[nabs-l] NABS Leadership Update

Mon Jul 13 23:15:05 UTC 2009

Antonio and others,

It was Angela Wolf, former president of NABS that stood up and had us step back, take a breathe and relax.  I believe she had the right to do this because the atmosphere of the room was getting hasty and I believe we needed to do this.  While it is important and valuable to hear what everyone has to say, having everyone try and talk at once does not work.  It was sad to see some students not respect our president or other speakers while they were talking.  This made it very difficult during elections.  It may be that you have not seen some of your friends since last convention or Washington Seminar, you need to remember you are sitting in a meeting.  If you want to catch up or hold a conversation you should be polite to others and go in the hallway and talk.  And if you go in the hallway, do not just stand by the doors, step away and hold your conversation.  This year each ballroom in the hotel had a large foyer area in which conversations such as this could take place.  

As for the elections, I felt the vote cards did help some.  This helped in knowing who had registered and who had not.  I feel it would help if the person in charge of running elections to brush up on Robert’s Rules and give out instructions before elections begin.  I also think it is the responsibility of the person in charge of the elections to be the person deciding when to cut off someone who is speaking who is running.  Giving them a warning before there time is up could allow that person to finish his thoughts instead of stopping mid air.  It seemed that people in the audience felt they had the authority to yell out time to a nominee who was speaking.  It might be helpful to assign one person to keep time if the person running elections needs assistance and to not have just several people yell time.  

As for learning how elections run, just look at how elections were conducted during national convention.  Or take note of how it is done within your own state during state convention.  Elections are always going on during a state convention.  

With all of the side conversations going on during elections, it was confusing as to who was speaking after being nominated.  It may be helpful that even if the person running elections not only says the nominee’s name but the nominee restate their name so there is no confusion.  Many times I had to ask around me who was speaking.  

I am sure there are many other ways in which to improve the election process but these are my thoughts.  I do believe that not holding side conversations can be the number one thing that can improve the process immensely.  Then the person running the elections does not have to be challenged by those talking in the audience.  

