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NEWSLETTER
Xavier Society for the Blind
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Vol. 2 No. 11
November 2011
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WHAT'S NEW AT XSB!!!!
OOPS. As this newsletter was about to be sent out, carrying the announcement that "the last ticket for the NFL Super Bowl Raffle has been sold" - we discovered a small cache of raffle tickets we thought had been delivered to be sold, and were in fact in someone's drawer. So if you have not bought a ticket - we have re-opened the sales site, and encourage you to take a chance. (We are more than a little red-faced about all of this.)
If you use this link, it takes you right to the sales site.
http://xaviersocietyfortheblind.givezooks.com/events/nfl-raffle
The winners will be drawn on the evening of November 16th (so please help out if you haven't already). Winners will be notified that night, or the next morning. We still have items at the online auction and will be adding new items throughout this week. Some are gently used, like you'd find in a real garage sale - and some are of exquisite quality, that you'd find in high class shops and museums. Visit www.biddingforgood.com/xaviersociety and
see if you find something you like. It's never too early to start shopping for Christmas.
Before Christmas St. Lucy's Feast arrives, and we will again be celebrating a special Mass in her honor at St. Patrick's Cathedral. On December 10, the Saturday before the feast, we will be hosting a special concert at Scandinavia House in Manhattan, at 4 PM.
If you're looking for a special gift or stocking stuffer, you can always "adopt" an owl (we have two different kinds available) and our four CDs are available on line, especially our Christmas album Amo, Amas, Amat - Have Yourself A LATIN Little Christmas!
Mark your calendars!
Our web address is:
www.xaviersocietyfortheblind.org
You can keep up with the latest news of the Xavier Society at our web site, as well as making donations, buying CDs and owls, and registering for events like the December concert. One more time, the web address is:
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LET THERE BE LIGHT - December 10
A Concert in Honor of St. Lucy | 
On Saturday, December 10, at 4 PM in the afternoon, the Xavier Society for the Blind will present a concert in honor of St. Lucy, patron saint of the blind. Entitled "LET THERE BE LIGHT!", the concert will be presented in the Victor Borge Hall at Scandinavia House, 58 Park Avenue at 38th St. Featuring noted pianist Woody Regan and six singers, the music will range from Broadway to Stephen Foster and from opera to Swedish songs.
Tickets are $40 for general seating, and includes a wine and light munchy reception after the concert, where guests can meet and chat with the artists. A Patron ticket entitles guests to reserved seating, and a copy of the program signed by all the artists.
Singers include Fr. John Sheehan, whose most recent appearances include concerts at Barnes & Noble, the 92nd Street Y, the NY Public Library and performing Eisenstein in Die Fledermaus for the Amore Opera company. Julie Diniz is the Mezzo Soprano who serenaded Abe Vigoda at our Gala concert last March and who has appeared in many concerts since then in the Tri-State area. Deborah Surdi is Executive Director of the Opera Orchestra of New York and has appeared as Tosca, Rosalinda in Die Fledermaus, Leonora in Il Trovatore and many other roles. Shawn Thuris has performed nine leading roles in New York and Los Angeles, along with numerous song recitals, concerts and oratorios, and has given masterclasses at East Central University of Oklahoma. Sanford Schimel has toured Chicago as the Duke Cacatois in Offenbach's Isle of Tulipitan. With Opera/Chicago, he sang Pooh-Bah in The Mikado and Tiridate in Handel's Radamisto. A graduate of the Manhattan School of Music, Jonathan Keeley is much in demand as a bass soloist and section leader, and has worked at several churches in the area. He has over 50 operatic roles to his credit, and most recently appeared in The Consul by Menotti.
 Woody Regan
Woody Regan is our Musical Director and has been conductor or pianist for many well-known performers, including Elly Stone, Kaye Ballard, Liliane Montevecchi, Donnie Osmond and David Cassidy. In collaboration with Sam Shepard he created and played the piano score of Shepard's play When The World Was Green (A Chef's Fable) which opened The Signature Theater's Shepard Season at The New York Public Theater and The Singapore Festival for the Arts. In Moscow, Woody became the first American composer to perform his own work at The Moscow Art Theater. He also composed incidental scores for many plays, including A Taste of Honey (directed by Michael Mayer) and Marvin's Room at the Crossroads Theater.
Tickets may be purchased by using the link that appears on the Home Page on our web site.
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CELEBRATING OUR VOLUNTEERS
AND OUR STAFF |
 (from left: Rick Kenney, Gina Ballero, volunteer Laura Yung and Manuel Albino)
"The Roaring Twenties" was the theme of the luncheon held on October 28 to honor
the volunteers at the Xavier Society for the Blind who contribute so much time and
so many different kinds of service during the year. Many of the staff dressed in 20's
outfits to help brighten the event, and the tables were decorated with theme items from the period. There was music from the 20's, gifts were given to all present, and special certificates honoring those with anniversary years were presented by the Executive Director.
