our current members to retain them?” We first discussed how to reactivate past members. Participants on the call suggested that the best way to reactivate past members is to make personal contact with members who haven't been attending meetings recently. Ask them why they haven't been attending. Perhaps they've been extremely busy and didn't think the meetings were addressing their needs. You could then find out what would entice them into coming back again. Another reason suggested was a lack of camaraderie between members. As you are building chapters, you should be building friendships. If members continue to talk only with their closest friends, others may feel like no one cares if they keep attending. A monthly greeter may help each participant feel welcome. You may find that transportation is a barrier. Several people suggested talking about this difficulty and offering possible options. Members could contact local service clubs, suggest applying for paratransit, find out the closest bus lines, or arrange to use Skype or a speaker phone. If your meeting is in a restaurant, you'd need to use a cell phone with speaker capability. Communicating regularly with members may help keep them in the loop. Many participants on the call said their chapters had phone trees which routinely called members to remind them of chapter meetings and social events. They would also call if important legislation needed to be acted on immediately. Other chapters and affiliates had e-mail lists for members to keep in touch; others had announce-only e-mail lists where an officer sent out notices of relevant information for members. When the discussion turned to "wowing" current members, there were lots of suggestions. Ask members what they want the chapter or affiliate to do. For example, find out what programs would be of interest for members. Some said their members liked giving ideas for chapter speakers, events, and extra activities. Ideas included having audio-described movie nights and going out every few months and bowling, riding bumper cars, or visiting museums and other local attractions. In this way, others see members integrating into the community. One chapter negotiated for significant discounts in bowling and theater tickets. Other suggestions included holding a book club once a month, supper club get-together in other parts of town, sports outings, retreats or summer camps, and a picnic each year. Some suggested involving more members in committees or in mentoring newer members. Another participant mentioned looking at fun things in other areas. Trips could be fund-raisers or just social events. Buses and vans could drive members and friends to new places like casinos, ski resorts, or boat rides or cruises. Charter buses could be arranged; you'd need to make reservations in advance and get participants' payments ahead of time too. Advertisements and news releases could be used to get more participants. Other events that might attract visitors to your chapter would be diabetes seminars, workshops on special issues like employment or technology, a workshop for parents of blind children, and student/parent forums with guest speakers. Activities that might get publicity for your chapter or affiliate include a white cane walk, a visit from a local legislator, or getting the mayor to participate. Other ways to get known in your community include speaking to service groups, speaking to retirement centers, joining transportation assistance program boards, county transportation advisory boards, and advisory boards relating to accessibility, voting, or emergency preparedness. Outreach with professional groups is another way to get known. The discussion also focused on getting new members to attend. One suggestion was to contact colleges and disabled student services offices and offer our chapters as resources for students with visual impairments. If your chapter meets in a restaurant, you could offer to pay for the first meal. You could also offer free one-year membership to students. It was suggested that chapters conduct a membership project involving the whole chapter, with a prize given to the member who brought the most visitors. You could involve other chapters in your state or special-interest affiliate by having a contest between chapters. Some chapters have a problem with members leaving early. You could offer incentives to those who stay for the whole meeting, perhaps a raffle of a free Christmas dinner or other monetary gift at the end of the year. We also discussed publicity as a means for