May 2022 Minute Message

Fellow Federationists:

As we move toward the NFB National Convention, we are hard at work preparing to gather together – in person and virtually – to set the policies of the Federation. We also have been tremendously busy as we saw our Sports and Rec, Guide Dog, DEI, Scholarship, Membership, and Advocacy Committees hard at work developing programs and implementing policies of the NFB of Maryland. We continue our grassroots efforts related to advocacy, outreach, education, training, and so much more. Read on for important information in the National Federation of the Blind of Maryland.

Get ready for New Orleans in 2022!

The NFB 2022 National Convention will take place from July 5 – 10, 2022 in New Orleans Louisiana. We are very excited to pass the convention hosting torch to the Louisiana affiliate. The convention will take place at the New Orleans Marriott, and all rooms at the main hotel are sold out. The overflow hotel is the Sheraton New Orleans, and the Exhibit Hall will be located here. To reserve a room at the overflow hotel, if rooms are available, call 855-516-1090. The rooming rate was $109 per night plus tax at both hotels for single and double occupancy (triples and quads cost more) prior to May 31, 2022. Preregistration for the convention opened on March 1 and closed May 31, 2022. However, on-site registration will be available.

We can’t wait to see you in New Orleans!

NFBMD Convention Orientation – Thursday, June 30, 2022 at 8:00PM

The National Federation of the Blind of Maryland will once again be hosting a National Convention Orientation for Marylanders on Thursday, June 30, 2022 starting at 8:00PM. All Marylanders who are attending an in-person NFB national convention for the first time or those who just want information about the Convention are welcome. We will be discussing what to expect, Maryland-specific events and activities, and mentoring and getting assistance during the convention.

Click this link to join: https://zoom.us/j/6248138327?pwd=eTZlYUgwR3ZQVVl1dXBLSHcrbml1QT09
Meeting ID: 624 813 8327
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+13017158592,,6248138327#

NFBMD Caucus– TBD

We will be holding the Maryland Caucus in person during the NFB National Convention, and it promises to be action-packed. Come to meet the NFBMD State Scholarship winners, our National scholarship winners, discuss the resolutions that will come before the convention, and so much more! This is a very important event, so please plan to attend.

We don’t yet know the date, time, and location of the Caucus, but we will widely disseminate the information once it is finalized.

Proposed Amendment to the Constitution of the National Federation of the Blind

The following proposed amendment to the constitution of the National Federation of the Blind (as amended 2014) was approved for recommendation to the 2022 Convention by the Federation’s Board of Directors on May 12, 2022. The Convention will consider this Amendment at the 2022 NFB National Convention.

Under Article III: Membership, the Current Constitution (as Amended 2014) Reads:

Section E. Any member, local chapter, state affiliate, or division of this organization may be suspended, expelled, or otherwise disciplined for misconduct or for activity unbecoming to a member or affiliate of this organization by a two-thirds vote of the board of directors or by a simple majority of states present and voting at a National Convention. If the action is to be taken by the board, there must be good cause, and a good faith effort must have been made to try to resolve the problem by discussion and negotiation. If the action is to be taken by the Convention, notice must be given on the preceding day at an open board meeting or a session of the Convention. If a dispute arises as to whether there was "good cause," or whether the board made a "good faith effort," the National Convention (acting in its capacity as the supreme authority of the Federation) shall have the power to make final disposition of the matter; but until or unless the board's action is reversed by the National Convention, the ruling of the board shall continue in effect.

Proposed Amendments to Article III: Membership, Section E:

Remove the word “member”; this section will now pertain to local chapters, state affiliates, and divisions.

Section E Would Then Read as Follows:

Section E. Any local chapter, state affiliate, or division of this organization may be suspended, expelled, or otherwise disciplined for misconduct or for activity unbecoming to a local chapter, state affiliate, or division of this organization by a two-thirds vote of the board of directors or by a simple majority of the states present and voting at a National Convention. If the action is to be taken by the board, there must be good cause, and a good faith effort must have been made to try to resolve the problem by discussion and negotiation. If the action is to be taken by the Convention, notice must be given on the preceding day at an open board meeting or a session of the Convention. If a dispute arises as to whether there was "good cause," or whether the board made a "good faith effort," the National Convention (acting in its capacity as the supreme authority of the Federation) shall have the power to make final disposition of the matter; but until or unless the board's action is reversed by the National Convention, the ruling of the board shall continue in effect.

Proposed Addition of New Section F to Article III: Membership:

Section F. Any member of this organization may be suspended, expelled, or otherwise disciplined for misconduct or for activity unbecoming to a member of this organization, and any non-member may have their engagement in the organization restricted, through standards and procedures established, maintained, and regularly reviewed by the board of directors. These standards will be publicly available as a Code of Conduct for the organization and members will be provided with opportunities to give feedback on the Code on a periodic basis set by the board.