Staff members also received certificates and gifts to mark their anniversaries. 
Fr. John Sheehan, SJ, Chairman of the Board, presented Kathleen Lynch with her certificate and a gift to mark her 20 years of service.
Lunch was served by the staff members, and more than one remarked that there were simply too many choices!
Executive Director Kathleen Lynch presents staff member Joe Arzaga with a certificate and a gift for his ten years of service.
Earlier in the afternoon, at the Church of the Epiphany, Fr. John celebrated Mass as part of the celebration for our volunteers. At the luncheon, he was prevailed upon to sing, and had prepared several songs from the period.
Claudia Gilchriest has been a volunteer for 15 years.
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CLOSING THOUGHTS
The "holidays" are almost upon us - what used to be called, when I was a child, "Christmas." I confess to not being very "politically correct," and while I am certainly in favor of trying not to offend people unnecessarily, I also think that words are important.
"Christmas" is an important word for many people, and I am one that continues to use it in conversation, and in greetings during the "Christmas" season. "Blind" is also a word that is controversial in some quarters. But it is interesting that it is not controversial among people who have lost their sight. They are blind, and they know that, and they are too busy dealing with the practical realities of daily life to worry about vocabulary. Often, the concern with the word lies with people who are uncomfortable with blind people and the idea of being blind.
In our offices, we deal with the blind every day, and we know that what defines you as a person has nothing to do with the efficiency of your eyes. It's an important lesson to remember in many different situations, with many different people.
A reminder that I am available to help out at local parishes, to help spread the word about what the Xavier Society is doing. In the same way, I am also available to speak at schools, luncheons or service organizations on aspects of being blind, a presentation that is funny, educational and perhaps even inspirational. There is no charge, so if you know of a school or group (Rotary? Lions Club?) that would enjoy having something different, please don't hesitate to have them contact me.
If you would like to volunteer, or would just like to learn more about what we do, please feel free to call us, send an e-mail or a letter, or drop in for a personal visit. If you know someone who could use our services, please recommend us to them. Visit our web site, and thank you for being a friend of the Xavier Society for the Blind.
Sincerely,
 | | I am also Chaplain for American Legion Post 2001, the 9-11 Memorial Post. |
Fr. John R. Sheehan, SJ
Xavier Society
for the Blind
Phone: (212) 473-7800
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WE'RE ON YELP!!
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We're not a restaurant or a hotel or even a tourist attraction. But if you would like to write a review on how we're doing, we are on Yelp, the online service that provides reviews.
Go to the Yelp site (www.yelp.com) and search for Xavier Society and it will take you to the place where you can write a review or make a comment.
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EVERY LITTLE CLICK
CAN MEAN MONEY FOR US
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You would like to help the Xavier Society for the Blind, but you don't have much money. Maybe you don't have ANY money! You can still help, and give us money every time you search for something on the internet.
Help us raise money for the Xavier Society for the Blind just by searching the Internet or shopping online with GoodSearch - www.goodsearch.com - powered by Yahoo! Free for you - and money for us!
You register (no charge) and list the Xavier Society for the Blind as your charity. You get a tool bar for your computer, and each time you search for something, you use the toolbar and make sure our name appears. We get a small amount for each search you do, and if enough people use this system, it can be a LARGE amount of money.
No cost to you, and a great help for us.
If you have any questions, call us and ask for Manuel or Donald, and they will help walk you through it.
Thank you.
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| OUR WEB SITE | |
The web site for the Xavier Society for the Blind was made possible by a generous grant from the Order of Malta, and we thank them for their support of our work.
The web site is designed to be accessible to screen reading programs, and those who have registered with the XSB have a special section where they can make address changes, order books from the library and download or sign up to receive periodicals. For more information on how to register, or how to get online, contact
clientservices@xaviersocietyfortheblind.org
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FALL CLEARANCE SALE
|  We're cleaning our storerooms! People have donated items to us, and we are thrilled with their generosity. So instead of waiting until next Spring, we are having an online auction to help balance our budget. And if you do not want to wait through the tension of an auction, many items have a Buy Now price, so you can simply buy the item you want to own for your very own.
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FACTS ABOUT THE XSB
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"I have seen the word "Braille" written with and without a capital "B. Which is correct, and who gets to decide?"
If one is referring to the inventor of this system, Louis Braille, one uses the capital. If you are referring to the system, then the convention is that it should be a lower case "B."
"But when we speak of English or French or Spanish, we use a capital letter. Are we discriminating against the language of the blind?"
No - because braille is not a language. It is a transcription system, and forms of braille are used in French, Hebrew and even Chinese. Many languages can use braille, and so since it is not a language, it should not be capitalized.
