Official Publication of the North Dakota Association of the Blind
Available in four formats: large print, email, braille and cartridge
Editor: Emily Stenberg Brown promoter@ndab.org
Not they who lack sight,
but they who lack vision are blind.
Persons with vision loss will live
a successful, productive life.
“We strive to enhance the way of life for people
Who are blind or visually impaired,
To encourage employment opportunities,
And to educate the public about sight loss.”
TABLE of CONTENTS
Save the Date for the 2025 Convention
Greetings from ND Talking Books
A Brief Glance at the 2024 ACB Convention
Join Us at the Fall Sports and Rec Retreat
Bismarck & Other News from Robert Westermeyer
Spotlight on NDAB Member: Robert “Bobby” Westermeyer
Spotlight on NDAB Member: Vince Ulstad
Celebrating Disability Pride Month
After 42 Years, I Finally Have a Name
Legislative and Advocacy Report Summer 2024
Development Report, NDAB Convention 2024
North Dakota Association of the Blind, Inc. Pre-Convention Board of Directors Meeting Minutes
North Dakota Association of the Blind, Inc. 2024 Convention Minutes
North Dakota Association of the Blind, Inc. Post-Convention Board of Directors Meeting Minutes
From the President
Dear NDAB Friends,
Thank you for allowing me to serve as your president for the next two years! So much has changed since I was president in 1992-94, especially in the area of technology. I feel overwhelmed and start to doubt my ability to competently do my job, but I will always have the best interest of NDAB front and center. I will reach out to those who can help me and get up to speed with this new technology.
It was great to see everyone who attended our state convention. We conducted the business of NDAB in a very comfortable, relaxed environment. Gary and Bonnie were very gracious hosts and I think we left there with all of the tin knights still intact and standing at guard. We look forward to meeting at the Ramada in Bismarck next June.
If you need to contact me, please do so at 701-770-2077 or loris@ndab.org. I rarely use my landline anymore and prefer my cell phone. I will be talking to all of the committee chairpersons and, if needed, will be making some changes. Until then, I am counting down the days until we meet on the shores of Lake Isabel for a week of fun and fellowship!
Loris Van Berkom
NDAB President
From the Editor
Thank you for allowing me to serve as NDAB’s Promoter Editor for the next year.
Trampes and I have decided not to continue Book Club. We enjoyed leading Book Club for over 3 years but felt it was time to put it aside. Like the end of a good book, we hope you feel like it was worth your time and that you learned something from it. We would encourage anyone else who is interested in leading book discussions to do so during Coffee Chat time, or by scheduling a different time on Zoom by contacting Loris, Trampes, or me.
Submissions are for the next edition are due on October 10. Email promoter@ndab.org with your concerns and content. Thank you!
Emily Stenberg Brown
Calendar for 2024
August 4-11 – Summer Camp, Elks Camp Grassick
August 14 – Book Club discussion on The Giver of Stars by Jojo Moyes (DB 96907) led by Carol Marshall
September 13-15 – Sports & Rec Retreat at Triangle Y Camp, Garrison, ND
Coffee Chat is held every Wednesday at 10 a.m. on Zoom.
The Enchanted Journey
Submitted by Janelle F. Olson, 2024 Convention Co-Chair
What was all of the excitement about at Regent’s Enchanted Castle June 7-9, 2024? This was the location chosen to hold our 87th annual state convention. Members traveled from across the state and down the Enchanted Highway for a weekend of reconnecting, visiting, and conducting the business of the organization. While it was Williston’s turn this year to host, the planning committee decided to mix it up and take it on the road to Regent. The general consensus of the convention attendees was that this was a unique setting and a wonderful weekend.
Friday night was kicked off with a delicious picnic served by the New England Lions and then the opportunity to play goalball in the gym at the Castle. The convention opened on Saturday with the Presentation of Colors by the American Legion Taylor-Skartvedt Post 71 of Mott. The Mott Lions graciously agreed to serve at the morning’s coffee break. The willing helping hands from around the area were greatly appreciated.
Who could have a banquet at the castle without dressing up in medieval garb? Well, not this group! All that was missing were jousters on horses as this was a bit frowned upon by the King of the Castle, Gary Greff, who was an excellent host and banquet speaker.
While there were no scholarship recipients this year, other awards were given. Lifetime Memberships were given to Allan Peterson, Carol Schmitt, and Loris Van Berkom. The Friend of NDAB Award was given to Minerva Romas, and I received the Robert John LePage Award. The party continued in the Tavern with entertainment by Mark Koller and Julie Opdahl. Sherri Heser officiated the Sunday morning memorial service remembering Carmen Grove Suminski, after which the business resumed and concluded when the gavel came down in the hand of the new president, Loris. After a final stop at the Enchanted Highway Gift Shop for ice cream, the time together in this special place was history. Next year we will be traveling to Bismarck to make more convention memories.
Robert LePage Award
Submitted by Mary Lou Stip
The 2024 Robert John LePage Award was presented to Janelle Olson. She was nominated by Sherri Heser, President of the Williston Korner Lions, where Janelle is also a member. Janelle was nominated for many reasons, including being “an advocate for people with disabilities and vision loss in her professional life and is an advocate in her personal life as well,” Sherri wrote. The members of her Club “admire her ability and willingness to step into any position where she is needed.” Congratulations to Janelle!
Save the Date for the 2025 Convention
Submitted by Lexee Steffan
The 2025 Annual Convention will be held June 6th – 8th at the Ramada Hotel, located at 1400 Interchange Ave. Bismarck, ND 58501. The planning committee is excited for another wonderful convention, and we are looking forward to seeing you all there. More details to come in the next Promoter.
Welcome to Our New Members!
Harley Feist from Menoken, ND
Amanda Geffre from Oakes, ND
Steve Hammel from Bismarck, ND
Ron Abbot from West Fargo, ND
Becky Monroe from Great Falls, MT (returning member)
Greetings from ND Talking Books
Submitted by Steve Hammel
Hi everyone. My name is Steve Hammel, and I am a new NDAB member. It never occurred to me to join until a conversation I had with Emily Stenberg Brown. I think she and I were emailing back and forth about the convention, and I asked if I could become a member. As head of the Talking Books program, I thought joining would give me a much better opportunity to get to know you and for you to get to know me. Emily said yes, so here I am. Fifty years ago, I might have become a member for another reason. About three years ago I had a period where my glasses prescription changed several times in a couple months. I ended up having cataract lens replacement surgery in both eyes. My vision is now fine but it’s one of those things that make me really appreciate what I have since there are so many people around the world that do not have access to treatment for one of the most common causes of blindness.
