The monthly meeting of the Kentucky Council of the Blind Board of Directors was held via conference call on Monday, June 16, 2014. President Deb Lewis called the meeting to order at 8:05 PM eastern time. Members present were Deb Lewis, Joey Couch, Rick Boggess, Carla Ruschival, Bill Deatherage, Debbie Deatherage, Natalie Beyers, “Cisco” Slusher, Elaine Weisbard, Adam Ruschival, Gerry Slusher and Bill Wright. Members Deb Trevino, Patti Cox, Donnie Parrett and Vurah Berry were absent.

Rick Boggess reported that he had sent out the one paragraph correction to the April minutes to show the change which was made in accordance with Gerry Slusher’s motion at our May 19 meeting.

In an earlier email, Rick Boggess requested that approval of the May 19 minutes be delayed until our next meeting. He has been working to get a recording of the meeting to clarify a few issues but has not yet received the copy.

Deb Lewis raised a question about whether the board wants to continue having a motion to approve the minutes or accept the minutes by general consent. Carla Ruschival observed that she believes a motion suggests a more positive action than accepting by consent. Consequently, the board agreed that we will continue as in the past.

Joey Couch made a motion that the board approve the board summaries for the months of January, February, March and April as written and submitted by Secretary Rick Boggess. The motion was seconded by Gerry Slusher and unanimously approved.

Treasurer’s Report

Treasurer Carla Ruschival presented her report for May. During the report, Carla stated that the reason for the decline in the checking account balance is that the checks written to cover the cost of the Crossroads Conference have cleared. Bill Wright made a motion to approve the treasurer’s report. The motion was seconded by Elaine Weisbard and unanimously approved.

Chapter Reports

Eastern Kentucky Christian Council – Joey Couch reminded the Board about the chapter’s upcoming picnic which will be held from 4-7 PM on June 21 at Perry County Park.

Northern Kentucky Council – Gerry Slusher reported the chapter held its monthly meeting via conference call on June 12. She stated the chapter has five new members and that they like having meetings by conference call since they do not have to leave home. Gerry also reported that she and “Cisco” will be attending the ACB National Conference in July in Las Vegas. “Cisco” Slusher reported that the chapter will be presenting appreciation awards to Gerry Slusher and Terri Meyer at a ceremony in July. Gerry Slusher reported she has collected $30 for the ACB walk. In response to a question from Gerry Slusher, Carla Ruschival stated the walk-a-thon contributions need to be received in the Minnesota office by July 5 to be counted in the totals reported at the convention.

Greater Louisville Council – Bill Wright reported that 27 people went out to eat at Frisch’s Big Boy on June 14. Upcoming events include a game workshop on August 2 and bingo on August 8. Carla Ruschival also reported that 22 people participated in the May 20 conference call with a representative from Lyft’s San Francisco office. Carla Ruschival and Gerry Slusher indicated that Lyft and Uber both serve Louisville, Lexington and the Cincinnati areas. Carla Ruschival suggested that Lyft and Uber might be good topics for the KCB convention.

Tri-state Library Users Group – Adam Ruschival reported that several people participated in the June 3 conference call. They discussed books (fiction and nonfiction) related to US history. The chaptrer does not plan to have a July meeting. They are working on getting an author to participate in their August 4 conference call.

Guide Dog Users of Kentucky – Deb Lewis reported that the chapter’s last meeting was on May 15. Several members also participated in the May 20 conference call on Lyft. The chapter has reserved 6 seats for the June 28 APH film. The group’s next conference call meeting will be on June 24. Carla Ruschival pointed out that GDUKY played a significant role in the defeat of the proposed GDUI constitution in April. The June meeting will be very important as GDUKY will be very active in future GDUI votes.

Other

Owensboro Support Group Update – Rick Boggess reported that seventeen people attended the June 10 lunch and meeting. The group finalized the constitution and shared information. The group hopes to submit their constitution, dues and list of names to the KCB board in July or August. The necessary paperwork will also be filed with the Kentucky Secretary of State in coming weeks. The next meeting will be from 1-3 PM on July 8 at Wing Avenue Baptist Church.

