KCB Board Meeting – December, 2013
The monthly meeting of the Kentucky Council of the Blind Board of Directors was held via conference call on Monday, December 16, 2013. President Deb Lewis called the meeting to order at 8:08 PM eastern time. Members present were Deb Lewis, Deb Trevino, Joey Couch, Rick Boggess, Carla Ruschival, Bill Deatherage, Debbie Deatherage, Natalie Beyers, “Cisco” Slusher, Elaine Weisbard, Adam Ruschival, Gerry Slusher and Bill Wright. Members Patti Cox, Vurah Berry and Donnie Parrett were unable to attend.
President Deb Lewis called for reading of the minutes from the November 18 meeting. Since a copy had been e-mailed to board members prior to the meeting, she asked if anyone needed the minutes read. Bill Deatherage moved to dispense with the reading of the minutes and for their approval. Elaine Weisbard seconded the motion which was unanimously approved.
Treasurer’s Report
Treasurer Carla Ruschival presented the treasurer’s report for the period ending November 30. Elaine Weisbard made a motion to accept the treasurer’s report. The motion was seconded and unanimously approved.
Carla reported on additional contributions and income since December 1 which were not reflected in the totals presented. These include two contributions from the Greater Downtown Louisville Lions Club supporting Sound Prints and the Crossroads Leadership conference. A dividend check from the two Pemco funds has also been received.
Chapter Reports
Eastern Kentucky Christian Council: Joey Couch reported that sales of the “peel and Save” cards are going smoothly. He also indicated that their Christmas party (originally scheduled for December 7) will be held at Ponderosa in Hazard from 1-4 on December 21.
Northern Kentucky Council: Gerry Slusher stated that the chapter’s Christmas party will be held from 2-5 on December 21 at the Anchor Grill in Covington. The chapter continues to sell the “peel and save” cards for the Covington and Cincinnati area.
Greater Louisville Council: Bill Wright Reported that approximately 70 people attended the GLCB Christmas party on December 14. Upcoming events include bingo on January 10, an educational seminar at KSB on January 18, and a dine out at Mark’s Feed Store on January 25. Debbie Deatherage also stated that Deb Trevino is starting a new crafting group which will meet on the first Monday of the month at Crescent Hill Presbyterian Church from 6:30 to 8:30. Those interested in participating should contact Deb Trevino in advance. In addition, Deb Lewis is planning an activity (possibly a trip to the Water Company) on the afternoon of January 27.
Tri-state Library Users Group: Adam Ruschival reported that the chapter will be having their dinner meeting from 6-8 on January 6 at Denny’s at 434 Eastern Parkway. The meeting will feature the election of officers and collection of annual dues. Although a program has not been finalized, it is possible they will be discussing the use of some donated cassette books for a fundraiser.
Guide Dog Users of Kentucky: Deb Lewis stated that Sara Beavin presented tips on caring for dogs in the winter months at the KCB convention. The convention fundraiser raised just over $21.00. The next meeting will be held on January 28th. Activities for the upcoming year will be planned at this meeting.
Owensboro Support Group: Carla Ruschival asked Rick Boggess for an update on the Owensboro Support Group. He reported that approximately 12 people attended a dine out at Old Hickory Barbecue on December 10. Although there was not a formal meeting, there was an opportunity to do lots of sharing of information and ideas. As a result, he is assisting a member with locating an audio bible which can be easily navigated. Several members, including Cisco Slusher, offered ideas. The next meeting will be from 1-3 PM on January 14 at Wing Avenue Baptist Church.
Committees
PR/Membership: Rick Boggess reported that the committee met on December 4. Natalie Beyers, Deb Lewis and Rick Boggess will be revising a letter to be sent out to members after the first of the year. Rick has also shared a draft of a thank you letter which will be sent to those who contributed items used in “goodie bags” and given out as door prizes at the KCB convention. The committee will be exploring ways to more widely disseminate information about KCB at its January meeting.
Crossroads: Deb Lewis reported that the planning committee met on December 9. They reviewed the list of suggested topics which is pretty much complete. The program committee also met last week and will be finalizing the program and speakers in January. Registration forms should be done by the end of January. The Downtown Louisville Lions Club has contributed $2000 toward the conference. The next regular meeting of the committee will be at 9 Pm on January 27. Carla Ruschival pointed out that the program committee, which is chaired by Nolan Crabb from Ohio, is comprised of members from many states including Ohio, Kentucky, Tennessee, West Virginia, Florida and Georgia.
