[Nfb-krafters-korner] Fw: board meetings
AUDREY WELLNER
rencraft at snet.net
Sat Jan 8 07:54:02 UTC 2011
Members of Board and Krafters Korner,
In reflecting on all the private social statements and attitudes that have been posted on this list in the last week I think these two statements sum it up completely.
~~~~
"I have been following all the interesting comments about time for lessons,
and really do not know how you can please everyone, the hard decisions have
to come from leadership.
Terry K
Focus on why we have come together, our love of crafting and sharing the knowledge we have been blessed with and leave the attitudes off list."
Susan Roe
dogwoodfarm at verizon.net
~~~~~
As I have been asked by leadership why don't you post to the list anymore, my answer was that I am not a "social butterfly" (not to be misconstrued as a label to anyone other than myself). I don't believe in airing all my laundry for my neighbors to see and therefore I feel that alot of the social chat on this list should have been curtailed long ago by leadership.
The site was supposed to be used strictly for answers to those challenging questions concerning problems the visually impaired and blind incurred while working with crafts. It was not meant to be strewn with one line answers concerning private conversations that should have been held off line and should have been corrected long ago and we have wandered far away from that central focus.
The topic concerning the taping of classes has both shown to have been a help and a detriment. It was started in a naive, innocent manner as an aid in opposition of written instructions that a person with restrictions could listen to while working their craft. But then, as time progressed it became a questionable practice. Personal verses public property, copyrights infringement and uses of design ideas made by others.
From my viewpoint I do not wish to have the readings of my stories taped for replay by NFB or private individuals for them to use as something they've personally collected and put together to tell other people it is their own. Tell me, do you not wish to spend an hour with me to listen to me read to you. I have been told (because I'm sighted) that I can't teach here, then isn't my contribution of reading stories edited and gathered by other people I give credit to, good enough just to gather and share?
In my personal craft as a costumer, I very seldom display my work in exhibits anymore because I can't stand the fact that people walk up to your design and copy every minute detail, then reproduce it as their own. This is outright theft of a persons creativity and I will report it every time I can.
I intended to release this rather personal answer to an inquiry before Christmas but then I thought it to be socially unacceptable. I want to share this story collection with you and hope that you want to clear time from cooking your dinner, being with your husband or bringing your children to soccer practice (maybe if they were here to listen they'd get more out of the stories than learning how to beat someone down in sports) more than placing a tape in a recorder and just listening to my voice or perhaps it would be better if you went to the editor and paid her big bucks to buy a tape. These inquiries and taping controversy have really left me to feel that I too no longer wish to continue my readings.
This is what's gone from our world - the desire of gathering and talking together, the social interactions. What's left is the cold hard typing of words that so often can be misconstrued by lack of tonal voice inflections. (Continue below)
Ramona and Theresa,
Ramona, I'm sorry you couldn't make it. These stories were gathered and edited by two ladies from a vast collection of ethnic resources for a column published in our local newspaper. I collected their publications for over 3 years and although I will read them for our members continued enjoyment I feel we must be mindful of any copyright infringements that might be on them that I'm not aware of that prohibits reproduction.
Please join me when you can and enjoy the readings so we have the opportunity to continue hearing their stories. Be thankful they are being shared and that credit is properly given to the originators.
Audrey Wellner, Secretary
Krafters Korner, division
~~~~~
This is an example of what I mean. Certainly Joyce, when you finally released the statements below I'm sure you didn't mean to write this particular paragraph in the manner in which it was written. The statement starting with....there was a discussion shouldn't have been placed in the same paragraph with the statement that says... I had opened a discussion. Because it was I that made the request that with the balance in the treasury our current teachers could certainly be rewarded with some type of monetary value for all the hard work they performed in the last 3 years.
I'm sure you didn't mean to imply that this was your idea or did you? (Continue below)
There was a discussion made on honoring our current teachers an rewarding
them with a gift or monitary gift to show our appreciation. There was no
motions made regarding this. I had opened a discussion regarding our
teachers being paid for their classes and a discussion on how to get money to pay them were talked about. There were no motions or decisions made
regarding this.
~~~~~~
Seeing the reason for giving classes was to encourage people to participate in membership than the best solution for solving this current rift is not to have any recordings at all and this will help with class attendance. Either you're there or your not and you'll have to wait until you can make time in your busy schedule to attend when the class is repeated. Put down your IPods, MP3's, recorders or whatever and participate. Be an active connective verbal communicant.
