Articles and announcements included in this publication are presented for your information and interest. They reflect the opinions of the respective authors and are not necessarily endorsed by the UCB.

Editorially Speaking

This is a last reminder to come to the UCB’s Annual Business Meeting on Saturday September 17 at the Division of Services for the Blind and Visually Impaired, 250 North 1950 West in Salt Lake City. The meeting starts at 10:00 am and will go until all the business is complete. We will repeat the articles on the business meeting, the Bylaws changes, and the Candidates’ Nomination statements in this issue so that you won’t have to look for them again. We also have an article on hotkeys for those who will be using Zoom.

Also, note the article on our annual visit to the Utah State Fair and our Spooktacular Halloween Fund-raising party. It should be a blast!

The October Buzz will most likely be later than usual in coming because we want to get all the important news from the Business Meeting included in that issue, which takes place after our usual submission date of the 15^th. But we will have an October magazine and hope that we will receive articles or home tips or recipes from any of you who have anything to share.

In the meantime, have a good month.

– Tom Mitchell

Annual Business Meeting

The Annual Business Meeting of the Utah Council of the Blind will be held at the Division of Services for the Blind and Visually Impaired, 250 N 1950 W, Salt Lake City, UT at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday, September 17, 2022. Reservations are required so that we can have enough food for everyone. Please call the business office at 801-245-9264 or email utahblind@gmail.com with your name, the names of others in your party, and your telephone number no later than Friday, September 10th. When you make your reservation, please indicate whether or not each person in your party is a member of the UCB, whether you use large print or braille, any dietary restrictions you or a member of your party may have, and if you will need an asl interpreter, assistive listening device, or any other accommodation.

This year, for the first time, we will be making it possible to attend and participate in the Annual Meeting via Zoom. If you would like to participate in this manner, please make a reservation by calling the business office at 801-245-9264 and giving us an email address to send the Zoom link. When you make the reservation, be sure to let us know the names of all UCB members who will be in your group so that we can extend voting privileges.

You may also obtain an absentee ballot to cast your votes by mail. If you would like to receive an absentee ballot, please call the office and 801-245-9264 and let us know. In order to be counted, absentee ballots must be received back in our office by one week in advance of the meeting, so please be sure to allow plenty of time for the mailing process when requesting your ballot.

Membership Verification: In order to vote at the annual business meeting a member's dues for 2022 must be paid no later than September 10, 2022. If you have any questions about your membership status, please contact us at (801) 245-9264 or via e-mail at utahblind@gmail.com to check your status.

Zoom Hot Keys and Keyboard Shortcuts

Phone

Phone controls for participants

The following commands can be entered via DTMF tones using your phone's dial pad while in a Zoom meeting:

*6 - Toggle mute/unmute

*9 - Raise hand

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Phone controls for meeting host

If you have entered the Host Key to start the meeting, you will have host controls available to you by entering DTMF tones on your dial pad. To hear all available commands, enter ** on your phone.

*4 - End the meeting for all participants

*5 - Lock or Unlock the meeting

*6 - Mute or unmute yourself

*7 - Start or Stop Recording
Note: all participants in the meeting will be notified when recording is stopped or started.

*# - Hear the number of participants in the meeting

99 - Mute or unmute all participants

Windows

You can view and edit keyboard shortcuts in your Keyboard Shortcuts settings.

1. Sign in to the Zoom desktop client.

2. Click your profile picture, then click Settings.

3. Click Keyboard Shortcuts. The keyboard shortcuts will appear

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Editing shortcuts

You can edit a shortcut by clicking on the shortcut and then pressing the shortcut key that you would like to use.

Some of the shortcuts can be used as global shortcuts, meaning they will work even when Zoom is not in focus. To enable a shortcut globally, check the option next to the shortcut.

Available shortcuts

General

F6: Navigate among Zoom popup windows

Ctrl+Alt+Shift: Move focus to Zoom's meeting controls

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Meeting

PageUp: View previous 25 video stream in gallery view

PageDown: View next 25 video stream in gallery view

Alt: Turn on/off the option Always show meeting controls in General settings

Alt+F1: Switch to active speaker view in video meeting

Alt+F2: Switch to gallery video view in video meeting

Alt+F4: Close the current window

Alt+V: Start/stop video

Alt+A: Mute/unmute audio

Alt+M: Mute/unmute audio for everyone except host (Note: for meeting host only)

Alt+S: Launch share screen window and stop screen share (Note: will only work when meeting control toolbar has focus)

Alt+Shift+S: Start/stop new screen share (Note: Will only work when meeting control toolbar has focus)

Alt+T: Pause or resume screen share (Note: Will only work when meeting control toolbar has focus)

Alt+R: Start/stop local recording

Alt+C: Start/stop cloud recording

Alt+P: Pause or resume recording

Alt+N: Switch camera

Alt+F: Enter or exit full screen

Alt+H: Display/hide in-meeting chat panel

Alt+U: Display/hide participants panel

Alt+I: Open invite window

Alt+Y: Raise/lower hand

Alt+Shift+R: Gain remote control

Alt+Shift+G: Stop remote control

Ctrl+2: Read active speaker name

Ctrl+Alt+Shift+H: Show/hide floating meeting controls

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Chat

Alt+Shift+T: Sceenshot

Alt+L: Switch to Portrait/Landscape View

Ctrl+W: Close current chat session

Ctrl+Up: Go to previous chat

Ctrl+Down: Go to next chat

Ctrl+T: Jump to chat with someone

Ctrl+F: Search

Ctrl+Tab: Move to the next tab (right)