While considering disciplinary actions taken by the board either directly or through the procedures it establishes, there must be good cause, and a good faith effort must have been made to hear the concerns of all parties involved. With regard to handling reports of violations of the code, the board will establish policies and procedures on how such reports will be investigated and then resolved. Any person subject to a ruling under these policies and procedures may appeal that ruling to the board, which may elect to have a subcommittee of the board handle the appeal. However, any three members of the board may, through written request, initiate a full board review of any disciplinary decision issued under the Code of Conduct. The procedures maintained by the board must provide individuals with clear guidance regarding their right to an appeal, the process for requesting an appeal, and the standards used in the board’s review of the appeal.

Any person subject to disciplinary action by the board issued through the procedures and policies authorized by this section may appeal the board’s final decision to the National Convention. Such an appeal must be filed in writing and within thirty days of the board’s decision. The written request shall be submitted to the President and must be signed by five delegates to the next Convention who support hearing the appeal. Notice of the appeal hearing must be given on the preceding day at an open board meeting or a session of the Convention. Due to the sensitive nature of certain matters, any disciplinary action to be considered by the Convention will only be considered in a closed committee meeting consisting of the delegates present and voting and the Federation’s President. The committee shall be chaired by the President unless a conflict of interest prevents the President from chairing the committee, in which case the delegates shall elect one of the other delegates present who does not have a conflict to preside over the meeting. All efforts will be made in any disciplinary meeting to protect the identity of individuals who were harmed. A matter that has not been fully investigated shall never be considered by the Convention. If a dispute arises as to whether there was "good cause," or whether the board made a "good faith effort," the National Convention (acting in its capacity as the supreme authority of the Federation) shall have the power to make final disposition of the matter; but until or unless the board's action is reversed by the National Convention, the ruling of the board shall continue in effect.

Maryland National Scholarship Finalists

This year, Shawn Abraham and Katelyn Siple have been selected as NFB National Scholarship Finalists. Shawn is a senior, attending the University of Maryland Baltimore County, studying Political Science and International Relations. Shawn is also the treasurer of our Maryland Association of Blind Students. Katelyn will be completing her junior year at Lancaster Bible College, studying Communication and Biblical Studies. Katelyn is the secretary of the Maryland Association of Blind Students. They and their 28 scholarship classmates will receive scholarships in the amount of $8,000 each at the NFB National Convention in New Orleans. They will attend the National Convention and the NFBMD State convention in Towson this November, so you will have the opportunity to get to know them better. Please join me in congratulating Katelyn and Shawn.

NFBMD Scholarship Finalists

The National Federation of the Blind of Maryland is pleased to announce that this year, four students have been selected as 2022 John T. McCraw Scholarship finalists. Tyler Hoppe is a rising sophomore at Penn State University studying law and politics. Eunae Rodeheaver is an incoming freshman at Dequesne University, planning to study musical performance. Kirin (Sai) Techawongtham is working on earning a Masters degree in counseling from Johns Hopkins University. Jessica Wilson is an incoming freshman at Frostburg State University, studying special education with a focus on teaching blind students. They will all be attending the NFB National Convention in New Orleans and the NFBMD State Convention in Towson, so you will have the chance to get to know them. They will receive their NFBMD scholarships of $4,000 each, at the state convention in November provided they remain eligible. We are thrilled with this year’s scholarship class and know you will be impressed as well.

NFBMD Spring Donation Drive

The National Federation of the Blind of Maryland is conducting a Theater Spring Donation Drive. In appreciation for your financial support, we will enter contributors in this program into a drawing for a pair of tickets to the Hippodrome Theater in Baltimore for Mean Girls, presented by Broadway Across America. (the drawings for Ain’t Too Proud and Hairspray has already taken place.) The show is audio described, and we are grateful to the audio description firm for donating these tickets to NFBMD for use as a fundraiser.

For every $5, the contributor will get one chance to win. For example, if an individual donates $20, they will be entered into the drawing four times.

We will draw at the end of June for the July 17, 2022 performance of Mean Girls. The seats are located in the upper right box.

Here are the rules:

• Contributions will be taken until June 30, 2022 as part of this initiative.
• For each $5 donated, the individual's name will be entered into the drawing. That means the more the individual donates, the greater their chance of winning.
• We will draw on the last day of June one name from those who have contributed at least $5 during the campaign. That individual will receive 2 tickets to the scheduled show, Mean Girls, on July 17, 2022.
• Tickets are nonrefundable and nonexchangeable.

To make a donation as part of this drive, please either:

Use the Paypal button located at:
https://nfbmd.org/theaterdonation

*Contributions are $6 for each chance due to processing costs

OR

Send a check to:
NFB of Maryland
1800 Johnson Street
Suite N1
Baltimore, MD 21230
*Be sure to put in the memo that this is for the Theater Spring Donation Drive.

