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<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial>Hello Athalie and everyone,</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial> I've been in this organization
at the national level for almost 31 years. Four of those years, I was a member
of the Wisconsin affiliate. Where I lived, at that time, there was no Chapter.
There were two of us in the state affiliate in the same town, and we shared
Presidential Releases back and forth when they were on cassette
tape.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial> As I said in my previous
message, if I am elected president in January, I will make sure the whole
Presidential Release is played in its entirety, and I will identify it in the
monthly agenda.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial>Mary Donahue</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial></FONT> </DIV>
<BLOCKQUOTE
style="BORDER-LEFT: #000000 2px solid; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px">
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial">----- Original Message ----- </DIV>
<DIV
style="FONT: 10pt arial; BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; font-color: black"><B>From:</B>
<A title=metter54@gmail.com href="mailto:metter54@gmail.com">Mary Etter</A>
</DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>To:</B> <A title=nfbsatx@nfbnet.org
href="mailto:nfbsatx@nfbnet.org">San Antonio Texas Chapter Mailing List</A>
</DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Sent:</B> Wednesday, September 14, 2011 6:38
PM</DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Subject:</B> Re: [Nfbsatx] September
Presidential Release</DIV>
<DIV><BR></DIV>
<DIV><BR clear=all>Good Evening at this present time I do not have access to
my email so I have someone else doing this for me.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>I have been a member of numerous organizations political, social and
charitable. And I have NEVER seen or heard such childish and juvenile behavior
that I am now seeing with in this organization. First and foremost, this
chapter has gathered to spread information about the blind and to teach. And
also to to fight for the rights of the blind. And that is on a local
level. Yes we need to know what is going on at a national level, and as
of late we are getting the releases and we are learning what is being
done on the national level. Now because of ONE incident in which we did not
hear the full release it has been made into a firestorm. The only disrespect
that is out there is the disrespect of individuals towards the President of
the chapter and unprofessional behavior. As far as I am concerned this matter
is closed to public opinion. If it needs to be discussed, the individual
will discuss it in private with the President and the Board. For those
that do not know me, understand me well, I do not deal with juveniles and
unprofessional people.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Good evening to you all</DIV>
<DIV>Athalie Malone</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV class=gmail_quote>On Tue, Sep 13, 2011 at 9:21 PM, Jose Martinez <SPAN
dir=ltr><<A
href="mailto:jose.martinez07@gmail.com">jose.martinez07@gmail.com</A>></SPAN>
wrote:<BR>
<BLOCKQUOTE
style="BORDER-LEFT: #ccc 1px solid; MARGIN: 0px 0px 0px 0.8ex; PADDING-LEFT: 1ex"
class=gmail_quote>If someone felt disrespected or insulted for a decision
that was made<BR>by the leadership of this chapter, then I believe there are
proper<BR>channels that can be taken to ensure that that does not happen. It
is<BR>really not ment to be taken personal, because decisions are made
for<BR>the betterment of the chapter. So it is an overall decision! I am
very<BR>excited to see how this chapter finishes out the year strong
<DIV class=im><BR>Thank you<BR><BR>A. Z.<BR>President<BR><BR><BR></DIV>
<DIV>
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV class=h5>On 9/13/11, Cindy Garcia <<A
href="mailto:ccgarcia2005@yahoo.com">ccgarcia2005@yahoo.com</A>>
wrote:<BR>> what is rong with leaving the meetings the way they were. I
would like to<BR>> know, because I was under the impression that the
playing of the Pr was not<BR>> very boring, or long at all. I never found
the Pr to be tedious, even when I<BR>> was a new member. It is like
reading my dayly news paper, except it is<BR>> monthly. I like to listen
to the release around others so we may all share<BR>> in the joys and
sorrows, and everything new that happens in the nfb. yes, I<BR>> have the
option to listen to it on my own however, I believe that fellowship<BR>>
is the first way anyone, new or old build in respect for our organization
as<BR>> a whole. It was an insult to me when i realized that the Pr was
edited down.<BR>> I wonder, why such a thing was done, when there was
enough time to cover<BR>> everything on the agenda. I know for certin,
that when elections arive in<BR>> january, I will be sure to nominate a
president who will be dependable, and<BR>> stick to their guns where the
agenda is concerned. If a recording<BR>> will not be given some
respect, it is my belieff, that disrespect also<BR>> comes to those who
did the recording. if disrespect is what we strive to do,<BR>> then we
should just play our music players, and Ipods loud while the meeting<BR>>
is going on because of the simple fact that noone in their right mind
will<BR>> want to listen to that chatter about things noone will know
about. what is<BR>> the point of coming to the meeting then?
