[Community-service] The Community Service Organizing Meeting.

[Darian Smith]

 On July 3, 2011,  35 individuals   who all shared in the interest  of
community service, and the vision of it’s prominent presence in
strengthening the National Federation of the Blind gathered   to
share experiences,  Motivations, and possibilities surrounding an
organized   and sustained community service effort, and how it  could
be best brought about.
 Members of the organizing leadership were on hand to share how they
came together to work on  this venture, and what  projects the group
had  been working on prior to  convention. A detailed missionstatement
was read, and words of encouragement shared by  1st vice-president of
the National Federation  of the Blind Dr. Fred Schroder.
The meeting was structured  but informal. topics of discussion ranged
from  Motivations for service involvement, ways  to take this idea
home with us, but come back to build a stronger national    presence,
to “why  community service?” (to this, Dr. Schroder fittingly
responded by saying  “why not” to harty applause by all in attendance.
 By Meeting’s end, an initial conference call meeting was scheduled
(the details for  this meeting to be announced  in the coming weeks),
and three goals were set for the upcoming year.
 The group has agreed to operate as in interest group for the time
being, and will work to establish a service project to happen around
the time of National convention in Dallas, Texas.  The  Group  Also
Agreed that it would  try to get on  various state convention ajendas
and have similar meetings to  this one, with reports on these meetings
to take place  at next years meeting   at national convention.
The final agreed upon goal was to work on a recycling project at
national convention, however clarification will be needed on this
project before the group  decides if it should move forward  on that
particular project.
 The meeting adjourned, and  about 10 members of the group went out to
a celebratory dinner


-- 
Darian Smith

“My secret?  See it, and stay focused on it.”

— Shaquille O'Neal