Executive Directorís Message

An open letter to all BGCB members and friends:

Please allow me to introduce myself. This is Paul Wiese, former member of the Board of Directors of the BGCB. I am very pleased to let you know
your Board of Directors is allowing me to serve the Council as interim-director of the office until the first of June. At which time the selected permanent Executive Director will assume the BGCB responsibilities.
I would like to thank the Board of Directors for giving me the opportunity to serve the Council by keeping the office operating for the next four months.
I look forward to working for the Board and members and I will be attentive to the Councilís needs and requirements.
For those who I have not had the privilege to meet, I would like to tell you a little about myself.  I retired from Kentucky Utilities Company after 35 years of service in 2000. I have served in several service clubs and held offices as President,
Secretary and Director. At this time I am a member of the Lexington Lions Club and serve on their Board of Directors. My wife is Paula, we have 7 children, all  live in this area and 8 grandchildren
with another due in March 2006.
I became vision impaired in 2001 from uncontrolled diabetes. I received my guide dog Axel, in December 2003.  Axel is also a certified therapy dog and we visit hospitals, nursing homes and schools with the BGCB outreach program.  One thing you will probably notice about me is I like to keep information flowing between the members and the Council office. I will be trying to contact each member in the near future to see how our lines of communication are doing.  My preference for communication is email, phone and written.
All the necessary contact information for the Council office is listed on the header at the beginning of the newsletter.

       Presidentís Message

 

Dear BGCB members:

I would like to take this time to announce some changes at the Blue Grass Council of the Blind. I would like to thank Joyce for stepping in as interim director. Paul Wiese will take over as interim director February 1. Paula Wiese will take over as director on June 1. We look forward to a good year at the Blue Grass Council of the blind this year.

I regret to announce the resignation of Steve York and Rick Linson from the Board of Directors of the Council.

Philip G. Rose

 

Membership Meeting

 

       Our next membership meeting will be on Saturday, March 11, 2006 from 1:00-3:00pm at the BGCB office at 1093 South Broadway.  Please try to attend.  Refreshments will be served.

 

 

       From Joyce McGuire, Vice President

We welcome Paul Wiese as Executive Director for February, March, April and May. His wife, Paula Wiese is expected to take over the reins in June. Both Paul and Paula have volunteered and worked hard in the Council for the past year.

Sometime we forgot those, who in the past helped raise the funds, give huge number of hours so that we exist today. Among these people are the first four Volunteer Executive Directors.

Following several meetings at Chandler Medical Center, organized by a resident ophthalmologist (now practicing in Richmond, KY) Cyrus Bayer was the first Executive Director. He was succeeded by Jean Grow. Harold White was next serving at two locations: East Short Street and our current location. Opal Spencer succeeded Harold, serving the majority of the years we have located at 1093 South Broadway.

The Board of Directors voted to have a paid Executive Director in 2003. Soon after receiving a grant from the Neville Fund, Judy Potter accepted the position, serving through April 2005. Judy was soon elected to the Board of Directors continuing to give significant volunteer hours to the Council. Carol Porter served for the next five months as paid Executive Director.

I, as a Vice President, wanted our program to progress without a vacancy and I have served as Interim Executive Director these four months October, 2205 through January, 2006.

I am grateful for the privilege of serving this organization. So far as I can determine, I am the only member of this organization who have served more than two years on the Board of Directors without a motor vehicle in the household. Even with generous rides from volunteers, the time consumed riding Wheels and LexTran made it prohibitive for me to continue longer.

I hope with the leadership of Paul and Paula, and the Board of Directors, we will continue to grow as we did under the past Volunteer Directors.

 

THANK YOU VOLUNTEERS

Many persons, both members and non-members have been generous with their contributions of time, skills, talents and energy. These persons include the following individuals:

 

Ruth Ament               Susan Ament

Jeff Baumgardner

Floremce Booler

Charles Chritsmyer

Paul Dickinson               Max Fiscus

Susan England Fuller

Mac McCord        Franklin McGuire

Joyce McGuire    Kevin McGuire

Joan Myers

Janet Pence               Mike Pence

Carol Porter                Billie Porter

Judy Potter

Beecham Robbins

Margie Robbins

Jerry Rose                        Patsy Rose

joy Rose                            Philip Rose

Adam Ruschival

Carla Ruschival

Jean Salladay

Opal Spencer             Henry Spencer

Bridget Schlausky

Charles Sidney

Linda Stewart               Rod Stewart

Linda Sutherland

Andrew Thomas

Barbara Thompson

Harold White

Paul Wiese                  Paula Wiese

 

VIP Support Group

 

The next VIP meeting will be February 22, 2006.   Tom Dixon, from Radio Eye, will be our guest speaker. Wheels passes are provided.