Ctrl+Shift+Tab: Move to the previous tab (left)

IOS

If you are using an iPad with a keyboard, the following shortcuts are available in a Zoom meeting:

Command+Shift+A: Mute/unmute my audio

Command+Shift+V: Start/stop my video

Command+Shift+H: Display/hide chat

Command+Shift+M: Minimize meeting

Command+U: Display/hide manage participants

Command+W: Close the front window, such as the participants or meeting settings window

macOS

You can view and edit keyboard shortcuts in your Accessibility settings.

1. Sign in to the Zoom desktop client.

2. Click your profile picture then click Settings.

3. Click Keyboard Shortcuts. The keyboard shortcuts will appear.

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Editing shortcuts

You can edit a shortcut by clicking on the shortcut and then pressing the shortcut key that you would like to use.

Some of the shortcuts can be used as global shortcuts, meaning they will work even when Zoom is not in focus. To enable a shortcut globally, check the option next to the shortcut.

Available shortcuts

General

Command+W: Close the current window

Command+L: Switch to portrait or landscape View, depending on current view

Ctrl+T: Switch from one tab to the next

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Meeting

Command+J: Join meeting

Command+Control+V: Start meeting

Command+J: Schedule meeting

Command+Control+S: Screen share using direct share

Command+Shift+A: Mute/unmute audio

Command+Control+M: Mute audio for everyone except the host (only available to the host)

Command+Control+U: Unmute audio for everyone except host (only available to the host)

Space: Push to talk

Command+Shift+V: Start/stop video

Command+Shift+N: Switch camera

Command+Shift+S: Start/stop screen share

Command+Shift+T: Pause or resume screen share

Command+Shift+R: Start local recording

Command+Shift+C: Start cloud recording

Command+Shift+P: Pause or resume recording

Command+Shift+W: Switch to active speaker view or gallery view, depending on current view

Ctrl+P: View previous 25 participants in gallery view

Ctrl+N: View next 25 participants in gallery view

Command+U: Display/hide participants panel

Command+Shift+H: Show/hide in-meeting chat panel

Command+I: Open invite window

Option+Y: Raise hand/lower hand

Ctrl+Shift+R: Gain remote control

Ctrl+Shift+G: Stop remote control

Command+Shift+F: Enter or exit full screen

Command+Shift+M: Switch to minimal window

Command+Shift+D: Enable/disable dual monitor mode.

Ctrl+Option+Command+H: Show/hide meeting controls

Ctrl+Shift+R: Gain remote control

Ctrl+Shift+G: Stop remote control

Ctrl+\: Toggle the Always Show meeting controls option in General settings

Command+W: Prompt to End or Leave Meeting

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Chat

Command+K: Jump to chat with someone

Command+T: Screenshot

Bylaws Amendments—Updated and Annotated

General Membership Meeting
September 17, 2022

Section 3.2. The minimum Board of Directors shall consist of a President, who must be legally blind (central visual acuity does not exceed 20/200 in the better eye with correcting lenses or the field of vision in the better eye subtends an angle of no greater than 20 degrees); a Secretary; and a Treasurer. As numbers allow, the board shall also include a Vice President, who must be legally blind; and up to eleven additional Directors, the exact number of which may be set by action of the board of directors or the membership from time to time. Any vacancy created by an increase in the number of Directors shall be filled following the election procedures outlined in these Bylaws. All Officers and Directors must be paid-up members of the UCB, at least 18 years of age, and support its purposes. A majority of the Board of Directors must be legally blind.

Suggested: The minimum Board of Directors shall consist of a President, who must be legally blind (central visual acuity does not exceed 20/200 in the better eye with correcting lenses or the field of vision in the better eye subtends an angle of no greater than 20 degrees); a Secretary; and a Treasurer. As numbers allow, the board shall also include a Vice President, who must be legally blind; and up to eleven additional Directors, the exact number of which may be set by action of the membership from time to time. Any vacancy created by an increase in the number of Directors shall be filled following the election procedures outlined in these Bylaws. All Officers and Directors must be paid-up members of the UCB, at least 18 years of age, and support its purposes. A majority of the Board of Directors must be legally blind. No two members of the Board of Directors may be close family members, i.e. spouse, child, grandchild, sibling, aunt, uncle, first cousin, etc.

Discussion: There are two changes included in the proposed amendment. We will address them separately.

1. At present, the number of directors may be set by either the board or the membership, but only the membership may fill any vacancy. The effect of this is that, in truth, it is always the membership that sets the exact number by how it votes in elections. For this reason, it is recommended that the language be changed to reflect this fact and remove the board of directors as a potential determiner of the number of members on the board.

