THE WHITE CANE BULLETIN Florida Council of The Blind, Inc. November - December 2017 Articles for the White Cane Bulletin must be submitted to Greg Lindberg no later than the 15th of the month before it is published. Greg’s email is: glindberg@gmail.com If you do not have access to a computer and email please find someone in your chapter to help you. We want to hear from anyone who wants to contribute to our newsletter, so if you can not find a way to submit your article, call Greg and he will be glad to assist you. Articles published in The White Cane Bulletin are in compliance with Public Law No. 104197, Copyright Law Amendment of 1996. This law allows authorized entities to distribute copies of previously published non-dramatic literary works in specialized formats, including Braille, audio or digital text that are exclusively for use by Blind people or those with disabilities. Any further distributing of such articles in another than a specialized format is an infringement of copyright. Those much-needed contributions, which are Tax-deductible, can be sent to the Florida Council of the Blind treasurer, Linda Jacobson, at 2915 Circle Ridge Drive, Orange Park, FL 32065. To remember the Florida Council of the Blind in your Last Will and Testament, you may include a special paragraph for that purpose in your Will or Trust. If your wishes are complex, please contact the FCB at 800-267-4448. The FCB is a 501(c)(3) organization. For other ways to support the Florida Council of the Blind, visit our Fundraising page found at www.fcb.org. ARE YOU MOVING? – Sally Benjamin If you are moving please notify me of your new address so you will continue to receive your White Cane Bulletin. Also if you know of anyone interested in joining FCB and who would like to receive the White Cane Bulletin and the Braille Forum please contact me at: (850) 877-1512 or E-mail: salbenjamin@comcast.net TABLE OF CONTENTS President’s Message by James Kracht …………………………………………………..3 2018 FCB Awards Info Letter by Jason Goldfield…………………………………………...4 2018 FCB Scholarship Announcement by Sheila Young…………………………………...5 GOCB Update by Martha James………………………………………………………………7 Personal Note on FCB Blind Fishing Tournament by Mike Ulrich…………………………8 Poetry Corner by Shelley Sawyer……………………………………………………………10 FCB Officers, 2016 – 2018……………………………………………………………………12 Chapter and Special Affiliate Officer Liaisons………………………………………………13 Handy Telephone Number References……………………………………………………..15 *** President’s Message By James Kracht Living in a Sighted World As I sit here writing this article, I have been reflecting on the individual responsibility of acknowledging our blindness as members of a world that is predominantly sighted. Do we, in some respects, hide our blindness and, if so, why? Is it part of an effort to deny it, or is it to justify a need to c Those of you who know me will attest to the fact that throughout my life, I have lived with the belief that as blind members of a minority, we have the responsibility to adapt and conform. But in doing this, do we have the tendency to understate or deny who we are? — blind members of the sighted world who are striving for independence and inclusion? In our advocacy work, do we tell the world that, yes, we are blind, and we are proud of who we are? At our last presidents’ meeting, we discussed White Cane Safety Day celebrations. The issue of displaying our affiliation with and membership in local chapters of FCB and ACB came up. I suggested that it would be great advertising and a tremendous demonstration of support if we would wear shirts or carry banners announcing our FCB affiliation. I stand by the pronouncement that this is something we should do. We should consider this for White Cane Safety Day festivities next year. But more than that, I ask us all to stand tall and take note of the fact that we are blind living in a sighted world. As I write this column, I ask, why is it that in my closet, I have college and law school shirts from Harvard that I am truly honored and proud to wear? I have shirts advertising the love and support of my favorite sports teams. And, there are even a few shirts demonstrating my love of and attendance at Disney, or cruise ships, or the like. But my closet does not, sadly to say, contain many local, state, or ACB shirts. I'd like to believe that this is because I'm not a big t-shirt-wearing guy, which in large part is true. I am proud of the