Diana Mohnke 

> From: iamantonio at cox.net
> To: nabs-l at nfbnet.org
> Date: Sun, 12 Jul 2009 18:01:16 -0400
> Subject: Re: [nabs-l] NABS Leadership Update
> 
> Nejit,
> 
> You say in your post that those who are angry... have little grounds to feel 
> this way.
> 
> While I agree that we need to move forward and stay positive, I also see no 
> value in slipping the durt under the rug. Most people present had very valid 
> concerns about the way the meeting and elections, mostly the elections were 
> conducted.
> 
> First, when the amendment to the constitution was passed, discussion shut 
> off by the president, and people not given a chance to voice their concerns, 
> the entire membership should have been concerned that something was wrong. 
> The meeting would have gone on till god know when and god knows how if one 
> of our members, yours truly, didn't plea for reason, and bring up the 
> constitution matter back to the forthfront, where it belonged.
> 
> I sought to run for a board position, and was nominated for treasurer, so 
> that I could have a voice, access to people's ears, and I saw this as the 
> only way to bring up the constitution concern up for debate again. I 
> withdrew my candidacy, and some discussion was had, and the amendment voted 
> on again.
> 
> The meeting was full of interesting twists, one board member running for a 
> board position clearly on his popularity, and a voice mail message. He 
> wasn't present at the meeting, and a voice message most could not understand 
> was played for the room.
> 
> People run and win because others like them, so winning on popularity is why 
> people win elections. You are more popular than I am, and so forth. The 
> proof of the value of sheer popularity will be in the results the NABS board 
> can accomplish in the time ahead.
> 
> Do I not have the right to be at least a little angry when someone gets to a 
> mic, and proceeds to tell the room that
> 
> she can sense some animocity in the room, she is an elementary school 
> teacher, and we all need to take a little brake, and sit back, relax, and 
> count to 3?
> 
> I do not know who pulled off that performance, but I tell you this. I did 
> not see, hear, or otherwise detect the presence of a 3-year-old in the room, 
> even when most could agree that many, leaders and meeting attendees acted 
> like one.
> 
> I don't appreciate being likened to a child, not am I susseptible to any 
> kind of hypnotic techniques.
> 
> That I don't know who said this goes to tell you that, even in a meeting 
> full of blind people, some neglected to identify themselves by name whether 
> or not they were recognized.
> 
> I challenge anyone who was at the meeting to tell me they would be proud if 
> the thing had been streamed on the web, or recorded.
> 
> Not too angry anymore,
> 
> Sincerely yours,
> 
> Antonio Guimaraes
> 
> If an infinite number of rednecks riding in an infinite number of pickup 
> trucks fire an infinite number of shotgun rounds at an infinite number of 
> highway signs, they will eventually produce all the world's great literary 
> works in Braille.
> 
> Shop online and support the NFB of RI at no additional cost to you.
> http://www.givebackamerica.com/charity.php?b=169
> Givebackamerica.org, America's Online Charity Shopping Mall
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "Nijat Worley" <nijat1989 at gmail.com>
> To: "National Association of Blind Students mailing list" 
> <nabs-l at nfbnet.org>
> Sent: Saturday, July 11, 2009 6:05 PM
> Subject: Re: [nabs-l] NABS Leadership Update
> 
> 
> > Greetings Joseph,
> > I believe that there is little doubt about the legitimacy of the current 
> > NABS board and the process by which they were elected. Those who are 
> > angry, and those who want to grumble about it, and still those who want to 
> > take action about it, have little ground to do so. Besides, what kind of 
> > action would be appropriate at this point? The former board and Terri did 
> > their best to make sure that the elections were fair. They did almost 
> > every vote by a hand count at your request. I am utterly surprised that 
> > you are still dissatisfied about the outcome of the elections. I 
> > understand there were some mistakes made in the election process, and the 
> > board has made note of them. We will take proper action to make sure that 
> > those mistakes don't happen again. I do agree with you that to try to do 
> > anything that might divide the organization at this point would only 
> > counter your intentions. NABS is an ever changing and evolving 
> > organization simply because of the fact that many of its members both on 
> > the board and off the board come and go so quickly. Nobody stays in NABS 
> > forever. We are all new to this organization, and we all make mistakes. I 
> > appreciate you expressing your concerns and telling folks to stay united, 
> > because only united, can we make change and strengthen this organization 
> > for the benefit of all. I always tell our members both at the state and 
> > national level that one does not have to be on the board to help out the 
> > organization and to be a leader. I think Arielle intends to get everybody 
> > involved in the development and growth of NABS. I am very pleased to say 
> > that I saw many of you at the Monty Carlo night helping us put it together 
> > and wrap it up at the end. We couldn't have done it without you. Thanks to 
> > B. J. Sexton, Caron Anderson, Willie Black, Jim, Jedi, and many others for 
> > staying and helping with Monty Carlo Night. Let us put behind us any hard 
> > feelings that may be in our chests and move on to bigger and better things 
> > for the sake of NABS if for nothing else.
> > At your service,
> > Nijat
> >
> > ----- Original Message ----- 
> > From: "T. Joseph Carter" <carter.tjoseph at gmail.com>
> > To: "National Association of Blind Students mailing list" 
> > <nabs-l at nfbnet.org>
> > Sent: Saturday, July 11, 2009 12:36 PM
> > Subject: Re: [nabs-l] NABS Leadership Update
> >
> >
> >> Arielle and all of NABS,
> >>
> >> I've heard more than a few rumblings about it already, and I am not sure 
> >> the board should try to address them: The NABS election was a complete 
> >> and total fiasco lacking even the appearance of integrity. A number of 
> >> people are really unhappy about it, and some are talking about taking 
> >> action.
> >>
> >> I feel a need to say, "Don't do it, please." I know some of you to be 
> >> good students and good advocates both fro this organization and for the 
> >> blind in general. If those of you I don't know are of the same caliber, 
> >> then you may turn fiasco into tragedy. Think about the possible outcomes 
> >> first.
> >>
> >> Either you will find widespread support, or you will not. If the latter, 
> >> you face marginalization and feelings of disenfranchisement greater than 
> >> you already feel. That will drive you away from the organization for 
> >> certain. Perhaps I am being a bit selfish here, but NABS and the NFB 
> >> need _you_, and I'd rather not have you fall away over something as 
> >> transitory as a single problematic election.
> >>
> >> If you do garner widespread support, the tragedy will be larger still: 
> >> The organization would faction into those who support the incoming board 
> >> and those who oppose the process that elected them, with a lot of people 
> >> who want to do both feeling caught in the middle. There's no faster way 
> >> to ensure more controversial elections than to go down this road.
> >>
> >> So .. what do you do? I made my decision before the election was even 
> >> over: I'm going to support the incoming board, and I'm going to encourage 
> >> (read: make a pain in the rear end of myself) the board to act boldly and 
> >> with integrity on behalf of blind students.
> >>
> >> I also intend to similarly encourage (read the same way) that only 
> >> registered members vote, and that each registrant gets one vote. I can't 
> >> claim to have a simple and brilliant solution here yet because I can't 
> >> figure out how to handle runoff elections quickly and cleanly yet. The 
> >> curious know my email address. *smile*
> >>
> >> Joseph
> >>
> >> P.S. I considered suggesting the Condorcet method, but I decided not to 
> >> propose anything that required calculating a square root to figure out 
> >> who wins the election.
> >>
> >>
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> >
> >
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