KCB Board Meeting – September, 2016
The monthly meeting of the Kentucky Council of the Blind Board of Directors was held via conference call on Monday, September 19, 2016. President Deb Lewis called the meeting to order at 8:04 PM eastern time. Answering the roll call were Deb Lewis, Joey Couch, Deb Trevino, Rick Boggess, Carla Ruschival, Bill Deatherage, Debbie Deatherage, Bill Roberts, “Cisco” Slusher, Bill Wright, Gerry Slusher, Elaine Weisbard, Shirley Stivers and Natalie Beyers. Frank Campbell, Josh Gentry, Amanda Selm and Matt Selm were absent. Guest Adam Ruschival was also present.
President Deb Lewis called for reading the August 15 board meeting minutes and summary. Gerry Slusher indicated the Northern KY videos are on the Facebook page, not their webpage. In addition, Deb Lewis pointed out that one Next Generation member is pregnant instead of two. Since copies were distributed in advance, Elaine Weisbard made a motion to dispense with their reading and for approval with suggested corrections. The motion was seconded by Bill Deatherage and unanimously approved.
Treasurer’s Report
Carla Ruschival presented her report for August. Bill Wright made a motion to approve the treasurer’s report. The motion was seconded by Elaine Weisbard and unanimously approved.
Carla also reported that the report does not reflect $988 received from ACB as reimbursement for participation in the ACB Brenda Dillon Memorial Walk. Part of the money will be returned to participating chapters.
Chapter Reports
Eastern Kentucky Christian Council: Joey Couch reported that Amy Hatter will share information on recent improvements at Radio Eye at 1 PM on September 24 at the Breathitt County Public Library in Jackson.
Northern Kentucky Council: The chapter will have White Cane Safety Day on October 13 at the police station in Covington. There will be product demonstrations and an opportunity to use a white cane while blindfolded. Members recently participated in the grand opening at the Center for Great Neighborhoods. They showed off their new braille embosser (purchased with a grant from the Center) and conducted product demonstrations.
Greater Louisville Council: Debbie Deatherage reported there has been excellent attendance at GLCB Roundabout in recent weeks including 41 people at the September 16 quarterly meeting. Ray and Karen Campbell from Illinois visited the September 2 meeting. The bargain table has raised approximately $344 in the last month. Chapter members will dine out at King Fish on River Road at 4 PM on September 25. KSB graduate Larry Cook will be playing that evening. Several members participated in a TARC hearing to share concerns about TARC3 service. A couple of members will also be conducting a training at the Red Cross on October 17.
Tri-State Library Users Group: Bill Wright reported there will be a dinner meeting at Clifton Pizza from 6-8 PM on September 21. They will plan for the KCB convention and discuss plans for October’s conference call meeting.
Guide Dog Users of Kentucky: Bill Deatherage reported they hope to have another walk around the neighborhood soon and are planning for the KCB convention. There will be a conference call meeting September 26 at 7 PM.
Support Alliance of the Visually Impaired: Bill Roberts reported that 18 members and three guests attended the September 13 meeting. One of the guests joined after the meeting. Local attorney Ed Hodskins discussed living wills and estate planning. Members also discussed fundraising ideas and listened to a member’s ScripTalk demonstration.
KCB Next Generation: Joey Couch reported the chapter will hold a dine out and elections at 5 PM on October 8 at Aspen Creek Grill located at 302 Bullitt Lane in Louisville.
Committees
PR/Membership: Rick Boggess reported the committee met on September 7. Members discussed the newsletter (which has been mailed) and heard updates on the KCB webpage and calendar. Members received assignments for updating four year college contacts and discussed placing the Sound Prints podcast on Youtube. AS a follow up to earlier discussions, Carla Ruschival reported that Sound Prints has been accepted into the iTunes Store and will soon be available for download using your favorite podcatcher.
Convention Committee: Joey Couch reported the committee has selected a convention theme and is working to finalize speakers. Sponsorship levels have also been set. There will be a taco bar on Friday night.
Old Business
None.
New Business
Carla Ruschival made a motion that KCB offer Peel to Save cards to chapters to be used as chapter fundraisers. The motion was seconded by Deb Trevino and unanimously approved.
Carla Ruschival discussed the card cases being offered through ACB as possible fundraisers. The aluminum cases, available in several colors, will cost between $6.25 and $7 and will be sold for $12. Minimum orders with ACB logo will be 25; minimum orders of 50 will be required for any affiliate or chapter wanting to add its logo. The cases offer protection against theft of card numbers. Orders will be placed in the next week or so; anyone wishing to order needs to contact Carla. Deb Trevino made a motion that KCB order card holders which can e shared with local chapters thus enabling them to purchase smaller quantities. The motion was seconded by Elaine Weisbard and unanimously approved. Gerry Slusher indicated that Northern KY is interested in purchasing 10. Other chapters interested in contributing to this order should contact Carla in the next couple of days.
Deb Lewis indicated that there will be an auction on Friday night at the KCB convention and the committee is looking for 20-25 new or like new items. Those interested in contributing an item should let her know by November 1.
Carla Ruschival discussed a situation where a visually impaired gentleman has been informed he needs to appoint someone power of attorney in order to withdraw money from his IRA. This is due to the fact that his signature has changed because of a stroke. Carla has discussed this with a financial advisor who indicates there is no such requirement to withdraw IRA money. She will be participating in a conference call with the gentleman to try to resolve the situation.
On a somewhat related topic, Rick Boggess reported there will apparently be some changes which will impact IRA and 401K account holders beginning next April. He suggested we might want to have someone talk about this at the upcoming KCB convention.
Carla Ruschival made a motion that KCB contribute $150 to the Louisville Story Project to support publication of the KSB book. The motion was seconded by Gerry Slusher and unanimously approved.
Carla Ruschival indicated interest in collecting information about whether or not banks (especially Fifth Third) are offering bank and credit card statements in braille. Those encountering problems are encouraged to share their experiences with Carla. She will collect the information and share with Lainey Feingold. Gerry Slusher shared a problem she has experienced with an FHA appraisal on a home she is trying to purchase. She was encouraged to try to determine whether or not they provide financing on homes with living and dining areas in the basement.
Announcements and Adjournment
Bill Deatherage made a motion to adjourn. The motion was seconded by Rick Boggess and unanimously approved. The meeting adjourned at 8:57 PM.
Submitted by Rick Boggess, KCB Secretary
Download Summary: KCBBoardMeetingSeptember2016