finding new members. Most felt that chapters and affiliates should have a good web site with chapter information, including contact information, for those looking for peer support, resources, and other relevant information. The site should also have links to local sites of interest to people with visual impairments. If you need help building your web site, try contacting local colleges and ask about students taking courses in web site design. For good photos of your officers, convention, etc., try contacting art schools, or the photography department of local colleges or universities. They could have a byline on your web site ("photos by …"). You can also show links to local TV or radio news web sites. Profiles of members could be highlighted as well. You could also include articles on issues of interest, such as guide dog issues. Other publicity could be handled through PSAs and local news releases. You could also use the NFB Newsline to share about your meetings and when they occur. Please plan to attend the next membership focus call, to be held Sunday, Jan. 17, 2010. The topic will be “How can we complete our business during meetings and committee meetings more efficiently?” The call-in number will be (218) 339-2699 and the access code is 757720. If you have membership concerns, contact me by phone, (818) 238-9321, or by e-mail, abazyn@bazyncommunications.com. ***** BFLAG’S EVOLUTION LEADS TO ITS NEW NAME by Don Brown During our annual business meeting in Orlando, following a healthy and spirited debate, the membership voted overwhelmingly to adopt “Blind LGBT Pride International” as this growing affiliate’s new name. Why a name change? Since being chartered as a special-interest affiliate by the American Council of the Blind in 2000, the acceptance of this organization both inside and outside of ACB has been nothing short of remarkable. True, our early beginnings were met with some expected resistance. However, the eventual and overwhelming acceptance of the organization by the ACB family vastly overshadowed and quieted the small minority of dissenting voices. ACB’s long-standing tradition of embracing diversity is exemplary and served as the catalyst for our move to a name which effectively conveys our sense of pride as blind people who are also gay, or gay people who are also blind ­- take your pick. There are three main premises embodied in the term Gay Pride or LGBT Pride. They are that lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people are proud of their sexual orientation and gender identity, that diversity is a gift which is reflected in all of nature, and that sexuality and gender identity are inherent and cannot be altered without devastating psychological and emotional ramifications. The word “pride” was adopted by the LGBT community as an antidote for the yoke of shame used throughout history to control and oppress anyone who did not acquiesce to the heterosexual mold. Our organization’s work is twofold. We continue to gain acceptance within the blindness community, while at the same time pursuing acceptance by promoting awareness among LGBT people who are sighted. Our blind, sighted, LGBT and straight members are teachers, students, government employees, attorneys, parents, and retirees who, like other blind and visually impaired people, are interested in affordable assistive technology, accessible transportation, employment disparities, educational and training opportunities, and rehabilitation programs and services. As the first and only organization of its kind, our mission is to promote the betterment of LGBT people who are visually impaired. We do this by: (1) providing a forum for the free expression and exchange of views and concerns of our membership, (2) equipping our members with reprinted articles from mainstream LGBT publications via InsideOut, our quarterly newsletter, (3) assisting our members in acquiring services from agencies and institutions serving blind consumers, (4) helping members get in touch with their local LGBT centers, and (5) making LGBT centers nationwide aware of our existence and promoting integration and mutual growth through acceptance and understanding. During the 2010 convention in Phoenix, Blind Pride will celebrate its 10th anniversary as an ACB special-interest affiliate. Imagine, in the year 2000 we had 27 original charter members; now we have over 200. We are proud of our existence and our growth, and we want to share our joy with you in Phoenix. Workshops, tours, and events are already being planned, not to mention a 10-year