I just started my third year as the Patrons Services Director at the North Dakota State Library. I really like working here. I get to do things I’m good at and still have opportunities to help patrons on a regular basis. Victoria, my much better half, and I have been married for 35 years and have one son, Harrison, who is married and living in West Fargo. I’ve been a semi-professional musician for about 40 years, which means I have spent a lot more money on lessons and instruments than I’ll ever earn. I play trombone and sing as opportunities arise. I serve as “Dosenöffner” (can opener in German) for two cats, Beauty, who is the most wonderful kitty in the whole wide world and Bert, who is a bit of a jerk on a regular basis.
Thank You
Submitted by Michelle Zentz
The family of Michael Ray Zentz, former resident of Binford, ND, would like to express their gratitude for the messages of sympathy sent by the NDAB Board and membership. Mike passed away Friday, June 21, 2024, at the Fargo Essentia Hospital surrounded by family. He is survived by his mother (Violet Zentz), and sisters Marlene (Dennis) Dahl, Bismarck, ND, Mavis (Doug) Brown, Lacey, WA, Mary Zentz, Binford, ND, Margery (Dave) Johnston, Colorado Springs, CO, Michelle Zentz and Larry Anderson, Fargo, ND.
Arrangements were handled by Quam-Plaisted-Cushman Funeral Home. Their website has the full obituary and a link to the recorded funeral service.
A Brief Glance at the 2024 ACB Convention
Submitted by Allan Peterson
The in-person 2024 American Council of the Blind ACB Conference and Convention ran from Friday, July 5 through Friday, July 12 at the Hyatt Regency Riverfront Hotel in Jacksonville Florida. Representing NDAB at this year’s in-person Convention were: Gerald and Shelby Byron, Zelda Gebhard, Mary Lou and Doug Stip, and Allan Peterson. Jim Swartz and Tammy Winn from Gresham, Oregon, also joined us. Mary Lou served as our delegate and Gerald as our alternate delegate. A total of 1,180 individuals registered for the Convention; 660 were there in-person and the remaining attended virtually.
For better or worse, the pandemic has influenced changes in ACB’s Conventions. The in-person conventions prior to the pandemic have now been replaced by hybrid conventions meaning there is online access to most of the meetings and activities associated with the convention. It can be safely said too that ACB’s adjustment to conduct the hybrid convention model is still very much a work in progress.
The business of ACB began online with the call to order on the evening of Monday, June 24 with the reading of the Standing Rules and a Credentials Committee Report that lists the number of votes each affiliate has. The Nominating Committee also met that evening to select a list of nominees for presentation to the Convention Assembly to elect 5 seats on ACB’s Board of Directors and 3 seats on ACB’s Board of Publications. Most notably, our Zelda from NDAB was seeking election to her third consecutive two-year term on the ACB Board of Publications, the BOP.
The online business of ACB continued that same week by considering resolutions for adoption on the evenings of June 25, 26, and 27. Eleven resolutions were debated and considered for adoption by those who joined these Convention online meetings. Often after much debate, nine of these resolutions were adopted, sometimes with amended wording; one was tabled; and one required a record vote. The nine adopted resolutions dealt with a variety of issues: accessibility to product labeling and QR codes, enhancing employment opportunities for people who are blind and have low vision, audio access to video streaming services, making the next generation of TVs accessible, and making ADA paratransit services equitable with standard public transit services. The resolution that failed and then went to a record vote asked ACB’s membership to be given information in advance on issues that are brought to the Board for their consideration; it then did receive enough record votes on July 1 for it to be adopted.
Constitutional & Bylaw Amendments were read and debated on the evening of Friday, June 28. Four Constitutional Amendments were considered; all passed. One of the Constitutional Amendments that passed was to conduct a “standing vote”; this is an attempt to speed up the voting process at Convention. Time will tell if it proves to be effective.
The opening session of the in-person portion of the Convention happened Sunday evening, July 7, with the usual pageantry and speeches. The final business was the presentation of the Nominating Committee’s slate of nominees for election.
Four of the 5 seats on ACB’s Board of Directors were incumbents seeking reelection to their second terms of office: Chris Bell a retired attorney from North Carolina, Donna Brown a retired teacher from West Virginia, Cecily Laney Nipper from Georgia, and Kenneth Semien Sr. from Texas. All 4 of these incumbents were reelected and Peter Heide, a retired minister from Wisconsin, was elected to the fifth open seat on the ACB Board of Directors. Zelda was reelected without opposition to her third term on the Board of Publications. Jeff Bishop from Arizona and Belinda Collins from North Carolina were elected to the two remaining seats on the BOP. Four races for office were contested by nominations from the floor. Thankfully, all the elections for office were completed; the final one for the third seat on the BOP was completed Thursday afternoon, July 11, before the banquet that evening.
The Convention speaker that knocked it out of the park was the invited Talking Book narrator Mare Trevathan. She held the rapt attention of her audience while she read from one of the books she has read for the Talking Book Program. Notable, too, is that the Talking Book program is planning to introduce the next version of its book player in 2025 which is smaller and has several additional features.
As usual, the exhibit area was busy with vendors promoting and demonstrating their wares. The two vendors that attracted my attention, and that of many others, was a robot-type guide that I am told looks like a vacuum cleaner and a smart cane called “We Walk.” Both products are not ready for the marketplace but could have much potential to improve the independence of people with sight loss if they prove to live up to their sales hype.
Tours are always a main attraction for attendance at ACB Conventions, and the tours at this year’s Convention did not disappoint. The guide for the Jacksonville City tour was fantastic; he really knew his material. A fire in 1901 destroyed most of the city. It started when a spark ignited a mass of Spanish moss that was set out to be dried. Jacksonville is the largest city in the nation, which is in terms of the space it occupies – New York City and Chicago would fit inside the space it occupies and there would still be plenty of space left over. The tour which garnered the most interest was the trip to the Kennedy Space Center. Eighty or so convention-goers went on this adventure, including Gerald and Shelby Byron. The tour was very informative in that it made specific accommodations for people with sight loss to touch various objects related to the space program.
Guest speakers at this year’s ACB Lions program at ACB’s Convention were Colette and Andrew Arvidson, leaders of the nonprofit Knights of the Blind. Our NDAB delegation at Convention had lunch with them and learned more about how they have used the book Grandpa’s White Cane to educate children about the use of the cane and their opportunities to speak in children’s classrooms to influence change in community understanding about blindness.
The banquet speaker at ACB’s Convention was David Tatel, a judge who has served 30 years on America’s second highest court, the United States Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit, where many of our most crucial cases are resolved, or teed up for the Supreme Court. Judge Tatel has retinitis pigmentosa (RP). He is described as one of America’s most accomplished public servants and legal thinkers. He spent years denying and working around his blindness before finally embracing it as an essential part of his identity. He has authored a book titled Vision: A Memoir of Blindness and Justice (Talking Book DB122023). At the age of 77 he became a guide dog user, which he said has changed his life dramatically.
