November 14, 2005 - 11:21 PM
Traveling can be fun, but it also can be very exhausting. Geneva and I have spent the past two weeks at two other conventions, Kansas and Kentucky respectively.
I find it a real honor to be asked to represent ACB at other affiliate conventions and take my role very seriously. It's fun to see how other affiliates
do things and to share with them what we're doing in WCB.
At the Kansas Association for the Blind and Visually Impaired, I spoke during a general session with a focus on membership, tying in many other ships such
as leadership, consumership, ownership, partnership, etc. I then gave their banquet address later that night. This was a much smaller convention than
I'm used to with about 40 in attendance, 25 to 30 at the banquet. Although they were small in numbers, they weren't in hospitality, and I really enjoyed
getting to know each member there.
At the convention of the Kentucky Council of the Blind this past weekend there were 110 registered with 60 to 80 in attendance at any one given time although
break out sessions were much smaller. On Friday afternoon I did a membership workshop, using a similar format as I had in Kansas, which worked out nicely
since the theme of the weekend was SHIPS. On Saturday morning I did another workshop; this one on communication. Both had less than 10 people in attendance,
but I felt they were well received. Saturday night's banquet found me talking about another SHIP, that of kinship. I spoke about ACB being our extended
family, which made me a relation to KCB. I also had a fun time teaching the KCB members all about responding with enthusiasm and pride when Kentucky or
KCB was mentioned. I have a feeling our WCB delegation will have some competition at future conventions, which in past years we've dominated with our
loud cheers of WCB pride. After my speech, Adam Ruschival, the KCB President, asked me to stay up in the front and he called Carla Ruschival up to stand
with me. And he presented each of us with a certificate signed by the Governor of Kentucky naming each of us honorary Kentucky Colonels. What a treat!
I also had the pleasure of meeting many nice people including Jennifer and her guide Rainy, who is on my journal list and who has shared emails with me.
The roughest part of these two trips was the flying. I left early on Friday and got home late Sunday night with my Kansas trip, and took a red-eye flight
Thursday night getting in late Friday morning to Louisville and leaving early Sunday morning, arriving home late Sunday afternoon. Although I don't think
Geneva is all that thrilled with flying, she seems to be getting more comfortable, and she's great at the airports where we've had layovers. Both directions
on the Kentucky trip, we had layovers of 2-and-a-half hours, in Chicago on the way there and Dallas-Fort Worth on the return. We've been very fortunate
that we've met up with some extremely kind people at all airports who have offered to let us follow them to the gate or to baggage claim. We actually
got pretty good and getting around DFW and OHare during our layovers with our gate changes not being too far apart and being able to find food and coffee.
The roughest part of these two trips was this weekend as the convention was held at the Kentucky School for the Blind and guests stayed in the dorms. The
bed I tried to sleep on was very hard and full of springs. The thin matress set on a wooden boxx base and had a vinyl slip cover over it. The pillow
they provided was very thin and also had a vinyl slip cover. I did find a foam pillow in exhibits at an Avon booth for $5, which helped a little. But
this bed made it very difficult for me to get any decent sleep. So, consequently, I didn't get much, and I'm still dragging.
As I said before, I really do enjoy getting to visit other affiliates and share my enthusiasm and love for ACB and our membership, but going to two conventions
back to back directly following ours was probably a bit much. smile I'm glad to say though, I'll be feet planted to the ground until February when I go
to Florida for the ACB President's meetings.
I feel like there's more I wanted to say, but I just can't think of it right now. I'll probably write more in my mind as I lay in bed tonight trying to
fall asleep.
Until next time.
Hugs from the Kentucky Colonel and her precious guide,
Cindy and Geneva