birthday party! Come, help us celebrate this incredible milestone! To stay up-to-date on Blind LGBT Pride’s news and activities, visit us at www.blind-lgbt-pride.org. While there, feel free to become a member and join one of our community forums. ***** BANGING THE DRUM LOUDLY by Peter Altschul (Author's note: The following is adapted from my upcoming memoir with the tentative title of "Working While Blind: Twenty-Three Days of a Life.") My campaign to join the local high school marching band began in the spring of 1971 when my mother and I met with the high school's guidance counselor. At the time, I was an eighth-grader at a local private school where I was the only student who was blind. My mom had decided that the local high school would serve my education and social needs better than the private school; hence, our visit with the guidance counselor. After deciding what courses I would take during my freshman year, the conversation turned to extracurricular activities. "What do you enjoy doing?" the guidance counselor chirped. "I play the drums," I mumbled. "Great!" she said enthusiastically and began rattling off all of the musical possibilities: the chorus, the marching band … "I want to be in the band," I interrupted. "You can't do that," she said immediately. I would have liked to argue, but said nothing because Mom had stressed the importance of making a good impression. "They're still not sure they want you in their school," she had said. So I spent my freshman year adjusting to the new school where again I was the only blind student. I took a full load of courses and began the often frustrating process of making friends. I began taking organ lessons and sang in the freshman chorus conducted by Renato Vellutino, who also was the band director. Toward the end of my freshman year, I startled Mr. V. by announcing that I was planning to join the marching band the following year as a drummer. "But how will you learn the music?" he spluttered. "Oh, that'll be easy, Mr. V. I can learn the stuff by ear." "And how will you march?" he asked doubtfully. "I have no idea," I confessed, "but I'm sure we can work things out." So I joined the band at the beginning of my sophomore year, and learning the music by ear was indeed easy. Unfortunately, marching turned out to be a real challenge. Performing the simplest maneuvers in step with the rest of the band turned out to be impossible. Connecting me by rope with another percussionist caused us both to become entangled as the rest of the band tried to maneuver around us. Fortunately, Mr. V., instead of giving up, suggested that I stand with him during the halftime maneuvering and that someone could run with me to the percussion section after the completion of the formation but before they started playing and then run me back to him as the band started its next marching routine. While I wasn't totally happy with this arrangement, my experience playing with neighborhood kids had taught me that I didn't have to do everything that sighted people could do to be accepted. I was having fun while making a real contribution. I also got my first taste of fame. "You won't believe this," Mom said as I walked in the house on a late October Saturday afternoon. "You were talked about on the radio." "What did they say?" I asked, not sure I really wanted to know. "Well, during halftime, the radio announcers interrupted their summary of the first half and talked about this courageous blind boy in the band, and how inspiring it was, and well, you get the idea." "You're joking," I said in amused embarrassment. "No, I'm not. I recorded the game for you so you can listen to the comments yourself." She handed me a cassette. I thanked her and disappeared into my room. Listening to the condescending, sappy voices of the announcers without Mom's filter made me snicker and squirm, as I had no desire to inspire others with my so-called courage. It certainly would be courageous to rescue someone from a burning building or to face down a killer or to jump from an airplane, but somehow playing in a marching band didn't seem particularly risky. "I hope that none of my friends hear this," I thought. I overcame the obstacle of not being able to march with the marching band during my senior year of high school. This was important because the best drummer was supposed to teach the various "street beats" we used as the band marched to our rhythm, call the "street beat" changes, communicate Mr. V.'s sometimes confusing instructions, and generally keep the section together. Everybody agreed