Pennsylvania Council of the Blind
PENNSYLVANIA COUNCIL OF THE BLIND
2007
STATE CONVENTION INFORMATION AND REGISTRATION
Dear PCB Members and Friends:
As summer wanes and fall approaches, the time is at hand to
plan your attendance at this year's Pennsylvania Council of the Blind state Conference and Convention. Please carefully review the convention details below and, as soon as possible, both contact the hotel to make your room reservations and complete and mail back your registration form to the PCB state office. While registration details are fully outlined below, this year's registration packet includes a handy registration fact sheet for your convenience.
The 72nd Annual State Convention and Conference of the Pennsylvania Council of the Blind will be held from Friday, November 2nd through Sunday, November 4th at The Best Western Lehigh Valley Hotel and Conference Center, 300 Gateway Drive, Bethlehem PA 18017 at the junction of routes 22 and 512. The room rate is $79.00 plus tax for up to four occupants. To make your reservations please contact the hotel at 610-866-5800. To ensure that you are charged our negotiated room rate, when calling for a reservation, state that you are attending the Pennsylvania Council of the Blind Convention and Conference. The negotiated room rate is guaranteed only for reservations made by Tuesday October 16, Please call in your reservations as soon as possible.
Hotel Amenities and Meal Plan
A written description of the hotel's layout in a number of formats will be available both at the hotel registration desk and from the PCB registration table. In addition, the description is posted on the PCB web site. The Best Western features Krista's restaurant which is open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. While there are a number of restaurants within five minutes driving distance from the hotel, none are particularly accessible by foot. This being the case, attendees can choose to participate in a pre-arranged 4 meal plan. Nevertheless, a restaurant guide in a number of formats will be available at the hotel's check in desk. Each sleeping room includes both a microwave oven and
mini-refrigerator. The hotel also includes a fitness room located in the north hall, for further details refer to the hotel description.
For those with a mobility impairment who require an accessible sleeping room, please inform the hotel of your need when calling in to reserve a room. Unfortunately, the number of accessible rooms is quite limited and most are located in the Hampton Inn, next door to the Best Western. The Best Western will take reservations for accessible rooms at the Hampton Inn. There is an accessible covered walkway from the Hampton Inn to the Best Western.
Guide dog users will appreciate this year's guide dog relief
accommodations. Every outer sleeping room, in addition to a door to the hotel corridor includes a door to the outside. To make your way to the dog relief area, simply exit outdoors from your sleeping room onto a narrow sidewalk, step down and cross a driveway, to an up curb. Beyond the curb is a long grassy area which encircles the entire sleeping room area of the hotel. When calling the hotel to make your room reservations, state that you are a dog guide user and request a "down and out" room. Guide dog users are expected to both clean up after their dogs and to furnish their own clean up bags.
As mentioned above, The convention program will include a
meal plan consisting of 4 meals. Attendees may elect to register for 1 to four meals. These meals include a Friday evening dinner, Saturday noon lunch, Saturday evening banquet and Sunday morning business meeting breakfast. Two menu choices are provided for the Friday evening dinner and Saturday lunch. Please refer to the convention registration form for prices and menu selections. While not part of the PCB meal plan, on Saturday morning the hotel will offer an inexpensive extended continental breakfast. Further details will be included in the convention program.
Again this year, an orientation tour of the hotel will be offered on Friday afternoon at 1:50 PM. The tour will commence at the hotel registration desk and terminate at the convention registration desk. It may prove helpful to those participating in the tour to prepare by reading over the hotel description.
To locate the registration desk upon first arriving, from the main hotel entrance, consisting of an outer and inner door, walk forward 20 feet then turn 45 degrees to the right. Taking several steps forward will place you at the desk.
First Timers Pizza Party
To welcome first-time convention attendees, on Friday afternoon from 5:45 to 7:15, PCB's Membership Committee will host a pizza party to be held in the Moravian room. It will be an opportunity for new members and those in our leadership to get to know one another. Of course, those planning to attend the event should not register for the Friday evening meal plan dinner.
Friday Activities
Learn and experience Lehigh Valley history, Our Friday morning activity will include a narrated bus tour of the historic district of Bethlehem, a hands-on visit to the Mack Truck Museum, and conclude with lunch at the Sheraton Jet Port restaurant. The tour bus will depart the hotel no later than 8:20 AM, so be ready to board by 8:00. The tour cost is $20.00 and does not include lunch. You'll find, however, Jet Port lunch prices to be quite reasonable. Please note that the tour can accommodate up to 57 people. Registrations will be accepted on a first come first serve basis, though a waiting list will be maintained in the event of cancellations.
For those not interested in the tour, a bingo party will be held on Friday morning at 9:00 in the Lehigh room. Braille bingo cards will be provided, but if you prefer, you may bring your own.
Both the convention registration desk in the Cedar Crest room, and the vendors hall in the Lehigh room will open Friday afternoon at 1:30.
