The 2007 ACB of Nebraska state convention is scheduled for the weekend of April 27-29 at the New World Inn and Conference Center located at 265 33rd Avenue in Columbus, Neb. Room reservations may be made by calling the hotel at 1-800-433-1492. Be sure to mention ACBN in order to receive the discounted room rate of $55 plus tax per night (single through quad occupancy). This promises to be the best convention yet. For more information, call Janis Compton at (402) 592-3462.
High school seniors and college students are invited to apply for the Friends-In-Art Scholarship for the school year 2007-2008. This $1,500 scholarship is offered annually for achievement, talent, and excellence in the arts. If you are planning to major or are currently majoring in the field of music, art, drama, or creative writing, and are a blind or visually impaired student and live in North America, you may apply for this scholarship. You may obtain an application form by writing to Harvey Miller, 402 E. French Broad St., Brevard, NC 28712-3410. Include a self-addressed-stamped envelope when requesting the application. You also may request an electronic application by sending an e-mail to [email protected]. All applications and supporting information must be turned in by May 31, 2007.
The Louisiana Council of the Blind will hold its state convention at the University Plaza Comfort Center and Hotel in Baton Rouge May 25-27. Friday night opens with a social. Saturday boasts general sessions, special programs and an afternoon business meeting, plus a banquet that evening (where tickets will be no more than $25). The board will meet on Sunday morning. Brenda Dillon, president of the Tennessee Council of the Blind, will be the national representative and banquet speaker. Much of the agenda is tentative, but information and a program on grant writing for non-profit organizations will be featured, as well as a report updating members about issues on the national level relevant to them.
Room rates are $80 per day plus tax. To make or to confirm reservations, call the University Plaza Comfort Center and Hotel at (225) 761-1234. The street address is 5211 Essen Lane, Baton Rouge, LA 70809.
If you have any additional questions not addressed or answered in this article, please contact Dan Marshall at (337) 392-2459, or by e-mail, [email protected].
The Spartanburg, S.C. chapter of the American Council of the Blind needs you. Please contact Barbara Mattson, 519 E. Main St. #8, Spartanburg, SC 29302; phone (864) 585-7323, or e-mail [email protected].
ACBHSP would like you to join us in our affiliate. If you are employed as a human service professional, would like to be, have an interest in helping others or are studying in the field of human services, you are almost here. Now, all you have to do is officially join us.
What is ACBHSP and what do we do? We help people and we come in many forms, shapes and sizes, from mental health professionals, social workers, rehabilitation teachers, mobility instructors, information-referral specialists, health professionals, and other similar professions. But those are the careers. Maybe your career happens to be that of a technician and you find yourself actually spending your spare time providing advocacy, supporting others or caring for them. We need you, too. Many people can benefit from our affiliate and we can benefit from having you.
What do we do? We have a monthly conference call wherein we have a presentation focusing on mental health and/or blindness-related issues, then open the discussion to general issues of concern or ACBHSP specific concerns. We have an ACBHSP e-mail discussion list. We meet at the annual convention. We are new and we are growing, so you never know what will happen next. And you can be part of this exciting venture.
You join by simply sending $10 annual dues along with your name, address, telephone number, e-mail address, and preferred format (large print, braille, cassette, or e-mail) to: Jessie L. Rayl, President, ACBHSP, 305 S. Maple Ave., Martinsburg, WV 25401. Or you may e-mail her, [email protected], or phone (304) 263-2996 or (304) 671-9780.