that I was clearly the person for the job, except that I couldn't march. "For heaven's sake," Mom said impatiently after listening to my dilemma, "why don't you find someone to grab your elbow and steer you from behind?" "Oh. Why didn't you suggest that earlier?" "I thought I had." The solution worked brilliantly. Mr. V. found a female volunteer, and I was soon strutting with the band shouting directions over the noise of the drums while she discretely kept me in line with subtle tugs on my elbow and whispered directions in my ear. This solution worked even better while in college since its marching band considered drinking alcohol from concealed flasks while sitting in the stands during football games and writing sexually charged scripts to be read during the halftime show far more important than marching in lockstep to create fancy formations. Looking back, I realize how fortunate I was to have the opportunity to bang the drums loudly in the band. It gave me a legitimate excuse to make a lot of noise while making friends. It taught me the power of working together to make a joyful noise. It taught me the importance of cooperating and of working together to find solutions to overcome barriers. Most importantly, the skills and confidence I developed while leading a group of sighted people to accomplish something worthwhile have proved invaluable in my work assisting groups and organizations to become more effective. I thank Mr. V., my mother, and my fellow band members for giving me the chance to have fun, to struggle, and then to succeed. ***** BLIND GRANDMOTHER GOES BACKPACKING WITH LLAMAS IN THE COLORADO ROCKIES by Judy Presley Upon hearing of Trek for Light, a week-long hike for the blind in Colorado’s Rawah Wilderness, I imagined it to be the ultimate adventure and challenge. Each blind hiker would be paired with a volunteer, who would serve as a sighted guide, and a pack llama. Because I love the feeling of empowerment I gain from such an adventure and challenge, I applied right away. After being accepted into the program, I immediately enlisted the services of a personal trainer, Mark Wilkes of Clarkesville, Ga. I followed his instructions to the painful letter. I realized that my enjoyment of the trip depended on my level of fitness. On Aug. 7 I met my sighted guide, Kathleen Bennett, and the other 15 participants at the Quality Inn in Fort Collins, Colo. The next morning we were off to the llama ranch to meet and train with our llamas. At the ranch, we learned the proper care of a llama as well as the proper way to fasten the saddle to distribute the weight of the saddlebags equally. We then drove to a campground to learn how to set up a tent and other camping skills. The next morning we took a four-hour hike up a mountain trail to determine if all hikers were physically fit for the trek. After many treks, the organizers have perfected a technique of guiding with a short dowel rod and hiking sticks and having the llama rope draped over the hiker's opposite shoulder. The next morning we were driven 90 miles to the Rawah Wilderness trailhead. The first day proved to be the most difficult of the trek. It was an uphill climb all the way. We got a late start and did not arrive at our designated campsite until seven in the evening. We were cold and hungry but we first had to haul water from the stream and purify it before cooking dinner. We did not have dinner until nine o’clock that night. The next morning we had a leisurely breakfast of blueberry pancakes. My sighted guide and I went to the meadow to check on our llama, whose name was Little Brown Jug or LBJ. We found LBJ happily munching on the lush grass along with the other llamas. That day we took a day hike up to beautiful Crater Lake. The next morning we started our ascent to Grassy Pass at 11,300 feet. At the beginning of the trek, we were divided up into two groups of eight people. The plan was for groups one and two to meet up at Grassy Pass on Wednesday afternoon and have lunch together at the pass. Group two did not arrive. After a leisurely lunch in the lovely mountain sunshine, we proceeded down the other side of the mountain. We camped twice more before heading for the trailhead. Later we were told that someone in group two had gotten altitude sickness and they made the decision to do only day hikes at a lower altitude before heading back to the trailhead. After leaving the trailhead, we drove back to the Quality Inn for a hot shower. That night we had a celebratory supper together. The next morning we departed to our