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</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--></head><body lang=EN-US link="#467886" vlink="#96607D" style='word-wrap:break-word'><div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif'>I appreciate this message very much. Bylaws are easier to change than the constitution. It is a good thing that the constitution requires two thirds of the members in convention to amend it because we do not want too many changes and to tie our hands. Bylaws on the other hand only require a simple majority to be changed, and they can be changed by the board. If a particular bylaw becomes too burdensome, we do have the flexibility to strike it or change it. I think it is a good thing to try out new approaches to how we manage the organization. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif'>Regards,<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif'>Daniel<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;mso-ligatures:none'>Daniel Garcia, Second Vice President<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;mso-ligatures:none'>National Federation of the Blind of Missouri<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;mso-ligatures:none'>dgarcia@nfbmo.org<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;mso-ligatures:none'>(816) 621-0902<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;mso-ligatures:none'>www.nfb.org<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;mso-ligatures:none'>www.nfbmo.org<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;mso-ligatures:none'>Live the life you want<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><div><div style='border:none;border-top:solid #E1E1E1 1.0pt;padding:3.0pt 0in 0in 0in'><p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;mso-ligatures:none'>From:</span></b><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;mso-ligatures:none'> NFBMO <nfbmo-bounces@nfbnet.org> <b>On Behalf Of </b>Gary Wunder via NFBMO<br><b>Sent:</b> Wednesday, April 9, 2025 7:02 AM<br><b>To:</b> 'NFB of Missouri Mailing List' <nfbmo@nfbnet.org><br><b>Cc:</b> Gary Wunder <gwunder@earthlink.net><br><b>Subject:</b> [NFBMO] Some thoughts as we think about our constitution, bylaws, and general policy considerations<o:p></o:p></span></p></div></div><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><b>Dear Friends,</b><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>I’m getting ready for the convention. How about you?<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>I've been thinking lately about our governing documents—specifically, the constitution and bylaws—and I wanted to share a few thoughts for your consideration.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>It’s clear that every organization needs a solid foundation. Some things must be written down, and rightly so. We need to ensure that our structure is fair, that members are treated equitably, and that decisions are made in a transparent and consistent way. These protections form the backbone of our work and help us stay true to our mission.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>But at the same time, I wonder if we sometimes go too far in trying to prepare for every possible challenge by locking it all into the bylaws. Each time we add a new restriction or prohibition—“the organization shall not” or “members shall not”—we limit the range of tools available to us, sometimes without knowing what future circumstances will require.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>There is value in standards, but there is also value in flexibility. We have to trust that we, in the present, can respond to situations as they arise. And just as important, we must trust those who come after us to do the same. If we burden the future with too many rules crafted in the past, we risk tying their hands and preventing the kind of creative problem-solving that every generation needs.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>So I encourage us to consider balance. Let us preserve the essential principles that guide us, but also allow room for judgment, for growth, and for the wisdom of those who will follow in our footsteps. After all, the strength of our organization has never been in our paperwork—it’s been in our people.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Warmly,<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Gary<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Gary Wunder<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><a href="mailto:gwunder@earthlink.net">gwunder@earthlink.net</a><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p></div></body></html>
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<div><hr style="text-align:center"></div><div style="text-align:center"><br></div><div style="text-align:center">The National Federation of the Blind advances the lives of its members and all blind people in the United States. We know that blindness is not the characteristic that defines you or your future. Every day we raise the expectations of blind people, because low expectations create obstacles between blind people and our dreams. Our collective power, determination, and diversity achieve the aspirations of all blind people.</div><div style="text-align:center"><font color="#000000"><br></font></div><div style="text-align:center"><font color="#000000"><a href="https://nfbmo.org/" target="_blank"><img src="https://nfbmo.org/sites/nfbmo.org/files/2025-02/NFBMO%20Email%20Logo.jpg" alt="https://nfbmo.org/"></a><br></font></div>