[NFBFTtreasure-Coast] Chapter Treasury and Constitution

Tue May 25 22:55:07 UTC 2021

Hello,

Again, I want there to be full transparency.  Yes, at the first board meting and chapter meeting I presided over as President, I did bring up the constitution and bank account.  These are important things that need to be addressed as soon as there is a new administration.  Also, it was discussed with the state board and other chapters in regards to changing the constitution so that there wil not be a change of the entire board every year.  This is a topic that many other chapters who have elections every year are working to going to two year terms and have it as alternate positions, therefore, attain, there will not be a new board every election.

In addition, the want and need to have the banking information changed as soon as possible is urgent and important, especially if you look at our chapter dynamics.  Our most recent Preside3nt passed away, the former Treasurer has moved out of state and the former Vice President is in the process of moving out of state.  Therefore, we need to have current leadership on the account.  At this time, we do not have any bank tatements from September 2020.  This is not acceptable nor good business practice.

As I shared, I have recently became the Treasurer of the NFB Deaf Blind Division for the state and when I took this position, there was no bank account nor bank statements for the entire year of 2020.  So, I had a cashiers check but no record as to where the funds came from or how they were established.  We have to turn in a report at the beginning of the year for the previous year with all of our expenses along with bank statements.  So, this is difficult to do when you do not have the documents or access to receiving them.  So, I do not want to see our chapter go through what we just went through in the Deaf Blind Division.

I have been. A member of the NFB since 1985 when I was 5 years old.  I have assisted in creating chapters and held numerous leadership positions within the organization.  So, if I was trying to hide anything or be misleading to the membership of our chapter, i wold not have pushed to have a third individual on the bank account, especially since our constitution only calls for the Treasurer and President.  

This is a constitution that was created by many of you and followed for years, so I am not understanding what the problem is, and if it is be3cause I am new, I apologize for that, but I simply deserve a chance to serve you and until I do something wrong or deceiving, I am hurt that this has gotten out of control.

However, I will bring this up in our meeting in June and if we decide to vote to change the constitution, we can begin that process in August, but at the current moment, we will have to follow what is currently written and approved by the membership and that’s is the current constitution.

I hope that this ca be resolved, as it is only for protocol and consistent with local, state and national constitutions.  

If you have any questions, lease feel free to contact me.

Thank you
Nicole

Nicole D. Fincham-Shehan
President 

Treasure Coast Chapter
National Federation of the Blind of Florida 
Home Phone: 561-366-7841 
Cell Phone: 410-493-4461 
Email: treasurecoastnfb at gmail.com

On May 25, 2021, at 5:56 PM, Joe Chite via NFBF-Treasure-Coast <nfbf-treasure-coast at nfbnet.org> wrote:

I have several things to add here but first and foremost, our former President was Tamika Butts. Tamika spent years earning the trust and respect of every single member in the chapter. So i want to nip any comparisons to our “former president” in the budd if i can. It is not apples to apples. At least to our membership.

Second, Nicole, we did not say it was too hard to amend the constitution. Here’s how it went down and I’m sure we have minutes to support it. You broached the subject of extending term limits to 2 year terms. I feel like i am repeating myself or folks are not taking me seriously. There is no ulterior motive, so i will repeat it again. Based on the optics of your first two administrative moves were to get on the checkbook and extend terms, the optics of the situation did not call for it. And, as this email thread suggests, you want it said to you plainly and justly. So, based on the fact that the very first things we were to do at the very first board meeting were to extend terms and insure you were on the checkbook….red flags starting dropping from the sky like a clown exploded. So based on the optics of that, we decided to punt that can down the curb and discuss it later. You’re right. If we said “it was too hard” to do at the time, maybe that was to cover for potentially sore feelings. But clearly that doesn’t fly here so iut’s just plain obtuse Joe from here on out. So i mention that because…

I would absolutely have the stomach time and temperament to amend the constitution regardless how hard it may be. We achieve hard things daily. Hard doesn’t scare me. What scares me is not doing my office a service by representing the membership. 

Particular reasons? I don’t know. And, again, anyone else on the planet feel free to speak up because i thought the vote we took did that but also clearly not. But there’s no reason for you to be on the account. Sylvia, this has nothing to do with personal concerns about Nicole for me. I barely know her and all my interactions with her have been unbelievably efficient and professional. But i see zero reason, have been presented zero reason (other than, well Tamika was on the account), and can’t comprehend why this has become the issue THE ISSUE of the first hundred days. I have much more concern now that we have rebuffed Nicole’s attempts to get on the account it feels like a couple different times and yet here we are again. What motivates that? I don’t know. And “because Tamika was on” isn’t just the reason. And because Donny, our old treasurer who i was raised to not say anything at all about his tenure by my momma…I’m not Donny. The same way Nicole isn’t Tamika. And if the argument is “well, according to the constitution, you ARE Donny and Nicole IS Tamika” for all intent and purposes….

Then we need to change the constitution.