different states with a feeling of exhilaration from a unique experience. I will never forget the calm serenity of that wilderness. The only sounds were the wind, the babble of mountain streams and the roar of waterfalls. I also enjoyed the lovely fragrance of juniper and lodgepole pines and the fun and laughter around a crackling campfire. You do not need sight to experience the exhilaration and beauty of hiking in the Rockies! ***** VISIT TO THE WHITE HOUSE WITH LIVE AUDIO DESCRIPTION by Jean Shiner I recently visited the White House with my dog guide and with family. Thanks to audio description, I had a one-of-a-kind experience! My story about our White House tour began about six months ago. I was told that I had to contact a senator’s office. The office would then put us on a list. We would be notified a week before our requested tour date of our status on the list. I called Sen. Gregg and Sen. Sheehan’s offices (my New Hampshire senators), informing them of the dates we had in mind to be in Washington. Neither Senate office was encouraging about our likelihood of getting into the White House. Later, our dates for visiting Washington changed by a few days. I informed Sen. Sheehan’s office of the change, but not Sen. Gregg’s office. As luck would have it, Sen. Sheehan’s office reported that they could not get us in at all. Sen. Gregg’s office could get us into the White House, but only on the day that we needed to leave Washington. So, the day before we were to leave I called a Vermont friend and she gave me the phone number for Joel Snyder, a veteran audio describer. I had met him about 10 years ago in Vermont for some audio description events. My friend reminded me that Joel had been involved with an audio description project regarding the White House in the late '90s and that project was interrupted by the sad events of 9/11. Getting back to my pursuit of a White House tour -- Joel said he may have a contact at the White House, but he could make no promises of getting us in. We left for Washington the following day thinking we probably would not get in for a tour. That was on Friday. On the following Monday evening Joel called me on my cell phone at our hotel saying we were in. We were all very excited! The following morning we were greeted by a White House staff intern along with Joel. The staff intern escorted us through security and spontaneously joined us on our tour of the White House. We entered through the East Wing. We saw the Red Room, the Blue Room, the State Dining Room and the Green Room. I was able to touch the busts of Abe Lincoln and George Washington. I also touched the table in the State Dining Room. Paintings and statues in each room were described in detail. The intern gave us tidbits of history in each room. It was all very informative and enlightening. Not only did I benefit from the audio description, but the three sighted people with me learned a lot as well. The standard White House tour lasts about 30 minutes. Our tour totaled about 60 minutes. Other groups went on a self-guided tour. Assigned White House staffers were available to answer questions. We had the benefit of two informative people providing a team approach. Joel and the staff intern enhanced our visit even further, giving us a more complete tour than the sighted public experienced. The tour of the White House was the highlight of our visit to Washington. In particular, Joel’s live audio description made it possible for me to enjoy and absorb my surroundings along with my sighted friends. I feel that an audio-described self-guided tour perhaps accessed through a visitor’s cell phone (or using other available technology) would greatly enhance the blind person’s experience. The blind person could then equally participate with sighted visitors, friends and family. ***** HERE AND THERE edited by Sue Lichtenfels The announcement of products and services in this column does not represent an endorsement by the American Council of the Blind, its officers, or staff. Listings are free of charge for the benefit of our readers. "The Braille Forum" cannot be held responsible for the reliability of the products and services mentioned. To submit items for this column, send a message to info@acb.org, or phone the national office at 1-800-424-8666, and leave a message in Sharon Lovering’s mailbox. Information must be received at least two months ahead of publication date. NIB NOW RECRUITING National Industries for the Blind is working on developing a recruitment pipeline of legally blind, highly qualified customer