2. The final sentence of the proposed section prohibits close family members from serving on the board of directors at the same time. This is a policy that has come and gone through the history of the UCB. The main problem with having close family members on the board is that if there is a family event, whether it be a planned activity, an unplanned emergency, or a need for family support of any kind, it impacts multiple members of the board and may even make it impossible to convene a quorum to conduct important business. A less likely, but still potential, concern is family members forming a voting block on issues addressed by the board.

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Section 3.3. The Board of Directors shall have the general management of the affairs, funds and records of the organization with the right to form and establish policy and hire and fire employees as it deems necessary for accomplishment of the purposes and goals of the UCB. It is the responsibility of the Board of Directors to carry out the will of the membership as indicated by the motions and resolutions passed in its meetings to the extent that such actions are lawful and practicable.

Suggested: The Board of Directors shall have the general management of the affairs, funds and records of the organization with the right to form and establish policy and hire and fire employees and contractors as it deems necessary for accomplishment of the purposes and goals of the UCB. It is the responsibility of the Board of Directors to carry out the will of the membership as indicated by the motions and resolutions passed in its meetings to the extent that such actions are lawful and practicable.

Discussion: This amendment is really a housekeeping issue that adds contractors to those entities for which the board has responsibility.

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Section 4.2. Not less than six months prior to the annual business meeting the Board of Directors shall appoint an Election Committee consisting of at least three members. Not less than three months prior to the annual business meeting the names of the Committee members shall be announced to the membership either in written form or through the use of other media such as the Utah Connection. The Election Committee, in conjunction with the Membership Committee, shall have responsibility for verifying the qualifications of members wishing to have their names placed in nomination for available positions on the Board of Directors. No member who agrees to serve on the Election Committee may run for office in the current election. Any qualified member of the organization wishing to run for a position on the Board of Directors may notify a member of the Committee by submitting a short (one page or less) written statement concerning his/her qualifications and vision for the future of the organization, which will be distributed to the membership at least 30 days prior to the annual business meeting. The Election Committee shall formally present all of the candidates and supervise the carrying out of the voting process. No nominations from the floor or write-in candidates will be allowed. The Election Committee shall have responsibility for providing a means whereby the members can cast ballots for the candidates of their choice and shall have responsibility for the tallying of the votes. There may be absentee voting, but no proxy voting. Any absentee ballots must be returned to the Election Committee no later than one week before the business meeting. The Officers shall be voted on individually, and the successful candidates must be elected by an absolute majority (they must receive over 50% of the total votes cast). Unsuccessful candidate(s) for any officer position will be included in the director balloting. Balloting for all director positions will take place simultaneously, with each member casting ranked votes for the candidates. Each director must be elected by an absolute majority (as defined above). Full-term positions will be filled by those receiving the highest number of votes, with partial terms filled by those with fewer votes. If there are no qualified candidates for an open officer position, the board members, at their first meeting after January 1st, shall elect from their number a qualified member to fill the position. If there are not enough qualified candidates to fill all open director positions, all qualified candidates who receive at least 10 votes each shall be declared elected, and the number of directors shall be reduced by the number of deficiencies.

Suggested: Not less than six months prior to the annual business meeting the Board of Directors shall appoint an Election Committee consisting of at least three members. Not less than three months prior to the annual business meeting the names of the Committee members shall be announced to the membership either in written form or through the use of other media. The Election Committee, in conjunction with the Membership Committee, shall have responsibility for verifying the qualifications of nominees for available positions on the Board of Directors and their willingness to serve if elected. No member who agrees to serve on the Election Committee may run for office in the current election. Any member of the organization may nominate themself or another qualified member by submitting a written statement of one to two pages concerning the qualifications of the nominee. The Election Committee will be responsible for seeing that nominating statements of qualified members are distributed to the membership at least 30 days prior to the annual business meeting. The Election Committee shall formally present all of the qualified candidates and supervise the carrying out of the voting process. No nominations from the floor or write-in candidates will be allowed. The Election Committee shall have responsibility for providing a means whereby the members can cast ballots for the candidates of their choice and shall have responsibility for the tallying of the votes. There may be absentee voting, but no proxy voting. Any absentee ballots must be returned to UCB no later than two days before the business meeting. The Officers shall be voted on individually, and the successful candidates must be elected by an absolute majority (they must receive over 50% of the total votes cast). Unsuccessful candidate(s) for any officer position will be included in the director balloting. Balloting for all director positions will take place simultaneously. Each director must be elected by an absolute majority (as defined above). Full-term positions will be filled by those receiving the highest number of votes, with partial terms filled by those with fewer votes. If all candidates are elected with a equal number of votes, names will be drawn anonymously to determine which candidates will fill any partial terms. If there are no qualified candidates for an open officer position, the board members, at their first meeting after January 1st, shall elect from their number a qualified member to fill the position. If there are not enough qualified candidates to fill all open director positions, all qualified candidates who receive at least 10 votes each shall be declared elected, and the number of directors shall be reduced by the number of deficiencies.

Discussion: Changes to this amendment include:

1. Since the Utah Connection has been discontinued, reference to it as a means of disseminating information needs to be omitted.