There is a central authority which makes sure that braille stays up to date as language and technology change, and that is BANA, the Braille Authority of North America. They, and several other organizations, have agreed that braille should only be capitalized when it is used to refer to Louis.
This was a very good question, because we blush to admit that we have not always been consistent ourselves, and when we researched this, we learned something ourselves, and we are now going to abide by the same convention as the rest of the blind community. Thank you for asking.
To learn more about how you can get involved with the Xavier Society for the Blind, or to get more information about what we are doing and providing, please visit our web site at:
www.xaviersocietyfortheblind.org or for more specific information or questions (or to volunteer), send us an email at:
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VETERANS OUTREACH PROGRAM
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Since 2010, the Xavier Society for the Blind has embarked on a strategic initiative to serve a "forgotten" audience of both recently disabled as well as aging Veterans. "Don't Lose Sight of God!" is the theme behind our efforts. Reaching out to this admittedly niche audience is consistent with our mission to provide specialized encouragement and support, in this case to Veterans with vision impairments.
After the trauma, first you cry. Then you realize that there can be productive life after blindness or significant vision loss. It is now apparent to all of us that most visually impaired people today can do just about anything sighted people can do, albeit with a lot more effort and, perhaps, some assistance.
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Wounded Warrior to Win Free Trip
to the National Convention of the
Federation of the Blind
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The National Association of Blind Veterans (NABV), a division of the National Federation of the Blind (NFB), has announced a free lottery for wounded warriors who have lost their sight during Operation Iraqi Freedom or Operation Enduring Freedom. The winner will receive a free trip to Dallas, Texas, to attend the national convention of the NFB, which will take place from June 30-July 5, 2012.
Dwight Sayer, president of the NABV, explained that the contest was designed to help introduce more people to the National Association of Blind Veterans and the NFB.
He said: "All too often, blind veterans, and wounded warriors who have remained on active duty receive some physical assistance when they return, but there is a great need for basic mobility training, experiential and vocational advice, and the realization that they are not alone. At the NFB convention, there are around three thousand people, most of them blind or with low vision, and many with tremendous success stories to help encourage someone who is coming to grips with his or her blindness. We also have a group of blind veterans, who understand in a special way both where the vet is coming from and what he or she is going through."
The first prize will include airfare to the convention for the winner and a companion, hotel accommodations, the convention registration fee and a banquet ticket, and the opportunity to meet and spend time with a whole organization of blind veterans. Entry to the contest is available on the National Association of Blind Veterans Web site and there is no charge to enter. Only one entry per person is permitted.
For more information about the contest or the National Association of Blind Veterans, please visit http://www.nabv.org or call Dwight Sayer at (407) 877-8668.
About the
National Association of Blind Veterans
The National Association of Blind Veterans is a group of blind veterans, sighted veterans, and others not service connected, who are concerned about the welfare and well being of blind veterans. They are dedicated to making sure that all blind vets have the benefits and resources offered by the National Federation of the Blind. These resources can mean the difference between successfully navigating the many agencies charged with assisting blind veterans and being stuck in the quagmire of red tape that can stifle and stall even the most highly motivated.
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UPCOMING EVENTS
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DECEMBER 3 - Feast of St. Francis Xavier
DECEMBER 8 - A Holiday Concert
Council Senior Center
241 W. 72nd St
1:30 PM - Suggested Donation $10
DECEMBER 10 - LET THERE BE LIGHT!
A Concert in Honor of St. Lucy
Scandinavia House - 4:00 PM
DECEMBER 13 - Mass for the Feast of St. Lucy,
Patron Saint of the Blind.
St. Patrick's Cathedral, 6:30 PM
DECEMBER 19 - CONCERT FOR THE END OF THE YEAR
NY Public Library, 6:30 PM
5th Avenue and 41st Street
Free Admission
For more information on these or any events, please contact our office or check our web site.
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| Secure Server |
On our web site, we have a secure server connection. This means you can contribute money to the Xavier Society using your credit card in perfect safety. When you get to the web site, there is a button "Donate." If you click on that, you will be taken to the Secure Server area where you can make any contribution in complete safety. (If the server is not working, please call our office at 212 473-7800 and ask for Manuel.)
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Now On
Our Web Site |
The good news is that all four of Father John's CD's are now available on our web site. CDs are $15, or a set of all four for $50. Price includes shipping and handling. You may also order any combination of CDs at a discount of 2 for $25, but we are only able to handle those orders over the phone. Available are:
Father John Sings Sacred Songs
The Several Sides of Father John
 Father John LIVE in Concert 
Amo, Amas, Amat - Have Yourself A LATIN Little Christmas | |
Go to: www.xaviersocietyfortheblind.org (Go to the "Contributions" page) or call (212) 473-7800 to place your orders.
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