service representatives to fill the growing need in this field. Responsibilities include: responding to inbound account-related questions and issues, completing customer correspondence via e-mail and regular mail, and processing inventory reports daily. Successful applicants should have the following experience: a high school diploma or equivalent, previous customer service experience, proficiency with data entry, Word, Outlook, and Excel, as well as either JAWS or ZoomText. Candidates should also have good verbal and written communication skills, be punctual and reliable, be a team player, be able to type 35 words per minute with at least 80 percent accuracy, and have a great phone presence. To be considered for this recruitment opportunity, send resume, three professional references, and proof of legal blindness to Sarah Schraven at sschraven@nib.org. JEWISH GUILD’S SCHOLARSHIP WINNERS The Jewish Guild for the Blind recently announced the 16 high school seniors who will each receive a $10,000 scholarship for the 2010-11 college year. The winners are: Ryan Alsman of Normal, Ill.; Carlos Baeza of Rockport, Maine; Nathaniel Book of West Suffield, Conn.; Kyle Coon of Jacksonville, Fla.; Matthew Cooper of Durham, N.C.; Jameyanne Fuller of Concord, N.H.; Marcus Meyer Goldberg of Austin, Tex.; Dillon Hawley of East Arlington, Vt.; Claire Elizabeth Johnson of Portland, Ore.; Cord LaBarre of Hayward, Wis.; Ashleigh Ladner of Slidell, La.; Andrew Luk of Chino Hills, Calif.; Duncan McLaurin of Jackson, Wyo.; Jeremy Morak of Hewlett, N.Y.; Helen Georgie Sydnor of Lynchburg, Va.; and Daniel White of Watertown, Mass. For information on the Guild’s scholarships for the 2011 academic year, contact Gordon Rovins at (212) 769-7801 or e-mail guildscholar@jgb.org. TWO PLEXTALK RESOURCES Shinano Kenshi Corporation, maker of the Plextalk Pocket, a digital recorder/player for books, music and voice, has partnered with two accessible information providers to offer more resources to its users. Through a joint venture with Serotek, the Plextalk Pocket now has the ability to receive content transferred from the Serotek SAM Network. For subscribers to the SAM Net, this means portable access to news, described movies, blogs, podcasts, and more. The partnership with ReadHowYouWant of Australia allows users the opportunity to download five selected books each month from this online book provider’s classics collection. For more information, visit www.plextalk.com or call 1-866-202-0520. RSA AWARDS HADLEY The Hadley School for the Blind recently received the 2010 RSA Commissioner’s Award for Excellence in Rehabilitation Education and Training. The school was honored for its commitment to offering braille instruction as offered through 13 different courses. RSA has also awarded Hadley a $500,000 grant to continue its braille distance education courses for the next five years. AWARD-WINNING CHILDREN’S BOOK “Have You Filled a Bucket Today? A Guide to Daily Happiness for Kids,” by Carol McCloud is an award-winning children’s book that is also a leading seller on Amazon.com. National Braille Press now offers this title in a print/braille edition for $9.95. The book, aimed at children ages 4-9, uses the metaphor of "filling a bucket" to convey the simple lesson of "doing unto others as you would want done unto you." It teaches kindness, responsibility, and respect for others. The book can be ordered by calling 1-800-548-7323 or visiting www.nbp.org. EXPLORING OUTLOOK 2007 WITH JAWS Toni R. Fraser has written another computer manual to help users of JAWS 10. The e-book, entitled “Exploring Outlook 2007 with JAWS,” is available for $25. For more information, visit http://stores.lulu.com/store.php?fAcctID=4554432. 2010 TOURS FOR THE BLIND Mind’s Eye Travel, which offers group trips for people who are blind or visually impaired, including sighted guides, has planned several tours for 2010. The first is a four-night tour of San Francisco, Sonoma and Napa scheduled for May 17-21. From May 22-June 1, the company offers a 10-day cruise to Alaska's Inside Passage aboard the Sea Princess. October 6-9, Mind’s Eye will show off many of the historical landmarks and museums of New York City. The Canada & New England Fall Foliage Cruise sets sail for seven nights, Oct. 9-16, on the Caribbean Princess. And in November, the company offers its final group tour of the year: seven nights on New Zealand’s South Island. Group tour prices are based on double occupancy and a minimum of six participants. Travel packages can also be organized for individuals