[Home-on-the-range] From your monitor

Tue Jul 13 03:45:27 UTC 2010

Greetings, all!

Wonderfully stated, Rob! I will add that I too have been awe-struck as I
have watched Dr. Maurer with the NFB grow in leadership and in advocacy
approach and in developing/resolving issues. The comment you made about
support without judgment is something I feel strongly throughout the
organization, and it's much more compatible with my style of advocacy. It
doesn't mean that issues are glossed over, chocolate-coated or ignored. It's
all about how they are presented. Confronting an issue doesn't have to be a
hammer to the head. It can be a velvet hammer touching the head, then the
heart; or, the heart then the head!

Cheers,

Susan 

From: home-on-the-range-bounces at nfbnet.org
[mailto:home-on-the-range-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Rob Tabor
Sent: Monday, July 12, 2010 10:24 PM
To: NFB of Kansas Internet Mailing List
Subject: Re: [Home-on-the-range] From your monitor

Greetings listmembers and Maryse.

I wholeheartedly agree with Susan Tabor's insights into the 2010 national
convention experience, but I'll add my oown perspective by addressing each
question as presented.

1- What did going to the convention mean to you

When I first joined NFB in 1985 after defecting from ACB, I did not know the
importance of having a positive philosophy of blindness until I began
reading the vast reserve of NFB literature which I acquired at my first
convention in Louisville that year. Although it is essential to communicate
the NFB philosophy at the state affiliate and local chapter levels, I am
persuaded without reservation that participation at our national convention
is of paramount importance in moving the NFB philosophy across the 18 inch
road from head to heart. This I believe is the driving force that brought
about the creation by our national board of directors of the Journigan fund,
a scholarship fund to help Federationists on SSI and similar low and fixed
income sources to come and to be involved in our national convention and
with the aid of excellent veteran Federationists as mentors who help new
convention delegates deal with the frequently overwhelming effects of large
crowds, megalithic hotels and convention centers, busy schedules, etc. A
declaration by our colleague Parnell Diggs is spot on in his assertion that
the best reason for raising funds is to bring new members to national
convention. In case Mr. Diggs monitors this list I apologize if I've
misquoted him.

2-What did you learn?

It will take more time to process the subtle aspects of lessons I have
learned from the 2010 convention. I suggest that a helpful way to assimilate
lessons learned is to apply a sine qua non test. In other words, we may ask
ourselves what we know in retrospect that we would not have known had we
elected to stay home or to go elsewhere during convention week. With this in
mind, I have come to recognize that the growth in membership, assets,
projects and programs, and influnce of our organization are directly
attributable to the outstanding leadership of Dr. Maurer and his executive
leadership team and board. Dr. Maurer's leadership has evolved to this point
in a two fold manner. First, he has grown tremendously in his leadership and
management style and approach, then he has grown the organization itself. To
offer but one example, the strategic initiative projects were launched and
continue to experience remarkable growth on his watch. Last but not least,
we have made positive strides in our collective ability to offer support
without judgment and in some ways I think we are reclaiming the grass roots
energy and robust spirit that marked the early days of our social movement.

3-Was it a life changing experieence?

To address this question honestly, I must say the jury is out as lasting
change often comes about so gradually and in such subtle and incremental
fashion that others notice change before we are cognizant of it. However, I
sincerely hope the real answer turns out to be an unmitigated Y E S. As this
question is linked to the last one below, one, I will endeavor to develop my
response by addressing it.

4-what are you bringing back to apply to your life and to help change
another's?

The NFB 2010 convention has rekindled my all ready strong desire to strive
to do my best at whatever I endeavor to do and to make dilligent and
conscious efforts to improve in areas where my best is not good enough. I
recently told a colleague in Federationism that my bonds to NFB are
permanently sealed by its inspiration to excellence and its disdain for
mediocrity and absolute contempt for poverty of effort. Part and parcel is
my renewed desire to extend my knowledge and experience to assist my blind
colleagues, Federationist and otherwise, on the journey toward first class
citizenship and interdependence equal to that of our sighted peers. But such
commitments are not a one and done proposition. They are like a battery that
must be periodically recharged and National Convention does exactly that.

Should the mighty and unseen forces be willing, I look forward to seeing all
of oyou in Orlando in 2011.

Best to all

Rob Tabor and White Cane Raúl

DID  DEEP.

     Thus, I sart with me.  Going to Dallas to attend my first NFB
convention was a life changing experience at many levels.Let me explain.  I
am legally blind and fall in the category described, at the banquet ,by Dr.
Maurer as a middle-of-the-road blind. I then realized  I never really deep
down accepted this new challenge of 6 yrs. ago. Therefore I desperately
tried to function as a sighted person,only to experience but mediocre
results,impatience and frustration.

   The convention taught me that I can function as a bi-visual person.(no
other connotation meant!)  Yes, I am a bi-vsual person.  In other words,when
I need some sight it is there and when I need blindness skills,they are
there.  This in essence makes me a confident and competent individual better
able to serve my NFB family and enter a new career with knowledge and poise.

Thank you Kansas Federationists for having adopted this new American citizen

Sincerely

Maryse

  _____  

_______________________________________________
Home-on-the-range mailing list
Home-on-the-range at nfbnet.org
http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/home-on-the-range_nfbnet.org
To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
Home-on-the-range:
http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/home-on-the-range_nfbnet.org/rob.tabor%40s
bcglobal.net

-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://nfbnet.org/pipermail/home-on-the-range_nfbnet.org/attachments/20100712/6571c55f/attachment.html>