It is a sad time, the end of the Illinois social club 101 years
Hi All:
While having a brief conversation tonight with ACBMC President Debbie
Watson, she made me aware of something that truly saddens me. This
Saturday, August 7 will mark the final meeting for the Illinois Social Club.
If ICB had a blog, I’d share the following message there. We don’t, so I’ll
say what I want to say about that here. I hope, hope hope someone can find
a way to take the following message and share it with the attendees at this
Saturday’s meeting.
Saturday, August 7, 2021 marks the final meeting for the 101 year old
Illinois Social Club. This is a sad day in the history of Illinois’
blindness and visually impaired community.
I became aware of the Illinois Social Club when I first got involved with
ICB in 1990. I can’t remember when my first Social Club meeting was, but it
had to be in the mid 1990’s. From my first meeting, I always enjoyed the
social club meetings. No formality was expected, all the attendees were
expected to do was have fun. Yes, there was a business meeting, but beyond
that, it was always a day filled with fun, games and hanging out with
friends. There’s something special about that.
When I began my first term as ICB President in 2001, I vowed to visit every
ICB affiliate. I attended the social club meetings during both my first two
years as ICB President. It was always an event I looked forward to each
year.
I remember special people like Phil Janes, John Stark, Dick Bledsoe and
others who always helped make the social club gatherings so enjoyable. I
also appreciated how attentive the staff of the Peoria Area Blind People’s
Center and other volunteers were to those of us who came to the event. One
year, I needed to catch a bus back to Chicago in the early evening. I
remember how the Blind Center staff and others made sure I got my dinner in
plenty of time to be able to make my bus with no issues.
I remember how generous so many people were to make the social club
gathering possible. The Dufelmeier family’s generous donation of great
Central Illinois sweet corn really stands out to me.
It was my honor to receive an achievement award from the Peoria Blind
People’s Center in 2012, thanks to Cora Quinn. Cora was one of the many
wonderful people I’ve met through the social club. Others on that list
include Donna Miles, Dick and Alice Bledsoe, Gail Workman and many others.
The Illinois Social Club has been a mainstay of many in Illinois’ blind and
visually impaired community. It has been a huge part of what makes our
state such a special place for people who are blind or visually impaired. I
hope many of you will join ICB as at-large members and continue to lend your
time and talents as you are able to make our state a better place for people
who are blind or visually impaired. I wish you a successful final meeting,
filled as it always is with food, fun and good times.
Ray Campbell, Second Vice President, American Council of the Blind and Past
President, Illinois Council of the Blind
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Sent from Terry Heltsley, President Madison County association of the blind
PO Box 192, E. Alton, IL 62024
www.mcabil.org
telephone (618) 600 – 9388