2. The second change allows nominations to be made and statements submitted by members other than the nominee themself. The reasoning behind this suggested change is that there are members of the UCB who are highly qualified and would make excellent board members, but who hesitate to put their own names in nomination and/or do not feel comfortable writing nomination statements for themselves. This would allow other members to intercede in the process and potentially expand the candidate pool.

3. This change would decrease the timeframe for receiving absentee ballots from one week prior to the Annual Business Meeting to two days prior to the meeting, the reasoning being that the additional time is not necessary.

4. This change removes the requirement that the voting for directors be done by ranked voting. This would allow the Election Committee more latitude in how voting is organized.

5. The final change clarifies how it will be determined who fills partial terms, if any, when all candidates receive equal numbers of votes, such as in the case of a slate of candidates all elected by acclamation.

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Section 4.5. Resignation of any member of the Board of Directors shall be submitted in writing or verbally to the Board. If any Director shall be absent from over 25% of regular or special meetings in any calendar year it shall be recognized as an automatic resignation, and the number on the Board shall be reduced by one unless there are only three members on the Board, in which case the remaining two members shall select a third qualified member to serve until the next meeting of the general membership. Participation in a meeting via conference call is counted as attendance.

Suggested: Resignation of any member of the Board of Directors may be submitted in writing or verbally to the Board. If any Director shall be absent from over 25% of regular or special meetings in any calendar year it shall be recognized as an automatic resignation, and the number on the Board shall be reduced by one unless there are only three members on the Board, in which case the remaining two members shall select a third qualified member to serve until the next meeting of the general membership.

Discussion: Two changes included in this amendment are:

1. Correcting the phrase “shall be submitted” in the first sentence to “may be submitted”. This is desirable, since a board member may also resign simply by missing enough meetings and, therefore, not submit anything at all.

2. The second change eliminates the final sentence regarding participation by conference call. Since most of our meetings are now held virtually, it is no longer desirable to make this distinction.

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Section 4.7. In the case of a vacancy in the position of President, Secretary, or Treasurer on the Board of Directors, the Board shall appoint the Vice President or other qualified Director to fill the office until the next meeting of the general membership and a new Officer is elected. In the case of any other vacancy on the Board of Directors, the Board shall be reduced by one unless there are only three members on the Board, in which case the remaining two members shall select a third qualified member to serve until the next meeting of the general membership and a new Officer or Director is elected. Each appointee shall be approved by at least a two-thirds vote of the Board of Directors.

Suggested: In the case of a vacancy in the position of President, Vice President, Secretary, or Treasurer on the Board of Directors, the Board shall appoint another qualified Director to fill the office until the next meeting of the general membership and a new Officer is elected. In the case of any other vacancy on the Board of Directors, the Board shall be reduced by one unless there are only three members on the Board, in which case the office of Vice President will not be filled, and the remaining two members shall select a third qualified member to serve until the next meeting of the general membership and a new Officer or Director is elected. Each appointee shall be approved by at least a two-thirds vote of the Board of Directors.

Discussion: This adds the office of Vice President to vacant offices that may be filled temporarily by appointment from the board.

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Section 5.6. Any Officer or Director who resigns or is terminated from the Board of Directors must, within two business days, place all records, supplies, keys, or any other UCB items in their possession in the UCB office at the Division of Services for the Blind and Visually Impaired or deliver or mail them to the main office or the post office box of the organization.

Suggested: Any Officer, Director, contractor, or other entity who resigns or is terminated from their position with UCB must, within ten business days, return all records, supplies, keys, or any other UCB assets in their possession to the UCB business office.

Discussion: This amendment expands the list of entities who may be in possession of UCB assets and allows a more reasonable length of time for them to return UCB property to the organization.

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Section 7.2. Dues shall be paid annually in such amounts as fixed by the Board of Directors. The membership year shall be from January 1st through December 31st. A grace period of one month shall be allowed for receipt of renewal dues from members in good standing. Memberships will become effective two weeks after receipt of dues. Any dues received during the last four months of the membership year (September, October, November, or December) shall be considered dues for the following year; members first enrolling during these months upon acceptance of their applications shall be deemed active members of the organization. The Board of Directors may grant honorary, non-voting memberships. Any member may purchase lifetime membership in the organization by making a one-time payment of twenty-five times the currently prevailing adult membership dues.

Suggested: Dues shall be paid annually in such amounts as fixed by the Board of Directors. The membership year shall be from January 1st through December 31st. A grace period of one month shall be allowed for receipt of renewal dues from members in good standing. Memberships will become effective one week after receipt of dues. Any dues received during the last four months of the membership year (September, October, November, or December) shall be considered dues for the following year; members first enrolling during these months, upon acceptance of their applications, shall be deemed active members of the organization. The Board of Directors may grant honorary, non-voting memberships. Any member may purchase lifetime membership in the organization by making a one-time payment of twenty-five times the currently prevailing adult membership dues.

Discussion: This amendment shortens the length of time between when dues are received and the effective date of the membership from two weeks to one week.

