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<p>This is generally a very good article. In 1980, when I was a
summer intern at our headquarters, I learned much of what I did
about resolutions straight from Jim Gashel. I doubt very many of
us had that privilege.</p>
<p><br>
</p>
<p>One thing it does not discuss, though, is how to get a resolution
before the convention if the committee does not pass it. In the
old days, the sponsor of the resolution could still bring it to
the convention session for a vote. If I remember correctly, that
now requires the support of five affiliate delegates. Is this
correct? <br>
</p>
<p><br>
</p>
<p>Best!</p>
<p>Al Sten-Clanton</p>
<p><br>
</p>
<div class="moz-cite-prefix">On 6/26/23 16:22, Shara Winton via
Massachusetts-NFB wrote:<br>
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<h1
style="mso-margin-top-alt:0in;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:6.0pt;margin-left:0in;mso-line-height-alt:14.55pt"><span
style="font-size:25.5pt;font-family:-apple-system-font">Resolutions and
the Way Policies are Made in the National
Federation of the Blind<o:p></o:p></span></h1>
<p class="MsoNormal"
style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;line-height:18.0pt;max-width:100%"><strong><span
style="font-size:13.0pt;font-family:-apple-system-font">by Gary Wunder</span></strong><span
style="font-size:13.0pt;font-family:-apple-system-font"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"
style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;line-height:18.0pt;max-width:100%"><span
style="font-size:13.0pt;font-family:-apple-system-font">In the
August-September issue Sharon Maneki, the chairman
of the Resolutions Committee, wrote an article
discussing the policy statements the convention
had adopted in July of 2013. Following that
article are copies of each resolution as passed.
Not long after this issue reached <em><span
style="font-family:-apple-system-font">Monitor</span></em>
readers, I began receiving suggestions about how
we should talk about the importance of
resolutions, how and why they should be drafted,
and what happens to them once they are passed.
This is a tall order, but let's at least start to
answer these questions.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<h3 style="line-height:18.0pt;max-width:100%"><strong><span
style="font-size:16.5pt;font-family:-apple-system-font">A resolution is
divided into two parts.</span></strong><span
style="font-size:16.5pt;font-family:-apple-system-font">
<o:p></o:p></span></h3>
<p class="MsoNormal"
style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;line-height:18.0pt;max-width:100%"><span
style="font-size:13.0pt;font-family:-apple-system-font">In the first
part a case is made that certain events have taken
place that require action. The events are
described in short statements that begin with the
word WHEREAS, and they may speak to some wrong
that must be righted or to some good deed that
should be acknowledged. These statements should
clearly set forth the reason a resolution is being
written, without being so detailed that they make
the reader wish the resolution had never happened.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"
style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;line-height:18.0pt;max-width:100%"><span
style="font-size:13.0pt;font-family:-apple-system-font">The second part
of a resolution explains what will or should be
done based on the argument laid out in the first
section. Resolves are used to say what the NFB
will do or what we will try to persuade others to
do. Again this may be to condemn and deplore
actions we find objectionable or to applaud
actions we find meritorious. These, too, should be
brief and to the point: long enough that they are
not ambiguous and concise enough that they avoid
repeating what has already been said. At the end
of this article, when you’ve been convinced how
important resolutions are and that you may want to
write one yourself, we'll drop in a few guidelines
prepared by Barbara Pierce, using her many years
of experience in editing the final version of our
policy statements.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<h3 style="line-height:18.0pt;max-width:100%"><strong><span
style="font-size:16.5pt;font-family:-apple-system-font">Who writes
resolutions?</span></strong><span
style="font-size:16.5pt;font-family:-apple-system-font">
<o:p></o:p></span></h3>
<p class="MsoNormal"
style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;line-height:18.0pt;max-width:100%"><span
style="font-size:13.0pt;font-family:-apple-system-font">The simple
answer is that resolutions are written by anyone
who believes that the National Federation of the
Blind should take a position on something and who
wishes us to make this position public.
