KCB Board Meeting – June, 2013
The monthly meeting of the Kentucky Council of the Blind Board of Directors was held via conference call on Monday, June 17, 2013. President Deb Lewis called the meeting to order at 8:07 PM eastern time. Members present were Deb Lewis, Deb Trevino, Rick Boggess, Carla Ruschival, Cisco Slusher, Vurah Berry, Adam Ruschival, Gerry Slusher, and Bill Wright. Members Joey Couch, Bill Deatherage, Patti Cox, Debbie Deatherage, Frances Gregory and Donnie Parrett were absent. Guests Elaine Weisbard and Natalie Byers were also present.
President Deb Lewis called for reading of the minutes from the May 20 meeting. Since a copy had been e-mailed to board members prior to the meeting, she asked if anyone needed the minutes read. Cisco Slusher moved to dispense with the reading of the minutes and for their approval. Bill Wright seconded the motion which was unanimously approved.
Treasurer’s Report
Treasurer Carla Ruschival presented the treasurer’s report for the period ending May 31. Carla reported that these figures do not reflect payment of some outstanding bills. Approximately $1300 of the $3000 allocated for Sound Prints equipment has been spent. The last quarterly Sound Prints payment to Clear Channel will be made later this month. It also appears there will be 17-20 people going to the ACB convention who may be eligible for $100 stipends.
Carla Ruschival indicated she received a call about a week ago from the broker at Ameriprise during which he advised her of an opportunity to purchase one of the Pimco mutual funds at an attractive price. The fund, which pays attractive monthly dividends, is quite similar to the Adams Express fund which KCB has owned for many years. Carla made a motion that KCB sell the Public Storage preferred stock and use the money to purchase the recommended Pimco fund. She stated that the attractive return should offset the brokerage fee in less than a year. Cisco Slusher seconded the motion which was unanimously approved by the board.
Chapter Reports
Eastern Kentucky Christian Council: A report from the Eastern Kentucky Christian Council was not available since Joey Couch and Donnie Parrett were not present.
Northern Kentucky Council: Gerry Slusher reported that the chapter has not met in a couple of months. A meeting scheduled for last week had to be cancelled due to illness and other conflicts.
Greater Louisville Council: Bill Wright indicated that GLCB remains quite active. The group had a dine out at Jerry’s last Saturday and plans to have another dine out in August. Upcoming activities include an afternoon visit to the Nature Center on June 26 and bingo on July 19. The Wednesday afternoon group is planning a session on macular degeneration in August at the Crescent Hill Public Library branch.
There is lots of activity on local issues. Several members continue to be active in their neighborhood associations. Deb Lewis also reported that she has talked with TARC3 regarding a couple of issues, including dealing with a rude driver.
Tri-state Library Users Group: Bill Wright stated that the next meeting will be on Tuesday, July 16 from 6-8 PM at Dish on Market. The meeting date has been moved so they will be able to hear updates from those attending the upcoming ACB national convention.
Guide Dog Users of Kentucky: Vurah Berry and Deb Lewis reported on the group’s activities. The group had a brief meeting earlier in the month to discuss ideas and they hope to have a Saturday activity in July. There is some concern about the lack of designated dog relief areas at airports. Since this has potential national implications, Deb Lewis plans to talk with Debbie Grubb from GDUI at the upcoming ACB national convention. Deb Lewis indicated there is a designated relief area for drug dogs at the Louisville airport, but this area is off limits to guide dog users.
Owensboro Happenings: Deb Lewis asked Rick Boggess about activities in Owensboro. Rick reported that the next meeting is scheduled from 1-3 PM on August 13. The Owensboro Transit director has been invited to come and talk with the group regarding some proposed major route changes. The upcoming meeting will be advertised through the newspaper and other local media. In addition, Rick reported they are exploring ideas for a brochure to be distributed to eye doctors and other local groups.
Old Business
Sound Prints Update: Carla Ruschival reported that three editions of Sound Prints have been produced in the new format. Much of the equipment has been ordered and received. Although there have been a few technical glitches with equipment setup, it is hoped that they will be resolved very soon. CD copies of the first three programs have just been mailed out to about 25 people. Since the format change, the number of hits on the website has increased and Carla has received an email from an Egyptian gentleman who listens to the show. This gentleman has actually expressed interest in being on the show to discuss conditions for blind people in Egypt. There have also been an increased number of outside inquiries about being on the show. Due to problems with the upload of the June 8 show to CKRE, they are running one week behind. However, everyone should be on the same page after the ACB convention.
ACB Convention Attendance: Carla Ruschival reported that at least 17 members plan to attend the upcoming ACB convention in Columbus. The board agreed that, in order to be eligible for the $100 stipend, a member must attend either the Saturday night opening session or the Thursday session plus one other complete general session. Furthermore, those attending complete sessions on Saturday night and Thursday will also qualify for the stipend. A conference call will be held at 8 PM Eastern Time on Monday June 22 for those planning to travel to Columbus and who will be interested in receiving the stipend. This meeting will be used to discuss stipend requirements, and answer any questions related to preregistration or the national convention.
SRC Update: In response to an inquiry from President Deb Lewis, members of the board indicated they are not aware of any recent appointments to the SRC board. Gerry Slusher mentioned she had emailed information about the recent retirement of Education and Workforce Development Secretary Joe Meyer. It was noted that Thomas Zawacki has apparently been appointed to replace Mr. Meyer.
New Business
McDowell Center Advisory Committee: President Deb Lewis stated that she has received an email from Steve Deeley wanting more people to be on the advisory committee for the McDowell Center. Those interested should call Steve for further information.
Announcements
President Deb Lewis reminded the board that the next Library Users meeting will be from 6-8 on July 16 at Dish on Market.
President Deb Lewis also indicated that the Guide Dog Users will have a meeting next week on the phone conference line.
Gerry Slusher reminded the group that the next SRC advisory council meeting will be on July 26. Bill Wright made a motion that KCB once again provide doughnuts for the meeting. The motion was seconded and unanimously approved.
Since there was no further business, the meeting adjourned at 9:10 PM Eastern Time. The next meeting will be held on July 15 at 8 PM Eastern Time.
Submitted by Rick Boggess, KCB Secretary
Download Summary: KCBBoardMeetingJune2013
