[Colorado-talk] A bit of NFBCO History

[Chip Johnson]

While looking for something else on www.nfb.org<http://www.nfb.org>, I ran across this article from the Braille Monitor of Janurary, 1973 in a section called Roundup of State Conventions. As you can see, we were alive and well back then.

COLORADO CONVENTION
by
John W. Bear
The National Federation of the Blind of Colorado, formerly Colorado Federation of the Blind, held its annual convention at the Holiday Inn in Fort Collins, Colorado, on Saturday and Sunday November 11-12, 1972. Two busy days began when President Lyle Neff called the convention to order shortly before 10:00 a.m. Saturday morning. President Lyle Neff is to be commended for an excellent job of chairing the convention, in spite of innumerable changes in his original program and what he felt was his own lack of experience.
Mr. Manuel Urena, formerly of the Iowa Commission for the Blind, had been scheduled as the main speaker but became ill. Although not asked until about 9:00 p.m. the previous Thursday, Perry Sundquist, editor of The Braille Monitor, came to Colorado from California and gave two excellent talks as well as assisting in other activities. Other speakers included Dr. H. A. Fonkin, ophthalmologist; Mr. James Shubert, administrator of the Colorado Library Services of the Blind and Physically Handicapped; Mrs. Marie Stauter, chairman of our legislative committee; and Mr. Ray McGeorge, chairman of the NFB of Denver overseas book committee. Mr. McGeorge pointed out that the cost of mailing these books, for example, between July 1 and November 1, 1972, over three thousand books at a cost of nearly one thousand dollars was becoming a heavy burden for the NFB of Denver. Mrs. Ruth Ashby, president of the NFB of Denver, has suggested an appeal to all affiliates of the NFB for help, especially since the already high cost makes it nearly impossible to send much-needed Braille books and writing supplies and materials for teaching arithmetic.
Most of the delegates recovered sufficiently from an excellent banquet dinner and dance Saturday night and attended Sunday morning's session. The resolutions committee presented four resolutions concerning the resistance of Denver Public Schools to the employment of blind teachers; that the NFB of Colorado would donate $200 for the overseas Braille book program; the plans of the Colorado Library for the Blind to move Braille books to Salt Lake City, Utah; and the National Accreditation Council, all of which were approved by the delegates.
Miss Judy Miller was elected as correspondence secretary to fill a vacancy created by a resignation.
Some of the highlights of the affiliate presidents' reports were: Denver, completion of the Red Cross First Aid Classes, the Braille Book Bank, part of the college student materials of the National Braille Association to be located in the NFB of Denver's building at 901 East 17th Avenue, Denver, and shipment of Braille books to underdeveloped countries; Colorado Springs, one of its members who is black and who is one of the top students at her university has raised her family and is competing with some four thousand younger students; Grand Junction, some of its members being certified as lay counselors and in related professions in work with drug and alcohol abuse and mental health; Fort Collins, extensive outdoor activities and musical projects; and Greeley, its efforts to enroll as members students in the special education classes at Northern Colorado University.
The delegates voted unanimously to change the name to National Federation of the Blind of Colorado. The convention ended shortly after noon, but the rest of the day was taken up with our efforts to get home through a typical Rocky Mountain Eastern Slope snowstorm which started suddenly about 10 o'clock but by afternoon had made a slushy, slick mess out of most highways and streets.
Chip Johnson
Technology Instructor

Colorado Center for the Blind
Phone: 303.778.1130  Ext:  227
Fax:  303.778.1598
2233 W. Shepperd Ave.
Littleton, CO 80120

Take Charge with Confidence and Self-Reliance
cocenter.org<http://cocenter.org/>
Facebook<https://www.facebook.com/coloradocenterfortheblind> Twitter<https://twitter.com/cocenter4blind> YouTube<https://www.youtube.com/user/cocenterorg>

Chip Johnson
Technology Instructor

Colorado Center for the Blind
Phone: 303.778.1130  Ext:  227
Fax:  303.778.1598
2233 W. Shepperd Ave.
Littleton, CO 80120

Take Charge with Confidence and Self-Reliance
cocenter.org<http://cocenter.org/>
Facebook<https://www.facebook.com/coloradocenterfortheblind> Twitter<https://twitter.com/cocenter4blind> YouTube<https://www.youtube.com/user/cocenterorg>

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