Resolutions may come from members of our Advocacy
and Policy Department, from our national board of
directors, from divisions or committees of the
Federation, or from members who feel passionately
enough about an issue to take up their device of
choice and write. Resolutions are submitted to the
chairman of the Resolutions Committee or to the
president of the National Federation of the Blind
at least two weeks before the meeting of the
Resolutions Committee. They are reviewed to
determine, as best we can, that they are factually
and grammatically correct and are then presented
to the Resolutions Committee on what is sometimes
called Registration or Resolutions Day. If they
are passed by the Resolutions Committee, they are
then considered on the afternoon of the second day
of the convention and, if approved, become
official Federation policy.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"
style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;line-height:18.0pt;max-width:100%"><span
style="font-size:13.0pt;font-family:-apple-system-font">Like every
system devised by man, this one has its problems.
People who do not attend the meeting of the
committee hear the resolutions for the first time
that afternoon and are then asked to vote in favor
of or in opposition to something they have had
little time to consider. We have limited time for
questions and discussion, and sometimes the volume
of resolutions has meant we have had to read the
resolve clause and have omitted the part of the
resolution explaining the need for it.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"
style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;line-height:18.0pt;max-width:100%"><span
style="font-size:13.0pt;font-family:-apple-system-font">At the most
recent meeting of the board of directors, a
decision was made to post resolutions passed by
the committee on our website, clearly labeling
them as resolutions being considered by the
convention. In this way those with devices capable
of reading information from the web can see what
is being proposed for consideration by the
membership, can decide how they think and feel
about the resolutions, can get to the right people
to ask their questions, and can be in a better
position to vote when the resolutions are
considered.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<h3 style="line-height:18.0pt;max-width:100%"><strong><span
style="font-size:16.5pt;font-family:-apple-system-font">So what happens
to resolutions once they are passed by the
convention?</span></strong><span
style="font-size:16.5pt;font-family:-apple-system-font">
<o:p></o:p></span></h3>
<p class="MsoNormal"
style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;line-height:18.0pt;max-width:100%"><span
style="font-size:13.0pt;font-family:-apple-system-font">To start with,
all of them appear on our website and are
available to those wanting to know if the
Federation has a position on a given topic. They
are published in the August-September issue of the
<em><span style="font-family:-apple-system-font">Braille</span></em>
<em><span style="font-family:-apple-system-font">Monitor,</span></em>
along with an article explaining who introduced
them and why they were introduced and describing
similar resolutions passed in the current or
previous years. As for implementation, some
resolutions are sent to divisions of the
Federation for action and follow-up. Others are
sent by the president or his designee to the
businesses and agencies they affect. Most are
assigned to the director of policy and advocacy
for action.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<h3 style="line-height:18.0pt;max-width:100%"><strong><span
style="font-size:16.5pt;font-family:-apple-system-font">Do the
resolutions passed really make a difference?</span></strong><span
style="font-size:16.5pt;font-family:-apple-system-font"> <o:p></o:p></span></h3>
<p class="MsoNormal"
style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;line-height:18.0pt;max-width:100%"><span
style="font-size:13.0pt;font-family:-apple-system-font">The answer is
most assuredly yes. Our resolution on quiet cars
culminated in legislation, and that legislation
will someday soon be incorporated into binding
regulations that will make travel safer for the
blind and all pedestrians and cyclists. Our
resolution about the continuing inaccessibility of
the Kindle resulted in a protest at the
headquarters of Amazon in December of 2012 and
subsequent improvements in the software Amazon
produces. Our resolution on the payment of
subminimum wages caused the introduction of H.R.
