THE STYLUS
Affiliated with
the American Council of the Blind Available in large print, via e-mail and on
cassette
Edited by Darian
Hartman
Courage
is grace under pressure--Ernest Hemingway
To all readers:
Please do not skip over this notice while you are listening or reading as
there are some changes to make note of. First
of all, if you receive this newsletter in recorded format, it is no longer
necessary to return the cassettes. Additionally,
if you communicate with the editor, Darian Hartman, via e-mail, you may want to
double check the e-mail address you have for her as this has changed.
It may also have been given out incorrectly at the recent convention in
October. Darian Hartman’s new
e-mail address is hartman-acbo@home.com.
We apologize for any inconvenience this change, or incorrect information,
may have caused any of our readers.
In order to produce an interesting, informative and
creative newsletter, articles of interest; chapter reports; etc., need to be
submitted in a timely manner. The
Stylus will come to
you quarterly in March, June, September and December, so
please submit materials by the 1st of February, May, August and November.
Materials may be submitted in Braille, on cassette,
in print, on computer disk or via e-mail to:
Darian Hartman 4335
NE 112th Portland, Or
97220
(503)
253-9543
e-mail:
Hartman-acbo@home.com.
Those wishing to receive “The Stylus” via e-mail
should contact Darian Hartman, by e-mail. Please
include the words “Stylus via e-mail” in the subject line.
Please submit any address changes or requests to
receive “The Stylus” in a different format to Bob Rushing: 4705 Auburn Rd.
NE, Space 52, Salem, OR 97301; (503) 362-4151; E-mail: b.rushing@juno.com.
Thanks
for your cooperation.
By
John Fleming
This year I attended the fortieth anniversary for the
American Council Of The Blind in Des Moines Iowa.
I was very proud when it was mentioned several times how Oregon was among the first states to join with the ACB. The ACB is the greatest consumer group of visually impaired and blind people in our great nation. ACB of Oregon is the greatest consumer organization of visually impaired and blind consumers in Oregon. In fact ACB of Oregon is the only real consumer organization of visually impaired and blind people in the state. We have been making a difference for 47 years. That’s seven years longer than the American Council Of The Blind has been in existence. Together we can make a difference.
During my two-year tenure, four new chapters have
joined the ACB of Oregon, the most recent being the Guide Dog Users of Oregon.
There are Guide Dog User’s in all most every chapter.
Klamath Falls was added to our ranks at the board meeting in Bend this
past April. With the South Coast
chapter, in Brookings and the Spilyay chapter, in Bend, we are virtually all
over the state. In fact, during the
past two years, our membership has grown by about 20%.
We continue to support the Oregon School for the
Blind. Through grants we helped
them enjoy their first Prom. We
also helped to get a new state of the art chalkboard.
This is a computer type board that is big and really helps with their
schoolwork. Their online radio
station is up and running. With
time it will really make a difference. It’s
just another example of how working together can make a difference.
Of course we continue to support our state talking
book and Braille library (TBABS). Talking
books are something we all use and there is nothing I can say that you all
don’t already know about how wonderful there service is.
I know I can’t go through a day when they don’t affect my life in
some way.
OMNI has become a reality due in part to the help of
ACB of Oregon. Along with Jerry
DeLaunay and others we have helped to get the word out over the internet.
This is only the beginning for this kind of thing and we are getting in
on the ground floor. The Internet is the wave of the Future and OMNI is a step in
the right direction.
We also continue to work closely with the Oregon Commission for the Blind. Several of our members have been to the Legislature testifying for budget concerns. Besides putting people to work we have to be concerned about our ever-growing older blind population. Funding is a never-ending battle and we can make a difference.
The commission also has a new Internet radio station
that we indirectly helped with through OMNI.
This will help in the battle to educate our population of visually
impaired and blind people.
Through the hard work of several of our chapters and
their members we have seen lots of new accessible street crossings pop up in the
state. One is on the corner of
Hawthorn and Market street in Salem. I
hope most of you who attended the convention had the chance to use it for
yourselves. I would like to thank
all who worked so hard to make the streets in Oregon safer for all of us.
