[Nfbmt] membership

Mon Jan 13 03:13:03 UTC 2014

Dan,
	Thanks for this bit of clarification.  I would hope that we will
welcome in any person expressing a desire to participate.
Ted

EDWARD C "TED" ROBBINS
, CEO MBEI, Treasurer NFB of Montana & MANAGER MAB EQUIPMENT PROGRAM
PHONE & FAX:  406 453 6678, CELL:  406 799 6268
104 RIVERVIEW 5 E
GREAT FALLS  MT   59404

-----Original Message-----
From: Nfbmt [mailto:nfbmt-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Dan Burke
Sent: Sunday, January 12, 2014 7:18 PM
To: NFB of Montana Discussion List
Subject: Re: [Nfbmt] membership

Ted,

You are correct, this section is in the Yellowstone County Chapter
constitution, which was approved by the NFB of Montana Board of Directors in
early 2013.

As an axample of voting in new members, I attend the NFB of Denver Chapter
now.  At the end of each meeting the president asks if there is anyone
present who wishes to join the chapter.  If more than one person says they
wish to join, the chapter votes on all who wish to join in one vote.  It is
a very nice way of welcoming new members into the chapter.

The NFB is an open organization and we welcome new members. We do this
because we have something that blind people need - a positive philosophy
about blindness and belief in the capacity and the humanity of the blind. It
is natural that blind people would want to join us because of this and also
because we are the blind people who do the most significant work on behalf
of the blind.

I wasn't on the call this weekend because I was at the NFB headquarters in
Baltimore for a seminar, so I don't know what has triggered this thread.  I
can say that having been a member in the NAB would not in and of itself be
grounds for excluding a blind person who wishes to join us.  If it were,
most of us on this list would be disqualified.

We do reserve the right to expell any member for their behavior, but it
would be something quite grave to warrant such an expulsion.  Of the very
few expulsions in other state NFB affiliates of which I have some
information, they almost always involve verbal or written attacks on other
members and leaders to such an extent that their presence is disruptive and
intolerable.  This process is outlined in our national constitution, our
affiliate constitution and the chapter constitutions.  They also permit the
expelled member to appeal to a higher authority within the NFB.

Expulsions are very rare.  On principle, I think voting to keep someone out
of the NFB of Montana or one of its chapters should be even more rare, and
only even be considered if the person in question was known to be of such a
character that it could be predicted that they would only be a disruptive or
divisive force in the organization.

HTH
Dan

On 1/11/14, James Aldrich <jkaldrich at samobile.net> wrote:
> Hi Ted,
>
> Yes!  This is in our constitution!  It sounds to me that a person 
> needs to be approved for membership by a majority of the members 
> present!  So in theory, could a majority not approve someone for 
> membership if that majority feels they have good cause to do so?  
> Please feel free to write me privately on this if you prefer or phone me
for that matter!
> So far, members have not come before a vote of the  chapter members 
> present!  They pass their $5 over and they somehow become members.
>
> Jim
>
>
> Original message:
>> FYI
>
>>                 The following is copied from the model constitution 
>> for Chapters of the NFB, and is undoubtedly in the Billings Chapter 
>> constitution.
>
>> ***
>
>> ARTICLE III. MEMBERSHIP
>
>
>
>> Section One - Active Members
>
>>                 At least a majority of the active members of this 
>> organization must be blind. Any person may become an active member of 
>> this organization by a majority vote of the members present and 
>> voting at any regular business meeting, and shall have the right to 
>> vote, serve on committees, speak on the floor, and hold office.
>
>
>
>> Section Two - Associate Members
>
>> Any person may be elected to associate membership in this 
>> organization by a majority vote of the members present and voting at 
>> any regular business meeting. Associate members shall have all the 
>> rights and privileges of active members, except that they may not 
>> vote, hold office, or serve on the Board of Directors. Associate 
>> members shall not pay dues.
>
>> ***
>
>>                 I understand that associate members are those 
>> individuals who make contributions to the affiliate.  Please correct 
>> me if I am wrong.
>
>
>
>> Ted
>
>
>
>
>
>> EDWARD C "TED" ROBBINS
>
>> , CEO MBEI, Treasurer NFB of Montana & MANAGER MAB EQUIPMENT PROGRAM
>
>> PHONE & FAX:  406 453 6678, CELL:  406 799 6268
>
>> 104 RIVERVIEW 5 E
>
>> GREAT FALLS  MT   59404
>
>
>
>
>
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--
Dan Burke
My Cell:  406.546.8546
Twitter:  @DallDonal

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