Sound Prints: Carla Ruschival updated the board on Sound Prints. A contribution has been received from the Downtown Louisville Lions Club. About 60 CD copies of the program are being circulated weekly. Many people are listening to ACB radio using the recently introduced phone line. The number using the new phone line to listen to Sound Prints is unknown. In response to a question from Bill Wright, Carla reported that program schedules for many of the channels are available online but not on the phone.
Old Business
Convention evaluation: President Deb Lewis requested input about the recent KCB state convention. Overall, the board agreed that the convention had gone very well. Gerry Slusher and others expressed concern about the rude audience behavior during sessions, especially during Ken Washington’s presentation on Friday night. In response to concerns about the length of the banquet, Rick Boggess suggested that reducing the amount of transition time needed between speakers might resolve this issue. The meals, especially the breakfasts, were excellent and the board wishes to express appreciation to Patti Cox for her efforts.
New Business
President Deb Lewis and Carla Ruschival reported on efforts by VIPS to form a statewide coalition of organizations and agencies serving the visually impaired. They joined representatives from several organizations at the initial meeting which was held on December 11. At this meeting, several of the agencies shared information about what they do and there was discussion about having a statewide calendar of events. There were concerns about lack of an accessible agenda, failure to include vision teachers in the meeting, inadequate statewide representation at the meeting and an apparent lack of knowledge about resources such as the American Foundation for the Blind. During the related discussion, Carla Ruschival indicated that members of coalitions often pay dues to belong. While there are no dues currently, it is highly likely that a dues structure will be established in the coming months. Bill Wright made a motion that KCB continue to attend and participate in the new coalition relating to blindness and visual impairment in Kentucky. The motion was seconded by Elaine Weisbard and approved by the board.
President Deb Lewis pointed out that KCB did not make a contribution to the ACB auction which was held on December 8. Carla Ruschival reported that it costs about $35,000 annually to run ACB radio and that the only support it currently has is the Holiday Auction. This year the auction took in about $4600 and had expenses of about $475. Deb Deatherage made a motion that KCB donate $500 to the auction. Natalie Beyers seconded the motion which was unanimously approved.
Gerry Slusher talked about the Independent Transportation Network, a private fee based transportation network which uses volunteer drivers to transport qualified individuals, which has begun offering services in northern Kentucky and other areas around the country. Board members were not familiar with this service which serves senior citizens and visually impaired people.
Deb Lewis pointed out she had heard that some paratransit services around the country were no longer serving visually impaired people. It was noted that this is highly unlikely since paratransit eligibility is a local decision. Bill Wright pointed out that few TARC3 riders in Louisville lose eligibility due to the fact that there is no established appeals process.
Rick Boggess referred to an email, shared by Joey Couch earlier in the day, which shows the White Cane Laws in each state. He pointed out that it appears that there is nothing in Kentucky’s Driver Training manual regarding the White Cane Law. He encouraged members to look more closely at the manual to determine if this is in fact the case.
Carla Ruschival called attention to two recent announcements from the ACB national office. First, ACB has recently completed another structured negotiation with Safeway. Secondly, ACB has gotten a piece of legislation introduced in the House which would classify equipment over $500 to be considered durable medical equipment under Medicare.
Deb Lewis reminded the board about the online petition supporting Albert Rizzi who, along with his guide dog, was removed from a flight and finished his trip by bus. At present over 31,000 people have signed the petition with a goal of getting 35,000 signatures.
Announcements and Adjournment
Carla Ruschival pointed out that Theresa Thomas sent out an email earlier in the day indicating there is some money available through KCDD which might be used by individuals wishing to attend conferences this coming year. She will be sharing this with the board. This money might be used to assist with Crossroads expenses. Applications are due by the end of December. She pointed out that the Crossroads registration fee will once again be $45 (which will include four meals and materials.) Carla Ruschival made a motion that KCB provide a $25 stipend for individuals wishing to attend the second annual crossroads conference. The motion was seconded by Bill Wright and unanimously approved by the board.
Since there was no further business, Bill Wright moved that the meeting be adjourned. The motion was seconded by Gerry Slusher and the board unanimously voted to adjourn at 9:59 PM.
Submitted By Rick Boggess, KCB Secretary
Download Summary: KCBBoardMeetingDecember2013
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