Departing from previous years, the convention will convene Friday afternoon at 4:00, with the first session concluding at 5:30, and a second session beginning at 7:30. The first session will include reports from the PCB President, Executive Director, and Site Selection Committee, the presentation of the 2008 budget, and conclude with something new, brief presentations from each vendor at the convention. After Friday evening's dinner, the second session will include a formal welcoming of first-time attendees, chapter reports, a presentation of the Nominating Committee's slate of candidates, a candidates forum, and conclude with convention announcements. Friday's events will be capped off at 9:45 with a new audience participation trivia game, "Answer Me Please" hosted by Tony Swartz and Jay Doudna. Contestants will be selected from those who indicate their willingness to participate (see the registration form enclosed).
Saturday's Program
While this year's program is limited in topics, it is rich in detail. The program will in general, focus on the emergence of reading options via digital content. More specifically presentations from the National Library Service, the regional Library for the Blind of Philadelphia, and Recordings for the Blind and Dyslexic will offer specific details regarding format conversion, methods of distribution, and the impact for patrons
of these services. In short, many if not all of your questions will be answered about these exciting changes and enhancements to unfold over the next year.
Saturday's program will also include a presentation on quiet
cars and their implications for our safe and independent travel. We have invited back Orientation and Mobility Specialist Bonnie Dotson Burke to provide us with details and strategies.
Our program would not be complete without representation from ACB's leadership. Mike Godino, ACB Treasurer, has generously accepted our invitation to provide an ACB update and to offer our banquet address. This year's post banquet entertainment, sponsored by the Monroe chapter will feature something quite different from our usual fair. Theater by the Blind a critically acclaimed company made up of both visually impaired and sighted theatre professionals, with a mission of changing the image of the blind from one of dependence to
independence, and countering the stereotypes and misperceptions associated with blindness, will treat us to an evening's entertainment we'll not soon forget.
Sunday's Program
The convention will conclude with a Sunday morning Breakfast and Business meeting. An important part of our Sunday morning meeting is the presentation and debate of resolutions. Resolutions created and accepted by the body of the convention represent our public voice to the world, our philosophy, translated into action.
In addition to calling in your room reservation, please complete and return the attached convention registration form as soon as possible. Please keep in mind that registration prior to the convention is $7.00 and registration at the convention is $10.00. Pre-registration assures you of inclusion in convention activities and reception of convention materials in your preferred format.
Would you like to become a convention sponsor $10.00 or a patron $5.00 and have your name listed in the convention program. If so, please fill in the appropriate space on the registration form.
Again, this year we are offering 50/50 tickets to support the PCB room rate fund. If enough tickets are sold, PCB will be able to reduce the convention room rate in 2008 as we did last year. 50/50 tickets are $5.00 each and can be purchased now and will be available until the drawing at the convention. To purchase a ticket, contact your Chapter President or the PCB office. You need not be present to win.
PCB's Convention Committee and the Lehigh Valley Chapter welcomes you to America's Christmas city Bethlehem. Come, participate, learn, and enjoy.
PCB REGISTRATION FORM
NOVEMBER 2-4, 2007
Please indicate your choices and mail check or money order payable to PCB to 931 N. Front Street, Harrisburg, PA 17102.
Name:
Address:
Email:_______________________ Phone:______________________
I PREFER INFORMATION IN:
PRINT: ___ BRAILLE: ___ CASSETTE:___ EMAIL:___ DISK:___
I HAVE A GUIDE DOG:______ I USE A WHEELCHAIR:_______
I HAVE A MOBILITY IMPAIRMENT:___________
PREREGISTRATION: $7.00 AT CONVENTION: $10.00 ____
Friday AM Morning Tour $20.00 ____
Friday Hotel Orientation Tour 1:50 PM Yes____ No ____
Friday Evening Dinner (Select One)
Breast of Chicken with Calvados and Rice $20.00 ____
Penna Pasta in Parmesan Sauce $20.00 ____
First Time Convention Attendees Pizza Party
NO CHARGE (First time attendees only) Yes____ No ____
Saturday Lunch (Select One)
Caesar Salad with Grilled Chicken $12.00 ____ Turkey Sandwich on Whole Wheat $12.00 ____
Saturday Banquet: Filet Mignon $35.00 ____
Sunday Breakfast Meeting: $11.00 ____
Convention Sponsor $10___ Patron $5___ Amt____
50/50 Raffle Tickets $5.00 Qty#_____ Amt ____
TOTAL AMOUNT ENCLOSED _______
?Answer me please? Contestant Yes____ No____
PRE-REGISTRATION FORM MUST BE RECEIVED BY OCTOBER 25, 2007
Convention Registration Fact Sheet
CONVENTION DATES:
Friday November 2 through Sunday November 4, 2007
LOCATION:
Best Western Lehigh Valley Hotel and Conference Center
Junction of routes 22 and 512
300 Gateway Drive
Bethlehem, Pennsylvania 18017-9076
Reservation Phone Numbers:
610-866-5800 Toll Free: 888-222-8512
ROOM RATE:
$79.00 plus tax per night
State you are attending PCB Convention and Conference
Room Reservation deadline: Tuesday October 16
HOTEL DESCRIPTION:
Available at hotel and PCB registration desks and at web site
MEAL PLAN: (1 to 4 meals)
Friday Dinner
Saturday Lunch
Saturday Evening Banquet
Sunday Breakfast
GUIDE DOG USERS:
When reserving room state you are a guide dog
user and require "down and out" room