[NABS-L] board position 4

Sun Jul 19 16:11:44 UTC 2020

I appreciate your passion as well. This is not just trying to speak out about Kathryn, she’s gone now as you said. This is also on those on leadership who apparently had a part in making the students portion of the students division happen, they need to do better and their lack of doing so lets me and others know nothing will change. I don’t do personal attacks, just talk about what I see and reply constructively to others, and if others have gotten personal, it’s just the passion they feel and the lack of respect they felt from the leadership of the division. I am willing to let this go, but I just want the new leadership that encompassed the old guard to understand, we will never forget it and they have the responsibility of making it better. Thank you for reaching out and for being an essential part of our organization.

> On Jul 19, 2020, at 5:43 AM, Cricket Bidleman via NABS-L <nabs-l at nfbnet.org> wrote:
> 
> Jason,
> 
> I respect your opinion and agree with some of it. Thank you for being willing to bring this forward. I think that it’s time, however, to drop this on the email list. Kathryn is officially out of office, and this debate has gotten increasingly personal, which I don’t appreciate. If you have further concerns, I’d suggest bringing them to the attention of the National office but at this point, carrying out with emails on this isn’t particularly constructive to what I think your intent is. I’m not trying to force you to do anything, or to tell you what I would do in your position. Thank you, once again, for your passion; we need more of that. 
> 
> Best,
> CXB
> 
> —
> Cricket X. Bidleman (she/her/hers)
> Stanford University | Class of 2021
> BA Candidate | Communications 
> Accessibility Consultant | Stanford University Computer Science 
> Director of Communications | Associated Students of Stanford University (ASSU)
> President | California Association of Blind Students (CABS)
> 
>> On Jul 18, 2020, at 23:36, Victor Marques via NABS-L <nabs-l at nfbnet.org <mailto:nabs-l at nfbnet.org>> wrote:
>> 
>> Perfectly stated, Nico. I couldn’t have said it better myself. My issue is with the process, not the individuals involved. Congratulations to Shane, thank you for your service Catherine, and may we learn to do this better next time. Let’s go build the federation with blind students out there!
>> 
>> Victor
>> 
>> 
>>> On Jul 19, 2020, at 12:20 AM, Nico Petrillo via NABS-L <nabs-l at nfbnet.org> wrote:
>>> 
>>> Regardless of thoughts on this issue It’s important to support the incoming Nabs board. As someone who spoke up today on the list serve I am satisfied in the knowledge that all the elected positions are excellent people. They all want the best for Nabs and have the qualifications to support our great organization. I think many have said today sentiment that we should learn from this, and I agree. However it’s time for all of us to build a bridge and get over it. No more than ever the new board will need our support in the coming year. Issues plaguing our community such as voting rights, and college accommodations. Well it is important to speak out when you feel something is wrong I know many thought the time for that was the business meeting but I think we can all agree that if you didn’t say anything in the email today Then The time has truly passed. If nothing else Kathryn responded to our concerns, and explained her reasoning. It’s up to us to make sure this doesn’t happen again if we truly don’t like it. But now is the time for all of us to be giving our full support to the new bored, and put in another great year in the national Federation of the blind as advocates, mentors, leaders, teachers, and so much more.
>>> 
>>> Respectfully, 
>>> 
>>> Nick Petrillo
>>> He/him/his
>>> Virginia Association of Blind Students| President 
>>> 703-346-9981
>>> 
>>> 
>>> 
>>>>> On Jul 18, 2020, at 11:04 PM, Elizabeth Mohnke via NABS-L <nabs-l at nfbnet.org> wrote:
>>>> 
>>>> Hello All,
>>>> 
>>>> I commend Kathryn for her leadership as the President of the National Association of Blind Students. However, there was definitely a better way to conduct the elections for the fourth board position.
>>>> 
>>>> There was opposition to Kathryn appointing someone to this position. However, it was strongly shot down by Kathryn who appeared to be tired, inpatient, and authoritative. I felt as though the way this opposition was shot down was wrong as every member has the right to voice their opinion. I imagine between the sheer shock of the authoritative decision for Kathryn to appoint someone to this board position along with the strong opposition to the one person who tried to argue against this decision made it rather difficult for anyone else to oppose Kathryn as this decision was being made.
>>>> 
>>>> The elections for the National Association of Blind Students is often controversial. Therefore, it would have been wise to give extra consideration for holding these elections in a virtual environment. But it sounded as though the procedures for conducting elections were created by Kathryn alone. If this organization is truly a democratic organization, then no single person should be making any major decisions that involves the membership without giving all members a chance to voice their opinion on the matter.
>>>> 
>>>> There could have been other options considered for this board position that would have been less controversial. I remember there was a motion made and approved during the 2011 elections to drop all but the top two people running for the final board position after the first round of voting. I remember this taking place because I was in the running for this board position. I remember this being done because there were a lot of people running for this board position and it was starting to get very late. While some may argue this decision violated the election procedure outlined in the constitution, it appeared to be a reasonable compromise given the circumstances.
>>>> 
>>>> Additionally, there is only one year left for this board position. Therefore, leaving it vacant until next year or until a less controversial means of voting could be agreed upon and conducted could have been considered. However, there were no alternatives discussed or considered. Either you agreed with the option Kathryn was proposing, or you were in opposition of what Kathryn was proposing, and there did not appear to be any alternatives that met the approval of the President.
>>>> 
>>>> The code of conduct states that the organization is to provide an open and welcoming place for everyone. But this is not what I saw take place during the elections for the forth board position. Instead, it appeared as though there was an authoritative
>>>> Leader enforcing their own will onto the membership of the organization. I did not voice my opinion during the meeting as I felt it would not have mattered and would not have changed the decision that was being made. I am neither a dues paying member or leader within this organization.
>>>> 
>>>> It is possible the way the elections for the fourth board position was handled may have long term consequences for the organization. This meeting was being conducted online for anyone to see. And it may have served as an example for those who believe the National Federation of the Blind is not the democratic organization that it claims to be. I was surprised that none of the national leaders provided any direction or oversight regarding the election for this board position. No one person should be above the organization.
>>>> 
>>>> Warm regards,,
>>>> Elizabeth
>>>> 
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