Make this strictly about crafting, nip the social chat to off line communications. If you want to talk about personal instructions, than contact the teacher off-line like it always has been and should have been used.
Our goal was to solely give our teachers the confidence to know that they can teach by doing so on-line, but then any self instruction and additional help was something they could develop off-line as a private business of their own. The list serve wasn't meant to be used to give long on list instructions to everyone--afterall that's what the classes were developed for. Nor was it to be used as one line social answers that no one cares to know about and actually gets very annoyed because they are only understood by two people who should reserve their communications to private off-line conversations.
As I said at the end of my Christmas reading--the Pay It Forward idea is a lovely one, but in order for it to be considered worthy and rewarding it should not be boasted or written about. It only works if it is left unspoken and truly from the heart.
We don't want to leave all our good friends and teachers behind--if you care, choose your written words carefully and hopefully this can be mended. People have feelings and don't want to be overlooked, not thanked or simply abused for the ambitions and personal gains of others.
Audrey Wellner, Secretary
Krafters Korner division
THE END - I hope
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
There has been a lot of discussion on the list regarding the recording of
the classes. So I would like to clarify this to everyone. The classes
given by National Federation of the Blind Krafters Division have been
recorded with the knowledge of the teachers and the students. There is an
announcement made when the recording is turned on and in order for anyone to enter
the room a statement is made that the room is being recorded. It is up to
the individual if they do not want to be recorded to hang up.
We have Laurie Porter who is in charge of retreaving the MP3 files from our
conference service, uploading them to send space, obtaining a list of
email addresses of who attended the class and sending a notice out to the
students that the recordings are available for the student to download.
It has been NFB Krafters Division policy that recordings are only for the
students who attend a class. This will continue to be our policy.
Classes will be recorded and only be given to the students who attend the class.
Joyce Kane
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
--- On Fri, 1/7/11, Blindhands at aol.com <Blindhands at aol.com> wrote:
From: Blindhands at aol.com <Blindhands at aol.com>
Subject: [Nfb-krafters-korner] board meetings
To: nfb-krafters-korner at nfbnet.org
Date: Friday, January 7, 2011, 6:37 PM
The last board meeting was in Dallas Texas at the Convention and it was
open to all members.
All that information was available at that board meeting. The secretary's
report was read as she was not at that board meeting. The treasurer's
report was given at that time and there was 3 board members that attended.
We have not had a board meeting since that time.
I called together the board on Jan 5 and gave them a 2 week notice of this
meeting. I needed to know who would be planning to be at the next board
meeting in Tampa Florida and to discuss plans for the Convention.
The people who were in attendence were Joyce Kane, Cindy Sheets, Laurie
Porter Audrey Wellner, Linda Anderson Diane Felipe was not there and Ramona
Walhoff came late and left early.
There was no suggestions about plans for Convention, but there is 4 that
are planning on attending Convention and no decisions on if plans, classes,
demos volunteers to sit in the Exhibit Hall were made. I will be checking
to see if we can have a room with tables to have the craft show as we did
the previous two years.
There was a discussion made on honoring our current teachers an rewarding
them with a gift or monitary gift to show our appreciation. There was no
motions made regarding this. I had opened a discussion regarding our
teachers being paid for their classes and a discussion on how to get money to pay
them were talked about. There were no motions or decisions made
regarding this.
There was a discussion regarding Elections in July at our next board
meeting in Florida. The two board member positions will be up for Election. I
shared with the others that Ramona has asked to see if we can get someone
to take her place.
I brought up the topic about the recording of the classes and that people
have asked for the recordings of the classes and it has been our rules
that you need to attend the class in order to receive the recording. In this
discussion it was talked about people in different time zones not being
available for the times we offer the said classes. It was discussed about
finding more teachers to teach classes in these different time zones. It has
been the rule from the first class recorded that students who take the class
get the recording. That is the only way you can get the recordings that
are being recorded bby NFB Krafters Division.
The National Federation of the Blind Krafters Division has never sold or
even given any recordings out to anyone except for the students that have
attended the class.