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Section 7.4. Blind and visually impaired members in good standing shall have the right to benefit from all programs of the organization. All members age eighteen and over will have the right to vote in elections and business meetings of the organization and have the right to hold office as outlined in these Bylaws.

Suggested: Blind and visually impaired residents of Utah who are members in good standing shall have the right to benefit from all programs of the organization. All members age eighteen and over will have the right to vote in elections and business meetings of the organization and have the right to hold office as outlined in these Bylaws.

Discussion: This amendment corrects an oversight in the Bylaws that would allow blind or visually impaired residents of other states to join UCB and take advantage of programs intended to benefit Utah residents.

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Section 8.1. Notice of meetings of the membership or the Board of Directors shall be by personal contact, in writing, or by notice on the informational phone line to run not less than ten days prior to the date of the proposed meeting if by first class mail, thirty days if by other means. In emergency situations the Board of Directors may be called to meet on shorter notice provided a quorum can be convened and at least two-thirds of the Directors can be notified. Responsibility for proper notification rests with the Secretary, the members calling the meeting, or as the Board of Directors shall direct.

Suggested: Notice of meetings of the membership or the Board of Directors shall be by personal contact or in writing not less than ten days prior to the date of the proposed meeting if by first class mail, thirty days if by other means. In emergency situations the Board of Directors may be called to meet on shorter notice provided a quorum can be convened and at least two-thirds of the Directors can be notified. Responsibility for proper notification rests with the Secretary, the members calling the meeting, or as the Board of Directors shall direct.

Discussion: This is a housekeeping amendment that removed the informational phone line (the Utah Connection) as a potential means of communication, since we no longer have that phone line.

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Section 8.3. No meeting or portion of a meeting of the Board of Directors may be closed to members of the UCB unless by 2/3 majority vote the Board passes a motion to go into executive session for the purpose(s) of discussing personnel issues, determining disciplinary action against an officer, director, or other member or volunteer, or discussing pending contractual agreements, bids or contracts for services that would be adversely affected by public knowledge. The motion for a closed session must state the purpose requiring closure, and a motion to return to open meeting must be approved by the Board immediately upon completion of the business requiring the closed session. Upon returning to open session, any actions taken during the closed session must be reported and entered into the minutes as appropriate. All regular meetings of the Board of Directors must be announced in the newsletter and/or the Utah Connection. All special meetings shall be announced in the newsletter when practical and shall always be announced on the Utah Connection. No special meeting may be held without at least two days notice. The meeting announcement must include the date, time, and location of the meeting; in the case of a special meeting, it must also include the reason for the meeting.

Suggested: No meeting or portion of a meeting of the Board of Directors may be closed to members of the UCB unless by 2/3 majority vote the Board passes a motion to go into executive session for the purpose(s) of discussing personnel issues, determining disciplinary action against an officer, director, or other member or volunteer, or discussing pending contractual agreements, bids or contracts for services that would be adversely affected by public knowledge. The motion for a closed session must state the purpose requiring closure, and a motion to return to open meeting must be approved by the Board immediately upon completion of the business requiring the closed session. All regular meetings of the Board of Directors must be announced in the newsletter. Special meetings shall be announced in the newsletter when practical. The meeting announcement must include the date, time, and location of the meeting; in the case of a special meeting, it must also include the reason for the meeting.

Discussion: This amendment suggests the following changes:

1. Removes the requirement that decisions made in closed session be reported and included in minutes, since doing so would defeat the purpose of the closed session.

2. Removes the Utah Connection as a means of communication regarding scheduled meetings, since we no longer have the Utah Connection.

Nomination Statements for UCB Board of Directors

Following are the nomination statements of those who wish to be candidates for the UCB Board of Directors. They are listed in alphabetical order.

Dennie Clark

To whom it may concern,

My name is Dennie Clark, and I would like to be considered to be a board member for UCB.

I have been working for UCB for about 3 years in the Teacher Trainer Program, now called the Skills Development Program, which I'm the Asst. Supervisor over that. I have also been in retail management for 35+ years. I feel that being able to make decisions fast and knowing how to manage people can only help UCB and the board.

I have a compassion to help the blind and vision impaired be and do everything they would like to do or try. I would like to be on the board so I can help all parts of UCB be strong and keep doing what we all do very well. Help people.

Thank you for considering me to become a board member.

Sandy England

This is Sandy England. I’ve been a member of this organization for about 35 years. I have been Vice-President, Chairperson of many committees and have served on many committees. I have done the convention, activities, fund raising (which I’m doing now) and have done many Christmas parties.

I would like to continue on the board to help our organization to grow and continue to offer programs like our Skill Development teams, our transportation program, etc. It would be my honor to do all I can to help our board to do all it can for the blind community. Being blind myself, I feel a kinship with all of you out there in the blind community. I love to fight for our rights, and I have done this for many years. I like to fund-raise for it helps all of us in many ways. I enjoy doing what I do and will appreciate your vote and support again this year.

Thank you,
Sandy England

Anna Jeffery

Hello Utah Council of the Blind members and friends. As the current president of this fine organization, I have enjoyed working with and getting to know many of you. I strive to be a positive representative of the Utah Council of the Blind within our community. As I meet with other consumer groups in the state, I am proud to share with them our programs that we have to offer blind and visually impaired residents of Utah. I ask for your vote as I run for another term as the president. I will continue to improve our organization’s programs, advocate for our members, and be a positive role model.

