CONTENTS:
Page
2
From the President – Michelle’s Meanderings
3
Gebhard Greetings
Legislative
Report: Fall, 2008
5
Our First
Convention Experience
6
2008 NDAB
Convention
11 Post Convention
Board Meeting,
12
NDAB Board Meeting Minutes,
14 NDAB Board Meeting
Minutes
15 Support Groups Near
You
16
Family Adjustment Seminar News
17 Scholarship Thank
You
D.K.M.
First Timers Contest
18 Candy’s Corner
19 Herberger’s
Community Day Event 2008
Gifts and Donations
20 In Memory
21 NDAB Celebrates 100
Years of Service
NDAB Member News
21
22
23
Williston News
25
26 LIFE
27 Historic Flashback
Name That Building
NDAB Summer
Camp 2008
From the President
Greetings to all NDAB members!
I know I should be
extending wishes of Happy Holidays but my mind is still remembering Summer Camp
activities. It seems strange to be canning and making Fall preparations in the
garden when my body is still craving the Summer heat and wearing shorts. Summer
is truly over. Face the facts, time to
pack away the summer clothes and dig out the winter gear. Shortly, it will be so cold I will be
ecstatic to just stay inside and compose the next letter from the President for
the Promoter.
Last Spring, when I
told my mother I was nominated to become NDAB President she exclaimed, “Oh no,
not that! You will never be able to get
someone else to take over the position.” I reassured her that NDAB has term limits and is not run the same as
the Senior Citizens Group to which she is President. Her concerns were not
unwarranted though.
Binford, where she resides has a total population of
approximately 250 if you count the neighborhood cats and dogs. Therefore, very
few people are available to become members of an organization and even fewer
want or are able to hold an office. So, you can understand her original
concern. While growing up, problems regarding population occurred at our public
school as well.
There were only seven
students in my graduating class! Therefore, everyone learned at a young age
that if we did not participate there were no organizations or activities
available.
Come to think of it,
the NDAB and Binford have some similarities. The one diference is that NDAB has
term limits for officers. However, there
are some positions people have held for many years. Like my mother, some
members agree to continue to serve when no others are willing to fill in a
position. Thank goodness for the individuals who do continue to serve.
In addition, the number of NDAB members and Binford’s
population are both relatively small.
There is not much to do to rectify the problem in Binford since most of
the residents are beyond childbearing age.
And, I don’t foresee a huge migration of individuals flocking to move to
Binford. Can’t imagine people shouting “Binford or Bust” and swarming the town
like the fish flies at camp. The main difference
between the two groups that I see are the many options available to NDAB for increasing
the membership. Many new ideas are being considered and tasks have been
completed or are in progress to better publicize our organization. Hopefully
the fruits of our efforts will be realized soon. If you have any ideas for
spreading the word about NDAB contact an officer or board member. Don’t forget,
I love to talk on the telephone!
By the time this
letter is finished and in print Thanksgiving will soon be upon us. We have a strong support system of friends
and family within the NDAB and for this
we can all be proud and thankful. Jenna
and I will be ready to celebrate another birthday together. Oh well, I guess
that is enough of Michelle’s meanderings for the moment. I better close this letter before the
snowflakes start to fly. Merry Christmas
and a Happy New Year to all!
Michelle
Gebhard Greetings
This will be brief as we had an abundance of information to
include in this issue. Please note the Ski-For-Light
registration deadline is November 15th, help Loris and Rick Name That
Building, shop at Herbergers November 15, plan to attend 2009 NDAB Convention
June 13. In other words: Sign Up, Name Shed, Go Shop, Mark Calendar.
As far as my family goes: Summer’s history, Football hurt, Babies grow,
Grandma goes, Grandpa acts.
Thought I could leave it at that but I can’t. I just have to explain what I meant by those
few words. The summer flew by and yes,
even the poison ivy I suffered is a distant memory. Football was both good and bad for Alex. He did a great job on the line for the E-K Rebels
in between injuries. First, he
dislocated his left kneecap and then damaged his medial collateral ligament
(MCL) on the right leg. We are doing our
part (yes, that also hurts) to make sure a certain orthopedic doctor will have
a very nice retirement. Babies grow? We
were blessed with our 5th grandchild on September 3rd! They are all doing well and growing up fast –
all in varying stages of cooing, crawling, walking and talking. That accounts for the Grandma goes. This grandma goes to visit them whenever
possible and loves to have them come here too.
Grandpa acts? My husband, Steven,
is in the play the community is putting on in November. This requires lots of play practices and even
some “homework” going over his lines with me.
Though it has been a challenge trying to make everything
fit, I want to thank all of you for your contributions to the Promoter. It is great to have so much news! I even put some of the overflow into the file
for the February issue! Things are happening in NDAB!
Zelda
Editor
Legislative Report: Fall, 2008
By: Allan Peterson
Since
our calendar is now into October, I know many of you are thinking about
observing Halloween in some fashion. So Happy Halloween everyone! For those of
you who may not know, the name Halloween is derived from the words “Hallows
Eve” which, on the Christian calendar, is the day before the observance on
November 1st of “All Saints Day”. At our church, during the Sunday
worship service that falls closest to “All Saints Day”, we acknowledge and name
the souls of our dearly departed members, who have died over the span of time,
since the past “All Saints Day.
Thinking
about Halloween and All Saints Day made me think about all of the saints that
have departed from our midst who have had connections with our lives in NDAB.
One of the saints that just recently departed from our midst on September 9th
was our dearest of friends, Robert “Bob” LePage. Bob truly was an angel in our
midst. Bob and his wife, Virginia, were faithful and loyal supporters of our
community of people who are blind here in
I
cannot begin to say enough about the kindness and thoughtfulness of Bob and
Virginia. Thanks to Bob and the Gateway Lions Club, we in
In
addition, we in NDAB, owe a huge debt of gratitude to Bob and the Gateway Lions
for continuing to subsidize the cost of chartering a bus to transport
participants from North Dakota to the Ski for Light event in Deadwood, South
Dakota, in January. They have provided this subsidy ever since we started
chartering the bus for the Ski-for-Light trip through Keith Iten’s mother who
operates Judy’s Leisure Tours. The Gateway Lions will continue to provide this
subsidy into the future, in no large measure, thanks to the legacy of Bob
LePage and his advocacy for our needs for transportation! Rest peacefully dear
friend!
Shortly
after Halloween, a date in our nation’s future looms large! That date is, of
course, the general election on Tuesday, November 4th. With our
national and world economy sinking into troubled waters, combined with our
nation’s wars on, at least, three different fronts, the outcome of the election
couldn’t be more important! Regardless of your political leanings, I think that
we all can agree the nation needs good leadership! For all our sakes, I hope
that we choose wisely!
