[nabs-l] Funding rural divisions

[sarah baebler]

It is if there were pently of students in those cities.  Yes we have Madison and Milwaukee but we only have 2 students from Milwaukee and 3 students from Madison.  Otherwise we are spread throughout the state.  I said we SERVICE 200 people...  We have about ten to twelve active active members.  At least what I call active, meaning come to the meetings, attend fundraisers, and participate in planning events.  Otherwise we service a little over 200 I think it's about 232 to be exact.  That does not mean that they are active active member but ones we counscel, support, and educate on blind student issues.  I'd like to add that it doesn't take a large city to have a fundraiser.  I live in Lodi, WI a small town that doesn't have public transportation or a college or anything LOL...it's a population of 2,932.  We have a small parade and fair that we hold fundraisers at. You don't need a HUGE town or a lot of people.  We've held bakes sales at churches, and the best options for fundraisers are candy bars, cookie dough, and raffle tickets.  This way you don't need a place, time, transportation.  You just fundraise on your own, a confidence building for many of our students.  When I joined the division we were an almighty 3...  it doesn't take a huge division or a big city to get out there and do something.
Sarah

> Date: Mon, 25 May 2009 09:59:14 -0700
> From: jim275_2 at yahoo.com
> To: nabs-l at nfbnet.org
> Subject: [nabs-l] Funding rural divisions
> 
> Sarah, 
> 
> It is true that both Montana and Wisconsin are rural states, but trying to consider Wisconsin and Montana as equal when it comes to student divisions is like compairing apples and oranges. First of all, WI has several very large cities in or very close to the state which provide students for several very large state universities, whereas Montana's largest town is 100,000 (Billings, MT is the biggest city in MT, WY, ND, SD, and probably ID) and our largest university is 25,000. Also didn't you say in another post that your student division has somewhere near 200 members? As I said the other day, the state of Montana probabl has 30 blind students in the whole state; when you subtract for apathey, work, family, and school commitments,  that doesn't leave many people left for a student division.
> 
> Jim
> 
> Jim,
> I read the majority of you email but I am SUPER busy with our
> student seminar/rock climbing event coming up.  I do not agree with
> you,  Wisconsin if rural too.  We are spread all over the place.  I
> think that 30 is a good number and remember that more than totally
> blind students can participate and they are not normally counted as
> being blind or asked to be a part of nfb.  Wi is very rural.  If I
> wanted to go from the south to the north it would take me 13 hours on
> greyhound. We are a strong division that is spread out and we do fine
> with fundraisers you just have to find the oppurtunity and communicate,
> and most importantly devote effort to the group.  I do not think NABS
> should be responsible for supporting us finacially, I think that if you
> are struggling that NABS should have someone get involved with your
> group and help them grow and strengthen.  
> Sarah B
> 
> Homer Simpson's brain: "Use reverse psychology." 
>  Homer: "Oh, that sounds too complicated." 
>  Homer's brain: "Okay, don't use reverse psychology."
>  Homer: "Okay, I will!"
> 
> 
>       
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