[nabs-l] NABS Leadership Update

Melissa Green graduate56 at juno.com
Tue Jul 14 20:45:39 UTC 2009


Well said!
Melissa Green
Limitations live only in our minds. But if we use our imaginations, our
possibilities become limitless
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Arielle Silverman" <nabs.president at gmail.com>
To: "National Association of Blind Students mailing list"
<nabs-l at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Sunday, July 12, 2009 4:42 PM
Subject: Re: [nabs-l] NABS Leadership Update


> Dear Antonio and all,
>
> The woman of whom you speak was Angela Wolf, who served as president
> of NABS from 2001-2005. She spoke up after alerting Terri and I that
> we had made an error in not entertaining discussion of the amendment.
> The fact that we did not do so is one of the mistakes I spoke of
> earlier, and one that will not be repeated in future business
> meetings.
>
> I think we have made clear at this point that the NABS leadership, and
> the process by which we are elected, is not perfect. We need  you to
> keep us  on our toes, as you have done. We can't undo mistakes that we
> have made in the past; we can, however, learn from them. We can and
> should also use this energy to do what we can to strengthen the other
> parts of this organization.
>
> Respectfully,
> Arielle Silverman
> President, National Association of Blind Students
>
>
>
> On 7/13/09, Antonio M. Guimaraes <iamantonio at cox.net> wrote:
>>         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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>>>> nabs-l at nfbnet.org
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>>>
>>>
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>>
>>
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>
>
> -- 
> Arielle Silverman
> President, National Association of Blind Students
> Phone:  602-502-2255
> Email:
> nabs.president at gmail.com
> Website:
> www.nabslink.org
>
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