The job is not done, not by any stretch of the imagination. There are
lots of street crossings that need accessible crossings and it’s going to take
lots of hard work to get them all fixed.
Our web page, www.ACBOFOREGON.ORG is up and running.
It is yet another link to the future for our council.
ACB-L is the ACB of Oregon’s list serve.
If you would like to get on the list send me your Email address and I
will start the process. Email John
Fleming at bj2kiowa@internetcds.com
and put something about acb-l in the subject line.
The Internet is there to use and if we use it. Together we can make a difference!
I would like to thank all of you for your support during the two years I was your President. I enjoyed the job, learned a lot and we did some great work together. I plan to continue to work hard for the ACB of Oregon in the coming years. I look forward to seeing all of you at our next convention in Bend. Lets keep up the good work that has been going on and continue to make a difference!
Together we
have made a difference in the past. Together
we are making a difference today. Together
we will make a difference in the future.
KLAMATH
CHAPTER
By
Glenn Keep
Greetings
good friends. As the Klamath Falls
Chapter, we are definitely the new kids on the block.
While we may be lacking in experience, our group has no shortage of
enthusiasm. The chapter was started
in March of this year and we now have twenty-four members.
Our officers are: Joan Hill, president, Jan Chance, vice-president,
Loretta Spahn, secretary and Debra Thurston, treasurer.
Since the
group's inception, we have been working to enrich the lives of our members,
inform the public concerning white cane and guide dog awareness and advocating
to improve services to the blind and visually impaired in our area.
We have had
several social and educational events. In
May, Patty Johnson, leader of the Klamath Guiding Eyes club, gave a
presentation, which included cuddly puppies in training to be Guide Dogs.
There are currently six puppies being trained in the Klamath Basin.
During June,
members attended the Keno Lion's Club barbecue, a fundraiser for the Klamath
Guiding Eyes club. The chapter also
had a picnic at a local park, which gave members an opportunity to socialize and
meet new members.
In July,
Vicky Jack, with Guide Dogs for the Blind, gave a presentation and answered
questions. That month the group
discussed access problems with the local bus company’s Dial-a-Ride service as
well as audible pedestrian signals and an accessible workstation in Klamath
Falls.
Several of
our members joined the Rogue Valley chapter to attend two Shakespearean plays
during the summer. Description
audio enabled all present to enjoy the plays to the fullest.
The chapter
had the privilege of being entertained in August by a group of retired teachers
who are members of the Kitchen Band. This
unique group of musicians used everything from modified kazoos to washboards for
instruments.
In September,
approximately twenty of us walked in the Tutelage Butte Valley Fair Parade (in
Tulelake, California) to promote white cane and guide dog awareness.
After the parade, the group grabbed
snacks at the fair. Everyone
had a great time.
Recently,
seven members of our chapter attended the 47th Annual ACB Convention in Salem.
All reported having a great time and met many new friends and exchanged
ideas with other members throughout the state.
Our agenda
for the near future includes special, fun Braille classes and playing with
Braille cards and Braille bingo.
In November
we will be starting our own social group to learn and brush up on our Braille
skills. The class will be taught by
Marie Siljan and Joan Hill. We are
also in the early stages of planning a fundraiser for this winter.
Our most recent activity was White Cane Safety Day on October 15. This was a collaborative effort by the City of Portland Department of Transportation, the Commission for the Blind the National Federation of the Blind, Independent Living Resources, the American Council of the Blind of Oregon (ACBO) and others. The setting was Pioneer Square, and the weather was balmy and bright. An audible signal was available for demonstration. Those passing by enjoyed refreshments and speeches. Workers from surrounding offices sat on steps and ate their lunches. We all agreed that guide dogs and white canes received wonderful publicity.
Several chapter members attended the convention in
Salem. Informational talks, food
and Dashney entertainment were superb. All
of the fellowship was a delightful plus.
We have two new members, Kay Scott and Glenys Becker.
Multnomah Chapter happily welcomes them.
By Gloria Libby
We in the Pioneer Chapter are emotional today.