831 by Congressman Gregg Harper of Mississippi and
the publicity we have received on the NBC
television network and other media outlets.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"
style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;line-height:18.0pt;max-width:100%"><span
style="font-size:13.0pt;font-family:-apple-system-font">Now that you
know why we draft, discuss, and pass resolutions
and what happens to them once they become
Federation policy, here are some guidelines to use
in creating them:<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<h3
style="text-align:center;line-height:18.0pt;max-width:100%"
align="center"><strong><span
style="font-size:16.5pt;font-family:-apple-system-font">Guidelines
for Resolution Writing</span></strong><span
style="font-size:16.5pt;font-family:-apple-system-font"><o:p></o:p></span></h3>
<p class="MsoNormal"
style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;line-height:18.0pt;max-width:100%"><span
style="font-size:13.0pt;font-family:-apple-system-font">Writing
resolutions is a specialized skill. The resolution
is one very long sentence directing the
organization to take a stand or engage in some
action. It can also commend or take exception to
actions of other entities. It cannot provide
direct instructions to any group other than the
NFB or its president and board of directors.
However, it does call upon those entities to make
changes. The actions or other recommendations are
contained in the RESOLVED clauses at the close of
the resolution. The argument for taking the action
is laid out in a series of WHEREASes. Ideally each
argument, and only one argument, should be placed
in a single WHEREAS. These should be arranged in
the most logical order.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"
style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;line-height:18.0pt;max-width:100%"><span
style="font-size:13.0pt;font-family:-apple-system-font">The most
efficient way to write a resolution is to make a
simple outline or list of premises which you will
turn into the WHEREAS clauses and a similar simple
list of phrases for the RESOLVED clauses. In fact,
you should begin by determining what your RESOLVED
clauses are, that is, how many there should be and
what their basic thrust is. You will know how many
by the number of entities we need to address or
the number of problems we need to fix. After you
decide specifically how you want the problem
fixed, determine the smallest number of concepts
you need to explain to a person unfamiliar with
the problem that there is a problem. The best
resolutions can be picked up by a person
unfamiliar with the issue and hold that person's
attention (in other words, they are as short as
possible) while still actually explaining the
problem and the solution or solutions. This
method, deciding the ending first and then
crafting the arguments to reach it, will result in
the simplest and clearest resolution. Then, when
you actually write the formal resolution, you can
focus on the writing and the style, having already
done the planning part.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"
style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;line-height:18.0pt;max-width:100%"><span
style="font-size:13.0pt;font-family:-apple-system-font">Here are the
punctuation and layout rules for writing
resolutions:<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<ol type="1" start="1">
<li class="MsoNormal"
style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;line-height:18.0pt;mso-list:l1
level1 lfo3;max-width:100%"><span
style="font-size:13.0pt;font-family:-apple-system-font">Each
argument begins with the word WHEREAS, indented
and all caps. BE IT RESOLVED and BE IT FURTHER
RESOLVED, which introduce the RESOLVED sections,
are also indented and written in all caps. Note
that WHEREAS is followed by a comma, but the two
versions of BE IT RESOLVED are not.<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal"
style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;line-height:18.0pt;mso-list:l1
level1 lfo3;max-width:100%"><span
style="font-size:13.0pt;font-family:-apple-system-font">Each
WHEREAS before the final one ends with a
semicolon and the word "and." This is true of
the word "RESOLVED" as well.<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal"
style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;line-height:18.0pt;mso-list:l1
level1 lfo3;max-width:100%"><span
style="font-size:13.0pt;font-family:-apple-system-font">The
final WHEREAS ends with a colon, the words "Now,
therefore," and a hard return. Please note that
“Now” is capitalized.<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal"
style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;line-height:18.0pt;mso-list:l1
level1 lfo3;max-width:100%"><span
style="font-size:13.0pt;font-family:-apple-system-font">The
final RESOLVED ends with a period. This reflects
the fact that the entire resolution is a single
sentence. Sometimes one is taxed to refrain from
writing sentences within WHEREASes, but
inserting a complete sentence is not playing the
game fairly.<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal"