and families to a variety of locations. For more information, contact Mind's Eye Travel at (207) 542-4438 or e-mail sue@mindseyetravel.com. TIPSHEET FOR BLIND VISITORS For international professionals and students who are blind or have low vision, visiting the United States just became easier. The National Clearinghouse on Disability and Exchange (NCDE) has published a new informational tipsheet to assist international blind and low-vision visitors in preparing to come to the United States. It contains a variety of resources about accessing orientation and mobility services, living independently, available assistive technology, information on learning braille, and locating sources for accessible books. "Blind Visitors to the United States: What you need to know" can be found at www.miusa.org/ncde/tipsheets/blindvisitorstousa. ***** HIGH TECH SWAP SHOP FOR SALE: 32-cell Braille Note, recently serviced, in excellent working order. Comes with carrying case and two AC adapters. Asking $2,000 or best offer. Contact Margie at (916) 983-8636 or e-mail Margie.donovan1@yahoo.com. FOR SALE: BrailleNote PK, version 8.0. Ambicom wireless card included. Sendero GPS can be included if desired. Asking $3,200 with GPS, $2,550 without. Contact Karen at (718) 692-4519 or e-mail karen.berger@verizon.net. FOR SALE: A small wish chest encrusted with seashells on the outside, made in Morro Bay, Calif. Has two seashells on the inside. Perfect for holding 3 decks of braille playing cards. Asking $850,000. Contact Isaac at (951) 537-0282. FOR SALE: PAC Mate QX420. Unit comes with 20-cell braille display, charger, USB cables, Executive Products carrying case and some miscellaneous compact flash cards. All braille cells work fine. Asking $1,200 or best reasonable offer. Contact Tom Randall at (559) 224-7999 or via e-mail, kf6ddt@comcast.net. FOR SALE: Children's Bible stories, Easter stories, Miracle of Jesus, and many others. Asking $10 each. Will accept checks or money orders. Small talking caller ID. Asking $30; will accept check or money order. Contact Tonya Smith at (734) 586-2687 or write to her in braille at 1665 Paree, Newport, MI 48166. FOR SALE: Braille Sense Plus hard-copy braille manual, grade 2, interpoint, plastic comb binding, 9 volumes. Make offer. Levelstar Icon hard-copy braille manual, grade 2, interpoint, plastic comb binding. Make offer. E-mail Beth at happytrails@samobile.net. FOR SALE: Alva ABT320 braille display. Only used for 2 weeks. Asking $1,200. Send e-mail to scarmouched@gmail.com, or by phone, (250) 480-9854. FOR SALE: Used PAC Mate QX Omni 400 and accessories. Includes notetaker, leather case, Ambicom wireless card, ScanTalker, a 2 GB flash card, and 2 hours of phone training. Maintenance agreements are up to date through March 2010. Asking $700, or make an offer. Contact Don Olson at (703) 920-0922, or e-mail him, olsondo24@verizon.net. FREE TO GOOD HOME: Talking calculator and abacus in fair condition with tutorial tape. Contact Nancy Ryder at owenryder@sympatico.ca or (319) 217-8385. FOR SALE: PAC Mate QX400 with accessories. Comes with 1 fabric case, 1 socket P 500 wi-fi card and a couple of memory cards. Includes power cable, computer cable, and USB thumb drive adapter. Asking $800 or best offer. Shipping included. Contact Maureen at (727) 735-0797. FOR SALE: 20-inch TV with online custom focus magnifying system and remote control. Asking $500, including shipping. Contact Lenny in Lake Worth, Fla., at (561) 433-8894. ACB OFFICERS PRESIDENT MITCH POMERANTZ 1115 CORDOVA ST. #402 PASADENA, CA 91106 FIRST VICE PRESIDENT KIM CHARLSON 57 GRANDVIEW AVE. WATERTOWN, MA 02472 SECOND VICE PRESIDENT BRENDA DILLON 313 OVERRIDGE COVE HERMITAGE, TN 37076 SECRETARY MARLAINA LIEBERG 632 S. 189TH ST. BURIEN, WA 98148 TREASURER MIKE GODINO 104 TILROSE AVE. MALVERNE, NY 11565-2024 IMMEDIATE PAST PRESIDENT CHRISTOPHER GRAY 94 RAMONA AVE. SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94103 ACB BOARD OF DIRECTORS Ray Campbell, Glen Ellyn, IL Berl Colley, Lacey, WA Marsha Farrow, Summerville, GA Michael Garrett, Missouri City, TX Billie Jean Keith, Arlington, VA Carla Ruschival, Louisville, KY Patrick Sheehan, Silver Spring, MD Jeff Thom, Sacramento, CA David Trott, Talladega, AL Cammie Vloedman, Oklahoma City, OK Ex Officio: Marcia Dresser, Reading, MA BOARD OF PUBLICATIONS Paul Edwards, Chairman, Miami, FL Marcia Dresser, Reading, MA Judy Jackson, San Antonio, TX Jenine Stanley, Columbus, OH Ken Stewart, Warwick, NY Ex Officios: Michael Malver, Minneapolis, MN Ron Milliman, Bowling Green, KY