BLINDED
VETERANS ASSOCIATION (BVA)
FLORIDA REGIONAL GROUP, INC.
3801 Coco Grove Avenue
Miami, Florida 33133
FRG NEWSLETTER, 2008 FRG State Convention issue
FRG
President's Message: Time again
to mark your calendar for the FRG State Convention, May 2-4, in the lovely Plaza Ocean
Club Hotel in Daytona Beach. If you have an
empty back seat in your vehicle, please find another Blinded Veteran and/or spouse and ask
them if they would like to ride along. We are
trying to organize ways of transporting people to Daytona Beach. Bob Fick, Lakeland, (863) 853-1139 ; Kirk Harmon,
Orlando, (407) 380-3371; Paul Mimms, West Palm Beach, (561) 422-5260; and John Thomas, Ft.
Myers, (239) 283-1708, are working in their respective areas attempting to set up
transportation to the Convention. Give them a
call if you are looking for a ride. No
guarantee, but hopefully, we can match up empty seats to people. Again, we plan to have a full schedule of events
that will be explained elsewhere. We will of
course be having our second annual horseshoe pitching tournament. I believe all defending champs from last year
intend on participating. Fair warning, I took
the trophy for horseshoes at the TEE Tournament last fall for the second year running. Of course, that didn't mean a hill of beans at the
FRG State Convention last year when everyone beat me.
I stand on the theory that lightning never strikes twice. This year, having learned from last year, we will
have portable shade, some chairs, and water and sodas.
Same rules apply as did last year, if we see you cheating we will call you a
cheater. Just a joke! Lines will be drawn, stakes planted, and the plan
is to have the first horseshoe airborne by 9 AM, Friday.
It will be on the beach in back of the hotel, just like last year. If you would like to participate, call Bill
Burgess at (386) 445-4987 and sign up for the tournament.
Be sure to be there on the morning of
the second (Friday) by 9 AM. Also another
lesson learned last year, if you show up late and want to be a party to the fun of
throwing horseshoes, don't stand around and wait for a bunch of Blinded Vets to see you
standing there. Speak up and say "Hey,
can I get in Because
of all of the activities, please make your hotel reservations early to insure availability
of a room. As was last year, the morning
horseshoe event on Friday needs to be wrapped up in time, so that everyone can make sure
they can pick up their Convention registration packet, between 1 and 3 PM. Following late registration, at 3 PM, the opening
Informational Seminar will be held. Later
Friday evening during the Dinner Dance, we'll have the award presentation for the
different classes of winners of the horseshoe pitching tournament. This year, like every year, is going to be very
enjoyable. Remember, our VIST Coordinators
and BROS are holding training meetings during our Convention. This is a very welcome opportunity to meet with
your VIST or BROS in a more relaxed and comfortable environment. As I have traveled around the state this year,
attending our District Informational Meetings, I was in awe of the number of people who
attend these luncheon events, but don't make it to the FRG Convention.
This year, we varied from 50 to 163 people attending the
various luncheon meetings. Last year we only
had 116 at the Installation Banquet at the Convention.
The State Convention is truly the most important event of the year. For those living within and around the Daytona
Beach area, participation would seem to be a given. After
all, we have luncheon meetings around the state, where we meet with our Blinded Veterans
to discuss and pass out information. The
State Convention is even more important for us to attend.
Please plan on attending. I would love
to meet with you all. One last item, we need
volunteers to work in the Hospitality Room before and after the Installation Banquet,
Saturday evening. Also, we are looking for a
volunteer to store the left over supplies until the next Convention. If you wish to volunteer, call Bill Burgess or me
at the number listed earlier. Keep the
mission alive and help one another to help each other.
Paul W. Kaminsky, FRG President. (904)
291-0576
FRG
Auxiliary President's Message: Convention - Convention - Convention! Yes, it's that time of year again when old friends
have a chance to get together and catch up on each others' lives and have fun. Make sure to make your reservations early so you
can get in all of the festivities and also receive information about the BVA and our
gallant FRG Auxiliary support service. Please remember we have a Silent Auction which
supports our Scholarship Program. So, bring
your treasures and we will not trash them, but enjoy them... Come and see what we are all about. Joyce Thornton, FRG Auxiliary President.
FRG
State Convention: The Florida
Regional Group State Convention will be held at the Plaza Ocean Club Hotel , 640 North
Atlantic Avenue, Daytona Beach, Florida 32118,
May 2-4. The Plaza Ocean Club is a 190 room
hotel directly on the Atlantic Ocean. Your
Convention Committee secured the low rates of only $77 per day, for 1 to 4 persons per
room. All rooms have refrigerators and micro
waves. In addition all rooms have ocean view
balconies. These low convention rates will be in effect, on a space
available,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. There will be another group at the hotel that
weekend, so rooms will be at a premium. We
urge 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 will find a Hotel Reservation Slip at the end
of this Newsletter. Please clip it off and
send it to the Hotel along with your check for one night's room rate and tax (the Tourist
Development Tax is presently 12.5%) 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. The Hotel toll free reservation
number is (800) 874-7420. There are 22 Hotels using that reservation number,
so be sure to specify the Plaza Ocean Club
Hotel. In addition, refer to the Blinded
Veterans Association-Florida Regional Group as the group which arranged the above
indicated rates.
