FRG AUXILIARY PRESJDENT’S MESSAGE: The Time when we are going to be able to get together to share ideas, strengthen our friendships, and welcome old and new members is getting closer. The Daytona Beach weekend, at the FRG State Convention, is a weekend I always look forward to. So many of you have done wonderful things this year and our applicants for the FRG Auxiliary Scholarships are many. It will be difficult for the Committee to choose. I have all of the confidence in the world in them and I’m sure they will come up with two worthy candidates. This year, I thought that it would be fun for the Auxiliary members to have a breakfast meeting. Ideas and good conversation seem to spring forward over a good cup of coffee. However, the hotel has stated that a breakfast meeting served in our meeting room would be $10.95 pIus 21% tip or about $13.25 Therefore, I will order a breakfast meeting for those who wish to attend in the dining room. However, those who do not want to join us for breakfast are welcome to join, at least for a cup of coffee. If you feel that you do not want to have a breakfast meeting, please let me know. I would like to know how many would like to have breakfast, so that I can give the hotel a count. Again we will have a raffle and prizes. Bring your donations, so that we can have a nice raffle. We have had some great gifts in the past. Let’s make the raffle prizes worth while taking home. We also will have our annual election of Officers. Think about who you would like to have as your officers for the next year. If anyone thinks they might like to hold an office, be sure and have your name in nomination. I'm looking forward to seeing all of you again. Joyce Thornton, FRG Auxiliary President.

FRG District Meeting: For the first time, the FRG will hold a District meeting in Pensacola. The meeting will be held on Saturday, April 7 at the Mesquite Charlie’s Steak House, 5901 North W Street in Pensacola. Northwest District Director Darryl Goldsmith and FRG Past President Terry King have worked to schedule this first time meeting. The meeting will begin at 11:30 AM with a period of socializing, followed by lunch at noon. For lunch, you will have a 12 ounce Choice Sirloin Steak, baked potato, vegetable, rolls and butter, ice tea and coffee and dessert. Although the cost to the FRG is $15 per person, those in attendance will pay only $5 including tax and tip. BY’s in the panhandle are served by the Biloxi VA Medical Center and have little service. VIST Coordinator John Olson is only permitted to visit the Pensacola VA Clinic once a month. This is not sufficient to coordinate services for Blinded Veterans. We urge all BV’s in the Panhandle to attend this important meeting so that we can organize advocacy for BV’s. Make plans to attend this important meeting. Paul Kaminsky, FRG President, will preside at the meeting following lunch. VIST Coordinator John Olson has been invited to attend and provide information about the VIST Program. Information about services and benefits of interest to BV’s and their families will be available. Please come and add your support to better services in the panhandle. We need to notify the restaurant how many will be attending by April 4. To make your reservations, write Darryl Goldsmith, 709! Rampart Way, Pensacola, FL 32505 or call: (850) 554-7819, email dandv5@cox.net, or call, in Pensacola, Paul Kaufman (850) 458-5851. Please make an effort to attend, we need to work together to improve services in the panhandle. If you make a reservation and can’t come, please call Darryl Goldsmith and cancel before April 4 so we won’t pay $15 for reservation made and not used.

FRG State Convention Reminder: This is your final reminder that The FRG State Convention will be held at the Plaza Ocean Club Hotel , 640 North Atlantic Avenue, Daytona Beach, FL 32118, May 4 - 6. This is our second year at this 190 room hotel directly on the Atlantic Ocean. Your Convention Committee secured the low guaranteed group rates of only $72 per day, for I to 4 persons per room.

The Plaza Ocean Club Hotel has completed its renovations since our last Convention and all rooms are equipped with refrigerators and microwaves. All rooms have ocean view balconies. These low

convention rates will be in effect 3 days before and/or 3 days after the Convention. So, you may come early or stay late for an extended vacation. The low Convention rates are guaranteed for reservations

made on or before April 13th. Reservations made after April 13th, will be at the low Convention rate but on a space available basis. We encourage you to make your reservations soon to insure your

accommodations. You may cancel your reservation and receive a full refund of your deposit, if you cancel 24 hours before noon on the day you were scheduled to arrive. You may send your reservation to the Hotel along with your check for one night’s room rate and 12.5% tax or you may use your credit card number to guarantee your reservation. Other than your deposit, the hotel will not accept checks for your remaining charges. You must have a credit card or cash.. Better yet, as time is short, you may make your reservation by calling the toll free reservation number at: (800) 874-7420. There are a large number of hotels using that reservation number. be sure to specify the Plaza Ocean Club Hotel and that you want the guaranteed group rate, indicated above, for the Florida Blinded Veterans Association Convention. If you have any problem with the reservation clerks, call George Stocking at (305) 446-8008, evenings and weekends.

    Convention Registration Fee: The Convention Registration Fee will be $35 per person (for each By, family member, or friend attending). However, an early registration fee of only $30 per person will be in effect for registration received on or before April 13th. The registration fee will cover general Convention activities, including the dinner-dance on Friday night, the Hospitality Room, and Banquet on Saturday night. Please make your check payable to the BVA and send it to: 3801 Coco Grove Avenue, Miami, Florida 33133. Please include the first and last name of each person registering, so that we will be able to make name tags prior to the start of the Convention. It will be helpful if you will send your registration fee in advance.  This will greatly speed up the late registration at the Convention. It takes a lot of volunteer work to put on this Convention and your assistance will be greatly appreciated.

The Convention Late Registration Desk will open at 1 PM on Friday, May 4, in the hotel lobby. If you have not pre-registered (see registration information above), you may pay your late Registration at that time. If you have pre-registered, stop by the Registration desk and pick up your name tags and Convention Program. We need everyone to check in so that we can give the chef the proper count for the dinner dance and Banquet.

The opening session will be held in the second floor Ball room at 3 PM on Friday, May 4. The Informational Seminar will be open with a presentation on Prosthetics and Sensory Aids for the Blind by Donald Freyberger, VISN 8 Prosthetics Representative. this is the time to get questions answered about prosthetics. Next, Charleen Szabo, new Director of the West Palm Beach VAMC will present a program on new Blind Rehabilitation services in the planning stages at that VAMC. This will be an important presentation, as it will outline proposed improvements in services for BV’s.