Woo, Woo! The biggest Convention surprise came at the very end of the banquet when the drawing for ACB’s Braille Forum raffle takes place. The raffle features three cash prize winners: 1st prize is $5,000, 2nd prize is $1,000, and 3rd prize is $500. Drum roll, please! The 1st prize winner was Loris Van Berkom, and it just so happens it was her birthday! I, Allan, thank those who bought ACB Braille Forum Raffle tickets from me; it just so happened that this year I sold both the Raffle’s 1st and 2nd prize winners.
Join Us at the Fall Sports and Rec Retreat
Submitted by Trampes Brown
The fall Sports and Recreation Retreat is back! The NDAB Sports and Rec Committee is excited to announce we will be hosting our fall retreat at the beautiful Triangle Y Camp on the shores of Lake Sakakawea near Garrison, ND, the weekend of September 13-15. We are moving locations this year. A new venue offers exciting new opportunities. This year, weather permitting, we will possibly have some equine activities as well as possible air rifle target shooting. We will hopefully be able to enjoy many of our usual activities like archery, climbing wall, and water sports.
Remember for our sports retreats you can bring a guest who has vision. While attendees with visual impairment can attend at no cost, any plus-one who is sighted will pay a $75 fee. As usual, lodging, food, and activities are covered. We will assist in coordinating rides for attendees if need be.
We will have a link to register on our website and you will also receive an email with details. If you need assistance registering or have any questions feel free to contact me at 701-389-7982.
Let’s get out and explore our state. Join us at the retreat.
Bismarck & Other News from Robert Westermeyer
The Bismarck Supper Club met at Olive Garden in May, Jack’s Steakhouse in June, and China Star in July. August will be our house picnic depending on the health of the host.
Sympathies go out to Carol Marshall on the death of her husband. She has experienced a smorgasbord of personal issues, and we should be sending her our prayers.
A comical observation: If cable were your supermarket, they would take your order for pork chops, milk, bread, coffee, and pop. They would withhold the pork chops and the milk, and charge you for bread, chips, cookies, beer, and cigarettes without giving you these products.
Spotlight on NDAB Member: Robert “Bobby” Westermeyer
Tell us about yourself.
I was born in Superior, WI, on October 6, 1965. I was born blind. My family moved to Grand Forks in 1967 after my dad got a job transfer and we’d be closer to a school for the blind. I graduated in 1984 and got a degree in marketing and management from UND. I moved to Bismarck in 2000.
What are some of your hobbies?
I like to fish, swim, and bet on horse racing (“play the ponies remotely”). I joined the Knights of Columbus in February 2018 and the Bismarck Protective Order of the Elks in June 2018.
When did you become a member of NDAB?
In June of 1984, when I was in an adult mobility training program in Grand Forks. I was encouraged to join then.
What is your favorite memory from NDAB events?
Lots of people were there for me at camp in 2010, a month after my dad died. It hit me like a ton of bricks, but people were there to help me pick up the pieces.
Another time at camp, Becky Monroe put an ice cube down my neck. She thought I was going to scream, but I didn’t. I just fished it out and put it down her neck.
What do you consider NDAB’s greatest accomplishment?
Camp, by far and away. It gives people a chance to get together, and in a way, they can be more independent.
Is there anything you think NDAB should add or do differently?
I think we should break away from Ski for Light and have our own event.
Why should someone join NDAB?
Just for the advocacy opportunities. I’d like to see more parents get involved with NDAB.
How do you see blind possible?
Being able to do more stuff for yourself.
Is there anything else you want to share?
I have given blood 300 times. The first time was March 18, 2002, and I just hit 300 donations on April 4, 2024.
Spotlight on NDAB Member: Vince Ulstad
Tell us about yourself.
In June 2009, I was involved in a head-on collision on I-94 between Steel and Dawson, ND, from which, due to extensive blood loss and an inadequate oxygen supply, optic nerve hypoxia resulted, completely closing down the functioning of this essential nerve to sight or even transmission of light. Thus, I am fully and permanently blind. I was in a coma for five weeks, assigned a 5% probability of surviving when I entered the emergency room at Medcenter One that night of 2 June. After almost six months in hospitals and rehab centers, I returned home the week before Thanksgiving 2009. I made my first of several subsequent visits to the North Dakota Vision Services School for the Blind the first week of December 2009. In March 2011, I was diagnosed with a MRSA infection in my hips and pelvis and lived another six months in the hospital and care centers as I went through seven surgeries, multiple IVs of antibiotics, and daily bandage changes. In 2012, my wife of 30 years informed me of her decision to file for divorce, and I began a 6-year return-to-singleness. In October 2018, Deb Johnsen, who was on staff at NDVS/SB, and I were united in marriage. I have two adult sons, one in Fargo and one in Lakeville, MN, and a 20-month-old granddaughter, in addition to Deb’s three sons and three grandchildren. Deb and I reside in Fargo.
What are some of your hobbies?
I enjoy gardening and all outdoor activities, including occasional canoeing, hiking and traveling, reading and public speaking when opportunities arise.
Why did you become a member of NDAB?
I have been a member of NDAB since 2015. I recognized the need to join with like-minded people for support and advocacy to increase awareness of low vision and blindness and help bring out the potential for people with those conditions in participating in daily life.
Is there anything you think NDAB should do differently?
I believe that NDAB has the potential to more aggressively participate in promoting access to employment opportunities and training programs for the blind. We must advocate for ourselves, as a blind community and use financial resources to assist in “breaking into” the job markets.
What do you consider NDAB’s greatest accomplishment?
NDAB has done well in becoming a lead entity in our state representing the Low Vision-Blind community.
How do you “see blind possible”?
“Blind Possible” is an intriguing phrase that says so much in those two relatively short words. All humanity has potential within this realm of earthly life, so it goes without saying that if you are a member of the human race, you have potential, and all things become possible.
Is there anything else you want to share?
I continue to enjoy and look forward to getting to know my colleagues and associates in the low vision/blind community better.
Celebrating Disability Pride Month
July was Disability Pride Month. Instead of the usual member profile on our Facebook page, NDAB’s newly elected president, Loris Van Berkom, shared her thoughts on the significance of the month.
My name is Loris Van Berkom. I live in Williston and just celebrated my 76th birthday. I was diagnosed with cone/rod dystrophy at the age of eight and have slowly been losing eye sight all of my life. I have three sisters and three of the four of us have the same eye condition so it is genetic, but we can’t trace it back to any of our ancestors. Our retinas have been slowly deteriorating, leaving not a lot of usable vision.
Celebrating Disability Pride month is important. Knowing more about any disability and applying that knowledge to someone you meet, gives you a better understanding of them and their challenges.