work I have done for ACB, FCB, and their affiliates including the American Association of Visually Impaired Attorneys, The Braille Revival League, and Library Users of America. This pride is no different from that which I have for my college alma mater. Hence, as evidence of my pride and in demonstration of my support, I pledge to wear shirts promoting the American and Florida Councils of the Blind and their work. Wearing these shirts certainly tells the world that we are blind. More importantly, it promotes the issues, causes, and organizations which we believe in and strongly support. We use our canes or travel with service dogs to let others know that we are blind. We must continue to fight through advocacy to promote independence and a better quality of life for people who are blind or visually impaired. If you can wear an FSU shirt, a UF shirt, a UCF shirt, or a Disney shirt, you should be proud to wear one of Mike Ulrich's blind fishing tournament shirts, an FCB shirt, or one of the new ACB polo shirts. You can now purchase these new ACB shirts from the ACB Mini Mall by calling 877-630-7190. I will buy my ACB shirt this week end and wear it with pride. Sincerely, James Kracht, FCB President *** 2018 FCB Awards Info Letter By Jason Goldfield Dear FCB members and friends, This year, the FCB Awards Committee is desirous of honoring all members who deserve recognition for their devotion to improving the lives of the blind and visually impaired community. Our committee is dedicated to keeping submissions confidential, and the recipients will be announced at our state convention, which will be held in Jacksonville in May of 2018. Please take a look at our awards listed on the fcb.org web site, and consider a submission honoring those who take time out of their day, whether it is a member, organization, or a person in the community who blesses your life with their service to us. The committee accepts all submissions, and the absolute deadline for entries is March 15, 2018. If you wish to submit a letter for an award, please e-mail it to Jgoldfield73@comcast.net. If you have any questions regarding our awards or system, please feel free to contact one of our committee members. Thank you for taking time to honor the people who assist in making life better for us! Jason Goldfield Awards Chairperson Contact Information Jason Goldfield Jgoldfield73@comcast.net 561-337-7781 Shelley Sawyer Seabelle031@gmail.com 850-765-9111 Cassandra Jessie cassandrajessie@gmail.com 386-675-6175 *** 2018 FCB Scholarship Announcement By Sheila Young; Chairperson of Education & Leadership Committee The Florida Council of the Blind (FCB) Scholarship Program consists of awards totaling $4,000.00. These scholarships are offered to exemplary students who are enrolled in academic education, professional, or technical training beyond the high school level. The scholarship opportunities are: * Gayle M. Krause-Edwards Scholarship: $1,500.00– Available to an eligible applicant who is enrolled full-time, and has completed one semester of college in a course of study which will increase advancement potential in his/her chosen field * Teresa Blessing Scholarship: $1,000.00– Offered to an outstanding full-time college student * Timothy Turpin Scholarship: $1,000.00– Offered to a high school student graduating and exhibiting academic and leadership excellence planning to attend college full-time * Bobbie Probst Scholarship: $500.00– Awarded to an eligible applicant who is enrolled part-time in a college or university, or a student enrolled in a technical institute. Applicants must have at least a 3.0 grade-point average (GPA) with the exception of the Gayle M. Krause-Edwards Scholarship. The prestigious Gayle M. Krause-Edwards scholarship requires a 3.2 GPA and completion of one semester in a college or university. This scholarship is awarded to a student exhibiting outstanding academic and leadership achievements. ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS FOR ALL SCHOLARSHIPS: 1. Applicant must be legally blind. Specifically, the applicant must have vision in the better eye of no more than 20/200 with corrective lenses OR may have vision greater than 20/200 in the better eye, but with a restricted field of vision of no more than 20 degrees. 2. Applicant must be a current resident of the State of Florida. However, the college or university doesn't have to be in Florida. 