KCB Board Meeting – July, 2013
The monthly meeting of the Kentucky Council of the Blind Board of Directors was held via conference call on Monday, July 15, 2013. President Deb Lewis called the meeting to order at 8:05 PM eastern time. Members present were Deb Lewis, Deb Trevino, Joey Couch, Rick Boggess, Carla Ruschival, Bill Deatherage, Patti Cox, Debbie Deatherage, “Cisco” Slusher, Vurah Berry, Adam Ruschival, Gerry Slusher, and Bill Wright. Members Frances Gregory and Donnie Parrett were absent. Guests Dave Trevino and Elaine Weisbard were also present.
President Deb Lewis called for reading of the minutes from the June 17 meeting. Since a copy had been e-mailed to board members prior to the meeting, she asked if anyone needed the minutes read. Carla Ruschival made a motion to dispense with the reading of the minutes and that they be accepted as published. Joey Couch seconded the motion which was unanimously approved.
Treasurer’s Report
Treasurer Carla Ruschival presented the treasurer’s report for the period ending June 30.
Carla stated that a $1500 payment has been made to Clear Channel and that a final $500 payment will be made to them later this month. In addition, the balance does not reflect checks written to reimburse members who qualified for the $100 stipend by attending the ACB national convention in Columbus. Joey Couch moved to accept the treasurer’s report. The motion was seconded by Deb Trevino and unanimously approved by the board.
Chapter Reports
Eastern Kentucky Christian Council: Joey Couch reported that the chapter held a meeting last month to plan for their upcoming picnic which will be held at the Perry County Park from 4-7 on July 27. At this meeting, he gave away several Soundprints CDs and registered several people so they will receive it through the mail.
Northern Kentucky Council: Gerry Slusher reported on recent chapter activities. About 15 people attended the chapter’s dinner at Golden Corral last Thursday. Barb Chambers has expressed interest in becoming a life member despite some conflicts which will prevent her from attending some meetings. Dave Perry, who has just concluded his term as president, is experiencing some personal health problems. His wife has also been in the hospital. Chapter representatives are planning a meeting with the fire chief and police chief in Covington to discuss putting together an emergency guide showing people with disabilities in the area. Rick Boggess suggested they might want to investigate whether or not the SMART911 service is available in their area. They are also having the local Lions Club picnic on Saturday.
Greater Louisville Council: Since Bill Wright was late checking into the meeting, Carla Ruschival updated the Board on activities at GLCB. Deb Lewis led a group on a walk at the Louisville Nature Center in June. Upcoming activities include bingo on July 19, a technology workshop on August 3, a dine out on August 10, bingo on August 16, and a board meeting on August 17. In addition, there will be a macular degeneration workshop at the Crescent Hill Public Library branch on August 21. GLCB is contributing to the purchase of some banners for the Clifton neighborhood. Members continue to participate in pedestrian access meetings, are active on the TARC board, and will be sending a representative to help with planning for White Cane Day.
Tri-state Library Users Group: Adam Ruschival stated that the chapter will have its next meeting on July 16 at Dish on Market. This meeting was moved from the first Tuesday to the third Tuesday to allow for reports from those who attended the ACB convention in Columbus. Deb Trevino will also have a presentation at tomorrow’s meeting. A representative from the KY Talking Book Library participated in last month’s conference call. The next statewide conference call will be on the first Tuesday in August. In response to an inquiry from Deb Trevino, Adam indicated that he was not sure how much was raised by the book sale at the ACB convention.
Guide Dog Users of Kentucky: Vurah Berry reported that chapter members attended the first of three movies being presented by the American Printing House for the Blind. The movie, “Eyes in the Night”, was about the adventures of a blind detective and his guide dog. The next meeting will be held on the fourth Tuesday in July.
Old Business
President Deb Lewis reported that she will be contacting members about possible committee assignments in the next couple of weeks.
ACB Convention Update: Deb Lewis attended the presidents’ meeting at the ACB convention. Affiliates and chapters are encouraged to contact the ACB national office regarding any legal issues they might be facing. This could be extremely helpful since others may be facing similar issues.
Rick Boggess, Dave Trevino and Gerry Slusher talked about some of the sessions which they attended at the national conference. The sessions were related to technology, interview techniques, independent travel issues and education. Carla Ruschival pointed out that many of the sessions, which were run by ACB committees, were streamed live on ACB Radio or recorded. These sessions are now archived on the ACB website and are available for download. Few of the sessions presented by the special interest affiliates were recorded. It was noted that most, if not all, of the sessions which Rick and Dave discussed may be found in the archive. Gerry reported that she participated in a map study which was quite interesting.
Dave Trevino stated that someone from Tennessee had asked for information about how we offer stipends. It was pointed out that there are a number of stipends from various affiliates with varying requirements. Carla Ruschival indicated that there was a lot of discussion about this topic on the ACB list prior to the convention.
Carla Ruschival expressed appreciation to Deb Lewis for her efforts in managing the Information Desk at the ACB convention in Columbus.
Rick Boggess observed that the hotel staff and convention volunteers were extremely pleasant and helpful. Carla Ruschival stated that 22 members of the hotel’s staff (including the general manager) came to the ACB board meeting to express their thanks and appreciation.
Dave Trevino reported on an incident at a hotel (not the convention hotel) in Worthington, Ohio. They were informed by the hotel manager that they would have to vacate their room at the hotel since Deb Trevino had a guide dog. Once the police were called to intervene, the situation was successfully resolved.
McDowell Center Advisory Committee: The board discussed Steve Deeley’s request for people to attend the McDowell Center Advisory Committee meetings which are held on Thursday afternoon prior to the quarterly SRC board meeting. Carla suggested that Deb Lewis and Deb Trevino attend those meetings. She further suggested that it would be nice if others from around the state could attend either in person or via conference call.
New Business
SRC Appointments: Carla Ruschival sent out an email showing the new appointments to the SRC Board. The appointments are: Dennis Franklin, business and industry; Carla Ruschival, KCB; Theresa Thomas, Bluegrass Council; Jennifer Hall, NFB; and Gina Fugate and Shirley Stivers, members at large. Carla encouraged members to begin looking ahead to 2014 board vacancies and consider submitting their names for consideration for appointment. Gerry Slusher indicated she will be going off the board next year. It was pointed out that those who have served in the past, such as Joey Couch, will be eligible for reappointment. Carla indicated that board members, who must travel from out of town, are reimbursed for meals and mileage.
President Deb Lewis appealed to the board for ideas for a logo which can be used on brochures and cards.
President Deb Lewis also asked members to be thinking about ideas for another Crossroads Conference which might be held next spring. This will be further discussed in August.
The board spent time exploring possible dates for the KCB fall conference. After considerable discussion, Patti Cox made a motion that the annual KCB Conference be held on November 22-24. The motion was seconded and unanimously approved.
The board devoted considerable time to discussing ideas for possible speakers at the fall convention. After considerable deliberation, the board agreed to pursue Nolan Crabb or Mark Richert (in that order) about speaking at the fall conference.
Announcements
Bill Wright stated that the Tri-State Library Users Group will meet tomorrow (July 16) at Dish On Market from 6-8 PM.
Carla Ruschival reminded the board about upcoming GLCB activities. They will have bingo from 4:30-8 on Friday and the technology workshop will be from 10-1 on August 3.
Since there was no further business, Adam Ruschival moved that the meeting be adjourned. The motion was seconded and the board unanimously voted to adjourn at 9:40 PM Eastern Time.
Submitted By Rick Boggess, KCB Secretary
Download Summary: KCBBoardMeetingAugust2013
