[Nfbmo] State convention past and future

Mon Mar 30 22:19:53 UTC 2015

Hello everyone,

First of all, I thought the hotel did a firly good job.  I found the
staff very helpful and friendly.  The fact that not enough chairs were
put out in the room for general session was a problem, but I know
several members fixed that.  My primary complaint was the slowness of
the elevators especially considering the number of people staying at
the hotel.

As for the secret ballot issue, everyone who groans or complains about
having it should take a moment to think about what we're fighting for
int erms of HB 454 and ensuring a secret ballot at all state and local
elections as well as federal elections.  Shouldn't our members have
that right if they want it in our elections at convention?  How does
national handle the issue of a secret ballot?

thanks,

Dacia

On 3/30/15, Eugene S Coulter via Nfbmo <nfbmo at nfbnet.org> wrote:
> The secret ballot is not in the constitution but it has been policy since at
> least 1977 when I came to my first convention.  I have pasted the election
> provision from the constitution below. I am considering a provision
> requiring a minimum number of members to request it; like 5 or 3. We need to
> have a very low threshold in my opinion to preserve everyone's rights. I'd
> would have been happy with the standing vote for second vice president
> yesterday. Someone suggested that if the nominees all said they were ok with
> a standing ballot that should  suffice. I disagree for multiple reasons
> including putting a nominee in the uncomfortable position of yielding to a
> standing ballot or else being perceived as not being a team player.
> Section B, Election:
> Officers shall be elected by a majority vote of the active members who are
> present and voting.  There shall be no proxy voting.  If no nominee receives
> a majority vote on the first ballot, the name of the person receiving the
> fewest votes shall be dropped from the list of nominees, and a second ballot
> shall be taken.  This procedure shall continue until one of the nominees has
> received a majority vote from the active members present and voting.
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Gary Wunder via Nfbmo
> Sent: Monday, March 30, 2015 3:36 PM
> To: 'Bryan Schulz' ; 'NFB of Missouri Mailing List'
> Subject: Re: [Nfbmo] State convention past and future
>
> Hi, Brian. I agree with you about Julia. What an outstanding personality and
> good service.
>
> I think we should discuss the issue of the secret ballot at the board
> meeting. I don't remember whether it exists in the Constitution or whether
> it is simply a matter of long-standing tradition, but I will have researched
> the matter by the board meeting and we can talk about this. The difficulty
> with your suggestion, of course, is that the person wanting a secret ballot
> will have forfeited any secrecy by standing. There were times in the 1970s
> when people were chastised about their votes when they returned to chapter
> meetings, the suggestion being that if the chapter had decided to throw its
> support behind one person, they were obligated as individual chapter members
> to vote accordingly. There were people who were pulled back into their
> chairs and told they were voting the wrong way. I think this is one of the
> things that helped to make the secret ballot attractive. If a secret ballot
> is to remain one of the rights of convention attendees, we can speed the
> process by dividing the room and using two boxes.
>
> I'd be glad to hear the opinions of others, and I think we should put this
> on the board agenda for May.
>
> Warmly,
>
> Gary
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Nfbmo [mailto:nfbmo-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Bryan Schulz via
> Nfbmo
> Sent: Monday, March 30, 2015 2:36 PM
> To: david.hertweck at sbcglobal.net; 'NFB of Missouri Mailing List'
> Subject: Re: [Nfbmo] State convention past and future
>
> Hi,
>
> It probably depends on what time you ate and the capacity at the time.
> Julia at the restaurant was very helpful and the buffet was par for max
> capacity style of allowing people to eat quickly.
> Gene managed the surprises well but people need to spend more time listening
> as the first person spreading the news of the banquet delay turned from you
> can wait for the wedding party to clear out and have a drink where your
> meeting was located was explained as the couple getting married said we can
> have free drinks and now the banquet will be on floor two.
> It would be nice if any request for a secret vote includes a mandatory
> standing vote attempt first.
> Bryan
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Nfbmo [mailto:nfbmo-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of David Hertweck
> via Nfbmo
> Sent: Monday, March 30, 2015 12:17 PM
> To: Gary Wunder; NFB of Missouri Mailing List
> Cc: Eugene S Coulter
> Subject: Re: [Nfbmo] State convention past and future
>
> Personally I thought the service was poor and the food was horrible
>
> Sent from my iPhone
>
>> On Mar 30, 2015, at 11:08 AM, Gary Wunder via Nfbmo <nfbmo at nfbnet.org>
>> wrote:
>>
>> I got a survey from the Sheraton and completed it. I liked the staff;
>> there weren't enough of them. They did not get me in a room with a king
>> size bed, nor did they get Erin Magoon in a room with two beds. This we
>> were able to work out, and they were good about it.
>>
>> I think that they were very short-staffed when it came to housekeeping and
>>
>> that the wait staff at the restaurant was really overworked. I didn't find
>>
>> one disagreeable staff member, but I did find myself feeling sorry for
>> them.
>>
>> I found my room comfortable, but I thought the closet was very small given
>>
>> places I usually stay. I was placed in a handicapped accessible room, and
>> it was impossible to take a shower without getting water outside the
>> shower area.
>>
>> I was uncertain when it came to the question about whether or not I would
>> recommend them.
>>
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: Nfbmo [mailto:nfbmo-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Eugene S
>> Coulter via Nfbmo
>> Sent: Sunday, March 29, 2015 9:10 PM
>> To: NFB of Missouri Mailing List
>> Subject: [Nfbmo] State convention past and future
>>
>> If anyone has constructive feedback regarding this year's convention
>> facilities please make me aware of your concerns.
>> Also,at the May board meeting I will request  authorization to seek bids
>> for the 2017 convention
>>
>> In normal rotation that would be Kansas City. However, I am not assuming
>> that they are only possibility. For example, our Show Me Chapter or  South
>>
>> Central Chapter may wish to host. Or, maybe those two chapters would want
>> to cohost  perhaps in Rolla. Of course, Show Me could host anywhere in the
>>
>> state. I write this now to give folks a chance to think about things and
>> the feasibility of  any such hosting.
>> I just do not want to assume  that we have a closed loop of 5 chapters.
>> Gene
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