BLINDED
VETERANS ASSOCIATION (BVA)
FLORIDA REGIONAL GROUP, INC.
3801 Coco Grove Avenue
Miami, Florida 33133
FRG NEWSLETTER, March 2008
FRG
President's Message: The count down to
our State Convention is swiftly approaching. Make
a special effort to attend this year's activities. April
13 is the deadline for the guaranteed low room rate price and the early discount
registration fee. As this Newsletter goes to
print, there is but one District Luncheon
Meeting left and that is the Pensacola
meeting on April 5. It has been a full and
busy year, as you have all probably surmised from reading these Newsletters over this past
year. In summary, I'd like to note that at
last year's State Convention, I asked all to be ambassadors for our Blinded Veteran
community and the end of each Newsletter, have asked you to keep the mission statement
alive. As we come to this year's Convention,
that tasking is never more necessary. With
the aging population, we are experiencing a significant growth in our Blinded Veteran
community. This is of course in addition to
our newly blinded warriors defending our country in the war against terrorism. What inspires me to work hard as an ambassador for
our BVA is that I'm constantly running into Blinded Veterans (no pun intended) that do not
know what or who is a VIST Coordinator, nor are they aware of their benefits through the
VA or state. Some are entitled to VA
Pensions and don't know that either. It is
our responsibility to find these individuals and link them up with their respective VIST
Coordinators. This is a must! I have been reviewing our membership data base
and was surprised to find that over 800 listed on it were not currently members of the
BVA. This is a puzzle that I seem to have
difficulty piecing together. I tend to always
look for the positive, so it must be an oversight to those who have not joined as dues
paying members. One person wrote me and
stated... "The BVA is like the French", there when they need you! That statement can't be further from the truth. The BVA, I've come to know, is there before you. Sure, it can't be there for us every instant and
for any want, but within its limited capabilities, it has forged the past for us to
travel. Today, our National BVA is chopping
away at the most important of issues. For the
BVA to do more, there needs to be some participation on our part. Becoming a life member is the first step. Life membership in the BVA is the lowest life
membership dues of any veterans service organization out there. We can even lessen the burden by paying $10 down
and paying the remainder over the next 2 years. Life
membership has another distinct advantage, dues paid for life membership are deposited
into the BVA Life Membership Fund (LMF ), every penny.
The principal of the LMF is never touched. Only
the interest and dividends produced from the LMF are apportioned back to the individual
Regional Groups, like Florida, based on the number of current Life and Associate Life
members. These are funds we use to pay
expenses of the Regional Group including District meetings, Newsletters,and getting
informational materials to you all throughout the state.
So, in effect, dues paid to the LMF could more precisely be defined as your
contribution (donation) to your fellow Blinded Veterans forever. This is a gift, a giving that will keep on giving
for the entire life of the BVA. In closing,
I'd like to mention that from a previous Newsletter, I wrote of passing the torch to other
BV's. The other day, I found out that George
C. (Curt) Mild had passed away. Curt was a
Past President of the BVA-FRG. In talking
with George Stocking about Curt's passing, George mentioned that Curt was the FRG
President that first started these President's Messages, as part of our Newsletters. The little things that we all do that get carried
on through time that has much meaning to our lives. Thank
you, Curt. To all of those who have made the
BVA what it is today, we owe a great debt of gratitude.
Let us all stand united and together as life members, and go into the future with
one strong and loud voice representing our Blinded Veteran community. Keep the mission alive and help one another to
help each other. Hope to see you at the FRG
Convention in Daytona Beach. Paul W.
Kaminsky, FRG President. (904) 291-0576 email
pkaminsky@bellsouth.net.
FRG AUXILIARY PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE: The first item on my list is to correct
something I included in my message in the last Newsletter. It
appears that I mentioned a silent auction at our State Convention. Sorry, I meant the regular raffle and not a silent
auction. However, bring your gift for the
raffle to help the FRG Auxiliary with our Scholarship Fund.
If you are interested in the Scholarship, call Cathie Cotton, Scholarship Chairman,
at (305) 235-2313 or email clcotton@bellsouth.net. Do it soon as the completed application must be
received by April 15. I hope that many of you
are planning on attending the FRG Convention in May.
It is so nice to see everyone again. I
hope to see you who attend at the Auxiliary meeting
on Saturday morning. We will hold elections
for Officers for the coming year and plan our activities.
We do need everyone to keep our goal of support for Blinded Veterans and their
families. I also hope that all of you have a
blessed Easter. Joyce Thornton, FRG Auxiliary
President
US Legislative Up-Date: The
BVA's legislative program has been successful in getting legislation passed as reported in
previous Newsletters. This has included
additional Funding for the Blind Rehabilitation Service and additional Blind
Rehabilitation Outpatient Specialists (BROS) and Visual Impairment Service Coordinators
(VIST). As a result of the BVA's efforts,
Florida will gain two new full time VIST Coordinator positions in Daytona Beach and
Pensacola. In addition, BROS positions have
been approved for Ft. Myers and Jacksonville. Recruiting
for these positions should begin in the near future.
