Bay State Council of the Blind Hybrid Spring Conference & Convention

You are cordially invited to Bay State Council of the Blind's (BSCB) 2024 Spring Conference and Convention which will take place on Saturday, May 18, 2024, in hybrid fashion: In-person at Perkins School for the Blind’s Grousbeck Center for Students and Technology (55 Beechwood Avenue, Watertown, MA 02472) and remotely via Zoom.

The conference will start promptly at 9:30 A.M. and end at 4:30 P.M. In-person registration will begin at 8:45 A.M. The Zoom room will open at 9:15 A.M. for remote attendees.

The registration fee for in-person attendees is $25 to defray refreshment and lunch costs. The conference is free for remote attendees. Morning refreshments, including coffee and pastries, will be provided prior to the 9:30 A.M. kick-off. Cold beverages will be provided during lunch. Box lunches (sandwich or salad, chips, and a cookie) will be ordered from Panera Bread for in-person attendees. In-person attendees are required to make their lunch choice on the registration form.

The Grousbeck Center has a maximum capacity of 52 persons. If and when the limited is reached, in-person registration will be closed. 

BSCB plans on having informative sessions on an array of topics, as well as the annual business meeting and awards ceremony.

All BSCB members who have registered will be able to participate in the election of Board officers, as well as vote on proposed resolutions and formal adoption of the Code of Conduct policy. BSCB's annual fundraising auction will be held the evening before: Friday, May 17, 2024, beginning at 7:00 P.M. The auction will be held remotely via Zoom by ACB Media.

Lunch Choices for In-Person Attendees

The lunch choices for in-person attendees are:

1. Toasted Steak & White Cheddar: Grass fed beef, aged white cheddar, pickled red onions and horseradish sauce on Artisan Ciabatta.

2. Bacon Turkey Bravo: Oven-roasted turkey breast raised without antibiotics, Applewood-smoked bacon, smoked Gouda, emerald greens, vine-ripened tomatoes, signature sauce, salt and pepper on Tomato Basil Bread.
3. Smokehouse BBQ Chicken: Smoked, pulled chicken raised without antibiotics, BBQ sauce, red onions, aged white cheddar, and frizzled onions on Classic White Miche.
4. Tuna Salad: Special recipe tuna salad, emerald greens, vine-ripened tomatoes, red onions, salt and pepper on Black Pepper Focaccia.
5. Greek Salad: Romaine, grape tomatoes, feta, red onions, kalamata olives, salt and pepper tossed in Greek dressing with a pepperoncini.
6. Mediterranean Veggie: Zesty sweet Peppadew peppers, feta, cucumbers, emerald greens, vine-ripened tomatoes, red onions, hummus, salt, and pepper on Tomato Basil Bread.

If you have a dietary restriction that precludes you from selecting one of the above choices, please indicate this at the appropriate place on the registration form and David Kingsbury will get back to you to explore other choices.

Assisted Listening Devices

Assistive listening devices will be available. Email David Kingsbury at davidkingsbury77@gmail.com if you would like to reserve one. Someone will be available the day of the conference to show you how to operate the device. 

How to Register

There are several ways to register. You can register electronically by filling out the form at the following link:

Register for the 2024 BSCB Spring Conference and Convention

After submitting your completed form, a message will pop up with a link to a PayPal webpage to pay your $25 registration fee. In-person attendees should open the link and pay the fee. Remote participants should ignore this pop up.

You can also leave a voicemail on BSCB's Philmore line (773-572-6312) indicating you would like to give your registration information over the phone. You will receive a call back within 48 hours and you can give your payment and lunch choice information then.

If you wish to pay by cash or check on the day of the conference, you can also indicate this by leaving a voicemail on the Philmore line. Please leave your name and phone number so BSCB can confirm it received your message. BSCB prefers you prepay. 

You can also register in-person on the day of the conference. However, the registration fee will still be $25 and there is no guarantee you will receive lunch.

Remote registrants will be emailed the Zoom information a few days before the conference.

How to Make an Optional Donation

If you would like to make an optional donation to BSCB for any amount, please open the PayPal link below:

Donate to the BSCB

Door Prizes

Throughout the day, BSCB will be awarding door prizes to both in-person and remote registrants, provided email ElizabethAnn Johnson at elizabethannjohnson53@gmail.com

Availability of a BSCB Transportation Subsidy

In recognition of the difficulty BSCB members have in traveling across regional transit authority zones to attend BSCB events, the Board has established a transportation subsidy policy. If you are coming to the conference from outside the MBTA zone, you may be reimbursed up to $100 for this cost. It will be reimbursed only after you have participated in the confrerence.

Elements of the policy are:

1. Only BSCB members in good standing are eligible for the subsidy.
2. Reimbursement is limited to travel to BSCB statewide events: Spring convention, Fall conference, and Social Committee-organized events. Chapter-sponsored events are not included.
3. A member may request up to $100 per event and must submit their reimbursement through the Transportation Subsidy Request Google Form. Reimbursement is for actual travel costs. It is not a flat rate.
4. The $100 per event limit does not mean the subsidy covers two $100 fares of a roundtrip, but a maximum of up to $100 per event.

Pooled travel among members is encouraged in order to save costs. If an individual member pays for a pooled trip for themselves as well as for several other members, reimbursement may be requested up to the maximum of $100 per member.

Conference Program

Registration will begin at 8:45 A.M. followed by the general session beginning promptly at 9:30 A.M. The conference will conclude at approximately 4:30 P.M.

In addition to BSCB's business meeting and awards ceremony, the conference will feature speakers on a variety of topics, including MCB Commissioner John Oliveira who will provide an update on MCB activities, representatives of state boards dealing with digital and transportation accessibility, an interview with author Andrew Leland, an update on Perkins Library happenings, and sessions on personal finance and technology.

As the date approaches, BSCB will send further announcements with the final program agenda, Zoom information, instructions on how voting will be conducted, the slate of Nominations Committee-proposed candidates, the text of the proposed Code of Conduct policy, and a list of auction items.

BSCB looks forward to seeing you on May 18, either in Watertown or over Zoom. If you have any questions, feel free to email David Kingsbury at davidkingsbury77@gmail.com.