[nabs-l] NABS Elections Sunday, July 1, 2012

[nabs.president at gmail.com]

Good evening to each of you,

 

As you are most likely aware, the NABS business meeting is scheduled to take
place on Sunday, July 1 at 7:00pm at the NFB National Convention in Dallas
Texas. An announcement with more details on the meeting, as well as a
separate message with the meeting agenda, will be posted and circulated in
the coming days, but tonight I want to write to the list to notify you all
that the following positions will be up for election at this year's meeting:
President, 2nd Vice President, Secretary, Board Member 2 and Board Member 4.

 

I just wanted to write to share this information, as well as a little bit
about what is involved in serving on the NABS board, with anybody out there
who has considered running.

 

Serving on the NABS board is an excellent way to contribute to the
furtherance of the work of the Federation, build valuable leadership skills,
and, indeed, even have some fun along the way. Members of the NABS board
take a lead role in determining the direction of our division of the NFB,
and serve in leadership roles on NABS' various committees. Of course,
individuals from off the board are sought out and encouraged to help in all
aspects of our work, but board members are expected to be the backbone of
the structure and organizers of our various events and initiatives.

 

I have found my time on the NABS board extremely rewarding, and have seen
the impact that the work of NABS and the NFB can and does have on blind
students across the country. The opportunity to serve in a leadership
capacity has been enjoyable, and has allowed me to have an impact on issues
that I care about. Virtually all individuals I know who have held positions
on the board in recent years feel the same way.

 

While the only two hard and fast eligibility criteria for service on the
NABS Board are that one be a. blind, and b. a student, I would strongly
suggest that anybody considering running for a position ask him or herself
the following:

 

Am I prepared to dedicate a portion of my time and efforts to doing
meaningful work on behalf of the NFB and blind students?

Do I have ideas, attributes and skills that I think would help move NABS and
the NFB in a positive direction?

Am I passionate about improving the status quo for the blind and reaching
out to blind students with our positive message on blindness?

 

If this sounds like you, NABS needs you! I and the entire board encourage
anybody with the drive, passion, and dedication to consider running for a
spot on the board.

 

Of course, nobody who intends to run is under any obligation whatsoever to
communicate their intentions to anybody, and absolutely any blind student is
free to run. The current board just thought it would be beneficial to send
out a message to let folks know what work on the board is all about.

 

There are lots of projects we work on, and, on the board or off, your help
is always appreciated. Common tasks undertaken include:

.         Event planning

.         Fundraising

.         Webmaster duties

.         Writing

.         Editing

.         Membership recruitment

.         Traveling to states to work with state student divisions

.         Anything fresh and exciting you can think to bring to the table

 

If a board position interests you and you are so inclined, please consider
reaching out to me or any other member of the board to talk about it. And,
if you simply would like to become a more active member of NABS, please feel
free to contact me or any member of the board as well. We are all driven to
continue to strengthen NABS and the NFB, and would love to work shoulder to
shoulder with you to do it.

 

Thank you for taking the time to read this, and please be in touch with any
questions, comments or suggestions.

 

Take care,

 

Sean

 

Sean Whalen

President, National Association of Blind Students

(608) 332-4147

Nabs.president at gmail.com