By Edward Cohen

(Editor’s Note: Edward is a member of our Rochester Chapter.)

I am a senior citizen dealing with late-stage RP (retinitis pigmentosa).  My decline has sped up in the past couple of years.  While I still have some usable vision, things I could see just a year ago, I no longer can.

By Emily Zitek

(Editor’s Note:  This is the winner of our Metro Chapter’s 2015 essay contest.)

By Lori Peglow

Meet the Officers

In September, the Central Minnesota Chapter held its annual election of officers.  The following members were elected to the board: Jeff Young was elected President, Bev Stavrum was re-elected 1^st Vice President, Second Vice President is Karlene Malmanger, Todd McKee was re-elected as Treasurer, and in December Beth Moline was elected as Recording Secretary.

By Jennifer Dunnam

The last few months of the year 2015 have been as busy as ever for the National Federation of the Blind of Minnesota.  Our 2015 annual convention in Bloomington was the best attended in recent memory and gave lively voice to the breadth and strength of the contributions from our members throughout the state.  Check out the important presentations from State Services for the Blind and the Braille and Talking Book Library and resolutions later in this issue.  The full convention report will be in the next issue.

Volume 83, Number 1

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.

The purpose of the National Federation of the Blind is two-fold — to help blind persons achieve self-confidence and self-respect and to act as a vehicle for collective self-expression by the blind.  By providing public education about blindness, information and referral services, scholarships, literature and publications about blindness, aids and appliances and other adaptive equipment for the blind, advocacy services and protection of civil rights, development and evaluation of technology, and support for blind persons and their families, members of the NFB strive to educate the publi

At Large Chapter — statewide, consisting of those who live outside a chapter area and/or cannot attend a meeting in person; meets at 7:00 p.m. on the third Sunday of every month by teleconference call.  The telephone number for the call is 1-605-475-6700 with access code 9458023.

Central Minnesota Chapter — St. Cloud area; meets at 12:00 on the second Saturday of every month (with an optional lunch at 11:00) at VFW Post 428, 9 18th Ave N in St Cloud

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 is May 14, 2016 at the NFB of Minnesota building in Minneapolis.  Members received a letter with details, and the information is on our website at www.nfbmn.org.

The National Association of Blind Veterans, a division of the National Federation of the Blind, is seeking members from Minnesota.  Jack Rupert from Lake Crystal is first vice president.  Interested veterans should contact Jack by e-mail at jerupert@outlook.com or telephone at (507) 276-4640.