[nfb-talk] slightly confused here

[James Aldrich]

Hi all,  

i became involved with the Mab in 1970.  It was the Nfb affiliate then and was disaffiliated in NoVember 2013 when the Nfb Of Montana was organized.  The Mab still exists but they are no longer affiliated with any other national organization.  As Sheila  pointed out, they are primarily involved with a Summer Orientation Program.  That seems to be their  passion these days.  In all fairness to the Mab, it had a rich history for us in Montana since it embodied the history of the organized blind in this state.  Lelia Proctor was one of its founders and she was a great lady and leader!  Her  papers are with the Montana Historical Society.  As time went on, many of us wanted to see some reform or reorganization for the Mab.  The main part of its constitution hasn't been revised since it was written in 1949.  It had a provision within its  purposes to work for the prevention of blindness.  All officers and board members were elected with a mailed paper ballot.  doctor Mauer described this voting process as proxy voting which is prohibited in the NFB Constitution.  even though some good bylaws were passed and a good statement of purpose was drawn up, reform was painfully slow due to the resistance of a number of persons on the Mab board of directors.  the last straw came down when the mab board decided not to share bequest money with the national organization as it was stated!  this discussion went on for at least two years.  

i was a familiar face on the MAB board since I was on the Mab Board for a number of times.  president Mauer with president Dan Burke with other national center staff put together an idea for a motion which stated in so many words that the Mab wouldn't change election voting, policy on bequests, as well as a few other things.  I introduced the motion immediately after introductions.  The motion passed.  Doctor Mauer concluded that the Mab could no longer be an affiliate of the NFB since the motion passed.  the MAB got what it wanted and we got the better solution by organizing the Nfb Of Montana.  This was the best Montana convention I have ever attended.  We held our convention and banquet in another part of the hotel.  this should have happened thirty years ago but (that doesn't matter now!  It happened!  We are something old perhaps yet we have become a new affiliate!  How wonderful it was to see our new affiliate charter.  

Many of us were told over and over again that Montana wasn't like the rest of the nation!  We didn't have the problems of other states!  We knew better!  Harold and Sheila put that falasy to rest where it came from!  

thank you for your support!  We are pleased to be affiliated with the NFB as the NFB Of Montana!   

James Aldrich
First vice-president 
NFB Of Montana

Sent from my iPod

On Jul 8, 2013, at 6:27 AM, Ray Foret jr <rforetjr at att.net> wrote:

> From which remark, I gatehr that the group who did not want to do anything or very much with national took themselves out; or were taken out, and, the group who wished a more heavy national involvement became the NFB of Montana.  Would that be a fair summary.
> 
> BTW, great speech the other day.  Spot on I'd say.  
> 
> 
> Sent from my mac, the only computer with full accessibility for the blind built-in!
> Sincerely,
> The Constantly Barefooted Ray
> Still a very proud and happy Mac and Iphone user!
> 
> On Jul 8, 2013, at 3:17 AM, Sheila Leigland <sleigland at bresnan.net> wrote:
> 
>> hi we did have an affiliate however not all wanted to do a name change such as nfb of montana and didn't really want to get involved with national issues and only wanted to participate with national in a very limited way so there was reorginatioon.
>> On 7/3/2013 7:30 PM, Ray Foret jr wrote:
>>> Say, y'all, I find myself a little confused about something.
>>> 
>>> This morning, the NFB board authorized a group of blind folks from Montana to become the Montana affiliate of the NFB.  This leaves me a little puzzled.  Was Montana not already an NFB affiliate?
>>> 
>>> I guess maybe that it was but something happened and a new group had to be formed.  OF course, that's just a guess on my part:  still, I find myself a little puzzled by this.
>>> 
>>> 
>>> Sent from my mac, the only computer with full accessibility for the blind built-in!
>>> Sincerely,
>>> The Constantly Barefooted Ray
>>> Still a very proud and happy Mac and Iphone user!
>>> 
>>> 
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>> 
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> 
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