Crabbing for Student Scholarships

Please purchase your tickets today for the NFB of Maryland Annual Crab Feast. This fundraiser supports the John T McCraw Scholarship Program, which provides scholarships to blind post-secondary education students.

When: Friday, August 5, 2022 - 6:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m.
Where: Tall Cedars - 2501 Putty Hill Ave - Parkville, MD 21234
Tickets are $65 each if purchased before July 22, or $70 afterword’s. Children 6 and under are free.
Special Promotion: Buy or Sell 25 or more tickets and get your ticket FREE!
Dancing, 50 / 50 Raffle, Door Prizes, and more.

Menu Includes:
Steamed Crabs, Pit Beef, turkey breast, & Ham – All You Can Eat!
Plus a Buffet of Entrees Including Old Bay wings and Sausage, Sides, Salad, Cake…
Yuengling and Miller beer
Carbonated Beverages, iced tea, and Coffee

To purchase tickets, visit http://www.nfbmd.org/crabs.

For additional information contact me at (443) 426-4110 or email President@NFBMD.org

Pay Your 2022 Dues As Soon As Possible!!

In light of the pandemic and the suspension of in-person chapter meetings, NFBMD maintains an online portal for individuals to pay their chapter and division dues. We are asking members to pay their 2022 dues as soon as possible so we can ensure that our rolls are accurate for the annual national membership data call.

Individuals may use NFBMD’s Dues Portal to pay their 2022 annual dues, and/or lifetime membership dues for those chapters that have lifetime membership. The portal lists all NFBMD chapters and divisions and their dues amounts. Individuals may pay for as many chapters and divisions as they wish. The portal is located at http://nfbmd.org/dues. Alternatively, individuals may mail a check to their chapter or division treasurer.

Update to NFBMD Policy on In-Person Gatherings

As the affiliate, chapters, and divisions resume and/or increase in-person activities such as fundraisers, chapter meetings, and seminars, please remember that the NFB of Maryland Board of Directors adopted a Policy on In-Person Gatherings, which is applicable to all events and activities. The Board updated this policy on May 27, 2022. You can review the policy by visiting: https://nfbmd.org/eventpolicy.

Blind Cruising 2023

The National Federation of the Blind of Maryland will be hosting a cruise fundraiser from December 3 – 10, 2023. The affiliate will receive a portion of the cost of each cabin that is booked. All are welcome, including members of the NFBMD, other affiliates, families, colleagues, and friends. For additional information, please contact our travel agent, Cindy Kiper at ckiper@dreamvacations.com or 813-418-0647.

Details are as follows:

• Ship: Carnival Legend
• Date: December 3 - 10, 2023
• Port of Departure: Baltimore, Maryland
• Number of nights: 7
• Ports visited: Nassau, Bahamas; Princess Cays, Bahamas; and Freeport, Bahamas

Key Dates:

• First Deposit due: July 31, 2022 or until all cabins are booked, whichever is sooner - $25 per person
• Second Deposit due: March 31, 2023 - $250 per person plus full names of sailors
• Final payment due: August 15, 2023

Types and prices of cabins (this is a per person price based on double occupancy and includes cabin fee, port charges, and taxes); we have a limited number of cabins, so prices may change once our block is filled.

• Balcony cabin (extended balcony) = $787.86 per person
• Balcony cabin (standard balcony) = $782.86 per person
• Ocean-view cabin = $617.85 per person
• interior cabin = From $527.86 to $537.86 per person
• if anyone needs a triple or quad cabin, they should let us know.
• Note: Cabin types are going first come first serve, so please email to inquire about availability.

Initial Deposit of $25 per person can be made in one of two ways:

• Mail checks payable to NFB of Maryland, 1800 Johnson Street, Suite N1, Baltimore, MD 21201
• Pay online at https://nfbmd.org/blindcruising
  *Online payments add an additional $2 per person for processing.

We hope you will join us on this incredible trip.

Membership Efforts

One key priority in 2022 is for NFBMD to conduct a robust membership building effort. This is based on the needs and desires of several chapters within Maryland. The Board of Directors voted in January to reorganize the Baltimore County Chapter; in addition, the Western Maryland Chapter reorganized in mid-2021 and is working to expand its size and presence. The Eastern Shore Chapter has determined that it too needs to expand its prominence, size, and presence. The Greater Baltimore Chapter has determined there are many blind and low vision people in the local area to whom it wishes to reach out. The TLC Chapter has decided it too is committed to continuing to grow. Every chapter and division in Maryland expressed a desire and commitment to recruiting, developing, and retaining members.