The Macyís day sale will be Saturday, March 25, 2006 .  Call the Council office if you would like to purchase a $5.00 ticket for the sale.  You will receive $10.00 off a purchase of $20.00 or more and can enter a drawing for $500 shopping spree.  Please call if you would like to volunteer the day of the sale.

Letter from Adam Ruschival

At the Office for the Blind State Rehabilitation Council meeting on Friday, November 18, 2005. I was approached by someone who was concerned that the Blue Grass Council of the Blind had many problems. Most organizations have problems.
Apparently the belief was that my being asked to represent
the Blue Grass Council of the Blind on the OFB/SRC was an
indication that the BGCB needed help.  Rather than a problem-solving stance, my representation of the BGCB will be positive and prideful. Was the concern for the BGCB troubles sincere or could there possibly be another agenda?

I asked myself exactly what am I representing in our Blue Grass Council of the Blind? The BGCB is over thirty years
old and has been a chartered statewide Affiliate of the American Council of the Blind for over twenty-five years.
Almost since its beginning, the BGCB has had: its own
independent non-profit and 501-C3 status; an office; an
Executive Director; regularly scheduled membership meetings; well-planned annual social activities; a regularly produced newsletter in large-print and on cassette; frequent and traditional fund-raisers; a steady growth of members
including a twenty percent increase during the past three
years.

When the OFB/SRC was established, the Bluegrass Council of the Blind had representatives at the table contributing to the purpose and structure of the SRC. The BGCB has followed up this initial effort by providing capable representatives in good faith and in good standing to advocate for the blind of the Commonwealth.

In this holiday time of giving thanks and receiving blessings, I hope that blind and visually impaired Kentuckians will be proud of the history and contributions of the Blue Grass Council of the Blind and that the tradition of good representation on the Statewide Rehabilitation Council will continue.

 

 

 

 

 

 

BLUE GRASS COUNCIL OF THE BLIND

 

Tiered Membership

 

        The Blue Grass Council of the Blind is now offering several types of memberships.  Each membership helps us provide information and referral services to the blind and visually impaired.  Also, each membership helps with research, advocacy, and a voice on the national level through the American Council of the Blind.  The Blue Grass Council of the Blind is a non profit organization and dues are tax deductible.  A receipt is provided upon request.

 

 

     $10.00                Regular Member

     $25.00                Contributing Member

     $50.00                Supporting Member

   $100.00                Sponsoring Member

   $250.00                Benefactor

   $500.00                Patron

$1,000.00 -      Friend of the Council

      & up

 

Name______________________________________________________

 

Street____________________________________Phone______________

 

City_________________________________State_____Zip___________

 

Email: _________________________Birthday:  Month______  Day______

 

Would you like to receive our newsletter?  ___yes _____no

If yes, would you prefer ____Large Print or _____Cassette tape

 

THE PURPOSE OF THE BLUE GRASS COUNCIL OF THE BLIND, INC,

The Blue Grass Council of the Blind, Inc. is a United Way Agency, is located at 1093 South Broadway Suite 1220, Lexington, Kentucky  40504.  The Council provides the only full-time information and referral service in the Central Kentucky area for individuals and their families who are blind or visually impaired, without regard to age, gender, race, or religion.

* * *

THIS IS A LIST OF SERVICES WE PROVIDE:

…    AGENCIES AND PROGRAMS

…    PEER COUNSELING

…    EDUCATIONAL AND SOCIAL ACTIVITIES

…    ADVOCATE OR SPEAKERS BUREAU

…    WE DEMONSTRATE AIDS AND APPLIANCES

…    NEWSLETTER LARGE PRINT AND CASSETTE QUARTERLY

These services are provided at no charge in hopes of enriching the lives of the recipients.

* * *

Those much needed and appreciated cash contributions, which are tax deductible, may be sent to the Blue Grass Council of the Blind, Inc. at 1093 South Broadway, Suite 1220, Lexington, KY 40504.

You may wish to remember a relative or friend by sharing in the continuing work of the Council.  Our office will send a special letter of acknowledgment to loved ones for their contributions made in memory of the deceased.

Anyone wishing to remember the Blue Grass Council in their last will and testament may do so by including in the will a special paragraph for that purpose.  If your wishes are complex, you or your attorney may wish to contact the Council.

* * *

ACB HOT LINE SERVICE

MONDAY THRU FRIDAY

TOLL FREE  1-800-424-8666          3:00 PM to 5:30 PM

8:00 PM TO MIDNIGHT EASTERN TIME

        ALSO AVAILABLE

        "WASHINGTON CONNECTION":  1-202-467-5081

        FAX NUMBER 1-202-467-5085