[nabs-l] Blind Majority

Fri Mar 18 21:30:43 UTC 2011

To Arielle's post-  and that's why we have amendments, lol.

On 3/18/11, Darian Smith <dsmithnfb at gmail.com> wrote:
> Miranda has a valid point, though I am not sure  how often  this is
> the case  across the organization.
>  I know this is kind of petty, but the 51 percent rule really applies
> to  "active" voting members,  or  that's how I've always understood it
> to be.  If that's indeed the case,  any sighted person falling outside
> of that number can be a "supporting  member"   (or non-voting).  If
> one really  thinks about it,  how often do we vote on things on the
> division level? On the  local chapter level,   you may hold more
> votes, but how many of them are very key votes? (then again, the
> closest chapter to me doesn't meet, lol.)
>  respectfully,
>   Darian
>
>  just
>
> On 3/18/11, Darian Smith <dsmithnfb at gmail.com> wrote:
>> Hi all,
>>  As you all may well know, every state affiliate, state
>> chapter/division,  national division and  even the national board it's
>> self requires that  the majority of it's members and  members of board
>> of directors and officers be  blind,  except that  in the case of the
>> parents division, that requirement was waved.
>>
>>  I think that that requirement should be kept in place, but that we
>> should look to recruit sighted members into our  organization.
>> The recruitment of these members should not be utilized as nor viewed
>> as a reason to back- peddle on our    philossophical views on
>> blindness, but  to better educate and strenthin our cause and belieffs
>> in our ability to  collectivly act as blind people, and our ability to
>> work with sighted folks who believe in what we do.
>>
>>  my view of any movement, and of any organization that  is a part of
>> or fuels a movement, is that while they  may have an ethnic, gender,
>> or other such majority, they also have a minority of people who
>> believe in the cause in just  the same way the  majority does.  This
>> is a very healthy thing, to me.
>>
>>   just some thoughts,
>>   Darian
>>
>> On 3/18/11, Jorge Paez <jorgeapaez at mac.com> wrote:
>>> Completely agree with the constitution.
>>>
>>>
>>> On Mar 18, 2011, at 4:50 PM, Joe Orozco wrote:
>>>
>>>> Dear all,
>>>>
>>>> I always knew that the executive positions on any NFB chapter,
>>>> affiliate
>>>> or
>>>> division board had to be blind.  I did not, however, know that this
>>>> majority
>>>> rule also applies to the general membership of these organizations.  It
>>>> is
>>>> my understanding that at least 51 percent of the membership has to be
>>>> blind
>>>> and that this provision was primarily included to prevent sighted
>>>> people
>>>> from taking over the organization.  I can see how this would have made
>>>> since
>>>> in the organization's early beginnings, maybe even during the 60's, but
>>>> seeing as how the provisions survived the 1986 ratification and is
>>>> still
>>>> on
>>>> the books today, I am curious to hear what you think as the up and
>>>> coming
>>>> generation of leaders.  Is it necessary to guarantee a predominantly
>>>> blind
>>>> organization through constitutional provisions, or should we be allowed
>>>> to
>>>> bring in sighted people interested in membership to further promote our
>>>> cause?  I have my thoughts on the subject, but I'm curious to hear your
>>>> views.  The NFB constitution provisions read as follow:
>>>>
>>>> "Section C. State affiliates shall be organizations of the blind
>>>> controlled
>>>> by the blind. No organization shall be recognized as an "organization
>>>> of
>>>> the
>>>> blind controlled by the blind" unless at least a majority of its voting
>>>> members and a majority of the voting members of each of its local
>>>> chapters
>>>> are blind."
>>>>
>>>> ...
>>>>
>>>> "Any organized group desiring to become a state affiliate of the
>>>> National
>>>> Federation of the Blind shall apply for affiliation by submitting to
>>>> the
>>>> president
>>>> of the National Federation of the Blind a copy of its constitution and
>>>> a
>>>> list of the names and addresses of its elected officers. Under
>>>> procedures
>>>> to
>>>> be
>>>> established by the board of directors, action shall be taken on the
>>>> application. If the action is affirmative, the National Federation of
>>>> the
>>>> Blind shall
>>>> issue to the organization a charter of affiliation. Upon request of the
>>>> national president the state affiliate shall provide to the national
>>>> president
>>>> the names and addresses of its members. Copies of all amendments to the
>>>> constitution and/or bylaws of an affiliate shall be sent without delay
>>>> to
>>>> the national
>>>> president. No organization shall be accepted as an affiliate and no
>>>> organization shall remain an affiliate unless at least a majority of
>>>> its
>>>> voting members
>>>> are blind. The president, vice president (or vice presidents), and at
>>>> least
>>>> a majority of the executive committee or board of directors of the
>>>> state
>>>> affiliate
>>>> and of all of its local chapters must be blind. Affiliates must not
>>>> merely
>>>> be social organizations but must formulate programs and actively work
>>>> to
>>>> promote
>>>> the economic and social betterment of the blind. Affiliates and their
>>>> local
>>>> chapters must comply with the provisions of the constitution of the
>>>> Federation."
>>>>
>>>> Regards,
>>>>
>>>> Joe
>>>>
>>>> "Hard work spotlights the character of people: some turn up their
>>>> sleeves,
>>>> some turn up their noses, and some don't turn up at all."--Sam Ewing
>>>>
>>>>
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>>>
>>>
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>>
>>
>> --
>> Darian Smith
>> Skype: The_Blind_Truth
>> Windows Live: Lightningrod2010 at live.com
>> Follow me on twitter: http://twitter.com/goldengateace
>>
>> "The purpose of life is a life of purpose.
>>
>> — Robert Byrne
>>
>
>
> --
> Darian Smith
> Skype: The_Blind_Truth
> Windows Live: Lightningrod2010 at live.com
> Follow me on twitter: http://twitter.com/goldengateace
>
> "The purpose of life is a life of purpose.
>
> — Robert Byrne
>

-- 
Darian Smith
Skype: The_Blind_Truth
Windows Live: Lightningrod2010 at live.com
Follow me on twitter: http://twitter.com/goldengateace

"The purpose of life is a life of purpose.

— Robert Byrne