As
most all of you know by this time, I have a personal stake in the election! For
those of you, who may have somehow missed it, I am one of the candidates
seeking to be elected to the North Dakota House of Representatives. By the time
you may be reading this, the outcome of the election will have been realized.
At that time, I will either be celebrating or picking up the pieces and moving
on!
I
am trying so very hard to be one of those who are elected! Shortly before Labor
Day I started knocking on doors in the district! At first we were dealing with
mosquitoes and warm weather, now we are dealing with rain, wind and cold
weather!
By
the time of the election I estimate, I will have knocked on the doors of about
3500 homes, appeared in several parades, wrote dozens of letters, answered a
number of questionnaires about my views on a number of topics and made numerous
phone calls. These last few weeks of the campaign will be a sprint to the
finish line! It is my hope that this is good news; our opponents are confiding
to others that they think the race will be close.
I
don’t want to be pessimistic about the chances I have to succeed, but I know
that our opponents are incumbents and the advantage always goes to them.
However, on the positive side, I am confident that we are outworking them!
I’ve
learned a lot by being a participant in the process and all the issues that
face us as a state and nation. If I am elected, I am looking forward to working
hard and becoming knowledgeable on all the issues that are brought before the
legislature!
I
am truly troubled and am very concerned about Initiated Measures 1 and 2 that
will appear on the ballot here in this election in
I
encourage and implore that every one of you exercise your right to vote! I also
encourage, those of you who can, to use the electronic voting machines, (brand
name Automark), that allow us to cast a secret independent ballot on Election
Day! So, happy voting!
Much more to come later! By the time the next issue of the
Promoter is published the election will be a memory and we will have begun the
next session of the North Dakota Legislature! I hope at that time to be joining
them in
Our First
Convention Experience
By
Melissa and Dean Peterson
We thoroughly enjoyed out time in
Another highlight for us was the
river walk on Monday night. We walked along the river that wound through the
city. It was a very beautiful evening and walk. We were able to see three
different bridges leading to three states.
On Tuesday, we went to a Lions
luncheon and met many different people from around the country. Seven of us were not Lion members. Perhaps we
should join. Have you? They talked about the school for the Blind here in
Tuesday afternoon we went to Ali's
Museum. It was really interesting. I would highly recommend it for everyone. We
saw videos, 3D's, a photo gallery, memorabilia of his career, gift shop,
and his politics. They acknowledged his
Parkinson's disease. He does still visit the museum in person but he wasn't
there on our day.
We went to
Wednesday night we went on a
dinner cruise up the
During the mornings we attended
daily general sessions and learned a lot about ACB. It is a big group.
We thought the President, Mitch
Pomerantz did an excellent job. The officers all being blind were really organized
and knew what they were doing. They kept us on schedule so we got the business
done that keeps our organization working.
We went to the Midwest Caucus that
was chaired by our own Allan Peterson. We had 90 or so people in attendance. We
kept putting up chairs and more chairs. The people that were running for
offices came and gave us their message so we could be informed voters. We went
to the Hard Rock Café for dinner afterwards. The dinners were so large one
dinner would have easily served two people.
We got done in time to go to the National caucus where we heard
candidates give info about themselves and how they could help govern ACB.
Lester and Eunice's suite was the
place to meet and we are thankful to them for their hospitality. Dean shared his
candy with us. MMm good. They were very helpful to us to find our way to
the many events. Thank you, thank you.!
Overall, everyone was very welcoming,
generous and very kind. We felt included in all the activities that we chose.
We can't wait to go to
2008 NDAB CONVENTION
Prior to the
Presentation of Colors by the Fargo Public Schools Air Force Junior ROTC Honor
Guard, Convention Chairperson Shereen Faber used the convention theme “KEEP
YOUR FACE TO THE SUNSHINE AND YOU CANNOT SEE THE SHADOW” to welcome the
convention body and introduced the participants for the opening exercises. Mayor Dennis Walaker thanked the membership
for coming to
At
Roll call indicated that there were 45 people present- 43
members and 2 guests.
SECRETARY’S REPORT
Karlyn Frantsen read the minutes from the 4-13-08 Board
Meeting and the pre-convention Board Meeting held Friday evening 6-13-08. Loris VanBerkom moved to accept the minutes
from the June 13th meeting as read.
(The April minutes were approved at the Board Meeting.) The motion was seconded and carried.
TREASURER’S REPORT
Renae Huseby read the letter and reported on the assets and
liabilities from the report prepared by Trisha Stromsodt, CPA. The report was placed on file.
GREETINGS
Carmen Suminski, Superintendent of the School for the Blind
acknowledged NDAB and thanked them for their collaboration and support of ND
Vision Services/School for the Blind, and urged everyone to visit their exhibit
and to join in the Centennial Celebration Activities. She reviewed the Celebration agenda and
indicated that there were Centennial Books for sale which are available in
braille, regular print and Audio CD.
COMMITTEE REPORTS
1.
FINANCIAL- Kathy Larson presented her
fundraising report. (See the full report
in the Secretary's file.) The 2008
Walk-a-thons brought in a few less dollars than last year's proceeds.
A coffee break occurred from
2.
FAMILY ADJUSTMENT SEMINAR- Karlyn read
the report prepared by Janelle Olson.
Twenty family units attended the 2007 Seminar held in
3.
SCHOLARSHIP- Tammy Winn reported there
was only one applicant, and since he wasn't eligible, there wouldn't be any
scholarships given out this year.
Everyone's help is needed to get the word out to students about the
scholarships which NDAB offers.
4.
PROMOTER- Editor Zelda Gebhard reported
there were 89 issues of large print mailed, 39 cassette tapes, 39 e-mails, and
3 Braille copies distributed to NDAB members this past year per Promoter
issue. It was requested that the
officer's names and numbers be included on the tapes. Zelda said this could be done.
5.
MEMBERSHIP- Renae reported in Rom's
absence that there are 177 members, 20 of which are blind, 99 visually
impaired, and 58 sighted. There were 14
members who didn’t renew their membership, 17 new, 3 renewals, and 2 deceased,
and 4 moved out of state. It was noted that 51% of the membership has to be
visually impaired, and 49% sighted.
6.
SPORTS AND RECREATION- Dave Sundeen
spoke of the Ski For Light weekend held at Terry Peak with 32 attending from
NDAB (the 29th year). It was
one of the best years for snow, and also the coldest on record. He thanked all
who helped make the trip possible and to Keith Iten’s mom for the bus and the
terrific accommodations!
7.