Joyce Kane, President
National Federation of the Blind Krafters Division
_www.KraftersKorner.org_ (http://www.krafterskorner.org/)
Blindhands at AOL.com
In a message dated 1/7/2011 6:45:30 A.M. Pacific Standard Time,
etscrivani at verizon.net writes:
Cindy:
I've been a paid up dues member of this division & a volunteer instructor
since just about its beginning. I think it will be 3 years this summer
and
in all that time I have never seen any mention of open board meetings and
maybe saw only one of the board meeting reports about 2 years ago that was
written up by Audrey as Secretary for the division. Another two people on
this list has called it to my attention, something I was not aware of and
something the board for this group does not make publically known is that
all NFB board meetings for I think all the divisions are open and any
member
can attend and be a part of the process. The Nagdu division, has monthly
meetings (it is a national division so they do it by phone) and they make
announcements on their list asking if members have questions they would
like
to discuss during the phone meeting. In other words, all the members are
invited to be active participants. With that said, why wasn't the phone
number for the Krafters division meeting posted and the offer of having as
many members attend as wanted to? If I had been allowed to participate in
the meeting of the other night I would have been there and know there are
other instructors with similar concerns that would have attended.
Additionally, in the 3 years I've been a dues paying member, I have never
nor has anyone else who is just a member seen a treasurer's report, no
report on how many people are signed up to this list no report on how many
of the members are paying dues, no report on classes that have been
offered,
no report on itemized expenses for the group. Just no reporting of any
kind. A little verbal mention on a Monday night chat, by the way is not a
report nor a substitute for a board meeting. So after 3 years of paying
dues, how much money is in the Krafters Korners Division's treasury and
what
is it being spent on? If you don't have that information off the top of
your head or other leadership does not know the answers off the tops of
their heads, then where are the written records in accessible format so
that
members can find this information out? Any organization that collects
money must be above and beyond question and there is an obligation to
report
openly & honestly on where the money is going and how much of it there is.
These are serious concerns that all need to be addressed openly &
publically
for division members.
When exactly and how frequently are board meetings held? What is the
phone
number so that members can participate and have a say in what goes on?
When
was the last time this board for this group met? When is the next board
meeting date & time? I think what ever went on in Wednesday's night
meeting
was a fraud because yes it was behind closed doors and not at all
democratic, but very dictatorial.
Thanks for the openness and honesty.
Eileen
--------------------------------------------------
From: "slery" <slerythema at insightbb.com>
Sent: Friday, January 07, 2011 3:35 AM
To: "'List for blind crafters and artists'"
<nfb-krafters-korner at nfbnet.org>
Subject: Re: [Nfb-krafters-korner] classes and times
> Eileen,
>
> I am NOT speaking for the board in this message. However, I want to
assure
> you that your questions and complaints have not fallen on deaf ears. As
> you
> stated, the leadership needs to make the final decision. Until that
> decision
> is made, you cannot receive an answer. The board does not meet daily or
> weekly, so a decision cannot be made within a single day.
>
> You will be contacted when things are finalized.
>
> As to Joyce's comment about wanting to hear from the instructors, you are
> only one instructor and we want to know why the other instructors or
> potential instructors are not joining the discussion because it doesn't
> matter what time students would like classes if there are no instructors
> available to teach them at alternate times.
>
> This topic was started as a way to hear from the membership and create a
> list of times that we might be able to fill in the future. No one on the
> board or in the division expects you as ONE instructor to find a way to
> fill
> all of these times. You have been a great instructor and provided a
> valuable
> resource to this division. There have been many students that have
> benefited
> from your classes.
>
> Cindy S.
>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: nfb-krafters-korner-bounces at nfbnet.org
>> [mailto:nfb-krafters-korner-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of
>> Eileen Scrivani
>> Sent: Thursday, January 06, 2011 4:43 PM
>> To: List for blind crafters and artists
>> Subject: Re: [Nfb-krafters-korner] classes and times
>>
>>
>> Joyce:
>>
>> besides seneding you three private emails on this topic, I am
>> an instructor
>> who has posted thoughts on the subject of class recordings,
>> but my messages
>> to the divison leadeership has fallen on deaf ears.
>>
>>
>>
>> --------------------------------------------------
>> From: <Blindhands at aol.com>
>> Sent: Thursday, January 06, 2011 4:04 PM
>> To: <nfb-krafters-korner at nfbnet.org>
>> Subject: [Nfb-krafters-korner] classes and times
>>
>> > I am back online with JAWS working 100% so now I can reply to the
>> > emails.
>> >
>> > After listening to all the email regarding classes and after
>> > discussing this with the board members of the NFB Krafters
>> Division I
>> > would like others to know our thoughts.