Convention
Registration Fee: The Convention
Registration Fee will be $35 per person (for each BV, 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, FL 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. Remember to send your hotel
reservation slip and deposit to the Plaza Ocean Club in Daytona Beach and your Convention
Registration Fee to the BVA in Miami.
Convention
Schedule: The Convention Late
Registration Desk will open at 1 PM on Friday, May 2.
If you have not pre-registered, you may pay your late Registration at that time. If you have pre-registered, stop by the
Registration table in the Hotel Lobby and pick up your name tags and Convention Program.
The
Convention will begin at 3 PM on Friday, May 2 with an Informational Seminar for Blinded
Veterans and their families. At 7 PM on
Friday evening, a Dinner-Dance will be held in the Ballroom. This will be an evening for good food, good times, good fun, and good music.
The
Annual Florida Regional Group Business Meeting will be held at 9 AM on Saturday, May 3, in
the Ballroom. At that meeting, reports
regarding FRG activities for the past year will be made.
A legislative up-date will be presented. Plans
for FRG activities for the coming year will be discussed.
Any proposed amendments to the FRG
By-Laws, will be considered. The elections
for FRG Officers and District Directors for
the coming year will be held. The election of
a Delegate and Alternate Delegates to the BVA National Convention in Phoenix, Arizona,
will also be held. Proposed resolutions for
presentation to the BVA National Convention will be considered. All BV's in Florida are encouraged to attend this
Business Meeting and assist in planning the direction the FRG will take in the coming
year.
The
FRG Auxiliary will hold its annual meeting in the Osprey Room at 9 AM on Saturday. FRG Auxiliary Officers are planning their meeting
for the State Convention. Spouses,
family
At
2 PM on Saturday, a second Informational Seminar will be held. The Convention will close with the Installation
Banquet on Saturday evening. There will be a
period of socializing in the Hospitality Room before and after the Banquet.
US
Legislative Up-Date: The
President's Fiscal Year 2009 Budget was sent to Congress on February 4. It contains $93.7 billion in funding for the
Department of Veterans Affairs for FY 2009. It
includes $52.3 billion for the Veterans Benefits Administration (VBA)in mandatory funding
(Compensation, Pension, training, home loan guarantees, etc.) and $41.4 billion in
discretionary funding (Health care, cemeteries, etc.).
The Veterans Health Administration (VHA) will receive $34.1 billion for medical
services and $4.7 billion for medical facilities construction and renovation. The VHA budget
includes an additional $2.5 billion for medical services from third party receipts
(medical insurance, co-payments, etc.). There
is no guarantee that the VHA will receive that amount from third party payments. The Memorial Affairs Administration (cemeteries)
will receive $181 million in FY 2009 funding. On
the surface, this appears to be a significant increase in VHA funding. However, there is some question where some of the
increase will be found.
FRG District Meeting: Prior to the FRG State Convention, a FRG meeting will be held at the Flaming Pit Restaurant, 1150 North Federal Highway in Pompano Beach on Saturday, March 1. The meeting will begin at 11:30 AM with a period of Socializing followed by lunch at noon. For lunch you may have either Ground Sirloin of Beef or Broasted Chicken and salad, potatoes, vegetable, rolls and butter, iced tea or coffee and dessert. FRG Vice President Terry King will preside at the meeting following lunch. The price of the lunch will be $5 per person, including tax and tip. Come join us. For information or to make reservations, write to George Stocking, 3801 Coco Grove Ave, Miami, FL 33133 or call (305) 446-8008. The restaurant needs the number and choices of lunch desired to prepare properly for the meeting.
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Hotel Reservation Slip
Blinded Veterans Association
Plaza Ocean Club Hotel
Florida Regional Group
640
North Atlantic Avenue
State Convention
Daytona Beach, Florida 32118
Name____________________________________ Telephone no.
___________________________
Street
Date of
Date of
Address__________________________________________Arrival_______ depart__________
City______________________________________________
State______Zip__________
Complete this Reservation Slip and send it with your check
in the amount of $77 plus 12.5% tax or your
credit card number to the Plaza Ocean Club Hotel before April 13th to guarantee your
reservation. Or call, Toll Free (800)
874-7420. Be sure to notify the hotel you
will attend the BVA FRG Convention at the Plaza Ocean Club Hotel, to insure the low
Convention rates.