SUMMER CAMP- Loris VanBerkom reported on the
2007 camp and read the classes which will be taught at the 2008 camp session.
Camp costs will be going up from $150 to $200 per person. It costs about $300-350 per person to be
there, including all the costs. Loris
also brought greetings from Janelle.
8.
NOMINATING COMMITTEE- Renae gave the
report in Olga Neal's absence. The
committee submitted the following names for the respective office: President- Michelle Zentz; V. President- Milissa
Miller; Secretary- Karlyn Frantsen; Treasurer- Renae Huseby; Promoter Editor-
Zelda Gebhard; Board Member- Ruth Phalen; 2009 Delegate to the ACB convention-
Milissa Miller.
9.
LEGISLATIVE-
Al Peterson thanked the members for having an interest in
legislative matters, as we speak not only for ourselves, but for others with
sight loss. He spoke to the issues that
he's been working on and addressing.
VENDORS
As time allowed, the
vendors who had displays in the exhibit hall, gave presentations about their
products and services.
The convention recessed at
LESISLATIVE FORUM
Allan introduced the Democratic Candidates who participated
in the forum, and was also moderator for the session. They were John Lund, Pierce Tefft, Dennis
Edwards and Tim Mathern.
The Convention reconvened at
PROPOSED 2008-09 BUDGET
Renae read the budget as proposed, as well as the
UNFINISHED BUSINESS
1. Trailer-
Rick acknowledged Lloyd Robertson and the trailer which he had built that has
been used for many years at
2. NDAB/ACB
vs. NFB- Al Peterson gave the history of NDAB being affiliated with NFB
beginning in 1944 and ending in 1962. He
also spoke to the NFB philosophy.
There was a coffee break from
NEW BUSINESS
1. Scholarship
guidelines- There was a discussion on changing the age criteria of the
guidelines. Tammy Winn moved that
graduating high school seniors and all incoming college students be considered
for our scholarships, meeting all the other requirements. More discussion followed including that the
wording be refined. Paula Anundson moved
that the motion be tabled until tomorrow at which time it would be brought
back. This motion was seconded and
carried.
2. Resolutions-
Karlyn read the two resolutions as written by Al Peterson that were recommended
as a do pass by the Board.
3. Doranna
Robertson moved that the Nominating Committee submit its report to be printed
in the May edition of the Promoter. The
motion was seconded. Following a discussion including how early the report
would have to be ready, Doranna amended her motion to read that it be printed
in the Call To Convention information which is sent out prior to the
convention. The individual who seconded
the motion agreed with this motion and the motion carried. A point was made that this information would
have to be added to the Convention Guidelines.
4. Thank
You- Paula Anundson thanked the group for the cards and prayers sent to herself
and to Connie. It was decided to send
cards signed by the Convention body to Rom, Olga, and Hazel, all whom have been
under-the-weather and unable to attend the convention. Doranna Robertson brought greetings from
Sophie VanHook.
The meeting adjourned for the day at
The Business meeting
of the convention re-convened when President Feldman called the meeting to
order on Sunday, June 15th at
President Rick
extended thanks to Candy Lien, Mark Kueffler, and the 2 nurses who entertained
at the Banquet- Laverne & Florence.
Kathy moved to suspend the rules and not wear the name
badges in order to vote. Motion was
seconded and carried.
Roll Call indicated there were 42 members and two guests
present.
NEW BUSINESS
1.
Scholarship Criteria- Eunice Ketterling
moved to bring back to the floor the motion made on Saturday. The motion was seconded. Roy Winn read the corrected wording-
Applicants must be a full-time student with a GPA of 2.5 or better on a 4 point
scale. This phrase was deleted- “with a
class standing of no less than a sophomore”.
The motion carried.
2.
Scholarship- Al Peterson moved to
extend a $500 scholarship to Joseph Engel, the Senior High School student and
the only applicant for a 2008 scholarship.
The motion was seconded. There was a discussion on increasing the amount
to $1000 and Al amended his motion and
the person who seconded agreed. The
motion carried to award Joseph with the $1000 scholarship.
3.
Resolutions- Karlyn read once again the
two resolutions and they were voted on as follows:
NDAB RESOLUTION 2008-01
Center Based Blindness Skills Training Services
Whereas, loss of
eyesight is recognized as a dramatic life altering disability that requires
specialized and specific rehabilitation skills training to help people cope
with this condition, and;
Whereas, people with
loss of eyesight, who receive a regimen of intensive center based blindness
skills training, are employable and function with a great deal of independence,
and;
Whereas, all the
Components of a comprehensive center based blindness skills training program
are available at North Dakota Vision Services/School for the blind in Grand
Forks, but the institution is limited in its ability to provide services to the
adult population in the state due to budget constraints and availability of
staff time, and;
Whereas, projection
from the North Dakota Data Census Center, indicate that by the year 2015,
14,335 citizens of the state will have experienced a significant loss of
eyesight; of this number 10,283 will fit the definition of people with “low
vision” and the remaining number in surplus of 4,000 will fit the definition of
being “legally blind”, and;
Whereas, the
Blindness Skills Training Center in Grand Forks operated under the
administration of Vocational Rehabilitation, last supervised by Ed Christensen,
has been closed for more than a decade and has not been replaced by an
equivalent service, and:
Whereas, our
neighboring states of South Dakota and Minnesota fund and maintain vision
rehabilitation training centers in their states that provide the option of a
high quality comprehensive center based program of skills training for their
citizens who experience loss of eyesight,
Now, therefore, be
it resolved that North Dakota Association of the Blind in Convention assembled
at the Fargo Prairie Rose Inn & Conference Center on this date of Sunday,
June 15th 2008 urge and direct the North Dakota Department of Public
Instruction to include in its 2009-2011 biennial Budget a provision for (two additional full time employees FTE's)
ADEQUATE STAFFING for the purpose of providing an expanded center based
blindness skills training program for adults at North Dakota Vision
Services/School for the Blind. Further
we urge and direct the Governor and the North Dakota Legislature to support
this additional allocation of resources in the biennial budget that is enacted
for 2009-2011. We also urge and direct
that this program be developed in conjunction and in collaboration with the
North Dakota Division of Rehabilitation Services.
(Changes made show the words deleted in parenthesis & bold print,
and the words added- underlined and in upper caps.)
Shereen Faber moved
to adopt this resolution as read. The
motion seconded. Discussion
followed. It was noted that two FTE's
would not be enough, and that more staff would be needed. Al amended his motion to read “Adequate
Staffing” instead of “two
additional full time employees FTE's”.
The individual who seconded the motion agreed, and the motion carried.
