Minutes
Oklahoma Council of the Blind
Board of Directors Meeting
First Quarter
October 27, 2007
 
 
First Vice-President Elaine Boykin Doudna called the meeting to
order at 9:00 A.M. via telephone conference bridge, after which a 
quorum was established, with Perry Sanders late due to telephone 
complications and Jeanne Meyer absent. Teresa Kruta, Allison Fallin 
and Cathy Tuton were also present.
 
Minutes of the previous meeting were filed as distributed.
 
The Treasurer's Report was filed as distributed.
 
The oral auction at the Convention brought in around $900 and
the silent auction raised over $300.
 
President Sanders came in at this point and presided over the
remainder of the meeting.
 
Newsletter: Newsletter Editor Jeri Cooper asked everyone how
often they wanted the newsletter published, when it should be
published and what would be of interest to publish. The newsletter 
will be published three times per year, with the first one scheduled in 
January, 2008. Elaine Doudna, Jeri Cooper and Vicky Golightly will 
comprise the Newsletter Committee.
 
Legislation. Joe Fallin said NFB has introduced a bill to increase 
the SGA for those receiving SSDI to the amount Senior citizens 
receive-somewhere around $2,800 per month within five years. 
ACB supports this bill. OCB continues to monitor the ADA Restoration
Acb and on a state level the DRS budget and other issues such as 
transportation. Teresa Kruta said that there is a movement to adopt 
the Social Security definition of legal blindness (20/100 with same 
field), but that the American Printing House for the Blind has not 
decided what action to take in this regard.
 
Joe Fallin feels that it is essential that a representative from OCB 
attend each DRS Commission meeting and that OCB must keep itself 
in the forefront of DRS activities.
 
OCB 2008 Convention. President Sanders stated that suggestions to 
improve the OCB convention included special function for first-timers, 
such as lunch with the Board and breakout sessions for newcomers 
where the Board can explain the value of OCB and the relationship 
between OCB, its chapters and that OCB is an affiliate of ACB. 
President Sanders also suggested a welcome brochure for new 
members. A committee of Jeri Cooper, Teresa Kruta, Elaine Doudna 
and Julie Brantley will meet on this issue and report back at the 
next Board meeting.
 
Membership. Teresa Kruta volunteered to chair the Membership 
Committee.
 
OCB resolutions adopted at the 2007 Convention were reviewed to see 
what has been done to follow-up and what needs to be done.  Vicky 
Golightly apologized for not writing the Holiday Inn Airport, though she 
had verbally thanked them, and said this would be rectified. 
Resolutions still need to be placed on the website. Relative to the 
resolution addressing public transportation, several Board members 
volunteered to forward the resolution to entities such as United We 
Ride and the Tulsa and Oklahoma City transit authorities.
 
2008 OCB Convention Chairman Julie Bailey said the Convention 
Committee would meet soon and she asked people to volunteer to do 
specific things or just to serve on the committee. There was lengthy 
discussion about whether OCB and RSVO should hold their 
conventions at the same time and same place, whether they should 
share the cost of the hotel, whether both groups might have the same 
speakers and different breakout sessions to conduct business, etc. 
Joe Fallin moved, with second by Jeri Cooper, that representatives of 
the OCB 2008 Convention Committee meet with RSVO to determine 
what both groups would like to do about combining conventions or 
perhaps having the conventions at the same time and place. The 
motion carried.
 
Sandi Webster suggested a convention centered on advocacy and 
President Sanders suggested Preventive Health and Wellness of the 
Blind and Visually Impaired. 
 
Treasurer Bailey sent the 2007-2008 Budget to the President. There 
was lengthy discussion about increasing fundraising and/or chapters 
and OCB splitting proceeds from fundraising projects. The Treasurer 
is also looking into ways to increase our interest.
 
Joe Fallin says he has noticed over the years a disconnect between 
the chapters and the OCB. He said that 30 years ago most people 
joined OCB and then the chapters and that recently the trend is to 
join chapters and then maybe OCB. Therefore, Joe moved, with a 
second by Jeri Cooper, that a committee be formed to set up two town 
meetings, one in Tulsa and one in Oklahoma City, to find out what the 
membership wants. The motion carried. For example, are people 
interested more in advocacy or public awareness? Would they like to 
be trained in legislative advocacy and process? The committee will 
consist of Joe Fallin, Chairman; a representative from each chapter 
and a Board member of OCB. Sandi Webster, Jeri Cooper and Vicky 
Golightly volunteered to work on this committee with the Chairman.
 
President Sanders said he would work on the Fundraising Committee 
and he will check with Pat Kelly to see if he will agree to serve.
 
Joe Fallin thinks it is imperative that OCB send someone to the ACB 
Legislative Seminar. Jeri Cooper would like for a veteran OCBer and a 
new OCBer to go. A report on where and when the seminar is will be 
forthcoming at the next Board meeting.
 
In the Tulsa Council report, Jeri Cooper said that membership is 
increasing, the chapter is moving to Marie Callender's in November 
and a representative from Tulsa Transit is speaking in November and 
that the Mayor is coming to the December Christmas meeting. White 
Cane Day was very successful in making inroads with the blinded 
veterans and also establishing a relationship with four new visually 
impaired people. Jeri asked the blinded vets if they might be 
interested in performing in the flag and presentation of colors 
ceremony at the 2008 Convention, to which she received an 
enthusiastic affirmative. 
 
Sandi Webster reported that in only a couple of months the Heartland 
Council has exceeded its goal of a five percent membership growth. 
The White Cane Safety Day march in Bricktown was successful and a 
lady with MS and her disability dog walked with the group for a while. 
The November meeting will be the annual HCB Thanksgiving dinner 
and she said HCB would cover the cost of dinner if anyone from Tulsa 
wanted to join in. HCB is having a CPR class on November 10 
sponsored by the American Heart Association. 
 
President Sanders is interested in seeing a large Oklahoma contingent 
attend the ACB Convention in Louisville, Kentucky.
 
The next OCB Board Meeting will be held on January 5 at 9:00 A.M. 
via conference call. The March meeting will be in conjunction with the 
ABOT Credit Union. Sandi Webster said that in the morning the group 
might wish to tour the bombing memorial. 
 
The meeting adjourned at 10:45 A.M.
 
Respectfully Submitted,
Lynn (Vicky) Golightly, Secretary
 
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