WELCOME TO THE 2009 ANNUAL CONVENTION OF THE WASHINGTON COUNCIL OF THE BLIND

Hosted by: The United Blind of the Tri-Cities & the United Blind of Walla Walla

November 5, 6, and 7, 2009

All WCB meetings are open to members and non-members alike. The WCB is pleased to offer this program to assist you in locating all activities of this convention along with times and room assignments. Meetings & meal functions will take place in the Olympic Ballroom area; hospitality, as well as a social room, will be held in Project & Design respectively, which are located at the lobby end of Wing 2. Throughout the general sessions, the Friday luncheon, business meeting and banquet, door prizes will be given out to those registered for the convention and in attendance at the time their name is drawn.

Thursday, November 5, 2009

3:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. Information/Registration desk open, pre-registration only. (Olympic Ballroom foyer)

3:30 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. WCB Lounge open: Drop by to meet old and new friends or find a partner for dinner or someone to go through the program with you; a special drawing will be held for those who stop by – hosted by the WCB Membership Committee. (Design)

7:00 p.m. Pre-convention Board meeting. (Bronze-Silver)

9:30 p.m. Constitution & Bylaws Committee meeting, following the Board meeting – Facilitator: Frank Cuta, Chair, WCB Constitution & Bylaws Committee. (Oak)

9:30 p.m. Resolutions Committee meeting, following the Board meeting – Facilitator: Marlaina Lieberg, Chair, WCB Resolutions Committee. (Spruce)

10:00 p.m. Hospitality – sponsored by the United Blind of the Tri-Cities. (Project)

Friday, November 6, 2009

7:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. Information/Registration desk open. (Olympic Ballroom foyer)

7:30 a.m. General breakfast (Gold)

7:30 a.m. First-timer breakfast – Facilitator, Meka White, Chair, WCB First-Timer Committee. (Oak)

7:30 a.m. Presidents breakfast, Presidents only. (Spruce)

8:00 a.m. – 10:00 a.m. Exhibits set up, vendors only. (Olympic)

10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. Exhibits (Olympic)

8:45 a.m. – 11:55 a.m. General Session (Bronze-Silver)

8:45 a.m. Call to order – Denise Colley, President, Washington Council of the Blind; Presentation of the Colors – Frank Cuta, Secretary, Washington Council of the Blind; Invocation – Joleen Ferguson, Immediate Past president, Guide Dog Users of Washington State; Welcome to Pasco – Mayor Joyce Olson, City of Pasco; welcome from the host chapters – Bill Hoage, President, United Blind of the tri-Cities & Shirley Musick, President, United Blind of Walla Walla.

9:05 a.m. President’s report – Denise Colley, President, Washington Council of the Blind.

9:25 a.m. Nominating Committee report – Janice Squires, Chair, WCB Nominating Committee.

9:35 a.m. Constitution and Bylaws Committee report – Frank Cuta, Chair, WCB Constitution & Bylaws Committee.

9:50 a.m. Self-Advocacy: You can & should be your best advocate; come learn how. – Sue Ammeter, 1st Vice President, Washington Council of the Blind & Mitch Pomerantz, President, American Council of the Blind.

10:20 a.m. Break

10:35 a.m. WCB Jeopardy – Berl Colley, Chair, WCB History Committee.

10:40 a.m. There’s Only One You: Come learn how to protect yourself from identity theft. – Norma Miller, Business Consultant, Tri-Cities Better Business Bureau.

11:05 a.m. Around The House: Pick up tips & tricks to make your life a little easier in & around your home. – Sheila Turner, Rehabilitation Teacher, Edith Bishel Center for the Blind, & Carl Jarvis, Rehabilitation Teacher, Peninsula Rehabilitation Services.

11:30 a.m. A Sailing Adventure: Come learn what it was like to spend several months sailing around the world on a freighter, the ports visited, why our traveler chose a freighter over a cruise ship & hear his many adventures. – Bruce Radtke, member, United Blind of Whatcom County.

11:50 a.m. WCB Jeopardy – Berl Colley, Chair, WCB History Committee.

11:55 a.m. Break

12:00 p.m. Awards Luncheon – MC: Cindy Van Winkle, Chair, WCB Convention Committee; presentation of internal WCB Awards:Alan Bentson, Chair, WCB Awards Committee. (Gold)

1:15 p.m. Tour of the Columbia River exhibition of history, science and technology, pre-registrants only. (hotel lobby entrance)

1:30 p.m. 3 concurrent break out sessions:

Being Proactive In AccessingTransit Services: Your rights & responsibilities as a transportation customer & what to do when those rights are violated. – Facilitator: Sue Ammeter, WCB 1st Vice President; presenters: Kristi Ross, Learning & Technical Assistance Specialist, Easter Seals Project Action & Donna Pomerantz, Accessibility Advisory Committee, Los Angeles County Metro.