NDAB RESOLUTION 2008-02
State Funding Assistance for Transit
Services
Whereas, our society is designed and
has become overly dependent on the use of privately owned automobiles for all
aspects of life whether it be employment, entertainment, or commerce and;
Whereas, a significant proportion of
the population, including individuals with many types of disabilities, cannot
drive and are very dependent on using public transit services whenever
possible, and;
Whereas, the rural nature of
Whereas, transportation studies have
demonstrated that communities that offer greater access to public
transportation realize a substantial economic benefit from this investment;
Now, Therefore, be it resolved that
North Dakota Association of the Blind in Convention assembled at the Prairie
Rose Inn & Conference Center in Fargo on this date of Sunday, June 15th,
2008 urge and direct the Governor and the North Dakota Legislature dedicate
more state funding for both inter-city and intra-city modes of public
transportation in the 2009-2011 biennial state budget for North Dakota.
Ruth
Phalen moved the adoption of this resolution as read. The motion was seconded and carried.
5.
Convention 2009- The site of the 2009
convention was supposed to be in
6.
Convention 2010- Williston members
offered to host the 2010 convention. Bob
Vandal moved that nominations cease.
Motion was seconded and carried.
7.
2008-09 Budget- Renae read the proposed
report and the
8.
Election of Officers-
ACB DELEGATE: The Nominating Committee gave the name of
Milissa Miller as delegate. Shereen Faber was nominated from the floor. Kathy
Larson moved that nominations cease. The motion was seconded and carried. Milissa was elected by a paper vote as
delegate. Shereen is the Alternate.
PROMOTER EDITOR: The Nominating Committee gave the name of
Zelda Gebhard as editor. Al Peterson
moved that nominations cease and that the Secretary cast a unanimous ballot.
The motion was seconded and carried and the Secretary cast a unanimous ballot
for Zelda as the Editor.
BOARD MEMBER: The Nominating Committee gave the name of
Ruth Phalen as the Board Member. Shereen
Faber was nominated from the floor. Stan
Larson moved that nominations cease. The
motion was seconded and carried. Shereen was elected by a paper vote as the
Board Member.
SECRETARY: The Nominating Committee gave the name of
Karlyn Frantsen as Secretary. Larry Anderson moved that nominations cease and
that the Secretary cast a unanimous ballot. The motion was seconded and carried
and the Secretary cast a unanimous ballot for Karlyn as Secretary.
TREASURER: The Nominating Committee gave the name of
Renae Huseby for Treasurer. Al Peterson
moved that nominations cease and that the Secretary cast a unanimous ballot.
The motion was seconded and carried and the Secretary cast a unanimous ballot
for Renae as Treasurer.
VICE-PRESIDENT: The Nominating Committee gave the name of
Milissa Miller as Vice-President. Maria
Vazquez moved that nominations cease and that the Secretary cast a unanimous ballot.
The motion was seconded and carried and the Secretary cast a unanimous ballot
for Milissa as Vice-President.
PRESIDENT: The Nominating Committee gave the name of
Michelle Zentz for President. Lester Ketterling moved that nominations cease
and that the Secretary cast a unanimous ballot. The motion was seconded and
carried and the Secretary cast a unanimous ballot for Michelle as President.
Rick passed the gavel to the new president at
CLOSING REMARKS
Outgoing president Rick Feldman spoke and thanked the board
and the membership for their support during his term of office. He also thanked the Fargo Committee for all
the work they did for the convention.
Loris VanBerkom spoke on behalf of the members and thanked
Rick for his leadership, and welcomed Michelle as the new President.
The Convention was adjourned at
Respectfully Submitted,
Karlyn Frantsen, Secretary
POST-CONVENTION BOARD MEETING
MEMBERS PRESENT: Michelle Zentz, Renae Huseby, Kathy Larson,
Mavis Anderson, Karlyn Frantsen, Rick Feldman, Shereen Faber, and Milissa
Miller.
ABSENT: Sheryl
Gerhardt
President Michelle called the Post-Convention NDAB Board
meeting to order at
UNFINISHED BUSINESS
4.
Convention 2009- Discussion on what to do about the next
convention was held included making it a one day event, keeping it low keyed,
with just the essentials with no banquet, door prizes, legislative forum etc. The Convention information could be included
in the May Promoter to eliminate a Convention mailing. Rick moved to have Shereen check into holding
the Streamlined 2009 Convention in
5.
Positions to be appointed by the
President were listed and Michelle will make those names available at the next
Board meeting.
6.
The Convention Guidelines need to be
reworded.
NEW BUSINESS
10.
There were three requests for $200
stipends to the ACB Convention this summer in
11.
Shereen moved to accept for membership
in NDAB the following three applicants:
Clair Huwe, Rebecca Anderson Falde and Merlin Austin. The motion was seconded and carried.
12.
Karlyn reported that she had sent out
eight memorial cards since the last convention and that she would need to order
more cards, of which the Board members agreed she could.
13.
The ACB web site needs to be updated
with current information re: NDAB and Michelle will see that this is done. (Michelle took care of this following the
convention.)
14.
Karlyn will get a current copy of the
By-laws from Kathy, which she did after the convention and placed them with the
current Secretary's Books.
The meeting was adjourned at
Respectfully Submitted
Karlyn Frantsen, Secretary
NDAB BOARD MEETING
MEMBERS PRESENT: Kathy Larson, Mavis Anderson, Shereen
Faber, Sheryl Gerhardt, Karlyn Frantsen, Michelle Zentz, Milissa Miller, Rick
Feldman
OTHERS PRESENT: Zelda Gebhard, Tammy Winn, Al Peterson.
Paula Anundson
President Zentz called the NDAB
Board meeting to order at
There were no reports from the Secretary and Treasurer.
These will be given at the October Board Meeting.
REPORTS
1. Financial: Kathy didn't have
anything to report.
2. Membership: Rick moved to accept the
name of Linda Evarts as a new NDAB member. The motion was seconded and carried.
Shereen moved to accept the names of Amy Brunner, and Oliver and Violet Zentz
into membership in NDAB. The motion was seconded and carried.
3. Family Adjustment Seminar: Paula
thanked Kathy for the help she has given her thus far in preparing for this
year's seminar, as well as Loris and Janelle who have offered their assistance
at the seminar. The event is planned for October 11th at the Comfort
Inn,
4. Scholarship Report: Tammy reported
on the changes that have been made on the Scholarship Application which
includes wording changes: “should be” full-time student instead of “must be”
full-time student. After some discussion, Tammy moved to accept the scholarship
application as changed. The motion was seconded and carried.
5. Legislative: Al reported that he had
sent the two resolutions adopted by NDAB in June to the Government.