At the beginning of October, we restarted our Young Braille Readers
Program to give blind students all over Oregon, who come to our attention, their
first personally owned Braille books. At
the end of October, as I write this, we have discovered that we are not, by any
means, the only ones giving students Braille books.
When most of us, in our chapter, were growing up, it was rare for a child to own a Braille book. Magazines were easier to come by, but even they were scarce until many of us reached our late teens or early twenties. In the nineties, dedicated people, including Deanna Noriega and Carol Whitney, started the Young Braille Readers Program. Letters to supervisors of Braille teachers brought very satisfying results. We could do something for a new generation of children, from pre=schoolers through about age 14, giving them a gift that we, ourselves, had not received. This year we contacted the supervisors, as we had done in past years, and looked forward to that “needed” feeling, and to thank you letters from some of the children, letters we would always treasure. What
a shock, to discover that free Braille books are now available all over the place! Because of the abundance of low cost Braille books from sources such as Seedlings and the National Braille Press, parents, teachers and others are consistently buying Braille books for students.
Now, we are ambivalent. Our strongest reaction is, “Wow! How wonderful! This is just what we wanted to achieve!” Underneath, though, other thoughts lurk. “What we’ve been doing isn’t necessary anymore.” “Now what?” We are continuing the project this year.
We’ll see how much need there is, and when the year is over, we will evaluate how well our work succeeded. Chances are we will find that people are providing books for children so well that our chapter will have to find some other community service project.
The Pioneer Chapter is small, and not very affluent.
We have asked a couple of Lions clubs to help us fund this project.
Even if, in the near future, there’s a hole in our hearts where the Young Braille Readers Program used to be, we can feel the quiet joy, when we think about Braille literacy, and know that we helped along the way.
The September 8th
meeting included guest speaker Ralph Sherman from Vision Aids in
Portland. He introduced the
“Jordi”, which is similar to a pair of goggles and can project the magnified
image in the goggles or on a monitor. At the September 18th workshop,
members completed the wooden toys for the local
Christmas basket program.
October has been a very busy month, beginning with
the luncheon/business meeting on the 6th, 2002-membership drive, and
selection of person to handle nominations for new officers and board members.
Mike Smith won the 50-50-jackpot raffle.
Our second-annual White Cane Awareness March was held
on the 13th through downtown Grants Pass.
Approximately sixty persons participated, including Rogue Valley Chapter
members, Guide Dog puppy raisers from Medford and Grants Pass and Cave Junction
Lions Club members. The walk was led and followed by members of Josephine-Jackson
Counties Rescue and Search Unit. A
big thanks to television channel 12 for covering the event and airing it on the
evening news. We greatly appreciate
and compliment Dianne Byrd for the excellent organization of the event!
Five chapter members attended the ACB of Oregon State Convention. chapter president Bob Matti and guide dog Eldon managed to get their picture in the Salem newspaper on Sunday along with the convention coverage. Hope you enjoyed your spot in the limelight, Bob!
Election of officers and board members will be a primary focus of the November business meeting and plans are being completed for the annual Christmas luncheon and party.
Highlights
of the 47th-Annual Convention
Hosted by the Willamette chapter, the Forty Seventh
annual convention of the ACB of Oregon, was a big success.
Convention Committee chair, Flo Dugan, and her committee members along
with the entire Willamette chapter did a Great job under uncertain conditions.
They are to be congratulated for a job very well done.
Congratulations to Flo and all her help. Thank You Flo and others.
Considering the fact that we had less than favorable
hotel conditions this was another convention to remember.
The new accessible street crossing at Hawthorn and Market Street is a
great reminder of what took place on Friday afternoon at 1:30.
A large group attended the dedication of the crossing at Hawthorn and
Market Street. The Mayor and several other big names were there. They even tried
the crossing under blindfold.
Thanks to Marie Anderson for all her hard work
getting everything arranged for this event. Your long hours and persistence paid
off. Thank you Marie.
Bob Johnson's Convention Attendees Transit System (CATS) seemed to be working smoothly. Thanks Bob for another great job handling the unique transportation problems our affiliate has. It's a challenge getting everyone to a convention and Bob handled it with real professionalism.