-Joe

> On May 25, 2021, at 4:36 PM, Sylvia Young via NFBF-Treasure-Coast <nfbf-treasure-coast at nfbnet.org> wrote:
> 
> 
> Hi all,
> I am so sorry you are having this confusion.  I believe it stems from a discussion the state board had about having presidents on the banking account.  It was just that, a discussion and no changes have been put forth.  However, if you look at most of the Florida chapters constitutions at this time; the president is listed as a signatory on the bank account.
> Nicole is correct in stating that if you want to change your chapter's accounting policy, you will have to officially amend your constitution.  You can find how to amend your constitution under the amendment article #12.
> This has been your past policy as your former president was on the account.  If you are having problems with Nicole specifically on the account, this concern should be discussed as such and resolved.  If it's just having the president on the account, you will need to change the constitution.
> I would hope that this issue can be resolved without loss of membership or hard feelings.  I am copying President Valkema on this email to inform her of your concerns.
> Sylvia Young
> NFBF Secretary
> 850-322-5937
> Together with love, hope, and determination, we transform dreams into reality.
> 
> 
>  	Sender notified by
> Mailtrack 05/25/21, 04:07:33 PM	
> 
> 
> On Tue, May 25, 2021 at 3:47 PM NFBFL Treasure Coast via NFBF-Treasure-Coast <nfbf-treasure-coast at nfbnet.org> wrote:
>> Joe,
>> 
>> I am trying to do what the membership is asking for.  However, when I tried to have the discussion as to changing the constitution, it was frowned upon and voted against.  Therefore, at this time, all we can do is follow the current constitution.
>> 
>> I honestly do not understand what the concern is as the chapter has had only the Treasurer and President on the bank account for years, and just recently was the Vice President added to the account.  Even when the Vice President was added to the account, the President’s name still remained on the account.  So, I am simply trying to meet the requirements set forth by the membership in. The creation of the constitution and also add another individual to ensure transparency.  I am simply trying to do what is in the best interest of all the members.
>> 
>> Again, we can discuss at the June meeting and if we decided we are going to change our constitution, we can begin the lengthy process, but for the time being, we would need to have at least both the Treasurer and President names on the account and wed can add the Vice President.
>> 
>> I hope this clarifies things.  I have asked Sylvia to input the state board position.
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> Thank you
>> Nicole
>> 
>> Nicole D. Fincham-Shehan
>> President 
>> 
>> Treasure Coast Chapter
>> National Federation of the Blind of Florida
>> Home Phone: 561-366-7841 
>> Cell Phone: 410-493-4461 
>> Email: treasurecoastnfb at gmail.com
>> 
>> 
>> On May 25, 2021, at 2:40 PM, Joe Chite via NFBF-Treasure-Coast <nfbf-treasure-coast at nfbnet.org> wrote:
>> 
>> I couldn’t be any less comfortable with this strongarming. I want to say, again, and as transparently as possible, i am SUPREMELY UNSETTLED by this. Am i clear enough?
>> 
>> For 2 weeks i spoke to each and every one of you. I agreed to speak for the group. And i said there are two parts to me agreeing to be the face of this concern:
>> 
>> 1. I have absolutely zero interest in being the treasurer and the person accountable when the president has full access to the funds.
>> 
>> 2. I genuinely love and respect the crew of you here that welcomed me, a scared blind new guy, and made me feel at home. I owe things to you folks. And when i hear you guys aren’t happy, that means I’m not happy.
>> 
>> Nicole, i don’t know what else to say. Your leadership and experience seems unreal amazing. I fawn over these emails you’ve been sending out saying, wow this is the sort of stuff i was hoping we would get into. And under your leadership, i see our chapter becoming more of that. But i do not know you very well. Person to person. I certainly can tell you’re a serious individual with tremendous skills and expertise  across the board. But i have no interest in following a leader that hears the concerns of the constituency and proceeds to do the exact thing asked not to do.
>> 
>> -Joe
>> 
>> > On May 25, 2021, at 2:14 PM, NFBFL Treasure Coast <treasurecoastnfb at gmail.com> wrote:
>> > 
>> > Hello,
>> > 
>> > I first want to say, Mary, I hope you will reconsider your decision and not step down from the board.  You are a marvelous asset and we do not want to loose your contributions.
>> > 
>> > Joe,
>> > I will get the info about Jessia’[s email over to David Andrews and ask him to make the correction/addition.  As for the bank names.  The chapter motion can not over ride what the current constitution states.  I had brought up to the board and chapter to revise our constitution and it was stated that we did not want to go through the long process it would take to revise the constitution.  There are many steps involved when changing the constitution.  Also, if we would decide to change or revise the constitution, we would still at the moment have to follow the proper protocol and at this time would ask for both the Treasurer and President names.  So, if the bank has been updated with both your name and Rosemary’s name, then I simply need to go and add my name.
>> > 
>> > Sylvia,
>> > Can you please address these concerns and what we had discussed on the phone, and that I am only stating what proper procedures are and that we need to follow our chapters constitution which is a spin off of the state and national constitutions.  
>> > 
>> > I am trying to keep everything transparent for all to see and know exactly what is going on with the chapter.  In addition, I am sharing any and all information and conversations I have with the state board as to what we are doing in our chapter.  I do not want any9one to feel as though things are not being done properly and that no one has any questions in regards to decisions that are being made.
>> > 
>> > Pleas feel free to contact me if I can answer any questions or concerns.
>> > 
>> > 
>> > Thank you
>> > Nicole
>> > 
>> > Nicole D. Fincham-Shehan
>> > President 
>> > 
>> 
>> 
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