Extra curricular activities for your chapter: keeping members engaged beyond the meeting day – Facilitator: Cindy Van Winkle, WCB Immediate Past President; panel: Janice Squires & Marlene Vandecar, United Blind of the Tri-Cities; Berl Colley, Capital City Council of the Blind & Michelle Denzer, Peninsula Council of the Blind. (Oak)

Living with Diabetes, The more knowledge you have, the more new information you have, the more support you acquire the more success you will have in managing your diabetes. – Amy Hegarty RD, CDE and Kitty Dissing RN, CDE, Kennewick General Hospital, Diabetes education sector. (Spruce)

2:45 pm Break

3:00 pm 3 concurrent break out sessions

Talking Books Go Digital: Learn about the NLS digital player & the Victor Stream, how to access digital books, & much more. – Facilitator: Janice Squires; panel: Alan Bentson, Reader Advisor & Danielle King, Program Manager/Librarian, Washington Talking Book & Braille Library; Steve Vandecar, 2nd Vice President, United Blind of the Tri-Cities & Meka White, Secretary, Peninsula Council of the Blind. (Bronze-Silver)

Being proactive in your job search: Learn how to arm yourself for the biggest job of all, finding a job. – Facilitator: Denise Colley, WCB President; panel: Todd Dickson, Area Director, Worksource Columbia Basin; Karla Jessen, Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor, Department of Services for the Blind; & Kirk Adams, President/CEO, Lighthouse for the Blind, Inc. (Oak)

Let’s Join the Local Gym: Exercise programs can be made accessible, local & done with our sighted peers. – Facilitator: Bill Hoage; panel: Steve Wallenfels, Department Manager,Oversees racquetball, climbing wall and gymnasium programs, & Vicky Ferrell, Supervisor of the circuit training fitness area (Club Max), Tri-Cities Court Club. (Spruce)

7:30 p.m. 6th Annual WCB Talent show: come and enjoy the many talents of some of our conventioneers – Hosts: Nathan Brannon, member, United Blind of Seattle & Alco Canfield, member, King County Chapter. (Bronze-Silver)

9:00 p.m. Hospitality – sponsored by the United Blind of the Tri-Cities. (Project)

Saturday, November 7, 2009

7:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. Registration/Information desk open. (Olympic Ballroom Foyer)

7:00 a.m. Guide Dog Users of Washington State breakfast/business meeting. (Oak-Pine)

7:30 a.m. General breakfast (Gold)

8:45-11:50 a.m. General Session (Bronze-Silver)

8:45 a.m. Call to Order and Announcements. – Denise Colley, WCB President & Cindy Van Winkle, WCB Convention Chair.

9:00 a.m. ACB Connection: learn what’s happening on a national level with the American Council of the Blind. – Mitch Pomerantz, President, American Council of the Blind

9:30 a.m. The Jobs People Do: a panel discussion – Facilitator: Sue Ammeter, 1st Vice President, WCB; panel: Jackie Cabrera, Chef/Owner, C What’s Cookin’ Catering, Lacey, WA; Catherine Golding, Teacher of the Visually Impaired, Washington State School for the Blind, Olympia, WA; Brian Sargee, Braille Transcriptionist, Moses Lake School District, Moses Lake, WA.

10:20 a.m. Break

10:35 a.m. WCB Jeopardy – Berl Colley, Chair, WCB History Committee.

10:40 a.m. State of the State, hear what’s happening with our three state agencies serving the blind – Lou Oma Durand, Director, Department of Services for the Blind (DSB); Dean O. Stenehjem, Superintendent, Washington State School for the Blind (WSSB); Danielle King, Program Manager/Librarian, Washington Talking Book & Braille Library (WTBBL).

11:50 a.m. WCB Jeopardy – Berl Colley, Chair, WCB History Committee.

11:55 a.m. Break

12:00 p.m. General lunch (Gold)

12:00 p.m. GDUWS lunch and program. (Oak-Pine)

1:30 p.m. WCB business meeting: In memoriam; elections; adoption of WCB budget; resolutions; constitutional amendments & bylaws; old business; new business. (Bronze-Silver)

4:30 p.m. Adjourn

5:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. Registration/Information desk open. (Olympic Ballroom Foyer)

5:30 p.m. Scholarship reception: Come hear from & celebrate with this year’s scholarship recipients. (Oak-Pine-Spruce)

6:00 p.m. No host social hour, Silent Auction & entertainment courtesy of Alan Bentson, Board of Directors, Washington Council of the Blind. (Gold-Olympic)

7:00 p.m. WCB annual banquet: Master of Ceremonies – Glenn McCully, Member, WCB; Invocation – Janice Squires, member, United Blind of the Tri-Cities; Scholarship presentations – Julie Brannon, Chair, WCB Scholarship Committee; Awards presentations – Alan Bentson, Chair, WCB Awards Committee; Banquet address – Mitch Pomerantz, President, American Council of the Blind. (Gold-Olympic)

10:00 p.m. Hospitality – sponsored by the United Blind of the Tri-Cities. (Project)

A special thank you goes to the members of the 2009 Convention Committee, our many presenters, volunteers & those who worked behind the scenes to help make this convention such a success!