3. Applicant must have a high school diploma or a high school equivalency diploma. (High school students who are graduating this term may also apply.) 4. Applicant must be enrolled in an accredited college, university, or technical institute or be accepted for enrollment. A letter of acceptance is required. 5. Applicant must be seeking a college degree or certificate. 6. Applicants who are full-time must carry at least 12 credit hours per semester/quarter to be eligible for the full-time scholarships. Those who are part-time must carry a minimum of 6 credit hours per semester/quarter to be eligible for the $500.00 scholarship. SUPPORTING DOCUMENTS WHICH MUST ACCOMPANY THIS APPLICATION INCLUDE THE FOLLOWING: 1. An explanatory or descriptive statement regarding vocational objectives and outlook for employment in a chosen field. Please include any awards or scholarships received or that are pending. Part-time students must include an explanation for part-time status (e.g., employed student, family responsibilities, etc). 2. Two letters of recommendation. 3. Sealed official transcript from school currently or most recently attended. 4. Letter of acceptance from accredited college or university. 5. Certification of visual status (detailed physician’s eye report) MUST be mailed by certifying entity. Certification of visual status and transcript(s) MUST be postmarked no later than March 31st, 2018. Please forward Certification of visual status and transcript(s) to: Florida Council of the Blind c/o Sheila Young 2304 Amherst Ave. Orlando, FL 32804 Please e-mail application packet, all recommendation letters, and supporting documents electronically to: Sheilayoung125@att.net (no handwritten applications will be considered) All applications and documents must be received no later than March 31st, 2018. The Education and Leadership Committee will review all applications and select the four winners. Recipients will be notified prior to the annual state convention, and the winners will be announced during the Awards Ceremony on May 18, 2018, in Jacksonville, FL. All scholarship winners will be invited to attend the annual convention and will be given hotel accommodations for one night for two persons and two tickets to the Awards banquet. Additional banquet tickets may be purchased by the scholarship recipients. The Florida Council of the Blind will pay transportation costs by train or bus for the scholarship recipient and one guest. Mileage by automobile to the convention will be reimbursed on the following basis: $0.445 per mile. For more information about our Scholarship program, you may contact Sheila Young at sheilayoung125@att.net or by phone at 407-425-9200. *** GOCB Update By Martha James GOCB participated in another annual White Cane and Guide Dog Safety Day. It was held at 445 S. Magnolia Ave. We were fortunate to have Commissioner Clark, Orange County Commissioner, Reginald McGill from the Orlando mayor’s office, along with Commissioner Stuart’s assistant, Jessica Stead, participate. Many Orlando policemen, people from Lighthouse Central Florida, members from our chapter, members of NFB of Central Florida, and guests joined in the walk. Our chapter will celebrate another Dine and Donate on October 18 at Tijuana Flats. Asli Goncer will be performing. Her music always keeps the festivities lively. There will be a hot sauce raffle for those who like things on the spicy side. Our chapter has a couple of busy months coming up. Starting in November, the chapter will participate in the midyear board meeting. The nominating committee has proposed a slate of officers for our election at the November meeting, which will be held on November 11. The slate includes Sheila Young for president, Martha James for first vice president, Craig Marquis for second vice president, Mattie Hickson for recording secretary, Pam Sogge for treasurer, and Leslie Spoone for membership secretary. To round out the year, the chapter will hold its annual Christmas luncheon on December 2 at the home of Gary Sinclair, which is located at 7202 Knottypine Ave, Winter Park, FL 32792. The party will be catered by TooJays restaurant. Anyone wishing to attend should make it known by the next meeting so that an accurate count can be determined. We wish all of you a very happy and safe holiday season! In addition, for those with computer access, GOCB is on Facebook. You can find us on Facebook by typing “GOCB” in the search box. GOCB