KCB State Convention Summary – November, 2012
The 39th annual conference of the Kentucky Council of the Blind was held at the Kentucky School for the Blind during the weekend of November 16-18, 2012.
President Bill Deatherage called the annual business meeting to order at 12:00 noon on Saturday November 17.
President Bill Deatherage informed the members that secretary Kristi Sykes was unable to attend. He stated that Rick Boggess had agreed to take meeting notes due to the secretary’s absence.
When President Deatherage called for reading of last year’s meeting minutes, Carla Ruschival indicated that the secretary had sent them to her but that she had been unable to download them due to a technical glitch. A motion to suspend reading of the minutes was seconded and approved by the membership.
Treasurer Carla Ruschival reported balances as of October 31, 2012. In addition, Carla reported that the Council received a $5000 grant from the Downtown Louisville Lions Club over the past year. A motion to approve the report was seconded and approved by the membership.
President Bill Deatherage asked Carla Ruschival to update membership on the upcoming Crossroads Leadership Conference. Carla indicated that the conference will be held in Louisville on March 15-17 at the Best Western Plus on Bishop Lane. Those interested in attending the conference do not have to be recommended by chapter leadership. Hotel rates are approximately $79 per might; registration fees have not been determined.
President Bill Deatherage reflected on his two years as president. He thanked everyone for their support and pointed out that one needs good help running a successful organization. Among the highlights he mentioned were the completion of the Brownsboro Road sidewalk project, planning for the 2012 ACB national convention and the successes achieved by the Tri-State Library Users Group and Guide Dog Users of Kentucky.
Chapter Reports
Joey Couch, president of the Eastern Kentucky Christian Council, reported that they have experienced a good year. They had a nice summer picnic and have been working with people in Eastern Kentucky to locate needed resources. The chapter’s annual Christmas party will be held at Ponderosa in Hazard at 1:00 on December 15.
Adam Ruschival presented information about the Tri-State Library Users Group. This is the first year for the chapter which has been accepted into the ACB Library Users Group. Membership has increased from 10 to 17. The chapter has been involved in fundraising, has worked on a book marking kit and hosted a convention session presented by author Michele Dutcher.
Carla Ruschival reported that the Greater Louisville Council has been very busy. Activities have included dine outs, game nights at KSB, advocacy workshops, an iPhone workshop and a lunch cruise on the Belle of Louisville. A tour of the MegaCaverns is planned for the fourth Saturday in January, 2013. The chapter is working on an update to pocket Pages, a pocket-sized resource list. The club is seeking additional funding sources for this project. APH has pledged 24 cartons of braille paper and the Downtown Louisville Lions Club has made a significant donation. It is hoped that the books will be available early in 2013. The annual Christmas party will be held on December 8 at KSB.
Deb Lewis reported on the activities of the Guide Dog Users of Kentucky. They have had dinner meetings, participated in a white elephant exchange, learned about and worked with the Humane Society, and visited a summer day camp to teach children about guide dogs. They have also assisted some users who have experienced problems with some businesses denying guide dog access. Deb stated that Doctor Sara Tolar is willing to come to KSB one Friday afternoon in May to perform free eye exams on guide dogs if people register in advance and if appropriate arrangements can be made with the KSB administration. The chapter is currently conducting a fundraiser by selling chances on hand made items and braille services from Rick Roderick. Membership has increased from 7 to 20 in the past year.
Birchell “Cisco” Slusher reported on the activities of the Northern Kentucky Chapter. The chapter has encountered problems locating a place to meet so they have used the conference line to meet via conference call. The annual Christmas party will be from 2-5 on December 15 at Golden Corral.
Paula Wiese, Executive Director of the Bluegrass Council of the Blind, reported on activities of the affiliate. In addition to its monthly meetings, the Council, along with 77 other vendors, participated in the third disAbility Expo in April. They also joined several other groups in a White Cane Day activity at the public library in October and attended the technology expo sponsored by the Kentucky Office for the Blind in Louisville in September. Paula reported she will be retiring and is working with her prospective replacement, Theresa Thomas. The Council is working on doing training with i-Devices and is looking forward to working on some projects with the Office for the Blind. The annual Christmas party is scheduled from 2-5 P.M. on December 9 at its office in Lexington.
Elections
Bill Wright, chairman of the nominating committee, was unable to attend the convention. So, Deanna Scoggins presented the committee’s recommended slate of officers to the membership. The recommendations were as follows: president, Deb Lewis; first vice president, Deb Trevino; second vice president, Joey Couch; secretary, Rick Boggess; treasurer, Carla Ruschival; director (filling Deb Lewis’s place on the board if she is elected president), Birchell “Cisco” Slusher. Deanna Scoggins explained election rules. Deb Trevino made a motion to adopt the rules. The motion was seconded and then approved by the membership. Jim Shaw then moved for approval of the nominating committee report. The motion was seconded and then approved by the membership.
President Bill Deatherage asked if there were any additional nominations for the office of president. Michael McCarty was nominated from the floor. However, he declined the nomination. Deanna Scoggins then made a motion to elect Deb Lewis president by acclamation. The motion was seconded and approved by the membership.
President Bill Deatherage called for additional nominations for each of the remaining offices up for election. When no additional names were presented for consideration, motions to elect each of the individuals by acclamation were seconded and approved by the membership.
President Bill Deatherage asked if there was any additional business. After none was proposed, Deanna Scoggins moved that the meeting be adjourned. The motion was seconded and the membership voted to adjourn at 1:07 P.M.
Respectfully submitted by Rick Boggess
Download Summary: KCBStateConventionSummaryNovember2012