Most people do not understand different degrees of sight loss. They seem to think that either you can see or you cannot see, and if you use a white cane, your world is totally black. Some also think that most sight can be fixed with glasses. I have been asked many times what I can see, and it is very difficult to answer that question because I don’t know what someone who has normal vision can see.
The general public seems to think that if you have a disability, you are unable to live a normal life. I grew up having life goals like everyone else, and accomplished those goals including going to college, getting married, having children, working as a teacher, retiring, and living independently. Nothing I do is amazing or superhuman. I am more like you than unalike. I can’t make eye contact or drive, but I can cook, clean house, read books, attend community activities, volunteer, etc. I might have adaptive equipment to accomplish my goals, but thanks to technology, my life is made easier. As I have gotten older, I have realized that everyone has something to deal with, whether it is physical, mental, or emotional. The bottom line is attitude!
After 42 Years, I Finally Have a Name
Submitted by Amy Osvold, NDVS/SB Vision Rehabilitation Specialist
My vision loss journey began when I was 4½ years old. I had been sick with what my mom thought was the flu. I stayed home in the morning with my grandmother while my mother worked. That afternoon she picked me up to go to the doctor but when she asked me to put on my shoes, I could not find them. I could not see them. She rushed me to a family friend who was an optometrist in Minot who then sent me to the ER. And thus began my journey.
Over the next 42 years, I began a quest to try and figure out what was causing my vision loss before I lost the rest of my sight or the mystery disease expanded its grasp to other areas of my body. As a child, I had a total of six attacks. After the fourth, I was put on an immune suppressant called Imuran as a kind of a shot-in-the-dark. It did not stop the attacks, but it did slow them down and kept the losses from being so extensive.
As an adult, I have seen countless neurologists, ophthalmologists, neur-ophthalmologists, rheumatologists, immunologists, and general practitioners in an attempt to find an answer before the clock ran out. Every time I had an attack, I lost more vision. I would take massive amounts of steroids but never regained what I lost. In 2000, I started having numbness and weakness on my right side, as well as dizziness, headaches, and nausea. The doctors just told me they could not find anything wrong other than the Optic Neuritis which had progressed to Optic Atrophy. By the late 2000s, pain became a constant companion. Every time I saw a new doctor and they ran the usual gauntlet of tests, I prayed this would be the time science had caught up to my disease, the time I finally had a name for the pain.
During the 2010s, I had attacks every 18 to 24 months. High-dosed IV steroids became my friend and my enemy. The pain would stop for a time but a cold, the flu, a cold sore, anything that affected my immune system would wind the disease up again.
During one of the treatments in 2018, I fell asleep around 11:15 pm and woke up around 1:15 am. I told my husband, Brian, that I needed to go to Starbucks on our way to work. He told me we did not have time. I begged again and he said no. Then Angry Amy came out and I began to scream about not sleeping and needing caffeine. I realized what I was doing and began to cry. Not just a few tears, this was a full-body, shaking sob. Brian turned around and went to Starbucks. My caffeine needs were met but I realized that I was becoming a monster. That was the last time I did the IV steroid treatments. At this time, I had been in the Vision Rehabilitation field for almost 20 years. While I did not like the idea of letting my vision go, I knew that I would be okay because of what I did for a living.
In 2022, I got COVID and noticed some vision loss but accommodated and moved on. The other symptoms such as numbness, weakness, dizziness, and pain were worse, but there was nothing that could be done for it.
I started catching up on some of my vaccines including COVID, flu, pneumonia, and shingles this winter, with a final shingles shot in late February. A few days later Brian and I came down with a bad case of the stomach flu. I got over it, but the dizziness was considerably worse. The pain was excruciating, and my vision was not right. On April 8th, I started to have issues with my bladder. Two days later I fell three times within 24 hours. In the final fall, I hit my head on the car parked next to us. It was time to go to the ER. There, they discovered a very large lesion on my thalamus and white matter.
Fortunately, Trinity in Minot consults with Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN. The doctors at Mayo requested a test for Myelin Oligodendrocyte Glycoprotein antibody disease or MOGAD. MOGAD, or MOG, is an inflammatory neurological condition of the central nervous system. It is very rare. I was told by a MOGAD researcher at Mayo that right now the prevalence is 1 in 10 million. However, now that they can test for it, more people are being diagnosed. MOGAD was discovered in 2007 but has only been able to be tested since 2017. MOGAD affects the top part of the myelin sheath. The myelin sheath is the protective covering of nerves. It has some symptoms similar to Multiple Sclerosis and Neuromyelitis Optica (NMO). However, unlike MS, MOGAD often affects both eyes with Optic Neuritis. It is found in people of all ages. MOGAD can be a one-time occurrence, or it can be relapsing like mine.
Ironically, the immune suppressant I have been on is one of the treatments for MOGAD. However, because I continued to decline on the medication, I needed a different treatment. The condition is so new that there are no FDA-approved medications. I did relent and do another course of IV and pill prednisone. I also had Plasma Exchange (PLEx) where they remove your plasma, give you back the other parts of your blood and donor/artificial plasma. I felt really good after the treatments. I have since started a weekly injection of another biologic in the hopes to keep things at bay.
Why am I telling you all of this? First, MOGAD is a new and often overlooked condition. Doctors and patients need to know about this condition and how to test for it. Second, and more importantly, even when you feel that there is not more hope, there still may be a light in the darkness. I asked the doctor at Mayo if anyone else has had it as long as me. He took my breath away when he told me that he does not know of anyone because they have probably passed away because this is serious. That shook me to the core. The physical toll has been terrible, but the emotional toll has been devastating. I asked three different hospitals to speak to a therapist, but it wasn’t until I got home and asked my general practitioner that a referral was made. This is my final call to action. Our mental health struggles associated with vision loss, or just regular life circumstances that are more complicated by vision loss, are not something that can be overlooked or ignored. It is a part of us. It is a part of our journey. And it is nothing to be ashamed of.
Legislative and Advocacy Report Summer 2024
Submitted by Allan Peterson and Zelda Gebhard
Topics we discussed during our Convention Report were the North Dakota primary election that was then about to happen on Tuesday, June 11, the ability for us to now use an accessible electronic absentee ballot as a way to vote here in North Dakota, the adoption of resolutions to guide our advocacy work during the upcoming state legislative session that begins January 2025, and the legislative priorities that we brought to Capitol Hill in connection with ACB’s Legislative Seminar on March 5.
As we all witnessed, the June 11 primary race to secure the Republican endorsement for both the Governor and the U.S. House of Representatives were highly contested races. Both races were to open positions because of Governor Burgum’s decision not to seek reelection and for Kelly Armstrong’s decision not to run for reelection to his seat in Congress but to, instead, seek to become North Dakota’s next governor. This, of course, is in preparation for the nationwide general election on November 5.