Apologies are due for the conditions the Exhibitors
had to endure. It was no fault of the convention committee or the exhibitors but
rather a communication breakdown at the top. Among other things
this was one example of the Hotel's lack of concern.
They had the Exhibits on the third floor while all the rest of the events were
on the first floor. It was a lesson well learned.
Guide Dog Users of Oregon had a very good Convention
on Friday afternoon. It was well attended and besides some very good speakers
they had a great Banquet on Friday night. Congratulations
to all who worked very hard to make it a hit.
Saturday and Sunday's sessions featured very
interesting speakers and lively election of Officers. Bev Rushing was elected President; Bob Johnson is now first
Vice-President and Ed Ripplinger was elected to the position of Second
Vice-President.
Geri Hallisy will continue as Secretary and Bob
Rushing as Treasurer. Lets all work
hard with our new officers and make ACB of Oregon the best it can be.
Saturday night's Banquet was well attended and
enjoyed by all. We had a good meal
after which our very own John Dashney hosted the evening. Not only were we
blessed with one of his great stories we heard two.
Sunday morning started with an inspirational Memorial
service conducted by Glenys Becker. It was followed by a business meeting and
lunch.
One of the last things we did was select the Spilyay
Chapter to host our 2002 convention in Bend.
We are looking forward to joining the Spilyay Chapter for what should be
a real fun convention. I hope to
see all of you there in October 2002.
It’s time again to begin thinking about attending the ACB National Convention. This year it will be held in Houston, Texas, June 29 through July 6, 2002. You can see your “Braille Forum” for details as they are printed.
However, for the past two or three years, ACB of Oregon members have been fortunate to be able to receive a financial subsidy to attend the national conventions. You must be a member for a year in order to receive this subsidy, and you may be asked to supply proof of membership. Simply fill out the application inserted in this newsletter if you wish to request this $400 financial subsidy. Complete the enclosed form and mail it to Bob Rushing, ACB of Oregon Treasurer. The form must be in Bob’s hands no later than March 1, 2002. If you receive this newsletter via cassette or e-mail, you may contact Bob to request a copy of this application. Cassette users, if it is convenient, may type answers to the questions and mail them to Bob. Be sure to fill out the application completely.
Bob’s contact information is at the end of this newsletter under “State Officers”. Don’t delay. Fun is bigger and better in Texas!
Oral
Hull Park News
By
Patty Bessant
Join with us for a Holiday Weekender on December 1st and 2nd. A delicious seasonal dinner will be served mid-day on December 1st. A blind person who is invited by a foundation member is a
guest. Bring
nonperishable food that will be taken into Sandy for distribution.
There will be an optional gift exchange.
For further information, call (503) 668-6195.
Traditionally, there is no scheduled activity in
January due to the uncertainty of weather.
Therefore, the next scheduled weekend will be February 3rd and 4th, 2002.
If you are unacquainted with Oral Hull, feel free to
make a visit. You may find it to be
just what you are looking for to broaden your horizons.
California
Canes reports that they are accepting reasonable offers for the remainder of
their old, but very good stock!
Contact
CALIFORNIA CANES, 25611 Quail Run #125
Dana
Point, Ca 92629,
Toll
Free # (866) 489-1973, Fax# (949) 489-0996
Free
Large Print and Braille Cook Books:
Blindskills, Inc. has been sent several large print and braille copies of cookbooks and other manuals. They are available, at no cost to you, by calling Blindskills, Inc. toll-free number (800)-860-4224.
Titles
include:
Available
in large print or braille: A Leaf From Our Table, Breads, Your Green Scene; and
How to Care for Plants; manual of macrame knots and patterns
Books
in large print only:
So
What About Sewing; and Row Upon Row, A Manual of Latch Hooking Techniques and
Patterns;
Books
in Braille only:
Plain
and Not So Plain Meals; and Meatless Meals.
The below are strictly the opinions of Bob Matti,
however, they were spawned from research of methods used by various Service
Clubs and Organizations. These
thoughts pertain to various sections of the By-Laws and methods of doing
business by The ACB of Oregon.