6. Promoter: Zelda has ordered some new
tapes as there are some that are getting worn out. She has been paying the
local FBLA group $150 for printing each edition of the Promoter and will
increase it to $175, as this is still less than if she would have them printed
in Jamestown.
UNFINISHED BUSINESS:
1. The name of the State Affiliate has
been corrected on the ACB Website.
2. Presidential appointments have been
made as follows:
a.
PUBLICITY: Connie Springsted and Marilyn Nelson, assistant
b.
LEGISLATIVE CHAIRPERSONS: Al Peterson & Zelda Gebhard
c.
d.
FINANCIAL CHAIRPERSON: Kathy Larson
e.
NOMINATING COMMITTEE CHAIRPERSON: Olga Neal
f. ED
CHRISTIANSON AWARD COMMITTEE: Olga Neal & Renae Huseby
g.
HISTORIAN: Denise Kirsch
h.
LOCAL NEWS- Grand Forks: Ruth Phalen, Fargo: Shereen Faber, Bismarck: Mavis
Anderson, Williston: Loris VanBerkom, Dickinson: Larry Skwarok, Minot: Connie
Springsted, and there is no one in
3.
4. Advertising DVD: This has been
completed, but it needs to be viewed by the Board for final approval. (Due to
time constraints it wasn't viewed at this meeting.)
NEW BUSINESS:
1. ND Vision Work Group: Zelda reported
that this group is working on a brochure which will include information about
the services offered by Voc Rehab and the School for the Blind, and NDAB will
also be included. A contact person from NDAB is needed. Milissa agreed to be
this contact person. The brochure will be distributed to Doctor's offices etc.
and will be downloaded and available for anyone to print and use.
2. Marketing
3.
4. Convention 2009: Shereen reported on
Convention activity including that 20 rooms have been reserved at the motel in
5. Manuals: Some of the officers are working on
manuals that will include guidelines
etc. A list of the winners of the Ed Christianson Award is also being compiled,
as well as the Scholarship winners.
The meeting was adjourned at
Respectfully submitted
Karlyn Frantsen, Secretary
NDAB BOARD MEETING
MEMBERS PRESENT: Michelle, Sheryl, Rick, Karlyn, Renae,
Kathy
ABSENT: Shereen, Milissa, Mavis
President Michelle called the
meeting to order at
The Advertising DVD was viewed
individually by the Board Members as their schedule allowed, and their comments
were expressed. It was decided to leave the script as is, but change a couple
of the pictures that were used. A committee consisting of Missy, Rick and a
driver, will meet with Dean, the producer of the DVD to make the revisions, after
they have contacted Al. Karlyn will look at the pictures that she has taken
during the week, to see if there is something that can be used.
NDAB will pay for the cost of the
shelves and paint needed to complete the storage building, which was dedicated
this week at camp. Rick offered that he and Char and their aunt and uncle would
provide the labor.
It was noted that Mike Hoeppner's
relative in
Kathy will make the changes on our
Brochures regarding the Scholarship criteria, prior to getting more printed.
The Board agreed that a plaque will
be placed on the
The meeting adjourned at
Respectfully submitted
Karlyn Frantsen, Secretary
Support Groups Near You
The Senior Low Vision Support Group -
Meetings are held the first
Thursday of each month at
862-7342
The second group meets on the third Monday of each month at various
eating establishments at
224-8306 or Richard Thadness 222-2274
Dickenson:
Grand Forks:
Vision Loss Support Group for Seniors -
Meetings are held the second
Tuesday of each month from 1:00 PM until 3:00 PM at the Greater
Grand
Forks Senior Citizen Center at 620 Fourth Avenue South . Contact Tracy
Wicken 795-2720 or Toll Free 1-800-421-1181
Insight low Vision support Group -
Meetings are held the second Saturday of each month at
The Braille Support Group meets on alternating Fridays at 1:30 PM,
September through May, at the New Horizon Manor 2525 North
Broadway
Contact Candy Lien 232-5936 or 1-800-421-1181
Blind Bowling sponsored by the Gateway Lions - This activity begins in
late September through May ending with an awards banquet and
trophies. The Group meets at the NDSU Memorial Union Bowling
Alley.
1401 Administration Ave. Contact Paul Nelson 277-0042 for exact times
and ride arrangements.
Jamestown:
Low Vision Support Group - Meetings are held the third Monday of each
month at 2:00 PM in The James River Community Center at 502 10th
Ave. S.E. Contact Jerry Kleinknecht 253-6352 or Toll Free: (800) 639-6292
Minot:
The Minot Vision Support Group -
Meetings are held the third Thursday of
each month from 11:30 until 1:30 PM at the Senior Parker Center at 21
1st Ave SE. Contact Connie Springstead 838-3909 or Deloris Stenvold
839-3632
Williston: Low Vision Support
Group - Meetings are held the first
Tuesday of each month at the
Van Berkom 774-3399
30th Anniversary Year
Submitted
by: Dave Sundeen and Katrina Wendel
It’s time to start
thinking about signing up for Ski for Light 2009! Ski daily at Terry Peak Ski
Lodge and Wharf Resources Area. Both Alpine (down hill) and Nordic
(cross-country) skiing are offered to the blind, visually impaired, and
physically challenged. All skill levels are welcome from beginner to
experienced skiers. The dates of the event are Jan. 24 through
Judy’s Leisure Tours
in cooperation with Shuck Bus Company have been able to charter a bus to the
annual event. The bus will depart Saturday January 24 and return on Friday
January 30th. It is an excellent opportunity to relax, visit, sleep
and leave the driving to an expert. There is room for participants and
volunteers and adequate luggage space. Sign-up early to reserve a seat on the
bus, tickets for the bus will cost $15 and part of the $15 will be used to
ensure a reservation on the bus. Sorry, there will be no refunds and no way to
travel by bus unless payment has been made in advance. Make your check or money
order payable to: North Dakota Association of the Blind and mail to Renae
Huseby, Treasurer, NDAB,
Katrina Wendel would
be happy to answer further questions regarding travel arrangements or
applications. Katrina is a vision consultant out of the
The deadline for Ski
for Light applications is
Family Adjustment Seminar News
By
Paula Anundson
I would like to
introduce myself to those of you who don’t really know me. My name is Paula Anundson and I live in
In June I accepted
the position of Family Adjustment Seminar Chairperson which is why I am writing
this article. With huge regret I announce
there will be no seminar this fall due to lack of interest. We as an organization cannot financially conduct
a seminar unless we have enough families willing to participate.