It does need to be understood that we absolutely must exercise our RIGHT to vote in this fall’s general election on November 5. The future direction of our nation and, therefore, the world, could ride on the results of this fall’s election.
The report that summarized our advocacy efforts for the four legislative priorities that were advanced at the 2024 American Council of the Blind’s Legislative Seminar were published in the spring (May) edition of the Promoter. Accordingly, the resolutions we adopted at our 2024 NDAB Convention at the Enchanted Castle advocated for enactment of these four priorities by Congress and urged support for them by our North Dakota congressional delegation, made up of Senators Hoeven and Cramer and Congressman Armstrong. These four resolutions address the Medical Non-Visual Device Accessibility Act, the Websites and Software Accessibility Act, the Communications, Video, and Technology Accessibility Act, and the Medicare and Medicaid Dental, Vision, and Hearing Benefits Act. Each of these pieces of legislation deal with our need for access to visual information that is vital to people who are blind or who have low vision. For more information, please refer to the 2024 NDAB Convention Resolutions, published elsewhere in this edition of the Promoter.
This session of Congress will end in January 2025 after this fall’s election. However, our advocacy for passage of these priorities will continue if these issues are not acted upon by this session of Congress. The need for advocacy never stops for especially important accessibility issues like these; it is a constant that never goes away. The only way we have had success is to be ever-persistent and ever-determined to reach our advocacy goals.
Four of the resolutions we adopted at our 2024 NDAB Convention at the Enchanted Castle deal with our forthcoming advocacy during the North Dakota State Legislative Session that will convene January 7, 2025. The resolutions are in support of the state biennial appropriations for North Dakota Vision Services/ School for the Blind, the Talking Book Program administrated by the ND State Library, the Older Individuals who are Blind (OIB) Program administrated under ND Vocational Rehabilitation, and state funding for public transportation services administrated by the ND Department of Transportation. We will be using the resolutions adopted at our NDAB 2024 Convention to help guide our advocacy during this coming year.
It is our hope that some voters with blindness or low vision would choose to vote using the electronic accessible absentee ballot in this fall’s election. Our NDAB Legislative Advocacy Team put much time and effort to finally gain this option for voting passed into law. Information about using this option to vote can be found in the Accessible Absentee Voting Update article on page 28 of the May Promoter.
Finally, based on court rulings, our advocacy may be more important than ever before.
Development Report, NDAB Convention 2024
Submitted by Allan Peterson, NDAB Development Director
Donations! It is the fuel that keeps us going; it allows us to do what we do. So, a huge thank you to all who supported NDAB with your donations and/or helped with our fund-raising activities in any way during the past year. We rely on and are very appreciative of your ongoing support – it is vital to maintain our operation as a financially independent non-profit organization.
This past NDAB financial reporting year began June 1, 2023, and ended on May 31, 2024. Note: This report serves as the Development Director’s Convention Report.
Naturally, our first fundraising goal is to meet and exceed what is paid out in expenses. I am pleased to report that we did so and exceeded what we spent.
Our fundraising activities continue to revolve around two events – the NDAB Walk for Vision and our participation in Giving Hearts Day. Separate appeals are made to several selected North Dakota charitable gaming operations, Lions Clubs in ND, and a few individual and business-type donors.
Our Walk for Vision event is held to coincide with White Cane Awareness Day, observed annually on October 15. Walk for Vision serves as our signature event and White Cane Awareness Day focuses on our advocacy to promote the safety and independence of people who rely on a white cane or guide dog as a mobility aid.
A very appreciative “thank you” to our volunteers at our 2023 Walk for Vision event in Fargo, to our helpers from the NDSU Campus Lions Club, and our ever-faithful NDAB workers Rebecca Anderson and Judy Peterson, plus the Fargo-area NDAB members and friends who joined us for this event on Monday afternoon, October 16, 2023. Results from that event were reviewed in the Winter Promoter 2024 Development Report.
The publicity we receive by pairing Walk for Vision events with White Cane Safety Day is notable. We requested and received White Cane Safety Day proclamations from both ND Governor Doug Burgum and from Fargo Mayor Tim Mahoney for White Cane Safety Day in 2023.
In terms of monies raised, our major fundraising activity centers on our participation in Giving Hearts Day (GHD). We, like other Giving Hearts Day-participating organizations, are required to create a Match Fund in preparation for GHD. The purpose of this fund is to incentivize donors by having a dollar-for-dollar match for their donations. In this way, online donations are matched by the money that is in this fund. Any online donations that exceed the total in the Match Fund are added to the sum that is raised for Giving Hearts Day. An NDAB Match Fund of $22,549 was created and reported for the 2024 Giving Hearts Day Appeal. Assuredly, information about our Match Fund donors is kept confidential and is not shared with other organizations.
This year, Giving Hearts Day was held on February 8, 2024. A total of 612 organizations participated in this appeal that raised over $29 million. When our Match Fund is included with our GHD online donations, NDAB raised close to the average amount per organization that participated in the 2024 GHD Appeal.
Our fundraising is broadly categorized into 5 separate income streams: (1) NDAB Walk for Vision, (2) Giving Hearts Day, (3) North Dakota Lions Clubs, (4) licensed charitable gaming operations, (and 5) designated donations (Note: memorials are excluded from this stream). For fiscal year 2023 – 2024, results for these five categories are (1) NDAB Walk for Vision = $3,502.04; (2) Giving Hearts Day = $27,466.27; (3) charitable gaming = $14,100, (4) individual donations = $10,387, (5) ND Lions Clubs = $2,389.56. The income raised from these five funding streams totaled $57,844.87.
Note #1: The amounts in the separate streams are not duplicated; the amount in each category is what can legitimately be claimed for that funding stream.
Note #2: Walk for Vision and Giving Hearts Day donations include several contributions made by North Dakota Lions clubs. So, the amount reported separately in the Lions income category in no way accurately reflects the generosity of the ND Lions clubs.
Note #3: The category referred to as donations does include several gifts that were made to help create our Giving Hearts Match Fund.
We take a pause for just a bit to thank and acknowledge all the successes that were achieved in connection with our fundraising efforts during our previous financial reporting year. Among them is the continuing work to expand and update our database of donors, the work to maintain and update our webpage and Facebook page, the letter writing, editing, and graphic design work, the videos created to promote Giving Hearts Day, and all the contact calls that were made and followed up on. All this boils down to hundreds of hours of volunteer work. A very appreciative THANK YOU to our Giving Hearts Day team for their time and talents that were instrumental to the success we achieved. A report of NDAB’s Giving Hearts Day results was reviewed in the Spring (May) Promoter Development Report.
