[Nfbsatx] September Presidential Release and Announcing My Candidacy

[Mary Donahue]

-Hello A.Z. and everyone,

    I was quite shocked that we couldn't hear the full Presidential Release, 
and especially, because there were new people at the meeting. For one thing, 
the evening before, I was trying to get material together for the opening 
Braille class session, so I never listened to the release, and then to find 
out that we had to hear an edited version? I was not particularly pleased.

    I guess now is as good a time as any to announce my running for Chapter 
president. I have served in almost every office in past Chapters except 
president, and I feel up to the challenge in 2012. If I am elected, the 
presidential releases will get played in their entirety.

    I guess what upset me the most was that new people were there and 
eventually joined. Suppose parents had been there? What would have happened 
then? Just some food for thought

    I might all add that the release sounded better through Pete's sound 
system than on Bryan's player, and more than one person commented about 
that.

    Thank you for lending me your minds.

Mary Donahue
---- Original Message ----- 
From: "Jose Martinez" <jose.martinez07 at gmail.com>
To: "San Antonio Texas Chapter Mailing List" <nfbsatx at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Tuesday, September 13, 2011 11:17 AM
Subject: Re: [Nfbsatx] September Presidential Release


First of all, thank you Peter for sending us the direct link to the
presidential release. Now this way individuals have another great
opportunity to get a hold of this product. Now as to why the
presidential release is edited down a little bit for our chapter
meetings.

 You are correct that the presidential release has been a long time
tradition in the federation chapter meetings, but at no time has there
ever been a rule saying that they have to be played at all. So to
state that changing or modifying the recording may bring us problems,
is a bit outlandish and childish. Our national center puts out
materials for us to use at our own discretion in order to get the
message of the federation across to as many people as possible.

 We have been doing this for a while with the understanding that we
have new individuals coming out to learn about the chapter and the
organization and listening to a 20 minute presentation from someone
they do not know talking about things that are not familiar to them
yet may turn them away. So a little edited form of the release is
presented to introduce the federation’s doings on a national level and
other very important information. We also make sure that everybody
knows that these presidential releases are available to all to listen
to and download at their own time in the full form.

 The leadership and the majority of this chapter agrees on what steps
are being taken, if you have an issue with how things are ran at our
chapter, please make sure to bring the issue up in the proper forum
for discussion!



Thank you

A. Z.
President






On 9/12/11, Peter Donahue <pdonahue2 at satx.rr.com> wrote:
> Good afternoon everyone,
>
>     To insure you hear the September 2011 Presidential Release in its
> entirety you will find the link below:
>
> http://www.nfb.org/images/nfb/Audio/pr/PR398.mp3
>
>     Our national office works very hard to produce these every month. It's
> our responsibility to be sure they're played in their entirety during 
> local
> chapter and division meetings. There was content on last month's
> presidential release that would have been of benefit to the new people who
> attended their first chapter meeting. We have no right to prevent them 
> from
> learning about services like the Blio E-book reader. Jim Gashel 
> demonstrated
> it on the last presidential release. He also does a demonstration on this
> month's release in connection with the announcement about the availability
> of Mike Hingson's book "Thunder Dog" now available in the Blio Bookstore.
> I've known Mike Hingson for many years and want people to be aware of the
> availability of Thunder Dog from all sources including Blio. Our
> presidential releases are a great way for spreading the word.
>
>     Our literature including our presidential releases are intellectual
> property of the National Federation of the Blind. Altering its content in
> any way opens us up to the possibility of legal action something I and
> others don't want to see happen to our chapter. Dr. Maurer and I have
> discussed this matter in the past. He has discussed it with me personally
> and during a seminar I attended at our national center in 2008 that was 
> held
> for our Webmasters.
>
>     Having presidential releases played at local chapter meetings is a
> long-standing tradition in this movement. When I joined the organization 
> in
> 1976 presidential releases were always played during chapter meetings. 
> Like
> Dr. Maurer Dr. Jernigan kept us informed about what the organization was
> doing around the country and what we could do in our community to further
> the work of the federation. At no time were these releases ever altered 
> just
> because of time constraints. If we need more time for the meeting to be 
> able
> to play the presidential releases please arrange for it Mr. President. I
> recall that we had 30 minutes after the last meeting took place time that
> could have been used to play the last presidential release in its 
> entirety.
>
>     Anyway enjoy the unadulterated version of this month's Presidential
> Release. Let's hope that what you hear by following the link above is 
> what's
> played at Saturday's meeting. This kind of thing must stop! All the best.
>
> Peter Donahue
>
> "Will you come and awake our lost land from its slumber
>       And her fetters we'll break, links that long are encumbered.
>       And the air will resound with hosannas to greet you
>       On the shore will be found gallant Irishmen to greet you."
> Will You Come to the Bower
> Traditional Irish Folk Song
>
>
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