>> >
>> > We defintely have grown and spread not only within the USA,
>> but around
>> > the globe. We want to continue our growth and bring
>> Krafters Korner
>> > every where there is a need for us to learn, share and teach each
>> > other the crafting skills of this group.
>> >
>> > With all that has been said it has proven that we need more
>> classes at
>> > different times. After saying that we have the ability of
>> doing these
>> > classes, recording them and having students interact live with the
>> > teacher and other students. Now we need to find a way to
>> do this at
>> > different times to
>> > include more people around the World. We have heard from
>> friends in
>> > India,
>> > Australia, New Zealan, Canada and Alaska that have taken or
>> would love to
>> > take a class, but the timing is not great for them. I ask
>> each one of
>> > you to
>> > seriously think about what you would like from Krafters
>> Korner and if one
>> > of your answers are take classes like others, then I ask
>> you to please
>> > contact me off list. _Blindhands at aol.com_
>> (mailto:Blindhands at aol.com)
>> > I would like to work with you to make this happen.
>> >
>> > While this conversation went on there was not much comments
>> being made
>> > from
>> > our teachers regarding this and I would also like to hear from the
>> > teachers off list. We do have teachers living in
>> different time zones
>> > and maybe
>> > some of them would be willing to try different times for
>> classes. I need
>> > to
>> > hear from the teachers.
>> >
>> > The question has been brought up why and who picked classes to be
>> > during the week starting at 8 p.m. When Krafters Korner
>> first started
>> > out the list was small and most folks were living on the East coast
>> > and Central time
>> > zone. Laurie Porter did our first class and it was a
>> beading class. I
>> > had
>> > asked our list people what time and weekend or during the
>> week would
>> > be best and that is how we started out. We did try classes on the
>> > weekend during the day and in the evening and in the evening during
>> > the week. We had more folks show up for a class in the evening
>> > during the week. When classes
>> > began we would maybe have 3or 4 and maybe 5 people at a
>> class. That did
>> > include the teacher and me in those numbers. Now look at
>> the attendence
>> > of a
>> > class.
>> >
>> > So please contact me off list and let's work together to
>> develop this
>> > further.
>> >
>> >
>> >
>> > Joyce Kane
Eileen,
I also have been reading the comments on this thread concerning the time constraints for classes and I agree with you whole heartily.
I'm sorry, but as members of this group you pay a $10 membership for unlimited classes for a whole year where you can sit home in your PJ's, put your finger in the dial and call in an get instructions from a teacher who understands your special challenges in crafting, they also spend hours making sure their instructions are clearly understood, give you a back up MP3 copy of the class and sometimes also makes time for additional questions and then she shouldn't have the choice of determining when it's convenient for her to conduct the class! The excuses and reasons are a little unclear here.
No teacher I ever had in school, ever worried whether it was inconvenient for me to almost kill myself driving through snow laden streets to get to class on the time it was scheduled. Never in mind of sitting home and dialing in or whether I had to pick up my child, cook my dinner (many nights of which I went without between work and night classes) to make sure I made it on time, even if they were art or leisure classes. I would have never thought of asking my teacher to meet my schedule, especially if they were doing it on a volunteer basis.
When I worked in administration and had to prepare a schedule for night school classes, we prepared our community night school calendars six months in advance for classes. The time slots were filled and both teachers and students had to prepare for the particular time that was set aside. Here Joyce is working with a calendar and times where she is trying to accommodate everyone's schedule across at least a 3 to 6 hour time difference, not just one time zone and trying to find a time convenient for most people. As Terry K put it, "the hard decisions have to come from leadership."
I have been following all the interesting comments about time for lessons,
and really do not know how you can please everyone, the hard decisions have
to come from leadership. I can do about every time frame, days are difficult
as now new year training like Freedom Science if, computer training.
However, if I want to learn a new idea, I arrange and plan for it.
Terry K
It has been interesting to hear the comments and I really feel sorry for those who are in the far reaches of our nation and overseas. I'm sure as we go forward Joyce and the board will try to make some additional arrangements. But please try to understand and be considerate of our volunteer, unpaid teachers and not just request their recordings without making an effort to give them the courtesy of attending their classes. Your individual question can not be properly addressed by a recording.
Audrey Wellner, Secretary
Krafters Korner, division
My goodness......me, me, me
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