I was very
overwhelmed facing my first year as chairperson. I sought advice and help from several. Thanks to Janelle Olson, former chairperson,
who graciously helped me with the information on what needed to be done about
the reservations and catering. Thanks to
Loris Van Berkom who agreed to attend and be my emcee. Heartfelt thanks to Kathy Larson who worked
so very, very hard at getting people contacted about the seminar. Kathy is a wonderful asset to our
organization and I want to make sure she knows how much she is appreciated. These three women have given so much of their
time and dedication to help make NDAB a success.
The past twelve years
I have been extremely motivated by the many great, dedicated board members,
officers, instructors and I have drawn much strength from all the members I
have met and become friends with. I am
proud to be a member of NDAB.
I believe if we, the
members of NDAB, continue to work together this organization will continue to
thrive. If each member is willing to
spread the word about the seminar, many will benefit from the training and
emotional support we can provide. Is
there anyone you know losing their sight?
If so, please let them know about NDAB and the Family Adjustment Seminar. Next year’s seminar will be held in October. We are ready and willing to do what we can to
help individuals and their families cope with vision loss. We are counting on you to get the word
out.
God bless you all and
have a great Holiday Season!
Scholarship Thank You
Dear Tammy, Renae and NDAB Board,
Thank you all for believing in me enough to award me this
scholarship. College can be challenging
enough without worrying about how to afford it.
This scholarship eases that burden so I can focus my attention on furthering
my education and as Concordia’s mission statement describes it, “hopefully to
influence the affairs of the word”. Once
again, thank you very much.
Sincerely,
Joseph D. Engel
D. K. M. FIRST TIMERS CONTEST
In
September 1994 the American Council of the Blind's board of directors
established the Durward K. McDaniel Membership
Development and Retention Fund. This award honors the memory of ACB's first
national representative and key leader, Durward K. McDaniel. Building
membership in ACB was one of his major goals.
The
first expenditure of these funds sponsored two first-time attendees to the 1996
ACB convention. This tradition continues
and a winner is chosen from each side of the
NDAB members wishing to attend an ACB
convention for the first time are encouraged to apply for this contest. In
order to apply for this contest, you must do three things.
First,
submit a letter of application to the D. K. M Committee at the American Council of the Blind national
office stating the major reasons you would like to be considered for the award. Include your name, address, telephone number
and e-mail if you have one. Tell the committee about yourself and why you would
like to attend the ACB convention. The length and format is left up to you.
Second,
a letter in your behalf must be submitted by the president of the NDAB and be
sent to the D. K. M. selection committee.
This letter will give
the selection committee a sense of you and your accomplishments.
Finally, materials sent on your behalf and by you must be submitted no later
than April 15, 2009.National conventions represent a wonderful opportunity for
learning, networking and making new friends.
Send contest entry
materials to: American Council of the
Blind, Attention: D. K. M. First Timers Contest,
contact Carol Ewing,
Committee chair, at (702) 524-8444 or Cathy Skivers at (510) 357-1986 if you
have any questions.
Candy's Corner
By
Candy Lien
In this
issue, I would like to inform you about some web sites I have found to be quite
helpful. The first is www.accessiblephones.com.
This site purports to be “A Premier Cell Phone Resource for the Blind and
Visually Impaired.” Any questions one might have regarding accessibility and
features of various styles and brands of cell phones should be answered by
visiting this site.
The second site,
www.lowvision.com, calls itself “your low vision resource center.” Some of the
links listed on this site include: “Things to Ask Your Eye Care Professional,”
“Information on Eye Conditions,” “Useful Home Adaptations for the Blind and
Visually Impaired,” “Social Security for the Visually Impaired,” and many, many
more. A person could spend a lot of time on this site!
Thirdly, the American
Foundation for the Blind has added a new feature to its site called
“AccessWorld Appliance Accessibility Guide,” located at www.afb.org/Section.asp?SectionID=4&TopicID=380),
which provides the latest information on the accessibility
of brand-name appliances. So before you go out shopping for a new fridge or
stove, you might want to check out this helpful site.
For those of you who
like to download and listen to music, here is an important news flash from the
AFB web site: “Apple Adds Accessibility Features to iPod Nano and iTunes.”
According to the article, “The iPod Nano, which was virtually unusable for
people with vision loss, is now equipped with talking menus and large font
options. Apple has also made improvements to the accessibility of iTunes…In
addition to adding talking menus to the new iPod Nano, Apple has expanded the
accessibility section of its web site, www.apple.com/accessibility.
According to Apple, screen reader users will also be able to access many more
iTunes features, such as creating and managing an account and shopping for
albums and songs in the iTunes store.” It certainly does seem like progress is
being made in making the world of technology more accessible for people with
vision loss! The challenge seems to be in keeping abreast of the latest
improvements and updates!
Herberger's
Community Day Event 2008
Kathy Larson, Financial Chairperson
The annual
Herberger's Community Day Event is coming up on Saturday, November 15th.
Coupon booklets sell for $5 with all proceeds from these sales going to NDAB.
If you are interested in purchasing a coupon, please contact one of the
following: Denise Kirsch – Bismarck, Bev Austin –
Our annual NDAB
Walkathon will be held on Saturday, April 25th. I will be contacting various
members after Christmas to chair the event across the state. If you have not
chaired this event in the past and would like to get involved, please contact
me via e-mail at klarson@dia.net or call
me at 875-4291. This will be our 11th event! We have raised a total
of $99,685.14 through our Walkathons, and the total raised this year was $
19,123.00. Let’s try to beat this figure next spring!
Thanks to each one of
you who help support our organization, and I say “thanks” in advance for the
work you will do in the coming year.
Gifts and Memorials
NDAB received donations to be added to our camp auction
total from the following individuals: Dick Veal, Ruth Poer and Rose
Landsem, Michelle Zentz, Sheryl Gerhardt, Rom and Lee Thielman, and Rick
Feldman.
Memorials
were given to NDAB in memory of Donna Jean Harstad by Loris Van Berkom, Renae
and Gary Huseby, Kathy and Stan Larson, and Olga Neal.
Virginia
LePage requested that memorials for Bob LePage be given to NDAB to honor
his memory. She indicated he was very passionate about serving
NDAB members in any way he could, and enjoyed providing
transportation to many events such as
Merle
Indvik, Cordelia and Edward Raymond, Paul Nelson, John and Anita Dobbs, and
Lavonne Pietsch.
Thank you
to all of you for your generosity.
Renae
Huseby, Treasurer
In
Memory
Donna Jean Harstad,
77, of Williston, formerly of
Donna Jean Harstad,
the second daughter of Ole and Olga (Rollofson) Hellen of Fortuna, was born in
On
Donna served as
president of the northeast Montana Music Educators Association and was a state
board member of MMEA. She is also a lifetime member of NEA. During this time
she took advance music classes at various colleges and universities. She felt
very fortunate in having the privilege of studying under the renowned Fred
Waring and staff of the famous Pennsylvanians and Norman Luboff.