invites all readers of this newsletter to “like” us on this social network. *** Personal Note on FCB Blind Fishing Tournament By Mike Ulrich As some of you might remember, I’ve been going through some pretty big health issues, having to go back on dialysis one year ago this past April, going through all the motions to get on the Tampa General Hospital kidney transplant list and all that. I had put the word out that I most likely couldn’t put on another blind fishing tournament for the FCB. In fact, the 2017 tournament put me in the hospital with all the stress and what-nots of doing all the work required to not only organize and put it together, but also the major stress of the actual tournament day itself. Well, with still being on anti-rejection/immune suppression drugs, I’ve still got to keep that transplanted pancreas going, I was so very run down with the conclusion of this year’s tournament; my immune system was down, and I came down with Para Influenza Type III and pneumonia. So, I ended up in the hospital swearing I would never put on another blind fishing tournament again. I just can’t sacrifice myself anymore like I’ve done for everything I’ve organized for the blind in the past. I had hit the wall. Well, I couldn’t help but listen to everyone telling me they wished I would change my mind. Apparently, this little old fishing tournament for blind anglers was beloved by many. So, I debated back and forth with myself for a long time, and I decided to put out a very serious request for real help in organizing and running the tournament itself, on the day of the event. I blasted out this request to many. I had said if I couldn’t get volunteers to virtually sign their name in blood, stating that they would totally commit to the tournament, bar none, then I would simply just let the tournament go and let it rest in peace. I had grown so weary of people in the past saying they’d help, only to be let down and having to come up with plans B, C, and D, when they’d bail out and sometimes not even call or e-mail me to even let me know they couldn’t come through and were bowing out. So, like I said, I put out this request for at least 10 people to help, with one person that would step into my shoes should I get that call for a kidney transplant. Well, I guess this tournament mattered to some folks, just as much as it mattered to me. I received serious commitments from 10 local people, and 2 from out of the area. Plus, I got 2 serious commitments to take over for me, be the top dog, and run the show should I get that call for a transplant. OK, Mike, cut to the chase – yes, Virginia, there will be an FCB Annual Blind Fishing Tournament for 2018! WHAT: THE 7TH ANNUAL FCB BLIND FISHING TOURNAMENT WHEN: SATURDAY, MARCH 24, 2018 WHERE: THE CAPE CORAL YACHT CLUB IN CAPE CORAL, FL The 2018 tournament will follow the same format as last year’s with an entry fee of $25.00 each for the Blind Angler and the Blind Angler’s Sighted Mate. There will be a registration window just like in year’s past. It’ll be about a two-week window in which I will officially receive a limited number of registrations with entry fees as the number of registrations for blind anglers and sighted mates accepted is always dependent on how many volunteer captains we can come up with. Note: I will not accept any registrations or entry fee checks before or after the registration window opens or closes. I will have more pertinent info on the 2018 Blind Fishing Tournament in the January-February issue of the White Cane Bulletin. In that issue, there’ll be more about the timeing of the registration process and more info on the details of the tournament. But if people have questions now, they can give me a call on my cell at 239-565-5845 I’d like anyone needing to contact me by phone to please call me on my cell. I can keep better track on who called and all that. Thank God for iPhones! So, the Blind Fishing Tournament goes on. Keep your eyes peeled for more info in the White Cane Bulletin coming out in January! These are my last few words……Later! Michael D. Ulrich Just an ordinary, average blind guy! Florida Council of the Blind Fundraising Committee Member In Summary: FCB 7th Annual Blind Fishing Tournament! Saturday March 24, 2018! Cape Coral Yacht Club; 5819 Driftwood Pkwy. Cape Coral, Fl. 33904 Mike’s cell phone: 239-565-5845 Mike’s e-mail: mulrich@centurylink.net *** Poetry Corner By Shelley Sawyer Greetings, Dear