NFBF BOARD MINUTES
 
MAY 27, 2005
 
President Dan called the meeting to order at approximately 8:00 P.M. at the Embassy Suite Hotel, Boca Raton on 5/27, at the state convention of NFBF.
 
Minutes:  Kathy moved, Joe seconded and the motion carried to accept the 3/6 minutes which by now all had had time to recall.  The motion carried unanimously.
 The 5/4 minutes had not yet been prepared.
 
Treasury:  We have 222 preregistrations with 160 for banquet.  The full report will be given at the general session.  J. D. moved, Dwight seconded and the
motion carried unanimously to approve the report.
 
Pensacola appears to be the only chapter not represented.
 
Legislative:  Just brought 13 back from Washington yesterday.  Some had positive experiences with legislators, others not so good.  President Maurer says this is only the beginning.  This is more than politics.  This is our future as well as that of many disabled.  Discussion followed.  Lydia will be given the proper contact information to keep up on this sort of thing.
 
Newsline:  The end of the fiscal year, all but $325 of the $150,000 was spent.  We have an appropriation through DBS for $150,000 again this year.  When Daytona invited the Managing Editor of their newspaper to their meeting, it was a good marketing thing for Daytona.
 
Scholarship committee:  In addition to our state scholarship, Rick and Lydia also won National.  Laurel Henry, Chad Buckins, Mary Schach, Tangela Griffith and Brittany Wright were the other state winners.
 
Events Committee:  Much of the information at the seminars will be by floppy disc or CD rather than paper.
 
Resolutions:  Someone must be there to speak on behalf of the writer, if not the writer himself, if a resolution is to be heard.  Any resolution coming in late may yet be heard if five board members agree that it should be heard.  Should a resolution be voted down, it can b heard on the floor as a whole if five board members, five chapter presidents, five committee members or any combination thereof agree to its coming to the floor.
 
Checklist:  David Hartley Margolin is our reader.  He and his wife will be arriving tomorrow.  Please welcome them in the fine style that we always do.

Fred Schroeder and wife Cathy will be present also.
 
Exhibits:  David named many of the expected exhibitors.  Accessible voting machines will be there.  Social Security will have a table.
 
Publicity:  Lydia put together a seminar for tomorrow.  Lydia needs a contact person from each chapter for PR.  By the time of the presidents committee meeting, each chapter should have in place a PR person to report to Lydia.
 
Childcare:  Donna has six girl scouts.  The response has mainly been for the banquet.  We have not really worked out price.  Starting at noon tomorrow, we will have childcare.  Chad and his fiancee would offer their suite as the place for childcare.  Lots of discussion followed regarding money.  It might be a good thing next year to have people put on the registration form if there is interest in childcare.  We can also learn from this year.  J. D. made a motion that we have a suggested $20 per day for childcare donation and for those who had difficulty with this, that we have flexibility.  Dwight seconded.

Discussion followed.  Gloria offered a friendly amendment to have a suggested $15 donation per child for just banquet, maintaining flexibility for those with more than one child.  The person designated in charge of the childcare will exercise the flexibility option.  J. D. amended his own motion to reflect a $40 cap for any family’s expense.  $30 would be the cap for the evening/banquet.  The motion carried.  The $30 evening cap is only if merely the evening
is used and does not reflect the daytime. No one will spend more than $40 per day.  This will not necessarily reflect years to come but rather is for this year alone.
 
Auction:  Primarily Carl and Don will do the auction.  Some items may need to start at a minimum bid.  Items need to be displayed well and described in an enticing manner.  We need clarification as to whether items are for auction or door prizes.  We have some of the kids of members to do the running for prizes.
 
Tallahassee:  We spent a lot of money going to Tallahassee for the TD bill which has passed the house and senate.  We need a letter from this board supporting that bill, to be sent on to the governor.  Some want agency people to be on that board while we need business people.  Right now there are to be two disabled persons and five nontransportation business people. For example, a blind person could wear both hats, a nontransportation business person as well as a
handicapped person.  We need to be watchful.  We as a consumer group should make suggestions for persons on that board.

Now is not the time to suggest a specific person, but we will want to do this quickly, once the governor signs the bill.
 
Kathy affirmed Carlos for his work for us.  She also went on to say that she has been in contact with Julie Shaw who says that she will come to next year’s convention, just give her the date.  There is another task force that the governor is putting together:  The Accessible Electronics and Technology Task Force.  Kathy and Carlos and Craig have been contacted.  The governor is really behind this so hopefully we can get a bill in place to get that passed.
 
It would be nice to get students while they are yet at, for example, FSDB.  This would be included in a St. Augustine chapter.
 
J. D. moved adjournment and this was done at 10:22 P.M.
 
Respectfully submitted,
 
Carol Feazell, NFBF Secretary