As an addendum to this report, I am so pleased with the outcome we had with the media attention we garnered in connection with the “Dessert in the Dark” event we conducted for our participation in Giving Hearts Day. The event’s purpose was to thank the Horace Lions and other Fargo-area Lions Clubs with the intent to attract media attention about NDAB prior to Giving Hearts Day. Details about the event were published in the Spring edition of the Promoter. Briefly, our sighted guests were asked to wear a mask while dining on a piece of pie and a beverage of their choice. Kevin Wallevand, a human-interest reporter from WDAY-TV in Fargo, did a story about our event that was shown on the 6 and 10 o’clock news shows the evening of January 25. Many who witnessed this coverage commented on how well this story was presented to the viewing audience.
Our total fund-raising expenses for the previous fiscal year equaled $6,487.12. Fundraising expenses were offset by applying for and receiving two Thrivent Action Team grants that totaled $500. An appreciative thank you to Thrivent Financial for granting this personal member benefit.
Total gross income for NDAB’s previous fiscal year totaled $64,337.78.
An incredibly grateful and appreciative thank you to NDAB Treasurer Rebecca Anderson for her ongoing help in compiling the figures for this report. Her work is vital to the maintenance of the financial records for NDAB. Also thank you to her husband Greg Falde for helping when another set of helping hands and eyes is needed.
The work now begins in earnest for generating income for our 2024 – 2025 budget cycle.
Donations April-June 2024
Submitted by Rebecca Anderson, Treasurer/Registered Agent
Donations January to March 2024
Total $7,465.45
Giving Hearts Day Bonus $321.36
Walk for Vision and Other Donations $525.76
Shelby Barnett
Blackbaud Giving Fund
Bright Funds
Rodney Miller
PayPal giving fund
Doug Puetz
Thrivent
Life Enrichment $2,969.20
Wallace & Vivian Dahl Family Fund
Memorials $3,449.13
Bob and Connie Olson in memory of Bob Vandal
Angie Kokott’s Family in her memory
Gaming $200.00
Park River American Legion
North Dakota Association of the Blind, Inc. Pre-Convention Board of Directors Meeting Minutes
May 20, 2024
BOARD MEMBERS PRESENT: Trampes Brown, Lexee Steffan, Rebecca Anderson, Helen Baumgartner, , Gerald Byron, Janelle Olson, Allan Peterson and Zelda Gebhard
BOARD MEMBERS ABSENT: Elias Youngblom
GUESTS PRESENT: Mary Stip & Michelle Zentz
CALL TO ORDER: Trampes called the meeting to order at 7:07 pm via Zoom.
ROLL CALL: Trampes read the names of those present on the Zoom call.
REPORTS:
President: Trampes reported the Multi-District 5 Lions convention was held this past weekend and went well. Allan, Janelle and Trampes hosted a breakout session.
Secretary: On April 17, a motion was made by Rebecca seconded by Lexee, to accept 3 Lifetime members. At the May 20 board meeting, this motion was voted on and passed. Janelle made a motion to approve the March 26th minutes as presented, seconded by Gerald. Voting will begin in the next 48 hours after reviewing the minutes. The September 26, 2023 minutes will also be sent out for approval.
Treasurer’s Report: A motion was made by Allan seconded by Lexee to accept the March and April Treasurer’s reports as submitted. MC The CD for $25,000 at First International Bank will be due May 25th. Allan made a motion to accept a nine-month CD for 4.93%, seconded by Janelle. MC The 2024-2025 Proposed Budget presented by Rebecca and Allan was reviewed. It was suggested the line item for Promotions/T-shirts be removed as it brings in such a minimal amount. A motion was made, seconded by Gerald to accept the Proposed Budget. MC
Development Director: Allan reported the total income from the five major fund raisers. A more thorough report will be given at the convention.
Membership: Lexee reported she has one new applicant – Steve Hammel, sighted from Bismarck and a returning member, Becky Monroe, sighted from Great Falls, MT. Lexee made a motion to approve both, seconded by Zelda. MC
COMMITTEE REPORTS:
Communications: Trampes reported the committee is still determining who the members are who will be visiting the Lions Clubs and the training that will be provided.
Convention: Janelle reported there are 29 members who have registered for the convention. The Bed and Breakfast rooms that were to be used by NDAB have been given to a wedding party. Rooms have been booked in Mott if needed. Door prizes will be accepted by anyone who wants to bring them.
DITD: There were 77 paid attendees present for this event.
ACB Convention Votes: Zoom calls will be held each evening prior to voting to discuss how people would like to vote. As delegate and alternate delegate, Mary and Gerald will be present during the calls.
UNFINISHED BUSINESS:
Digitizing NDAB’s History: Trampes reported that Elias is looking into getting our history digitized. Janelle has the CDs and will bring them to the convention. She has forwarded all the electronic items to Elias.
NEW BUSINESS:
Camp Attendee: Janelle made a motion that the 3rd VP to the International President for Lions Clubs be invited to attend camp this year, seconded by Gerald. Mark Lyon is from Massachusetts. NDAB would pay for his week at camp, but he would be responsible for his transportation. MC
NEXT MEETING: Post convention on June 9th.
ADJOURN: Allan made a motion to adjourn, seconded by Lexee. MC The meeting adjourned at 9:40 pm.
Respectfully Submitted,
Helen Baumgartner, NDAB Secretary
North Dakota Association of the Blind, Inc. 2024 Convention Minutes
Enchanted Castle – Regent, ND
Friday, June 7th:
Registration for the convention began at 3:00 pm. The New England Lions served a delicious supper at the Slab in downtown Regent. The option to play adaptive games in the gym followed.
Saturday, June 8th:
Registration continued at 8:00 am.
Opening Ceremony: The convention opened with the presentation of colors by the American Legion Taylor-Skartvedt Post 71. The Pledge of Allegiance was led by Loris Van Berkom. Convention attendees were welcomed by Gary Greff, owner of the Enchanted Castle. Trampes Brown responded to the welcome.
Business Meeting: President Trampes Brown called the 87th Annual NDAB Convention meeting to order at 8:39 am. Roll Call was taken with 31 members and 3 guests present. Emily Stenberg Brown read the Standing Rules. Mary Stip made a motion to accept the Standing Rules, seconded by Paula Anundson. MC
REPORTS:
President’s Report: Trampes reported on the events of the past year, including the success of Giving Hearts Day, Camp and advocacy for absentee balloting, Sports and Rec did not have an event this past year. Overall, our organization is strong.
Secretary’s Report: The May 20th Pre-convention Board minutes were read. Gerald Byron made a motion to approve the minutes, seconded by Rosie Landsem. MC Trampes will send the September 26, 2023 minutes to the board for approval.
Treasurer’s Report: Rebecca Anderson shared the financial report for the past fiscal year. Zelda Gebhard made a motion to accept the Treasurer’s Report as presented and corrected, seconded by Lexee Steffan. MC
Development Director: Allan Peterson reported the donations received from each of the five funding sources – Walk for Vision, Giving Hearts Day, Donations, Charitable Gaming and the Lions Clubs.
