[nabs-l] Joining local chapters

[Joe]

Kaiti,

I experienced something similar. Now as a working professional, my time is
very limited, but I wanted to get back into the Federation on a limited
basis, at least to start. I was hoping to write grants or do marketing for
my affiliate. Unfortunately the president's larger priority was me
organizing a chapter in my local area, and flattered though I was to be
considered for the task, I knew I did not have the time to commit to get the
job done right. Could I gather a group of prospective members? Yes. Could I
whip them into a self-sustained group that would last beyond the first two
or three meetings? Not likely. Like others have pointed out, finding the
perfect meeting time for a chapter meeting is a difficult task, but a good
leader at any level of the organization would maximize the assistance anyone
could contribute, whether it be in person or remotely, once a week or once a
month. I'm going to sound like my own former state affiliate president here,
but another option worth considering is organizing a student group on campus
that would give you the flexibility to set a time that is both convenient
and a location that is accessible for you guys. Alternatively, perhaps there
is a chapter at-large in your affiliate that would allow you to remain
connected and involved in some capacity. Either way, I think it commendable
of you to be concerned enough to want to know how to stay active in the
organization. My final thought is that you could be at a season in your life
where NABS is sufficient given your current schedule. It would be great if
everyone could sacrifice time and energy for the NFB, but then, we'd be
sacrificing the opportunities of accomplishment we're advocating for. If
pressed to choose between attending a meeting or being a productive
contributor to my community at-large, I'd choose the second. That seems a
bit blunt, but that's part of the ongoing disconnect between the older
generation and the younger membership.

Joe

--
Musings of a Work in Progress:
www.JoeOrozco.com/

Twitter: @ScribblingJoe

-----Original Message-----
From: nabs-l [mailto:nabs-l-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Kaiti Shelton
via nabs-l
Sent: Friday, September 18, 2015 3:41 AM
To: National Association of Blind Students mailing list
Cc: Kaiti Shelton
Subject: [nabs-l] Joining local chapters

Hi all,

I realize this thread may very well spark some debate, but I'm prepared for
that.  For the past two years I've had a dilemma and I'm trying to explain
it to a chapter president in my affiliate.  I live in one city and attend
school in another, so there off the bat is no way I'd be able to attend
either chapter's meetings on a monthly basis as I would like to do.  Chapter
presidents in both cities at different times have told me I should join and
even consider running for a board position, which I will not do because of
my inability to faithfully attend the meetings.  One of the two chapters
gets this a little better than the other now, and has pretty much given me a
"come when you can, we'd love to have you when we can get you here,"
reception.
The other chapter is near where I go to school, but the chapter president
doesn't seem to get the student thing.  I try to go to things when I can,
but I partially dread it because every time I attend some social function
the floodgates for this conversation are opened again.  I'm told again that
I am needed in the chapter, that I can really make a difference, and if I
join more students will join and the chapter is not by any means comprised
of young people.

This has been happening for two years at least, and I feel a little confused
and pressured to join.  I know he is doing his job as a chapter president,
especially because he knows I'm active and dedicated to the student
division, the affiliate, and other projects in the NFB, but being in that
older crowd I don't think he understands what it is like for students
anymore.  In my sophomore year I had difficulty attending chapter meetings
for a few reasons.  One was that they are on the first Saturday or the
month, which conflicts with nearly every break from school I have including
the two midterm breaks and the Christmas break.  The Christmas spaghetti
dinner is also something the chapter tries to get me to come to, but it is
always scheduled durring my finals week.  When I worked on Saturdays at a
part time job my sophomore year they wanted me to take off work to attend
chapter meetings.  At the time that was my grocery money, so giving work
wasn't something I was willing to do; I wanted to pick up extra hours, not
throw them away.  I also have been in a professional music fraternity since
the spring semester of my Freshman year, and a lot of our major events
(recruitment events, initiations and pledging ceremonies, etc) happen on
Saturdays.  With the chapter meetings scheduled from 1:00-3:00 PM, not to
mention the location is subject to change from place to place so students
can't plan for consistency, I have had difficulty in getting there.

I've emailed the chapter president a few times about how there is a
double-standard here.  He wants new blood in the chapter, but when I tell
him it is very difficult to add in chapter meetings when the time isn't very
accessible to me he thumbs his nose and tells me I should cancel work or do
what it takes to come to chapter meetings because it would benefit the
chapter.  I try to explain to him that while I do understand personal
sacrifices can and should be made to an extent, students do not have as much
flexibility as working people to move classes around in the week, and there
are only so many hours in the weekend.  Not to mention extracurriculars are
a good thing for blind students to be involved in because it shows peers
that we can be engaged and active in the same ways as they are.  It also
creates networking opportunities and even job prospects after graduation as
long as the extracurriculars are not merely social in nature, which mine are
not.  I want to join the local chapter nearby, but I also want to experience
life as a student too in the year or so I have left of undergrad.

I don't think this makes me a lazy Federationist as I have found ways to be
active in divisions and in the affiliate outside of chapters, and I would
venture to guess that 1:00-3:00 PM on a Saturday probably isn't great for
most students since it's right in the middle of the day.  I did not send the
email I drafted, but I feel like if the chapter needs and wants students to
join as badly as they say they do, they need to make the meeting time more
accessible to that group of people.  Right now I know it is not for me, and
I think that is also the case for other highly-involved and motivated
students who the president would like to see join the chapter.

Thoughts?  I personally don't think I'm fully in the wrong here, but I am
open to anything at this point. I really would join the local chapter if it
were held at times that I could consistently attend.
Right now I'm able to make it to a scattered couple of social events outside
of the regular meeting times, but that's about it.  I've prooven to be
involved in the affiliate on committees and in other projects including
BELL, but right now I feel like joining either of these chapters isn't a
possibility for me and I'm not appreciating the push-back for my reasons
why.  It's not that I'm making excuses or because I don't want to go; I
think work conflicts and required fraternity events which I will only be
able to have for a year longer tops are acceptable reasons to be absent, not
to mention that when I'm home traveling an hour to the meeting and then
another hour back home
2 hours later is a bit much to ask.  I suppose my logic is that I am already
a Federationist and I can join a chapter when the time is right for me to do
so, and by that I mean when I can actively contribute in a stable and
dedicated way.  That will most likely come when I have a 40 hour work week
like the rest of the current chapter if they don't take their desire for
student members and what is accessible to them into consideration.
--
Kaiti Shelton
University of Dayton-Music Therapy
President, Ohio Association of Blind Students 2013-Present Secretary, The
National Federation of the Blind Performing Arts Division 2015-2016

"You can live the life you want; blindness is not what holds you back!"

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