She is the past
director of the Heritage Center Choraleers and a past member of the Entertainment
Committee and was also member/director of the Red Hat Chordettes. She served
four years as president of the Williston Council for Aging. She was also a past
member of the Williams County Council of Aging, Sons of Norway, and Women of
the Moose. Donna also was a member of the Fortuna Ladies Aid, the Fortuna and
Williston Senior Citizens, the NW Chorus of
Music was Donna’s
life. She enjoyed dancing and singing, and concerts. She was always busy and on
the go.
Donna is survived by
her son, Keith (Gladys) Harstad of Fortuna,
sister, Harriet Uren of
She was preceded in
death by her parents, husband, Melvin, an infant son, nephew, Milford Grondahl,
and special friend, Georg
NDSB Celebrates 100 Years of Service
By
Olga Neal
The School for the Blind
opened in 1908 at
The staff at
Remarks by Attorney
General Wayne Stenehjem opened the program, followed by comments by
Superintendent of the
This event was the
highlight of the year, in my book. It
was meaningful to so many, and it was wonderfully planned and carried out! Those of you who weren't able to come for
even part of the event missed so much pleasure.
I can't commend the staff enough for their planning and follow-through. One former Bathgate student came all the way
from
By
Shereen Faber
Helloooo
I'm back! I will continue reporting the news from
I
was back at camp this summer and it was a wonderful, fun week with very nice
weather except for Thursday night's fish flies. It was great meeting up with
old friends and meeting new ones. We had a lovely Christmas Banquet Friday
night with a fabulous Christmas dinner from Bev Austin’s recipe box.
On
September 20th, Chelsa and I took my granddaughter, Aubree, to the West Fargo West Fest days
parade. What a parade it was. It was
down right hot that day. My parents were in the parade and also our own Allan
Peterson who we yelled a big hello to from the side lines.
So
far this year for plays Maria and her new dog, Angel, my mom and I went to the
season opener ,"Little Shoppe of Horrors." It was ridiculously
hilarious. We had a great time.
By
the time this newsletter comes out we will have already participated in the
American Diabetes Association Walkathon. It was held October 18th at the Fargo
Dome. Our team is made up of Missy Miller and her mother, mother-in-law and
niece, Michelle Zentz, Maria Vazquez, Chelsa and me. We will be called Missy's
Visionaries.
At
the time of this writing Madam President Michelle is at the
By
Connie Springsted
Boy,
didn’t the nice weather hang on this fall?
Here in the “North” we impressed out “Høst Fest”
guests from around the world. Some
stayed for the rodeo the week later.
Shorty and Sharon Pettit celebrated their 45th wedding
anniversary on September 10th.
Congrats you two!
Mary
Stip and Connie Springsted just had another consumer board meeting with the
Minot State University Persons with Disabilities (NDCPD). Other board members came from as far away as
Williston,
News
from
Ernie
Yuzicappi has been having some health problems and we need to keep him in our
prayers. His spirits are good.
Mary
Forness suffered a stroke. She is now at
home and doing fairly well. She is
adjusting to some further loss of vision.
Please pray for her also.
Deloris
Stenvold, who will be 82 next February 24, was a volunteer at the Høst Fest
every day – bless her heart. She loved
Daniel O’Donnell’s performance.
The
3rd Thursday the Vision Impaired group met for lunch and a
speaker/entertainment.
The
Public Relations committee members in Minot have been busy with letters, press
releases and proclamations promoting October as Meet the Blind Month, White
Cane Safety Day (October 15) and soon we will be observing Louis Braille’s
birthday. Thanks to Marilyn Nelson who authored the letters and
proclamations. She also spent quite some
time putting together a database for the Public Relations committee. This will be sure to make such endeavors much
easier in the future. Congratulations also to Marilyn as Noble House Publishers
in
Evelyn
Hildebrand was featured on the NBC station KMOT as “Someone you should know”
for her volunteering. Evelyn is a great
volunteer and is also currently serving in a group sponsored by the ACB Public
Relations Committee. She was recommended
by President Michelle and was approved as one of twelve across the nation to be
on this group. They meet via conference
calls and share information about contacting the media. If any of you have had successful experience
in working with the media in your area, please contact Evelyn and share your
success with her so she can report it back to her group. We look forward to hearing more from Evelyn
about this group dedicated to improve Public Relations. Thanks for all you do,
Evelyn!
Carol
Schmitt reported that the Voc. Rehab. Assistive Technology Lab in
Tammy
and Roy Winn have
Wishing
you all good health and a wonderful Thanksgiving. I know I have lots to be thankful for. I am so blessed to have Paula’s kidney!
Williston Area News Fall 2008
By
Loris Van Berkom
Greetings to all of
our NDAB friends across the state! It’s
hard to believe that fall is here once again with its golden colors, piles of
crunchy leaves and cooler temps. I’m not
ready for what follows fall but I guess as a native North Dakotan, I should be
used to it by now.
We are thrilled with
a very badly needed expanded transportation service here in Williston. The heritage senior citizens center has
provided bus service within the city limits week days from
We were saddened at
the passing of Donna Jean Harstad on September 2. DJ had been an NDAB member for many
years. She was the camp director when I
first started going to camp. Her good
friend,
A couple of our
members have been in the hospital this past month.
Bob and
Orris Anderson,
husband of Audrey Anderson, one of our new campers from Williston, has been
battling pneumonia since the end of August so all of Audrey’s time has been
spent at his side. We will remember to
keep them in our prayers.
Brenda Bruins was the
September employee of the month at the
September
Employee of the Month
Brenda Bruins was
born and raised in
Her interests include
baking and cooking. She also collects flowers, recipes, and fridge
magnets. She also enjoys visiting with
friends and helping others.
Brenda has
worked full-time at
Nomination Comments;
"Brenda is always cheerful, hardworking and dedicated who always manages
to do her job well despite physical adversities."
Ham & Cheese Omelet
Submitted by Brenda Bruins
2 Eggs
1/2cup Shredded
Cheddar cheese
½ cup diced baked ham
Break eggs into the bottom of a Glad “Simplycooking”
Microwave Steaming Bag. Add remaining ingredients. Stir with a fork, being
careful not to pierce the bag. Add salt and pepper if desired. Seal the bag and
microwave on High power for about 1 minute (cook time may vary). Allow bag to
stand 30 seconds before opening. Serve. Serves 2
Lemon Cake
Submitted by Brenda Bruins
1 (18.25oz) Betty Crocker lemon cake mix
1 (14oz) can condensed sweetened milk
1 (3.4oz) box instant lemon pudding mix
1 (8oz) container cool whip, thawed
Heat oven to 350 degrees.
