Today we are throwing it back to the Blind Buzz, one of our favorite silly, whitty, snarky columnists from the old "The Blind Coloradan" newsletter. Buzz shares goofy gossip while giving important information and blindness related matters across Colorado. In the 2013 Labor Day Edition of the Blind Coloradan Buzz gives us "the buzz" on writing resolutions. Read what Buzz had to say in September of 2013 followed by a blurb on resolutions written by Kevan Worley. We hope this throw back inspires you to put the stylus to slate and write some 2014 resolutions.
Blind Buzz
By: Buzz
From the Editor: Blind Buzz is a column which
will have announcements, notes, vignettes, profiles, assertions, snap-shots,
rumors, innuendo and observations. Blind Buzz is solely responsible for the
content. What’s happening? Blind Buzz wants to know.
Our friend, Mark Lucas, Executive Director of the
United States Association of Blind Athletes, based in Colorado Springs has won
another award. He is the 2013 recipient of the American Optometric
Association (AOA) Distinguished Service Award.
Looks like it was another busy summer for
Colorado kids of all ages! We don’t know how they do it! Every
summer the Colorado Center for the Blind programs seem to get bigger, better,
and bolder. The programs educated and entertained kids from 4 to 92.
For the little kids, a Louis Braille carnival day starring Louis Braille
himself. They had a high school Earn and Learn event, as well as college
and senior citizen programs. That place must have been a buzz!
Congratulations to Arielle Silverman, longtime
Federation member. She married Jason Gwinn in Boulder on September
1st. She and Jason met at CU and are completing their doctoral studies
together.
Buzz welcomes Dan Burke to Colorado. He has
come to us from Montana. He was the longtime President of the National
Federation of the Blind of Montana. Dan served for many years on the NFB
National Board of Directors. Dan is now directing a number of programs in
the areas of transition and college preparedness for the blind. Travis
Moses moved from Colorado to Montana a number of years ago and is now the
President of the NFB of Montana. Rumor has it that The Buzz may be traded
to Wyoming for a player to be named later.
Senator Michael Bennet’s office in Washington, DC
tells the Buzz that they received many emails and well over 100 calls from
Colorado citizens in early August just prior to the vote of the Senate Help
Committee on the authorization of the Workforce Investment Act.
Unfortunately, Senator Bennet was 1 of 18 votes for the markup of the
bill. The bill would continue to encourage payment of subminimum wages to
people with disabilities.
Maryann Migliorelli wishes to thank her
Federation family for their continued support throughout her college and career
endeavors. Your encouragement has given her the drive to become an
entrepreneur with Migliorelli Magic Moments, her own events management company.
Buzz congratulates Jack Riley. Jack is a
blind businessman operating food services at Schriever Air Force Base.
Jack provided a compelling overview of his distinguished career and insight
into the management he provides at his large troop dining facility. He
addressed the 150 delegates attending National Training Conference on business
enterprise procurement sponsored by the Rehabilitation Services Administration
in Baltimore, MD.
Buzz wonders how many teachers at Colorado School
for the Deaf and Blind are certified to teach Braille?
WHEREAS, the blind of Colorado gather in
convention each year to discuss, debate, and decide how best to build futures
full of equality of opportunity based on the common sense philosophy of the
National Federation of the Blind; and
WHEREAS, Federationists assembled at the annual
convention often consider policy statement of fact and principle which guide
the activities of the affiliate in the months and years ahead; and
WHEREAS these policy statements are adopted in
the form of resolutions; and
WHEREAS, these resolutions often commend or
condemn actions taken by those in positions of power and influence with respect
to blind Coloradans; and
WHEREAS resolutions also may set forth
principles, systems, or plans intended to guide and govern our affiliate; and
WHEREAS, the President of the affiliate appoints
a committee to consider resolutions brought by the members; and
WHEREAS, this committee consists of one member of
each chapter or division as appointed by the chapter or division President with
the approval of the National Federation of the Blind of Colorado President; and
WHEREAS, any member of the National Federation of
the Blind of Colorado may offer a resolution for consideration; and
WHEREAS, the deadline for submission of
resolutions for the 2013 convention is Monday, October 7th; and
WHEREAS, the committee in its discretion may
consider resolutions submitted after this deadline although it is not required
to do so; and
WHEREAS the committee will meet at 7 pm on Friday
October 18th to consider resolutions
which if passed will be presented to the delegates assembled in general
sessions during the weekend typically during the Sunday morning business
session. Now, therefore,
BE IT RESOLVED that all resolutions be submitted
to the Chairman Brent Batron, Second Vice President, by email at bbatron@cocenter.org
by close of business Monday October 7th; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that any member offering a
resolution must be present at the Friday evening committee meeting to advocate
for his or her policy recommendation.
That’s the Buzz on resolutions.
And on a final but
very appropriate note for this Labor Day issue, renowned labor leader John L.
Lewis once proclaimed “Let the workers organize. Let the toilers assemble. Let
their crystallized voice proclaim their injustices and demand their privileges.
Let all thoughtful citizens sustain them, for the future of Labor is the future
of America”.
That’s the Buzz for this issue.
Lets Go Write a Resolution!
By: Kevan Worley
Convention is coming. Convention is many things to many people. It is a weekend of empowerment, training, inspiration, job exploration, Beatlemania, and fellowship. The NFB of Colorado state convention is also the place where consideration of issues, which affect the lives of all blind people in Colorado take place. At the convention, we consider statements of policy, which set the agenda for the actions of our affiliate. These policy statements are in the form of resolutions. These resolutions become the official policy of the organization. In these resolutions, we clearly state the problem or acknowledge the accomplishment. We then offer criticism, commendation, or solution. Do you have high praise to offer an individual, agency, or organization, which has made a difference in the lives of the blind of Colorado? Do you have a concern about unmet needs, which should be acknowledged and acted upon by the members of the National Federation of the Blind of Colorado? If so, offer a resolution on the matter to be considered by the convention. The resolutions committee will meet Friday morning, October 31st, during the convention at 8:30 a.m. Deadline for resolution submissions is Friday, October 17. Please contact Tom Anderson, or Brent Batron, co-chairs of our resolutions committee for information or explanation. 303-778-1130. The resolution process is part of our National Federation of the Blind democracy in action.
No comments:
Post a Comment