Anna Jeffery

“Nothing is impossible, the word itself says ‘I’m possible’!”

– Audrey Hepburn

Mindi Larson

Dear Members of the Board,

My name is Mindi Larson and I am running for the Board of Directors. I have been visually impaired for all of my life. I had cataracts as a baby. I developed glaucoma at the age of twelve. I had my first retina detachment at the age of 16. At the age of 21 I went through a series of retina surgeries that ended in blindness in my better eye. Since then, my eyes have been stable.

I have been a stay-at-home mom for the past 22 years. I was recently divorced. I decided to go through the classes at the blind center again. I mainly went for more technology training. I have been working with the Skills Development Program for about a year. I haven’t had much more work experience before that.

I would like to be on the Board of Directors so that I can help others reach their potential. I feel that there are some wonderful people on the board, from what I have seen so far. I would love to plan activities where we can teach each other our different talents. I feel that there are a lot of amazing people that we can learn different skills from. I would like to see the blind community spend more time together and know that they are not isolated and alone with their struggles. I know that when I am validated with my feelings and worries, I feel so much better about myself. If there isn’t already a book club, that might be fun. I have other ideas that I want to be heard, but this is already too long.

Thank you for your time,
Mindi Larson

Jeana Nielsen

My name is Jeana Nielsen. I am running for Secretary of the Utah Council of the Blind. Last year I was elected to serve on the board as a Director starting in January of this year. At this time, the person serving as Secretary had to leave the board due to other obligations, and I was chosen to fill the position for the remainder of the term. I have enjoyed being Secretary and have chosen to run for the position in the upcoming elections. I believe that the work that the UCB does is vital, and I want to be involved in continuing and furthering this work. Thank you in advance for your vote.

Sandy Ruconich

I joined the UCB Board in 2015 and have been Executive Director since December 2019. My previous leadership experience includes having been president of two state chapters of AER (the organization for teachers and rehab professionals who work with visually impaired children and adults) as well as international president of that group (members come from both the U.S. and Canada). In addition, for five years I was a board member of the Braille Authority of North America (BANA) and served as vice-chair of that board for two years.

During my time as a UCB board member, but far more during my time as Executive Director, I have come to appreciate UCB's many programs and member benefits. I've especially begun to understand the importance of the grants UCB's Chief Financial Officer, Kate Balzly, writes and how much those grants mean to our ability to keep providing the services we make available to UCB members and friends.

What would I like to see UCB accomplish during the next few years? I hope we can attract more younger members, since many of us are getting older (whether we like it or not) and will have to step aside from our current duties in years to come. There are definitely younger people in our state who have great ideas (not to mention great energy) and can help us grow, both financially and in membership, so that the next 50 years can be as important to blind/visually impaired people in our state as the current 50 years have been. We will need everyone's help in order to invite these people to our conferences and activities, to make them feel welcome and included, and to show them the fellowship and freedom available in UCB.

Cindi Vega

To: Members of Utah Council of the Blind
Regarding: Board Member position
Date: June 2, 2022

Wow! UCB! 50 years old! Looking back at my personal history and involvement with UCB. I was encouraged to become a life-time member of UCB in 1989, by my dear friend, Pat Gann.

In 1990, I was elected to serve on the board of Directors. I served for many years in various capacities, including: President, Secretary and Board member.

I held my young nephews as I conducted business meetings and attended activities. Many years have flown by; now, my nephews are ages 14 and 19.

I have been asked by the Nominating Committee to run for a Board member position. I have a lot of catch up and a lot to learn. I am honored to serve as a member of the Board of Directors if the membership elects me to fill this position.

Thank you,
Cindi Vega

Award Nominations

By Sandi England

Do you know a person who has volunteered and devoted their time and service for the blind? If so, please send me their name with a letter telling us what they have done for blind people and why you think they should be recognized. The Award Nominations Committee will read each letter carefully and decide, if chosen, which award your nominee will receive. We would like your nominations as soon as you can. The awards will be handed out at our Golden Anniversary party at the beginning of December.

Please send your nominations to utahblind@gmail.com or to syeangel@comcast.net.

If you have questions call: 801-634-8002

UCB Office at DSBVI Closes

After approximately 25 years, it has been decided that we will no longer open the UCB office at the Blind Center on Wednesdays. For a long time, even before the pandemic, there were days when no one came to the office to buy cab coupons, or anything else we had. Since the pandemic, and since we are now out of measuring cups and spoons, having someone at the office for 3 hours doing nothing no longer made sense.

We wish to thank the people in the past and the present who so generously gave of their time to serve in the UCB office. We hope we’re not leaving anyone out, but over the years they have included Elaine Hall, Janis Stanger, Jeana Nielsen and Donni Mitchell. If we’ve left any one out, please accept our apologies and our thanks for a job well-done.