2023 ACB Delegate: Gerald reported on the convention in Schaumburg, IL. He and his granddaughter, Shelby Byron, went on many tours. He found the voting process to be interesting. Allan reported on the election of officers and the amendments to the constitution and bylaws. There were 14 2023 ACB resolutions that were voted on.
Resolutions: Emily read through 8 resolutions.
Resolution #2024-01: 2025-27 funding support for NDVS/SB – motion by Mary to approve the resolution, seconded by Elias Youngblom. MC
Resolution #2024-02: 2025-27 funding support for services provided by the Talking Book Library – Zelda made a motion to approve the resolution, seconded by Lexee. MC with one abstention.
Resolution 2024-03: 2025-27 funding support for the Older Individuals who are Blind Program – Loris made a motion to approve this resolution, seconded by Mary. MC
Resolution #2024-04: 2025-27 funding support for Public Transit Systems – Doug Stip made a motion to approve this resolution, seconded by Missy Miller. MC
Resolution 2024-05: Support for Medical Device Nonvisual Accessibility Act – motion made by Rosie to approve this resolution, seconded by Brant Adams. MC
Resolution 2024-06: Support for Independent Access to Websites, Applications and Online Services – motion made by Brant to approve this resolution, seconded by Lexee. MC
Resolution 2024-07: Support for Communication Video Accessibility Act – motion made by Kathy Larson to approve this resolution, seconded by Paula. MC
Resolution 2024-08: Support for Medicare and Medicaid Dental and Visions Act – motion made by Kaity Young to approve this resolution, seconded by Lexee. MC
Coffee Break: 10:15 – 10:45. Door prizes at 10:45
Camp: Missy reported on the events of the 2023 camp session. The 2024 camp packets were sent out in May. People can register during the convention, if desired. Camp will be held August 4 – 11. There will be a Thanksgiving theme for the banquet.
Dining in the Dark: Janelle reported there were two events since our last convention – October 19th in conjunction with the State Lions Convention and May 17th in conjunction with the 5NW Convention. Both were hosted by the Minot Lions. In October, there were over 50 guests, 10 table hosts and 4 drivers. In May, there were 78 guests, 14 table hosts and 5 drivers. NDAB pays the cost of transportation for the table hosts. In October, the cost was $909 and in May $967. The hotel and meal arrangements are provided by the Minot Lions. The May event was the last one hosted by the Minot Lions Club. DITD had it’s first event in 2013.
Editor: Emily reported the number of newsletters distributed in each format since the last convention. She sent out a survey last fall. There was a 10% response. She will take comments from anyone with suggestions to make the newsletter better.
Proposed Budget: Rebecca read through the proposed budget for 2024-2025.
Membership: Lexee reported there are 137 paid members. There was 1 death. There are 54 visually impaired, 29 blind and 54 sighted members.
Nominations: The slate of officers for election and the qualifications for running for an office were read.
Lunch Break: 12:00 – 1:00 Door prizes – 1:00
Speaker: From Pilgrim to Refuge – Char Feldman spoke on her experience last October while on a pilgrimage to the Holy Land when war broke out in Israel.
Business Meeting Resumes:
Sports and Rec: Brant reported the next Sports and Rec event will be held at the Triangle Y Camp the third weekend in September. There will be an event in October in conjunction with the Walk for Vision.
Communications: Kaity reported that she has been working on updating the website. The purpose of the website is for membership to use as a resource and for others to know who we are. Emily reported that there are 300 followers on Facebook. The most reaction comes from pictures posted from our events.
Scholarship: There were no NDAB scholarship recipients this year. The guidelines for the scholarship from the Olga Neal Estate are being developed.
Life Enrichment: Zelda reminded people of the opportunity available through the Life Enrichment Program. For interested participants, she reviewed the application process.
Door Prizes – 2:20 followed by Coffee Break
Business Meeting Resumes:
Public Relations: Zelda reported that in the past year, NDAB worked on maintaining a donor list, the MailChimp email list, the “What Can I Do to Help” document was updated, and the brochure is being updated.
Legislative: Allan reported that he will be advocating at the State Legislature for the resolutions that have been passed. He encouraged voting on June 11th. The effort to access absentee ballots has passed in ND.
UNFINISHED BUSINESS: None
NEW BUSINESS:
Olga Neal Estate Funds: The funds allocated to the Teen Camp in the amount of $9,200 are available for other projects. Ideas for the use of the funds will be considered tomorrow at our business session.
NDAB Awards: Mary made a motion to eliminate the Ed Christensen Award and the Advocate of the Year Award, seconded by Loris. Following discussion, Mary withdrew the motion.
Announcements: Loris informed the convention body of the schedule for the banquet and the activities for Sunday. Janelle instructed everyone on the process for arrival at the banquet.
The business meeting recessed for the day at 3:48 pm
Social and Banquet: A social was held in the Tavern from 5:15 – 6:00 pm. The Awards Banquet had a Medieval theme with many people in costume. Everyone was individually announced to the Great Hall. Following a finger-food meal, our host, Gary Greff spoke on the adventures of creating the Enchanted Highway and the Enchanted Castle. Mary awarded Janelle Olson with the Bob LePage award. Lexee awarded three lifetime memberships, one to Allan Peterson, Carol Schmitt and Loris VanBerkom. Susan Jorgenson presented the Friend of NDAB award to Minerva Romas. Congratulations to all the award recipients. Following the banquet, music was provided in the Tavern by Mark Koller and Julie Opdahl.
Sunday, June 9th:
Memorial Service: A memorial service was held to remember Carmen Grove Suminski. Doug sang “On Eagles Wings”. Sherri Heser led the devotions.
Coffee Break: Caramel rolls were served followed by door prizes.
Business Meeting: Resumed at 9:10 with 30 members present and 3 guests.
White Cane Education: Gerald made a motion to allocate $1,000 of the Olga Neal Estate funds to purchase the book “Grandpa’s White Cane” to help educate children in schools across the state, seconded by Mary. Following 20 minutes of discussion, Missy made a motion to extend debate, seconded by Carol Schmitt. MC There are 291 public schools in ND. Carol Schmitt amended the motion to increase the funds to $5,000, seconded by Rick Feldman. Amendment carried. Loris called for the question.MC
Trailer Purchase: Elias made a motion to purchase a trailer to transport sports equipment to events and for storage in the amount of $4,200, seconded by Mary. No insurance will be needed for the size of the trailer that will be purchased. Following discussion, MC
Camp Grassick Renovation: Due to difficulty with navigating the sidewalks at Camp Grassick, Paul Olson has surveyed the camp and recommends retrofitting the sidewalks with a tactile addition. Camp Grassick has agreed to split the cost of adding the tactile domes to the sidewalks. Paul has agreed to install them at no cost. Missy made a motion that NDAB pay for half of the cost of the purchase and installation of tactile domes for the sidewalks at Camp Grassick in the amount of about $1,500 for 12 strips, seconded by Allan. Brant made a friendly amendment to fund the project up to $1,000, accepted by Missy and Allan. Loris called for the question. Vote for calling for the question passed. Voting on the motion carried.
