Michigan Blind Athletic Association

Board of Directors’ meeting minutes

December 12, 2007

Directors present: Sherry Gordon, Richard Hodges, Frank Wolf, Sue Fluri, John Hulsebus, Mike Branch, Mary Lou Brooks, Tom Coyne and John Boes

Guests present: Rob Wall Emerson and Richard Long

Boes called the meeting to order. Minutes from the November 2007 Board meeting were approved as distributed.

Treasurer’s report. Hodges reported we have a total of $17,574.05. This includes the $6000 Upjohn Foundation check. The $15,000 Gilmore Foundation check was just received and will be noted on the December treasurer’s report. There was bank interest of $8.64. Treasurer’s report was approved as presented.

Hodges noted the $166 fee for general liability insurance is due next week. Motion was made to approve the expenditure of this money. Board unanimously approved this motion.

Boes indicated he had been contacted by someone from Detroit’s Blue Cross/Blue Shield of Michigan, inquiring as to whether we would like to have a Board member who is affiliated with BC/BCM. This question is being raised, due to the fact that when Paul Ponchillia received his “Caring for Children Angel Award” in 2004, BC/BSM had offered that they would be willing to have a person be on the MBAA Board. Discussion ensued with Board members expressing their positive reactions to this possibility. Long noted BC/BSM has a very large philanthropic presence in Michigan—and that they give away a lot of money. Boes indicated he will speak with the gal from BC/BSM tomorrow and will indicate our interest in a Board member.

A discussion was held to let Wall Emerson and Long know what the MBAA is all about and to answer their questions. A motion was made, seconded and passed unanimously to have Wall Emerson and Long on the MBAA Board. Congratulations and welcome Rob and Richard!

Train the trainers. Coyne reported he had spoken with Amy Seth at WMU who is in charge of campus recreation. Seth told Coyne she thought perhaps 40 visually impaired students use the facilities at WMU. Seth indicated that if the MBAA did have such a program like train the trainers, she was very interested in having her staff participate. Coyne indicated Seth has both paid and volunteer staff and estimated there might be 50 plus staff over the course of a semester. Two persons who work at the Syndecuse Health Center and who went through the train the trainer training in 2004 are still employed at WMU. Boes indicated he had contacted Curves, Bronson and Borgess, the YMCA and a health club and he received no response from his offers.

Coyne indicated there were at least 7 participants in the last training; Boes thought there may have been a few more participants. Gordon was asked to speak with the Director of the Training Center to see if we might be able to hold the training at the Training Center, as was done in 2004. Brooks suggested the possibility that the training might be held at WMU—since that is the location where the WMU staff would be assisting students and since liability insurance is already in place there for WMU students/staff. Coyne suggested it would be great to have WMU students be exposed to the facilities and services of the Training Center—for disability awareness. Coyne was asked to contact Seth to ask further questions regarding this possible training program.

The MBAA grant request to the Gilmore Foundation was approved for a total of $20,000; $15,000 payable upon receipt of the signed terms; and $5000 in a matching, dollar for dollar grant, received from either new contributors or an increase in the contribution from an existing donor. Boes indicated he had signed the letter which had indicated the terms of the grant and had sent that back to Gilmore.

Wolf inquired about the grant which we received last year from the Michigan Braille Transcribers Fund. Boes has not been able to speak with Paul Ponchillia yet. Brooks indicated there is an on-line application. All Board members agreed we should apply for this grant. Brooks was requested to apply for this grant. Last year, we received $6000 from the MBTF.

Gordon announced there will be one men’s team going to the annual Montreal goalball tournament. Michigan will not be sending a women’s team this year. A funding request for that tournament will be presented at the January meeting for this tournament.

Fluri announced that in January, the Michigan Ski for Light weekend will be held; in February, International Ski for Light will be held in Oregon. Fluri indicated that at this point, she plans to attend.

Hulsebus re-iterated his willingness to begin development of an MBAA web site. Brooks indicated she does have materials from awhile ago when a student worker had begun development of such a web site. Brooks will get this information to Hulsebus. Format will most likely be pretty much text—not many graphics—so the site will be accessible to persons who use screen readers—and will include events, list of Board members, newsletters, links to other resources, etc. Thanks Brooks and Hulsebus!!

Branch reported the bowlers had held a “turkey shoot” in November. Out of the 15 bowlers, eight of them had won turkeys. To win a turkey, a totally blind bowler must have at least an 8 pin count in three consecutive frames in any one of three games; a low vision bowler must have a minimum 9 pin count; a fully sighted bowler must have a strike in all three frames. The bowlers are considering having a “ham shoot” for Christmas.

Meeting was adjourned and Christmas cookies were consumed!

The next MBAA meeting will be held at the Michigan Commission for the Blind Training Center on Wednesday, January 9 at 4:00 p.m.

Respectfully submitted,

Sherry Gordon, MBAA Secretary