By Catherine Durivage, Director, Minnesota Library for the Blind and Physically Handicapped, Faribault

(Editor’s Note:  This presentation was given at the National Federation of the Blind of Minnesota annual convention on September 30, 2006.)

I want to thank Joyce Scanlan for extending an invitation to me to speak at your conference this year.  New Ulm is a wonderful city.  I have been here a couple of times before.  One time was around Christmas.  I enjoyed visiting all the shops; which I hope to do yet today.

By Chuk Hamilton, Director, State Services for the Blind

(Editor’s Note:  This presentation was given at the National Federation of the Blind of Minnesota annual convention on September 30, 2006.)

Greetings, Federationists!  What a pleasure to be with you all again.  It seems only yesterday many of us were in Dallas at the national convention; and only the day before that we were in St. Cloud!

A special greeting to the Riverbend Chapter of the National Federation of the Blind of Minnesota (NFBM) and Charlene and Shannon Childrey.

By Andy Virden

(Editor’s Note:  Andy Virden is the president of our Central Minnesota chapter.  This letter was published in the St. Cloud Times on January 10, 2007.)

In reviewing events of 2006 in preparation for the annual fund-raiser for the Central Minnesota chapter of the National Federation of the Blind, I found that one thing last year was a real accomplishment: the use of new voting machines as required under the Help America Vote Act of 2002.

By Fritz Busch, Journal Staff Writer

(Editor’s Note:  The following article was published in the New Ulm Journal on January 16, 2007.  It contains some factual errors in organization names that I have corrected and enclosed in square brackets, but it is otherwise a good explanation of Charlene’s many activities and accomplishments that brought her this well-deserved award.)

By Carrie Gilmer

She’s Sighted and a Fine Federationist

By Joyce Scanlan, President

As I reflect on more than sixteen years during which I served as executive director of Blindness:  Learning in New Dimensions (BLIND), Inc. and the countless decisions involved in carrying out the responsibilities of such a job, I am often shocked almost to disbelief at the success of the program founded by Federationists with a dream that we could create something of value to improve the lives of our blind brothers and sisters. 

Volume 73, Number 1, Winter 2007

Quarterly Publication of the

National Federation of the Blind of Minnesota, Inc.

100 East 22nd Street

Minneapolis, Minnesota 55404

Voice:  (612) 872-9363

Website:  www.nfbmn.org

Tom Scanlan, Editor

E-mail tom.scanlan@earthlink.net

WE ARE CHANGING

WHAT IT MEANS

Many people are involved in getting this issue to you.  The writers can write and the editor can edit, but until the material is printed, brailled, recorded, and distributed, it is just a computer file.  Therefore, we owe great thanks to the following people for the work they do in producing this publication.

Tim Aune duplicates the cassette tape edition.

Jennifer Dunnam transcribes the braille edition.

Art Hadley reads the audio edition for cassette tape and Compact Disc.

Metro Chapter — Twin Cities area; meets at 2:00 p.m. on the third Saturday of every month at NFB of MN Headquarters, 100 East 22nd Street in Minneapolis

Riverbend Chapter — New Ulm area; meets at 9:00 a.m. on the third Saturday of every month in New Ulm; contact Charlene Childrey at 507-354-2250 for meeting location

Rochester Chapter — Rochester area; meets at 7:00 p.m. on the fourth Tuesday of every month at Peace Church in Rochester

Exciting times are coming in NFB conventions.  Keep these in mind as you plan your activities throughout the coming year.

The Semiannual NFB of Minnesota Convention will be held in April or May 2008 outside the Metro area.  Members will receive a letter with details about a month before the convention, and the letter will be on our website at www.nfbmn.org.