Utah State Fair Outing

Hold on to your shorts, the Utah State Fair is just around the corner. Mark your calendars to join the Utah Council of the Blind on a Special Friends Day at the Fair. We have two dates available. Monday, September 12^th, we will be meeting at the north side of the fair in the north parking lot at 5:00 to enter at 5:30. The cost to get in is only $1.00. Please provide cash. We will all need to go in as a group, but once we have entered you are free to wander the park and enjoy all it has to offer. You must have a chaperone with you or you will be on your own. In the past years, carnival ride wrist bands have been buy one get one free on Monday. The other date is Wednesday, September 14^th, and we will meet at the northwest part of the parking lot by the stadium. The cost is $1.00, and you must provide your own chaperone. We will go in as a group, and then you may enjoy free carnival rides from 10 am to12 pm, Barnyard Friends, Little Hands on the Farm, Frogs and Friends. 10 am Allez-Oops! Comedy Circus Show at the Gazebo Stage, 11:15 am Adam the Great at the Gazebo Stage and 12 pm Frogs and Friends Presentation at the Pioneer Building.

Spooktacular Halloween Carnival Fundraiser

Mark your calendars for our Spooktacular Halloween Carnival Fundraiser. Come Support the Utah Council of the Blind, Saturday, October 22^nd, from noon till 4 pm at the Utah Division of Services for the Blind and Visually Impaired, 250 North 1950 West, Salt Lake City. There will be lots of yummy food and drinks, games with prizes, a bounce house, bubble balls, fortune telling, bingo, face painting, a fishing pond, Mega Size Jenga, a bake sale, a Christmas Boutique, giveaways, tons of candy and much more. Wear your Halloween costume to be entered into the costume contest. The cost is only $8.00 per person for unlimited fun, games, and food. You may call the office to prepay or bring cash the day of the party. If you would like to reserve a table for the boutique, please call the office at 801-245-9264. Hope to see you there.

Ceramics is Fun!

By Sandi England

Come and join us! For nearly 30 years, we have sponsored a Ceramics class on Wednesdays from 10 am to 4 pm at the Division of Services for the Blind and Visually-impaired, 250 North 1950 West. We learn to do beautiful ceramics and wonderful wood projects. You must be blind or visually impaired to join us. We pay for the items we work on plus a small fee for breakage. If you would like to come and have fun and learn to make items for home, friends, and family or just yourself, call Gerrie Mills at 801-803-8070. She is our teacher and does an excellent job. You do not have to stay the full 4 hours. Some of our projects have included: holiday items of all kinds, animals, cups, bowls, temples, and wooden projects such as stars, snowflakes, turkeys, trees, rabbits and more.

This is an excellent way to give yourself a little time away from home, meet new people, and exercise your creativity. Hope to see you there!

Volunteer Available in the Orem-Saratoga Springs Area

The Utah Council of the Blind has a volunteer that would love to serve those who are blind, and elderly living in the Orem to Saratoga Springs area. Her name is Shanya Gravis, and she would love to come read mail for you, fill out paperwork, or just visit if you would like. She has two little girls that would accompany her. If you are interested and could use a reader, or a visitor please reach out to her at 801-875-8821.

In Memoriam: Scott Stanger

By Tom Mitchell

Scott Stanger, a long-time member of the Utah Council of the Blind, and a figure well-regarded among the blind of Utah, passed away on July 6, 2022.

He was born Scott Jackson Stanger on January 16, 1948, to Vaughn M. “Jack” Stanger and Beth Jackson Stanger. He was born prematurely which resulted in his blindness. We’ve never entirely resolved the year that we met but we figured it was probably 1954 in his first year at the Utah School for the Blind, and we remained close friends ever since.

I think the thing we both loved most was music. During our first years in the chorus at the school I sang soprano and he sang alto. And outside of chorus we began singing together, usually popular songs of the day. In fact, during reading practice in class when Miss Maxwell would be helping a student learn to read and other students would be playing with blocks or something else, you would find Scott and I off in the back corner of the room singing something like “Tonight You Belong to Me”, “The Banana Boat Song”, or “Hula Love”. Or, in later years, you might find us at recess, when Scott had his guitar, singing folk songs by the Kingston Trio. In 1966 he and I were sent to Minneapolis for college training classes at the Minnesota Society for the Blind, and we not only sang Kingston Trio songs, but Peter, Paul and Marry songs and songs by Burl Ives. He usually carried the melody, and I sang harmony. He was also an excellent pianist and played the trumpet.

In later years, as Victor Streams became available, I was more than willing to make SD cards for him with music I thought he might like, or he would request certain music. Or he might call and see if I could find a song from the internet and record it, and I did my best, usually finding what he would want. And many of those songs were songs that I had forgotten, but remembered when I had heard them, and I added many of them to my own collection.

In the late 1950s, while rehearsing a number with the school chorus, R. Paul Thompson, about whom Scott wrote in this magazine in our May issue, suddenly stopped the chorus singing, and requested that Stott, Gerald Torgersen and I stand up together and sing this number, just to see what it sounded like. I don’t remember what the song was, but when we finished, the rest of the students ranging from junior high to 4^th grades, applauded us. And I believe this surprised all of us. But from that idea came our Boys’ Trio which became a supplement to the chorus, and which also went with Mr. Thompson as a group by itself to many places to sing. I remember we sang for the funeral of the mother of one of the students at the school. But these trips gave us many hours in the car with Mr. Thompson wherein we discussed anything from bad jokes to religion, a subject in which, at that young age, I was totally lost most of the time. But Scott could keep up.