Out-of-state per diem: Loris made a motion to change our per diem for out of state travel for representatives on behalf of NDAB from $40 to $65, seconded by Gerald. MC
Mileage Increase: Zelda made a motion to increase reimbursable mileage for designated drivers from .50 to .65/mile, seconded by Loris. MC
Scholarship Awards: Missy suggested increasing the amount of our scholarships to attract more applicants. For next year’s applicants, the amounts of the scholarships would not change. Zelda made a motion to form an ad hoc committee to promote our scholarships, seconded by Carol Schmitt. MC
Proposed Budget: The proposed budget was read as amended to reflect the increase in camp expenses, mileage, and per diem. Allan made a motion to accept the proposed budget as corrected and amended, seconded by Lexee. MC
Election of Officers:
President: Trampes withdrew his name from the list of candidates for President. Rick made a motion to nominate Loris Van Berkom for President, seconded by Rebecca. Loris accepted the nomination. Brant made a motion that nominations cease and a unanimous ballot be cast for Loris as President, seconded by Allan. MC
Vice President: The Nominations Committee put forth Lexee Steffan for this position. Allan made a motion that nominations cease and a unanimous ballot be cast for Lexee as Vice President, seconded by Gerald. MC
Treasurer: The Nominations Committee put forth Rebecca Anderson for this position. Carol Schmitt made a motion that nominations cease and a unanimous ballot be cast for Rebecca as Treasurer, seconded by Rosie. MC
Board Director: The Nominations Committee put forth Elias Youngblom for this position. Allan made a motion that nominations cease and a unanimous ballot be cast for Elias as Board Director, seconded by Kaity. MC
Editor: The Nominations Committee put forth Emily Stenberg Brown for this position. Kaity made a motion that nominations cease and a unanimous ballot be cast for Emily as Editor, seconded by Allan. MC
ACB Delegate: The Nominations Committee put forth Janelle Olson and Vince Ulstad to serve as delegate to the ACB Convention in Dallas in 2025. Janelle spoke asking for support of her attendance to this convention. Vince was not present to speak for himself. Janelle will be the delegate for 2025. Vince will be the alternate delegate.
2025 Convention: Brant invited people to Bismarck for the 2025 Convention June 12th – 14th.
2026 Convention Site: Rick volunteered Fargo to host the 2026 convention. The convention body accepted the invitation.
Trampes thanked everyone for allowing him to serve as president. Zelda and Trampes were thanked for their service to the board. Rick Vannett was thanked for his work as Parliamentarian.
Adjourn: Carol Schmitt made a motion to adjourn the meeting, seconded by Mary. Loris adjourned the meeting at 11:48 am.
Respectfully submitted,
Helen Baumgartner, NDAB Secretary
North Dakota Association of the Blind, Inc. Post-Convention Board of Directors Meeting Minutes
June 9, 2024
BOARD MEMBERS PRESENT: Loris Van Berkom, Lexee Steffan, Rebecca Anderson, Helen Baumgartner, Gerald Byron, Janelle Olson, Elias Youngblom, Allan Peterson and Trampes Brown
Loris called the meeting to order at 11:58 am.
Code of Conduct: The Code of Conduct will be signed by board members and returned to Helen.
NEW BUSINESS:
Membership: Lexee had three applicants to present for approval: Ron Abbott, visually impaired, from West Fargo: Harley Feist, blind, from Menoken; and Amanda Geffre, sighted, from Oakes. Lexee made a motion to approve these applicants, seconded by Janelle. MC There are now 140 members.
Committee Assignments: Loris assigned Elias to lead the Sports and Rec Committee. She will ask Zelda to lead the ad hoc committee for the scholarships.
ACB Stipend: Doug Stip, Shelby Byron, Gerald Byron, Zelda Gebhard and Allan Peterson have requested stipends. Trampes made a motion to give all five $300, seconded by Lexee. MC
ACB Convention Voting Process: A Zoom invite will be set up for the caucusing process starting on July 7th and any other night voting will need to be discussed.
NEXT MEETING: The next meeting was set for August 26th @ 7:30 pm.
ADJOURN: Allan made a motion to adjourn the meeting, seconded by Lexee. MC
The meeting was adjourned at 12:24 pm.
Respectfully Submitted,
Helen Baumgartner, NDAB Secretary
Leadership Roster
President: Loris Van Berkom #770-2077
Membership Chairperson/VP: Lexee Steffan #260-8914
Secretary: Helen Baumgartner #663-8878
Treasurer/Registered Agent: Rebecca Anderson #277-8127
Past President: Trampes Brown #389-7982
Legislative Liaison: Zelda Gebhard #709-0262
Director: Elias Youngblom #612-968-1044
Director: Janelle Olson #570-0801
Director: Gerald Byron #993-8755
Development Director/Leg. Liaison: Allan Peterson #282-4644
Historian: Open
Webmaster: Brant Adams #419-566-0918
Promoter Editor: Emily Stenberg Brown #215-1796
Camp Committee Chair: Missy Miller #298-8091
Committee Chairpersons:
Awards: Paula Anundson #490-0888 & Mary Lou Stip #720-0738
Communications: Trampes Brown #389-7982
Dining in the Dark: Janelle Olson #570-0801
Finance: Rebecca Anderson #277-8127
Scholarship: Tracy Wicken #772-7669
Sports and Recreation: Elias Youngbloom #612-968-1044
Public Relations: Zelda Gebhard #709-0262
Local News Reporters:
Bismarck: Robert Westermeyer #391-8499
Lake Region: Carol Schmitt – #662-3363
Minot: Dianne Giessinger- #720-4866
Williston: Janelle Olson – #570-0801
Fargo: Mary Lou Stip – #720-0738
Grand Forks: Ruth Phalen – #772-4546
Communication Connections:
Website: www.ndab.org
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NoDakAB/
Communication submissions: comms@ndab.org
Address: NDAB, PO Box 824, West Fargo, ND 58078
All members are encouraged to submit items of interest to the editor at promoter@ndab.org for publication. Deadline is the 10th of the month prior to quarterly publications of February, May, August, and November.
NDAB is a nonprofit organization which promotes the interest of ND residents who are blind and visually impaired. As a nonprofit organization, we welcome donations to help in advancing the cause of persons who are blind and visually impaired. For more information about NDAB, visit www.ndab.org.