Committees

PR/Membership – Rick Boggess reported that the PR/membership Committee met via conference call on June 4. The group continues work on compiling a list of contacts for the offices serving those with disabilities on each of the Kentucky Community-Technical College campuses. The committee also hopes to establish similar contacts for each of the public colleges/universities around the state. Committee members have also been encouraged to think about ways to effectively share information about KCB, especially with elderly Kentuckians. The June newsletter has lots of nice information and will be in mailboxes in the next couple of days. The next meeting will be held on July 2 at 9 PM on the conference line.

KCB Convention – Joey Couch announced he will begin holding meetings in August to begin planning for the KCB conference which will be held November 21-23. He will set and publicize a date/time for the first meeting in coming weeks. Anyone who has not been approached about being on the committee is welcome to help and should join in the meetings.

Bill Wright stated that Deb Lewis has asked him to chair the nominations committee again this year. Nominations will be needed for the offices of President, First Vice President, Second Vice President, Secretary and Treasurer. Officers currently holding these positions should contact him if they are interested in seeking reelection.

Old Business

Carla Ruschival reported that the KCB walk-a-thon team, the Kentucky Racers, is now registered on the ACB website. Those wishing to participate can register as a walker or choose to be a virtual walker. To facilitate accurate record keeping, Carla encouraged potential participants to write in the team name and the name of the KCB contributor to insure that money comes back to the appropriate chapter. In addition, Carla suggested that members consider reaching out to groups/individuals outside ACB/KCB for contributions since this is a good way to gain additional publicity. Carla stated that the Greater Downtown Louisville Lions Club has pledged $500 for the walk. If there are contributions from 501C(3) organizations, they should make checks out to the American Council of the Blind or the Kentucky Council of the Blind. Carla stated that Deb Trevino has written a nice letter which she plans to use to solicit donations. This letter will be shared with the board and can be modified to meet individual needs. Donations must be turned in to the Minnesota office by July 5 in order to be counted in the team totals to be reported at the convention. KCB will get any money donated after that date; however, it will not be reported in the convention totals.

New Business

President Deb Lewis reported that the ACB Thrift Store in Louisville will be closing in july so there should be some good bargains in coming weeks. Carla stated that the store has not performed well in recent years, so ACB is taking advantage of an opportunity to get out of its lease. When the store officially closes, some if not all, remaining inventory will be moved to another store.

Carla Ruschival made a motion that KCB provide doughnuts for the July 25 SRC meeting. Joey Couch seconded the motion which was unanimously approved by the board.

Deb Lewis asked if any members plan to attend the ACB Convention in Las Vegas. Gerry Slusher, “Cisco” Slusher, Adam Ruschival, Carla Ruschival, Michael McCarty, Angie McCarty, Patti Cox and David Cox plan to attend. Carla Ruschival also reported that she is aware of several other people from Kentucky who are planning to go. In response to a question from Gerry Slusher, Carla Ruschival indicated that she will set a date/time for a conference call for those planning to be in Las Vegas.

Deb Lewis asked the board to consider whether or not to hold its regular July meeting since it is only a day or two after several people will be returning from the ACB convention. After some discussion, Rick Boggess made a motion that the KCB board cancel its July 21 meeting. Elaine Weisbard seconded the motion which was unanimously approved.

Carla Ruschival reported that two of the five Kentucky students who submitted applications for ACB scholarships were selected for the awards. Charlotte Reed is working on her master’s degree in social work at Northern Kentucky University. Hamid Hamraz is working on his doctorate in computer science at the University of Kentucky. Carla Ruschival reported that ACB Lions is doing a koral sponsorship this year to help cover the travel cost for two scholarship recipients to attend the national convention in Las Vegas. The Downtown Louisville Lions Club has pledged $500 toward the ACB Lions Choral sponsorship. In response to a question from Bill Wright, Carla Ruschival reported that it is now ACB policy to share contact information about scholarship applicants with affiliates in their respective states. The names of all five Kentucky applicants have been received by KCB and they are now on our newsletter mailing list.

Announcements and Adjournment

Deb Lewis reported that Candle in the Window will be held August 6-10 at Wooden Glen, a retreat in Henryville, Indiana. The $515 registration fee includes snacks, meals, room, and conference materials. Those wishing more information can contact Deb Lewis at 502-721-9129.

Since there was no further business, Rick Bogess moved that the meeting be adjourned. The motion was seconded and the board unanimously voted to adjourn at 9:08 PM.

Submitted by Rick Boggess, KCB Secretary

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