As a result, our Membership Committee, led by Dezman Jackson, will be working on various membership initiatives in 2022. We need your help! If you know of blind and low vision Marylanders who are not yet members of the Federation, please introduce them to their local chapter. Please share ideas with Dezman and me as to how we can connect with people who are not yet members or how to reconnect with those whose membership has lapsed. Please invite those individuals to share with you, with Dezman, and with me, what they would want to get from membership in the Federation and any barriers to joining. Please let Dezman and me know if you are interested in supporting the Membership Committee with recruitment and retention initiatives. Membership building is truly the responsibility of each of us, and we need your help!

NFBMD Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Initiatives

NFBMD is actively working to expand our knowledge of and emphasis on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives. These initiatives also include those related to sexual harassment and misconduct, consent, boundaries, and power dynamics. It is our intent that NFB of Maryland activities, events, and programs be safe and welcoming to all, and to that end we are devoting resources and time to increase our awareness and enhance our strategies on DEI. Qualik Ford and Juhi Narula co-chair this committee. We encourage those interested in joining the committee to reach out to me at President@nfbmd.org.

The Committee provides state-wide guidance and support to chapters and the affiliate on DEI. One goal for 2022 is to increase the presence of DEI in our activities and to hold more DEI-focused activities. The Committee has and will continue to share informational communications on certain topics and observances to promote DEI but needs assistance in this area from those with lived experience and/or expertise. One particular highlight was a day-long training for all elected affiliate, chapter, and division board members, the DEI committee, the scholarship committee, the membership committee, and those working with children. This training occurred on March 5, 2022 and featured an introduction to diversity, equity, and inclusion; recognizing and minimizing micro-aggressions; and understanding and combatting implicit bias.

If you have questions about these initiatives or have suggestions for how we can best incorporate DEI into our programs, please don’t hesitate to contact me at President@nfbmd.org or at 443-426-4110.

NFB BELL Academy Baltimore and In-Home Edition!

The NFB BELL Academy provides children with Braille and nonvisual skills instruction through fun, hands-on learning activities. The NFB BELL Academy—which stands for National Federation of the Blind Braille Enrichment for Literacy and Learning®—is a nationwide (United States and Puerto Rico) summer program that prepares blind and low-vision children to grow into confident and independent blind people who live the lives they want. Activities at NFB Maryland BELL are provided in a day program. In addition to Braille crafts, games, and other engaging projects, children learn vital independent living skills, interact with blind adult mentors, and enjoy field trips to sites related to the NFB BELL Academy curriculum. Through these activities and interactions, the children learn that blindness or low vision does not define them or their future.

The NFB BELL Academy is appropriate for blind and low vision children ages four through twelve who:

• Do not receive enough Braille and nonvisual skills instruction in school
• Could benefit from more Braille exposure over the summer
• Would enjoy connecting with blind role models

The National Federation of the Blind of Maryland is offering one two-week in person NFB BELL Academy session in Baltimore, Maryland, From July 25, 2022 – August 5, 2022. The National Federation of the Blind is also offering one three-week virtual program of the NFB BELL Academy In-Home Edition July 18 through August 5, 2022, for which options are available for beginner, intermediate, and advanced students. Space is limited.

To register for NFB BELL Academy In Person in Baltimore or In Home Edition, visit: https://nfb.org/programs-services/nfb-bell-academy. For questions, contact NFB of Maryland NFB BELL Academy Coordinator Brittany Bomboy at 757-969-3724 or by email at Bnbomboy@gmail.com.

NFBMD Advocacy Skills Training Sessions

Would you like to brush up on your advocacy skills for yourself and others? Save the dates: August 20 and October 1. We will explore a different advocacy issue each of these days. The trainings will take place on these Saturday afternoons, from 1:30 to 5:00, over zoom.
On August 20, we will tackle how to get the best IEP for students.
On October 1, we will explore avoiding social security pitfalls.

Please register for the August 20 session by sending an email to nfbmdsm@gmail.com.

Important Upcoming Dates

• June 30, 2022 – NFBMD National Convention Orientation, Virtual
• July 5 – 10, 2022 – NFB National Convention, New Orleans, Louisiana
• July 18 – August 5, 2022 – NFB BELL Academy in Home Edition, Virtual
• July 25 – August 5, 2022 – NFB BELL Academy, Baltimore, Maryland
• August 5, 2022 – NFBMD Crab Feast, Parkville, Maryland
• August 20, 2022 - Advocacy Seminar Part 3, Virtual
• October 1 – 31, 2022 – Blind Equality Achievement Month
• October 1, 2022 - Advocacy Seminar Part 4, Virtual
• November 11 – 13, 2022 – NFBMD Annual Convention, Towson, Maryland
• December 3 – 10, 2023 – NFBMD Blind Cruising 2023, Bahamas