It was the largest gathering of blind people ever to assemble in the state of Maryland. The NFB of Maryland's 11th Annual Convention was held the weekend of November 4-6, 1977, at the Sheraton-Fontain- bleu Inn, on the sandy shores of Ocean City, Maryland. A total of 148 participants registered, and 165 attended the splendid banquet. It was an exciting and productive convention, with some heated exchanges between Federationists and Agency representatives, and the adoption of 13 important resolutions.
Members arrived in Ocean City all day on Friday. The evenings activities included an open Executive Board meeting presided by President John McCraw, and meetings of the Resolutions and Nominations
Committees. The typical, jovial Maryland hospitality was in evidence all evening.
President McCraw called the convention to order promptly at 9:15 on Saturday morning. After welcoming remarks from the host chapter (Eastern Shore Chapter), a representative of Ocean City's Mayor, Harry Kelly, and the traditional invocation by Mr. Wesley Williams, the convention received reports on national activities from treasurer Richard Edlund, the convention's national representative Jim Gashel. The film, WE KNOW WHO WE ARE, was then shown, and received enthusiastically, as this was the first opportunity for many to view it. Most of the" morning session was allotted to a series of reports: ''Services to the blind in Maryland". Mr. James Murray, director, State Library for the Blind and Physically Handicapped; Mr. S. James Campbell, chairman of the board, Maryland School for the Blind; Mr. Kirk Walter, acting
superintendent, Maryland School for the Blind; and Mr. Richard G. Dunne, director, Governor's Committee to Study the Needs of the Handicapped, appeared in this segment. Most provocative was an attempt by Mr. Campbell to defend the School for the Blind's accreditation by the NAC. The best answer he could give to Federationist's probing questions was, "We have our differences of opinion", and was unwilling to
have NFB representatives attend meetings of the School's Board of Directors. Dr. John Cobun, assistant superintendent, State Department of Education, Division of Vocational Rehabilitation, was invited to appear in this segment, but for reasons of his own, chose neither.to attend nor to send a representative. A resolution condemning Dr. Cobun's failure to appear was adopted unanimously. Mr. Dunne assured us that he would investigate Dr. Cobun’s absence, and work closely with us on all pertinent matters.
The afternoon session was devoted to a discussion by Mr. David
Dawson, Equal Opportunity Officer, Office of Civil Rights, on
"Affirmative Action in Federal Programs (504 implementation), followed by a panel discussion, "Updating Information from the Social Security Administration", moderated by Joe Bardari, with representatives from SSA. The final panel discussion of the afternoon, "Blind Industries and Services of Maryland" moderated by Ralph Sanders, president of BISM, with five members of his staff, presented a picture of a progressive agency offering a wide variety of services to blind residents of Maryland-a welcome change for this agency when compared to its situation a few years ago.
The convention banquet, held Saturday evening, was a most lively event, with toastmaster Don Morris' humorous anecdotes and a thoughtprovoking address by Dick Edlund. Six members of the state legislature and their guests were in attendance. The usual merriment as well as a second meeting of the Resolutions Committee followed the banquet.
Sunday morning was devoted to a general business session at which the remaining resolutions were read, and legislative activities were discussed. The most significant resolutions adopted called for the establishment of a Commission for the Blind in Maryland and strongly urged the School for the Blind to disassociate itself from the NAC. Wesley Williams announced his resignation as first vice- president of the NFB of Maryland, citing the heavy schedule of divinity studies in which he is now engaged, but promising to remain loyal to the movement. President McCraw thanked Wesley Williams for his years of devoted service and appointed A. P. Maneki as first vice-president. Lloyd Rasmussen was elected second vice-president, while Joe Bardari and Clearman Sutton were elected to the board.
The convention adjourned at noon. It was with a sense of real accomplishment that Federationists left this largest gathering of blind people ever to assemble in the state of Maryland.