He was always vitally interested in religious subjects and tried for years to unify the different versions of the Holy Bible. He was a Bible scholar, and for well over 50 years could talk extensively about the bible, and many different religious subjects.

As a child, his play was even intellectually driven. He liked to set up war games with countries he invented and talk about the political structures of his imaginary nations, usually based upon the communist nations and democratic nations. Very often when we were together, we invented different names for each other, calling each other Sam and Harold. Sometimes, he was Sam and I was Harold, sometimes it was the other way around, but we knew who was who, even if our friends and teachers didn’t. And sometimes we would call each other “Red”, again confounding those around us. I spent two weekends at his house, and I could never figure out how he learned to ride his bike up and down the lane in front of his house. I didn’t know it was a three-wheeler.

In his obituary it states: “He graduated from Olympus high, where he was a Sterling Scholar in music. He received a scholarship to Brigham Young University where he was an honors student in English, music and religion. He served a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Northern California.

“After graduating from Brigham Young University, Scott attended Law School at the University of Utah, where he earned his JDD Doctorate degree. Scott married Linda Sue Thorne in the Oakland Temple. They lived in Sacramento where Scott worked for the Social Security Administration. Scott later married Janis Lorraine Shinkle. They spent their lives in Salt Lake City, UT where Scott worked for the Division of Services for the Blind and Visually Impaired.

“He was concurrently an instructor at the University of Utah, working with students who were preparing to become teachers of blind students. … After he retired, he and Janis served together in a mission to the Curriculum Department of the church. Scott was very active in advocacy for the blind. He served in the Utah Council of the Blind and in BRL, a national organization promoting Braille access for those who are blind.

“Scott is preceded in death by his parents, his brother, Nick Stanger, his half-brother, Bob Stanger, and his granddaughter, Loralei Mullen. His is survived by his wife, Janis, his daughter, Karisa (Pat) Mullen, of Edgewood, New Mexico and her five children, Dallas, Sam, Evan, Leigha and Charles, also survived by his son, Jeremy Stanger, of Sacramento California and his children Elle, Emme and Ila. Additionally, he is survived by his son, Matthew Stanger, of Salt Lake City.”

He will be greatly missed by myself and all who knew him.

UCB Golden Anniversary Discount on Lifetime Memberships

In honor of the 50th anniversary of the UCB we are offering lifetime memberships at a $50.00 discount anytime during 2022. This means that you can purchase a lifetime membership for $200 rather than the usual $250. We encourage all members to take advantage of this opportunity. To pay by debit or credit card, contact Kate at 801-245-9264. To pay by check, mail your check to: UCB Membership, PO Box 1415, Bountiful, UT 84011-1415.

General UCB Information

The UCB Buzz

The UCB Buzz is available in large print, Braille, audio CD, and by e-mail. If you would prefer to receive your newsletter in a different format, please call the UCB business office at 801-245-9264 or send an e-mail to utahblind@gmail.com and let us know.

We are always looking for articles, book reviews, or interesting tidbits of information from our readers or other interested persons. The deadline for submitting items for publication is the 15th of the month. You may e-mail any articles you wish to submit to tommit60@gmail.com; send Braille, print, or audio to UCB Buzz, PO Box 1415, Bountiful, UT 84011-1415. Please allow extra time for processing Braille, print, or audio.

Board of Directors and Management

To contact the UCB business office or board members e-mail utahblind@gmail.com or call 801-245-9264.

Anna Jeffery, President

Donni Mitchell, Vice President

Jeana Nielsen, Secretary

Vicki Flake, Treasurer

Sandy Ruconich, Executive Director

Aunilie Hathaway

Monica Youngdell

Sandy England

Kira Larkin

Shelly Hendricksen

Kate Balzly, Chief Operating Officer

2022 Calendar

Members are invited and encouraged to attend meetings of the Board of Directors. Meetings will typically be held the first Thursday of each month at 4:45 p.m. via Zoom. To be placed on the agenda or attend a meeting, e-mail utahblind@gmail.com or call 801-245-9264.

Thursday, September 1, 4:45 p.m., Board Meeting

Monday, September 12, 5:00 p.m., Special Friends Day at the Utah State Fair

Wednesday, September 14, 10:00 a.m., Special Friends Day at the Utah State Fair

Saturday, September 17, 10:00 a.m., Annual Business Meeting (for all members)

Thursday, October 6, 4:45 p.m., Board Meeting

Budget and Training Meeting (by invitation only), Saturday, October 8, 9:00 a.m.

Saturday, October 22, 12:00 noon, Spooktacular Halloween Carnival Fundraiser

Thursday, November 3, 4:45 p.m., Board Meeting

Thursday, December 1, 4:45 p.m., Board Meeting

Saturday, December 3. 2022, UCB Golden Anniversary Celebration

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