style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;line-height:18.0pt;mso-list:l1
level1 lfo3;max-width:100%"><span
style="font-size:13.0pt;font-family:-apple-system-font">A
blank line separates the elements of the
resolution.<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal"
style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;line-height:18.0pt;mso-list:l1
level1 lfo3;max-width:100%"><span
style="font-size:13.0pt;font-family:-apple-system-font">In
the beginning of the first RESOLVED, surround
the year and the state with commas. The formula
looks like this: “BE IT RESOLVED that the
National Federation of the Blind in Convention
assembled this eighth day of July, 2000, in the
city of Atlanta, Georgia,” Note also that the c
in city is not capitalized. <o:p></o:p></span></li>
</ol>
<p class="MsoNormal"
style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;line-height:18.0pt;max-width:100%"><span
style="font-size:13.0pt;font-family:-apple-system-font">Remember that
the resolves are couched in the subjunctive mood,
which is rarely used in English. This means that
the third person singular verbs look like plurals
when they are actually singular: the organization
urge, the NFB condemn and deplore, etc.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"
style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;line-height:18.0pt;max-width:100%"><span
style="font-size:13.0pt;font-family:-apple-system-font">The rather
strained form of the resolution makes it sound
unnatural and formal. Do not attempt to add to
this effect by indulging in jargon and verbosity.
Even though resolutions are frequently long,
brevity is a virtue. Each argument should be made
concisely but clearly. Jargon never helps this
process. Substituting "utilize" for the short,
vigorous word "use" and always referring to people
as "persons" or "individuals" are good examples of
counterproductive inflation of the pomposity
quotient. On the other hand, because resolutions
are formal statements of a policy position, you
should avoid slang or informal words like "exams"
instead of "examinations" or "quotes" for
"quotations." Verb forms like "hunker down" or
"get going" are also a bit too casual for use in
resolutions.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"
style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;line-height:18.0pt;max-width:100%"><span
style="font-size:13.0pt;font-family:-apple-system-font">You will
remember that the NFB is on record as opposing
people-first language, except as it happens for
some reason to sound euphonious. Despite this
fact, we are increasingly saddled with awkward
people-first language in our resolutions that
serves no function but to lengthen the argument,
sound pompous, and contradict our own policy.
Remember that there is nothing wrong with the
terms "blind people" or "blindness field." Yet
increasingly our resolutions are cluttered with
"persons who are blind" or “individuals with
blindness or visual impairment."<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"
style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;line-height:18.0pt;max-width:100%"><span
style="font-size:13.0pt;font-family:-apple-system-font">Capitalization
should be consistent. Do not capitalize words for
emphasis. Quotation marks should not be used for
this purpose either. "Federal" is not capitalized
unless it is part of an actual title or is the
first word of a sentence. Since WHEREASes begin
with capital letters, federal is almost never
capitalized in resolutions. "Congress," on the
other hand, is, as are "House of Representatives"
and "Senate." Names of departments and
organizations are capitalized, but terms like
"departments of education" or "vocational
rehabilitation agencies" are generic and should
not be.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"
style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;line-height:18.0pt;max-width:100%"><span
style="font-size:13.0pt;font-family:-apple-system-font">Resolutions
often pile up nouns as adjectives. When this
happens, the terms should be hyphenated:
access-program producers.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"
style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;line-height:18.0pt;max-width:100%"><span
style="font-size:13.0pt;font-family:-apple-system-font">Bill numbers are
written H.R. 0000 or S. 0000.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"
style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;line-height:18.0pt;max-width:100%"><span
style="font-size:13.0pt;font-family:-apple-system-font">There you have
Barbara Pierce’s sage advice about the content and
format of resolutions. So now you know why we have
resolutions, the process we go through to consider
and pass them, what happens once they are passed,
and the way you can author one. When resolutions
are being considered in 2014, make sure you are a
part of the process, and be sure to meet the
deadlines.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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</blockquote>
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