Lightly grease and flour bottom of 13 x 9 inch baking dish. Mix cake mix according to package directions.
Pour into prepared pan and bake 25 to 30 minutes or until tests done. Allow cake
to cool about 5 minutes. Poke holes with wooden chop-stick or spoon
handle. Pour sweetened condensed milk
over top of warm cake. Allow to completely cool and then mix pudding according
to package directions and pour over top of cake. Top with cool whip. Keep refrigerated.
By
Ruth Phalen
Several members of
NDAB from the
It was good that
The support group for
seniors with vision loss met in September after not meeting during the
summer. Tracy Wicken has been the
coordinator for several years. Margo
Lentz, Vision Specialist from Northeast Human Services, usually attends
too. The September meeting was a sharing
session. In October the speaker will be
Elaine Legg, Talking Book Program Coordinator.
She is a relatively recent employee at Vision Services/School for the
Blind and will have the most recent information for us.
Rom Thielman is now
feeling much better and back doing most of the things she used to. Much of her time is with Lee whose activities
are limited. It’s good to hear her voice
sounding like the “old” Rom we know and have enjoyed and has been so active in
NDAB.
Olga Neal has been
down with flu and cold but is on the mend.
She has sent in a separate article about the celebration at the School
for the Blind which she was able to attend.
As for me, I had
spent the last few days at camp not feeling good and thought when I got home
and rested I’d be ok. It didn’t work
that way! I’ve spent time in the
hospital and in Assisted Living with “West Nile Virus”. Fortunately, I am now almost back to normal
and able to do my usual activities.
Thank you to all of you who sent cards or called when you heard I was
ill. I know the many prayers helped me
recover as fast as I did. Again, thank
you.
Our next opportunity
for many of us to get together here will be at Christmas time. There is a group
working on this but plans are not firm.
It has always been a fun time.
Since I have been out
of circulation I made a few calls looking for news with limited success but
everyone sounds busy and not looking forward to winter and snow..
Bismarck News
There’s a new girl in town…or more specifically, back in
town. Linda Evarts, a graduate of
Bismarck High moved to
Even though the article dealt with the Senior Support
group, we invited the staff writer back to inform her of other aspects of the
low vision community. But to no avail
did she darken our door.
As a result I played second fiddle and in October gave
them a descriptive tour of the
Linda, Mike Beck and I have a couple of tricks up our
sleeves so stay tuned to see if we can become movers and shakers.
The other support group was scheduled to have a picnic in September, but I
haven’t heard if that materialized.
Summer camp attendees were: Denise Kirsch, Bob Westermeyer, Dick Veal,
Elsie Friez, Marie Weixel, Donna Hepper and Helen Baumgartner.
The saying goes, “You can’t
get blood out of a turnip”. Bob Westermeyer
obviously isn’t a turnip because over the past several years United Blood
Services has been the winner. After
returning from camp, he donated his 100th unit of blood! It must have been all that good camp
food! CONGRATULATIONS BOB! Wouldn’t it be interesting to know if some of
Bob’s donations saved some of his fellow NDAB members?
LIFE
by Mother Theresa, 1910-1997
LIFE is an opportunity; benefit from it.
LIFE is a beauty; admire it.
LIFE is a dream; realize it.
LIFE is a challenge; meet it.
LIFE is a duty; complete it.
LIFE is a game; play it.
LIFE is a promise; fulfill it.
LIFE is a sorrow; overcome it.
LIFE is a song; sing it.
LIFE is a struggle; accept it.
LIFE is a tragedy; confront it.
LIFE is an adventure; dare it
LIFE is luck; make it
LIFE is too precious; do not destroy it.
LIFE is life; fight for it.
Taken from the Matilda
Ziegler magazine, May 2008
The Matilda
Ziegler is a free magazine particularly geared to issues of interest to the
visually impaired. It is available in
large print, tape and Braille. To receive:
call 212-242-0263 or email blind@verizon.net
Submitted by Doranna
Robertson
Historic Flashback!
Does anyone remember this historic event?
“Sundeen travels to Disney World, other
points of interest”
Dave Sundeen was
honored in 1991 by participating in the Thousand
Points of Light Project.
The Thousand Points
of Lights was developed by President George H. Bush. The purpose of the program
was to have people become aware and develop interest in non-profit
organizations. Dave was honored with a trip to Disney World because of his avid
interest in skiing and sports and in promoting activities for the blind. Dave has
the distinction of being the only individual from
attend. Ask Dave to reminisce about his
trip to
Submitted Anonymously
Name That Building
Our beautiful new
storage shed at
NDAB Summer Camp 2008
The 38th
annual NDAB Summer Camp was held August 10-17 at the Elks
A total of 54 people
spent the week together learning, laughing, sharing and caring. Twenty staff and thirty-four campers made up
the group. Our two new campers were
Audrey Anderson from Williston and
The classes offered
this year and the instructors were as follows: Caning –
The classes filled up
our days and our nights were also filled with a variety of activities. Since the banquet theme this year was
“Christmas at
Wednesday was a very
busy day! We invited agency employees to
visit us and join us for lunch. Rebecca
Anderson, Vision Rehab Specialist came from
After lunch on
Wednesday, Olga gave us a brief history of our storage trailer, built many
years ago by Lloyd Robertson. Then we
all joined in a procession to our old storage trailer and our brand new storage
building to bid a fond farewell to the old and to dedicate the new.
That didn’t end the
memorable Wednesday events! An unusual
hatch of fish flies that night sent most of us into our cabins , avoiding any
lights that would attract those very noisy, unwelcome pests into our living
quarters. Dan told us that fish flies
don’t bite and that they only live for 24 to 36 hours. They were as thick as snow flakes in a snow
storm and their buzzing sound was like an Alfred Hitchcock movie, very surreal and eerie. We ate breakfast the next morning with the
lights off because they were still around.
A very fun addition
to our week was the band. It consisted
of Janelle, the director and cornet player, Rick on tuba, Zelda on French horn,
There are so many
people to thank for making our week a success.
Thanks to all of the instructors for all of their planning and
preparation they do to be ready to teach their students. Thanks to all of the students who come ready
to learn and contribute of themselves all week.
Thanks to all who plan and host the evening activities. Thanks to Geri Smith and
Our last morning at
camp began with Olga leading us in devotions and ended with our now traditional
farewell line. Lots of tears and hugs
are shared as we get ready to leave the magic and safe haven that we find at
camp but we all know that in 51 weeks, we can meet once again on the shores of
Submitted by