[nabs-l] What Has The NABS Board Been Doing

[Elizabeth Mohnke]

Hello Sean,

I am sorry you took my email so personally. It was not meant to be a 
personal attack on any particular individual, nor was it meant to discount 
the participation of any particular individual within this organization. I 
was just simply trying to offer my thoughts on the notion of this 
organization being about the members at large and not just the board as 
mentioned in a previous email recently sent out from the board.

Based upon this comment, I received the impression that one of the goals of 
the current board is to make the organization about the membership at large 
and not just the board. However, as a general member, I see a growing 
disconnect in this area, and offered how I see this disconnect take place as 
well as a possible solution to the problem by bringing back the monthly 
updates.

I think it is great that the board has accomplished all of the things that 
you listed in your email. However, I am not quite sure how I am expected to 
know about all of these accomplishments as a general member when it appears 
as though most of these accomplishments take place behind the scenes without 
the involvement of the membership at large. I can only speak from my 
observations as a general member, so I am glad to hear there are some things 
going on despite whether or not they can be seen by the membership at large.

Since the comment about the organization being about the membership at large 
and not just the board was made in a public email circulated on all of the 
student email lists, I thought this would be an acceptable subject to 
discuss on the email list. I was curious if others have seen this same 
disconnect from the membership at large and the board, or if it was just me. 
I do not know, perhaps I am the only one who enjoys reading the monthly 
updates, and actually looks forward to receiving them. Again,, I am sorry 
you took my email so personally.

Warm regards,
Elizabeth


--------------------------------------------------
From: <nabs.president at gmail.com>
Sent: Sunday, June 09, 2013 9:15 PM
To: <nabs-l at nfbnet.org>
Subject: Re: [nabs-l] What Has The NABS Board Been Doing

> Hello,
>
>
>
> I appreciate your indicating that the monthly updates are something that 
> you
> found useful. Perhaps we should consider bringing those back. The 
> impression
> I had was that not many people took the trouble to read them, and they do
> take a fair amount of time and effort to put together. Thank you for 
> writing
> to suggest the reinstatement of the NABS Notes updates.
>
>
>
> Beyond that, I must respectfully take issue with your characterization of
> the current situation. NABS board members, working side by side with many
> other members of NABS, have engaged in multiple projects over the last 
> year.
> We have sent representatives to numerous student functions and state
> conventions around the country. We have overhauled the membership list and
> put it in a searchable database. We have held multiple informative
> membership calls. We have put out issues of the Student Slate. We have 
> held
> a student leadership seminar in Baltimore. We have worked on a mentoring
> program for first-time convention attendees that will be taking place in
> Orlando. We have raised significant funds for the work of NABS and the NFB
> as a whole. And we have NABS board members and general members alike who
> hold significant leadership positions in their chapters and affiliates.
>
>
>
> I am 100% open to thoughts, suggestions, or criticism. However, I do not
> appreciate having my board and our many hard-working members called out 
> for
> doing nothing in a public forum such as this list. Suggestions on what 
> NABS
> or the board could be doing better are always welcome at
> nabs.president at gmail.com. I appreciate all constructive feedback, be it
> positive or negative. But let us not discredit the time and energy that 
> many
> individuals volunteer to continue to build our organization and make
> progress on issues of importance to all of us.
>
>
>
> Thank you,
>
>
>
> Sean
>
>
>
> Sean Whalen
>
> President, National Association of Blind Students
>
> (608) 332-4147
>
> Nabs.president at gmail.com
>
> www.nabslink.org
>
>
>
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