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</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--></head><body lang=EN-US link="#0563C1" vlink="#954F72"><div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal>A Proposed Amendment to the Constitution of the National Federation of the Blind<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>From the Editor: We print here a proposed amendment to the Constitution of the National Federation of the Blind that will be considered by the 2022 National<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Convention. Here it is:<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>National Federation of the Blind<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Proposed Constitutional Amendment 2022<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>The following proposed amendment to the constitution of the National Federation of the Blind (as amended 2014) was approved for recommendation to the 2022<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Convention by the Federation’s Board of Directors on May 12, 2022.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Under Article III: Membership, the Current Constitution (as Amended 2014) Reads:<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Section E. Any member, local chapter, state affiliate, or division of this organization may be suspended, expelled, or otherwise disciplined for misconduct<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>or for activity unbecoming to a member or affiliate of this organization by a two-thirds vote of the board of directors or by a simple majority of the<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>states present and voting at a National Convention. If the action is to be taken by the board, there must be good cause, and a good faith effort must have<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>been made to try to resolve the problem by discussion and negotiation. If the action is to be taken by the Convention, notice must be given on the preceding<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>day at an open board meeting or a session of the Convention. If a dispute arises as to whether there was "good cause," or whether the board made a "good<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>faith effort," the National Convention (acting in its capacity as the supreme authority of the Federation) shall have the power to make final disposition<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>of the matter; but until or unless the board's action is reversed by the National Convention, the ruling of the board shall continue in effect.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Proposed Amendments to Article III: Membership, Section E:<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Remove the word “member”; this section will now pertain to local chapters, state affiliates, and divisions.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Section E Would Then Read as Follows:<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Section E. Any local chapter, state affiliate, or division of this organization may be suspended, expelled, or otherwise disciplined for misconduct or<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>for activity unbecoming to a local chapter, state affiliate, or division of this organization by a two-thirds vote of the board of directors or by a simple<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>majority of the states present and voting at a National Convention. If the action is to be taken by the board, there must be good cause, and a good faith<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>effort must have been made to try to resolve the problem by discussion and negotiation. If the action is to be taken by the Convention, notice must be<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>given on the preceding day at an open board meeting or a session of the Convention. If a dispute arises as to whether there was "good cause," or whether<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>the board made a "good faith effort," the National Convention (acting in its capacity as the supreme authority of the Federation) shall have the power<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>to make final disposition of the matter; but until or unless the board's action is reversed by the National Convention, the ruling of the board shall continue<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>in effect.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Proposed Addition of New Section F to Article III: Membership:<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Section F. Any member of this organization may be suspended, expelled, or otherwise disciplined for misconduct or for activity unbecoming to a member of<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>this organization, and any non-member may have their engagement in the organization restricted, through standards and procedures established, maintained,<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>and regularly reviewed by the board of directors. These standards will be publicly available as a Code of Conduct for the organization and members will<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>be provided with opportunities to give feedback on the Code on a periodic basis set by the board.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>While considering disciplinary actions taken by the board either directly or through the procedures it establishes, there must be good cause, and a good<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>faith effort must have been made to hear the concerns of all parties involved. With regard to handling reports of violations of the code, the board will<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>establish policies and procedures on how such reports will be investigated and then resolved. Any person subject to a ruling under these policies and procedures<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>may appeal that ruling to the board, which may elect to have a subcommittee of the board handle the appeal. However, any three members of the board may,<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>through written request, initiate a full board review of any disciplinary decision issued under the Code of Conduct. The procedures maintained by the board<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>must provide individuals with clear guidance regarding their right to an appeal, the process for requesting an appeal, and the standards used in the board’s<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>review of the appeal.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Any person subject to disciplinary action by the board issued through the procedures and policies authorized by this section may appeal the board’s final<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>decision to the National Convention. Such an appeal must be filed in writing and within thirty days of the board’s decision. The written request shall<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>be submitted to the President and must be signed by five delegates to the next Convention who support hearing the appeal. Notice of the appeal hearing<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>must be given on the preceding day at an open board meeting or a session of the Convention. Due to the sensitive nature of certain matters, any disciplinary<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>action to be considered by the Convention will only be considered in a closed committee meeting consisting of the delegates present and voting and the<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Federation’s President. The committee shall be chaired by the President unless a conflict of interest prevents the President from chairing the committee,<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>in which case the delegates shall elect one of the other delegates present who does not have a conflict to preside over the meeting. All efforts will be<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>made in any disciplinary meeting to protect the identity of individuals who were harmed. A matter that has not been fully investigated shall never be considered<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>by the Convention. If a dispute arises as to whether there was "good cause," or whether the board made a "good faith effort," the National Convention (acting<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>in its capacity as the supreme authority of the Federation) shall have the power to make final disposition of the matter; but until or unless the board's<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>action is reversed by the National Convention, the ruling of the board shall continue in effect.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>(back)<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>(<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>contents)<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>(<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>next)<a name="_Hlk18067489"></a><a name="_Hlk18941617"></a><a name="_Hlk14090147"></a><a name="_Hlk14085768"><span style='mso-bookmark:_Hlk14090147'><span style='mso-bookmark:_Hlk18941617'><span style='mso-bookmark:_Hlk18067489'><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></span></a></p><span style='mso-bookmark:_Hlk18067489'></span><span style='mso-bookmark:_Hlk18941617'></span><span style='mso-bookmark:_Hlk14090147'></span><span style='mso-bookmark:_Hlk14085768'></span><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p></div></body></html>