Readers, How fast the year is flying by! Here it is, almost Veterans Day again. The following poem was sent to me by Sharon Youngs who wrote it a few years ago. Thank you Sharon, for helping all of us to thank our veterans for the jobs they do and the sacrifices they make. Thank you, Veterans Thank you, Lord for our veterans From all across this land Yes, Lord the American veteran Who always took a stand. The veteran who fought To make this country be The one land in the world Where all men could be free And, Lord bless the veteran Who fought on Flander’s Field The vet who drew a line And then refused to yield Lord, thank you for the veterans Of the “greatest generation” They, who fought on many fronts To preserve the greatest nation Lord, thank you for the veterans Whose names are on the wall Those who in the jungle Watched their buddies fall Lord, thank you for young veterans The ones who can’t come back Yes, thank you for the volunteers Of Afghanistan and Iraq Lord, make us ever grateful For the many parts they played But most of all we thank THEM, Lord For the sacrifices that they made Lovingly written by Sharon K. Youngs (Originally written in 1996, but later updated) *** FCB OFFICERS, 2016 – 2018 President, James Kracht 9901 SW 138th Street, Miami, FL 33176 jkk48@bellsouth.net (305) 251-6983 or 407-378-3477 1st Vice-President, Dan Spoone 3924 Lake Mirage Blvd., Orlando, FL 32817 danspoone@cfl.rr.com (407) 678-0075 2nd Vice President, Doug Hall 1405 Edgewater Road, Daytona Beach, FL 32114-5859 dhall318@cfl.rr.com (386) 255-0377 Treasurer, Linda Jacobson 2915 Circle Ridge Dr., Orange Park, FL 32065 lfjacobson@gmail.com (904) 272-8405 Membership Secretary, Sally Benjamin 1531 Dempsey Mayo Road, Tallahassee, FL 32308 salbenjamin@comcast.net 850-877-1512 Recording Secretary, Debbie Drylie 1544 Walnut Creek Dr., Flemming Island, FL 32003 debbiedrylie@gmail.com (904) 228-7102 Immediate Past President, Paul Edwards 20330 N.E. 20th Ct., Miami, FL 33179 edwards.paul955@gmail.com (305) 692-9206 Editor of White Cane Bulletin, Greg Lindberg 3145 Meadow View Ln., Palm Harbor, FL  34683 glindberg@gmail.com (727) 543-9807 *** Chapter and Special Affiliate Officer Liaisons "Please contact your officer liaison if we can be of assistance or if you need anything from the Executive Committee." Broward- Paul Edwards edwards.paul955@gmail.com (305) 692-9206 Clay- Dan Spoone danspoone@cfl.rr.com (407) 678-0075 Greater Miami- Debbie Drylie debbiedrylie@gmail.com (904) 228-7102 Greater Orlando- Doug Hall dhall318@cfl.rr.com (386) 255-0377 Halifax- Linda Jacobson lfjacobson@gmail.com (904) 272-8405 Jacksonville- Linda Jacobson lfjacobson@gmail.com (904) 272-8405 Manatee- Dan Spoone danspoone@cfl.rr.com (407) 678-0075 Miami Beach- Paul Edwards edwards.paul955@gmail.com (305) 692-9206 Miami Metro- Paul Edwards edwards.paul@gmail.com (305) 692-9206 Palm Beach- Jim Kracht jkk48@bellsouth.net (305) 251-6983 or 407-378-3477 Pensacola- Sally Benjamin salbenjamin@comcast.net 850-877-1512 Pinellas- Doug Hall dhall318@cfl.rr.com (386) 255-0377 Sarasota- Dan Spoone danspoone@cfl.rr.com (407) 678-0075 Southwest- Sally Benjamin salbenjamin@comcast.net 850-877-1512 Tallahassee- Debbie Drylie debbiedrylie@gmail.com (904) 228-7102 Tampa- Sally Benjamin salbenjamin@comcast.net 850-877-1512 Venice- Dan Spoone danspoone@cfl.rr.com (407) 678-0075 BRLF- Dan Spoone danspoone@cfl.rr.com (407) 678-0075 CCTB- Debbie Drylie debbiedrylie@gmail.com (904) 228-7102 FCCLV- Doug Hall dhall318@cfl.rr.com (386) 255-0377 GDUF- Linda Jacobson lfjacobson@gmail.com (904) 272-8405 RSVF- Jim Kracht jkk48@bellsouth.net (305) 251-6983 or 407-378-3477 *** Handy Telephone Number References Project Insight: (800) 267-4448 Bureau of Braille & Talking Book Library: (800) 226-6075 Division of Blind Services, State Office: (800) 342-1828 American Council of The Blind: (800) 424-8666 (Available 3:00 to 5:30 P.M. EST Monday-Friday only) ACB Legislative Hotline: (800) 424-8666 (Available evenings 8:00 P.M. to 12:00 Midnight EST and weekends 9:00 A.M. to 5:00 P.M. only) AT&T Disability Services: (800)872-3883 Press 00 and speak with your long distance carrier, or Florida only: (800)982-2891 BellSouth Disability Services: (800)982-2891 (From anywhere) Social Security: (800) 772-1213 (24-hour voice and touch tone accessible - THE END- FLORIDA COUNCIL OF THE BLIND FREE MATTER 1531 Dempsey Mayo Road FOR THE BLIND Tallahassee, FL 32308 14