Nominating Committee
I firmly think the nominating committee should be required to notify all chapters of the slate of suggested candidates in advance of the convention so that members prior to the convention can make comparisons and decisions. Also some prospective candidates could do some campaigning. Chapter Presidents should receive this notification well in advance of the chapters final meeting before the annual convention or election.
I was told the By-Laws say something about Officers
not being able to serve more than 2 consecutive terms.
I have recently read/listened to the By-Laws quite thoroughly several
times, and I do not see where anything is ever mentioned about term limits.
If somewhere documentation exists with the wording, “two consecutive
terms”, I think “consecutive” should be stricken and the words “three
terms” be inserted instead of “two”, in other words limit terms to 6 years
whether consecutive or intermittent. I
believe only the Secretary and Treasurer should be exempt from term limits.
Voting
I strongly believe all members in good standing should be allowed to vote whether or not they attend the conventions. Some loyal, active chapter members have never been able to attend a convention and many of them will never be able to attend. Some means of voting by mail or through the chapters needs to be figured out. At present I don’t have any suggestions on how to accomplish this, but I am still hoping to come up with some feasible method.
When a method is chosen that enables all members to vote, I believe we will not have any more instances where all officers elected are from the same chapter.
When the convention host
chapter is one of the largest they will naturally have more voters present at
the convention than other chapters, so a change is a must.
How
about some ideas and or suggestions!
Also, I firmly believe that only members from the
district they are part of should be allowed to vote for the representative of
that district. I believe at present
I can vote for representatives for either district, which definitely is not
right!
I am strongly opposed to any one Chapter having a majority of the votes on the board, however, I think if a chapter has the quality of people to get elected to every office they should be allowed to do so.
My suggestion to eliminate the possibility of a
single chapter having a majority of board votes is to increase the number of
members on the board. I suggest
having at least one member from every chapter represented on the board.
As things now stand, the 8-member board will consist
of 1 from Dunes, 1 from Pioneer, 1 from Rogue Valley and 5 from Willamette.
If my suggestion of at least one board member from every chapter were
adopted, it would increase the next board size to at least 15 and eliminate
Willamette’s majority.
The number of board members will vary from election
to election. I suggest that
chapters not having an elected member on the board be responsible for selecting
one of their members to serve on the board.
It is extremely important that chapters select a member that will attend
all board meetings because without good attendance one chapter could still have
the majority of members present. Chapters
should have an alternate or back up delegate in case of something unforeseen
happening to their principal delegate.
I think changing the VOTING procedure is the most important issue I have mentioned, so hopefully a plan can be formulated and adopted.
Hopefully some members will be in complete agreement with my ideas. Some may partially agree, and for sure, some will strongly disagree!
I hope enough of you agree with me so some action can be taken on some, if not all of the items I have mentioned.
I am not the least bit difficult to contact so
comments pro and con will be appreciated!
Robert R. (Bob) Matti, Phone: (541) 846-6385, E-mail:
rrm@a1pro.net
STATE OFFICERS
106
NW "F"
Grants
Pass, OR 97526
(541)
846-6981
E-mail:
bj2kiowa@cdsnet. net
Past
President:
Bev Rushing
4730
Auburn Rd. N.E., Space #52
Salem,
OR 97301
(503)
362-4151
1st
Vice
President:
Leonard Kokel
1845
W. Anderson Ave.
Coos
Bay, OR 97420
(541)
269-7255
2nd
Vice
President:
Bob Johnson
4074
Market St. NE, #11
Salem,
OR 97301
(503)
361-8693
STATE
OFFICERS - continued
746
Browning Ave., SE
Salem,
Oregon 97302
(503)
364-5561
Treasurer:
Bob Rushing
4730
Auburn Rd. NE, Space #52
Salem,
OR 97301
(503)
362-4151
E-mail:
b.rushing@juno.com
District
Rep.
#1: Jerry
DeLaunay
7140
SW Macadam Ave.
Portland,
OR 97219
(503)
293-1902
District
Rep.
#2: James
Edwards
1075
Laurel Ave.
Reedsport,
OR 97467
(541)
271-1023
Copyright © 2000 by The ACB of Oregon/Oregon Council Of The Blind