[nfb-talk] Convention in Orlando for 5 years

Sun Jul 31 14:07:17 UTC 2011

You are so right, Joseph. Making the convention any shorter would be nothing short of disastrous. And it's getting harder and harder to get hotels to dedicate their facilities to us for more than the five days.

With respect to Chuck's comments below yours, I observe that one of the great strengths of the NFB, our organization, is precisely the fact that while we have disparate interests (if we did not, how could we call ourselves normal?), we have a generally-accepted set of beliefs, knowledge base and style and these would go to hell in a handbasket if we didn't have our general sessions where it is expected that all will participate.

While I think that certain aspects of the general convention sessions -- the rollcall of the states, for example -- could be handled electronically -- it won't happen because, believe it or not, most love the pageantry, the posturing (even if they mutter when affiliates other than their own do it) and the rollcall *does* give a sense of the breadth of the organization while reinforcing its central unity.

Mike Freeman

-----Original Message-----
From: nfb-talk-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nfb-talk-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of T. Joseph Carter
Sent: Sunday, July 31, 2011 3:58 AM
To: NFB Talk Mailing List
Subject: Re: [nfb-talk] Convention in Orlando for 5 years

I think the reason why ours are so long is because we have three full days of general session.  That said, a number of organizations and trade shows and the like I have been to do last all week.  Usually that’s five days, and the NFB convention is six.

Given all we pack into six days, I’m not really sure how we could do it in less with any sanity.  The only options I can see are for either shortening the general sessions somehow, or overlapping other events with them.  Neither I think will go over very well.

I think the six day format is probably best.  Many have neither the time nor the money for sight-seeing.  Those who do could always arrange to stay longer or arrive sooner without great inconvenience to those of us who have places to be or money that needs to be spent elsewhere.  I don’t see how to make do with a shorter convention, because there is already so much overlap as it is.

I think what we’re doing now is probably what we’ll keep doing, because it seems to be working about as well as we can make it work for the time being.

Joseph - KF7QZC

On Sat, Jul 30, 2011 at 09:31:20PM -0700, ckrugman at sbcglobal.net wrote:
>yes, and there are those of us who have lives outside of NFB and 
>therefore can't take all of the extra time for convention related 
>activities. I am involved with many professional organizations and 
>their conventions are only about three or four days with different 
>tracks of activities that people sign up for depending on their 
>interests.
>Chuck
>----- Original Message ----- From: "T. Joseph Carter" 
><carter.tjoseph at gmail.com>
>To: "Jeanette Fortin" <jeanette at fortin-home.com>; "NFB Talk Mailing 
>List" <nfb-talk at nfbnet.org>
>Sent: Saturday, July 09, 2011 9:39 PM
>Subject: Re: [nfb-talk] Convention in Orlando for 5 years
>
>
>>For the record, Dallas will cost just as much as Florida.  It’s the 
>>nature of the beast.
>>
>>There are opportunities to get the money—some of which I intend to be 
>>exploring myself.  Convention has proved to make my own finances this 
>>month positively desperate, despite a lot of help I’ve had, so I 
>>totally get the cost concern.
>>
>>On the other hand, wanting a longer schedule and protesting the cost 
>>just doesn’t make sense for those thinking along that vein.
>>The shorter schedule is intended to save money for those who are there 
>>for the NFB, but cannot necessarily afford to see the sights and the 
>>like.
>>
>>I’ll be working hard to ensure that I have the money next year to see 
>>you all in Dallas, the site of my first convention in 2006!
>>
>>Joseph
>>
>>
>>On Sat, Jul 09, 2011 at 06:01:17PM -0600, Jeanette Fortin wrote:
>>>real bummer, wished they'd do a different place every year, probably 
>>>won't be going to florida, nothing personal about florida but have no 
>>>desire to go and no money, looking forward to dallas next year then 
>>>will have to wait til they move it closer after 2017. jeanette
>>>----- Original Message ----- From: "Sherri" <flmom2006 at gmail.com>
>>>To: "NFB Talk Mailing List" <nfb-talk at nfbnet.org>; 
>>><blindtlk at nfbnet.org>
>>>Sent: Saturday, July 09, 2011 5:59 PM
>>>Subject: [nfb-talk] Convention in Orlando for 5 years
>>>
>>>
>>>It was announced at the convention that conventions from 2013 through 
>>>2017 will be held in Orlando. I wish we could extend the length of 
>>>the convention back to how it was and NFB would organize tours for 
>>>Wednesday afternoon. That way, people could get excited about Orlando 
>>>and have time to go places. I liked the old schedule much better. If 
>>>we are going to keep people here for five years in a row, we need to 
>>>give them ample opportunity to take advantage of all there is to do 
>>>in Orlando. Besides, I like the banquet the night before the last day 
>>>of convention.
>>>
>>>
>>>Sherri Brun
>>>"Life is what happens to you while you're busy making other plans." 
>>>John Lennon
>>>
>>>Check out http://www.raceforindependence.org/goto/Sherri.Brun
>>>
>>>E-mail: flmom2006 at gmail.com
>>>NFBF Newsline® chair
>>>www.nfbnewsline.org
>>>Vice-president NFB Greater Orlando Chapter http://nfbfgoc.org 
>>>Secretary FDCP INC www.fdcp.org Chair Orange County Disability 
>>>Advisory Committee
>>>
>>>_______________________________________________
>>>nfb-talk mailing list
>>>nfb-talk at nfbnet.org
>>>http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nfb-talk_nfbnet.org
>>>To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for 
>>>nfb-talk:
>>>http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nfb-talk_nfbnet.org/jeanette%40
>>>fortin-home.com
>>>
>>>
>>>_______________________________________________
>>>nfb-talk mailing list
>>>nfb-talk at nfbnet.org
>>>http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nfb-talk_nfbnet.org
>>>To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for 
>>>nfb-talk:
>>>http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nfb-talk_nfbnet.org/carter.tjos
>>>eph%40gmail.com
>>
>>_______________________________________________
>>nfb-talk mailing list
>>nfb-talk at nfbnet.org
>>http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nfb-talk_nfbnet.org
>>To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for 
>>nfb-talk:
>>http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nfb-talk_nfbnet.org/ckrugman%40s
>>bcglobal.net
>
>
>_______________________________________________
>nfb-talk mailing list
>nfb-talk at nfbnet.org
>http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nfb-talk_nfbnet.org
>To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for nfb-talk:
>http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nfb-talk_nfbnet.org/carter.tjosep
>h%40gmail.com

_______________________________________________
nfb-talk mailing list
nfb-talk at nfbnet.org
http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nfb-talk_nfbnet.org
To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for nfb-talk:
http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nfb-talk_nfbnet.org/k7uij%40panix.com