Our meetings are held on the fourth Tuesday of the month in the Peace Room at Peace United Church of Christ located at 1503 2nd Avenue Northeast in Rochester at 7:00. Volunteer Drivers provided by the Rochester Lions Clubs are available to pick people up to come to meetings and other events. Just call either our President at (507) 288-5335 or Second Vice President at (507) 208-4439 to line up a ride.

Our State, National and local organizations provide members with several annual activities which provide opportunities to network with other blind people, learn about what's going on in the organization and about the divisions, chapters and our in-state training center Blindness Learning In New Dimensions (BLIND) Incorporated as well as the latest and greatest in technology. Each Spring we have a Semiannual convention in Minnesota. Each summer, our national organization holds a convention. Our annual state convention is held in the fall of each year preceded by an event called a Walk for Opportunity, a 5k Walk/Run fundraising event for our state affiliate which you will be hearing about in the months to come. October is "Meet the blind Month." During the course of the year, our chapter has a variety of public events including chapter parties and picnics.

To read my report about the semiannual convention in May, click here.

For an update on the Windows 8 UI, click here. To see a video with new features, click the following link.

Click here for the May minutes.

You can find the June minutes here.

To review a copy of a program from Marcy's service, click this link.

2011 Walk for Opportunity

Our Move-A-thon was held Saturday September 17, 2011. I'll get more information about how we did and what went on when I find out which will be at the upcoming state convention which I'll talk about below.

2011 Annual NFB of Minnesota State Convention

Our 91st Annual NFB of Minnesota State Convention was held in Bloomington from October 7th through the 9th. Our state affiliate board's composition is now as follows.

National Convention

The National Convention was recently held from July 3rd through July 8th, 2011 in Orlando, FL at the Rosen Shingle Creek Resort. To find the presidential report, audio recordings of meetings and sessions and Dr. Maurer's fantastic banquet address, visit the NFB national website. At the convention, two resolutions were adopted and a petition was signed by most (if not all) convention attendees regarding the abolition of Section 14C in the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 and the elimination of Section 511 in the WIA Reauthorization that is set to be acted on around July 17th. The Federation wants (and demands) the abolition of the practice of paying subminimum wages and does not support the current WIA Reauthorization including the proposed Section 511 that's being considered by congress.

Protest Against Subminimum Wages

Members of the National Federation of the Blind held an informational protest in front of offices of Senators from around the country on Tuesday July 26, 2011. Our state was no different bringing around 60 Federationists to Saint Paul to protest in front of Minnesota Senator Al Franken's district office. We were all protesting against the bill to Reauthorize the Workforce Investment Act which as it stands has a section we want eliminated called Section 511 (of Title V) that Senator Tom Harkin wants to be part of the legislation. The Federation is against not only this section, but eventually wants the abolition of the ability to pay subminimum wages. That would mean eliminating Section 14c from the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938. As of yesterday, I read a post on Twitter from the National office that the Hearing on Section 511 most recently set for August 3 has been cancelled.

nfb.org

© 2012 National Federation of the Blind of Minnesota Rochester Chapter