Additional funding for the Blind Rehabilitation Service was recommended for FY
2009. It is understood that a BROS for the
Miami Dade - Broward Counties will be recommended for FY 2009.
FRG District Meeting: Last
year's first time District meeting in Pensacola was a huge success and brought results. The FRG will hold a District meeting on Saturday,
April 5 at the Mesquite Charlie's Steak House, 5901 North W Street in Pensacola. Northwest District Director Darryl Goldsmith and
FRG Vice President Terry King have worked to schedule this meeting. The meeting will begin at 11:30 AM with a period
of socializing, followed by lunch at noon. For
lunch, you may select from a 10 ounce Rib Eye Steak, 16 ounce T bone steak, Tombstone Chicken, or Fried Shrimp and salad,
baked potato, western beans, rolls and butter, and ice tea or coffee. Although the cost to the FRG is $15 per person,
those in attendance will pay only $5 including tax and tip.
BV's in the panhandle are served by the Biloxi VA Medical Center and in recent years, have had little
service. At last year's meeting, those in
attendance signed a Resolution requesting to have a full time VIST Coordinator assigned at
the Pensacola Clinic. Along with other
material, the BVA took those Resolutions to Congress.
When the VA appropriations for Fiscal Year 2008 was recently passed, through the
efforts of the BVA, it included additional funding
for Blinded Veterans. As a result, a full
time VIST Coordinator has been approved for Pensacola.
We have just learned that the Biloxi VAMC has accepted that position in Pensacola
and will begin recruiting for a full time VIST Coordinator. 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. 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 2.
To make your reservations, write Darryl Goldsmith, 7190 Rampart Way, Pensacola, FL
32505 or call: (850) 554-7819, email dandv5@cox.net. 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 2 so we won't pay $15 for reservation made and not used. Join us on April 5 and help to improve services
for Blinded Veterans in the panhandle.
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 2-4. The Plaza Ocean Club is a 190 room hotel directly
on the Atlantic Ocean. Your Convention
Committee secured the low guaranteed group rates of only $77 per day, for 1 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 as another group is at the hotel that weekend. 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 22 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 Regional 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 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. 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 2, in the
hotel lobby. If you have not pre-registered,
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 2. 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.
The Dinner dance will begin with dinner at 7 PM followed by dancing. Again, this year, Marsha Summers will provide the
music, both during the dinner and for dancing afterwards.
Those of you who have attended before will remember what a great job she does
playing music for good listening and good
dancing. New conventioneers will be pleased
with an enjoyable musical interlude. A cash
bar will be available for liquid refreshment. this
should be a fun evening, so join in the good times.
Saturday, May 3, The Annual Florida Regional Group Business Meeting will be held at
9 AM in the 2 floor Ball Room. In addition to
reports on the past year and planning the FRG Program for the coming year, you will have
the opportunity to share your thoughts and comments on future FRG activities. Elections for FRG Officers and District Directors,
for the coming year, will be held. The
election of a Delegate and Alternate Delegates to the 63 BVA National Convention in
Phoenix, Arizona in August, will also be held. Proposed
resolutions for presentation to the BVA National Convention will be considered.
The FRG Auxiliary will also hold its Annual Meeting at 9 AM on Saturday in the
Osprey Room on the first floor. The BVA
Auxiliary is not a "Ladies Auxiliary" but is open to all family members and
friends of the BVA.
At 2 PM on Saturday, the second Informational Seminar will be held. It will start with a presentation by Mike Gunde,
Chief of the Bureau of Brail and Talking Book Services.
Mike will bring us up to date on innovations in the Talking Book Program.
The Hospitality Room will be open from 5 to 7 PM.
The Installation Banquet will be held at 7 PM in the second floor Ball Room. Paul Kaminsky, BVA President will be Master of
Ceremonies. Prior to the end of the Banquet,
the FRG Auxiliary will hold the drawings for its raffle.
The Banquet will close with the Installation of FRG Officers and District Directors
and FRG Auxiliary Officers for the coming year. Join
us in the hospitality Room, after the Banquet for more socializing and refreshments. Sunday will be the time for goodbyes and travel
home.
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-FRG in Miami. We look forward to
meeting you in Daytona Beach May 2-4. Please
join us for a productive meeting and enjoyable weekend.
FRG-BVA Meeting Schedule
April 5
FRG Meeting in Pensacola
May 2-4
FRG State Convention, Plaza
Ocean Club, Daytona Beach
August 12-18
BVA National Convention in
Phoenix, Arizona