Presentations of any sort, need to<BR>> be given the upmost attention.
Anyone who gives a presentation, works very<BR>> hard: even before the
thought of presenting comes in to play. Then, there is<BR>> the act of
the presenting itself. what is the point of presenting?Why<BR>> present
something noone will listen to.? I will tell you this answer now, if<BR>>
I may. A presentation occurs because we as the presenter, have no right
to<BR>> presume that we know how every person's mind works. It is not
our<BR>> responsability as the presenter, to care about what the minds of
our<BR>> listeners are doing, or if they even stay focused. We the
presenter, need<BR>> to consintrate on the task at hand, and that task is
informing our<BR>> audiences. When people attend our chapter meetings,
they are coming to view<BR>> our live presentations of what the Nfb truly
is all about. If we cut things<BR>> out, and assume things, how does that
look to the organization to whom we<BR>> are presenting? All I am saying
here, is that by cutting things and<BR>> presuming to know how everyone
thinks, is not only disrespectful, and<BR>> insulting, but it is a
disrespect of anonymity. If I have it my way, thmy<BR>> anonymity will
not be disrespected. I will say now to Peater and Mary<BR>> Donahue,
thank you for bringing this to our attention. It is my hope, that<BR>>
this insulting act will not happen again. I'm sure if the president of
the<BR>> United States were to shorten his speaches to the american
people, we would<BR>> not take that kindly will we not?<BR>><BR>>
On Tue Sep 13th, 2011 2:13 PM CDT Peter Donahue
wrote:<BR>><BR>>>Hello A.Z. and everyone,<BR>>><BR>>>
I dare you to tell Dr. Maurer that these concerns are childish
and<BR>>> such!<BR>>>The how point in playing these releases is
so folks come to know our<BR>>>national president and understand what
we're doing to improve the lives of<BR>>>our nation's blind. Other
businesses and organizations distribute similar<BR>>>communications
that are distributed/played during their local, national,<BR>>>
and<BR>>>World gatherings with both old timers and new recruits
present. I too was<BR>>>once new and never complained when I came to
chapter meetings and sat<BR>>>through the playing of the presidential
release. I figured that this is a<BR>>>part of the program and I'm to
take it or leave it. Hmmm. I didn't know<BR>>> that<BR>>>this
had a name "Informed choice" back in 1976. None the less I got used
to<BR>>><BR>>>hearing the presidential releases and looked
forward to hearing them<BR>>>whenever we met.<BR>>><BR>>>
Back then no one ever suggested that playing presidential
releases in<BR>>>their entirety would turn prospective members away.
Rather it was the<BR>>>opposite and needs to remain that way now and
in to the future. There's<BR>>>nothing childish about a long-standing
tradition those of us who have been<BR>>>in the organization for years
intend to fight to protect.<BR>>><BR>>>Peter
Donahue<BR>>><BR>>><BR>>><BR>>>----- Original
Message -----<BR>>>From: "Jose Martinez" <<A
href="mailto:jose.martinez07@gmail.com">jose.martinez07@gmail.com</A>><BR>>>To:
"San Antonio Texas Chapter Mailing List" <<A
href="mailto:nfbsatx@nfbnet.org">nfbsatx@nfbnet.org</A>><BR>>>Sent:
Tuesday, September 13, 2011 11:17 AM<BR>>>Subject: Re: [Nfbsatx]
September Presidential Release<BR>>><BR>>><BR>>>First of
all, thank you Peter for sending us the direct link to
the<BR>>>presidential release. Now this way individuals have another
great<BR>>>opportunity to get a hold of this product. Now as to why
the<BR>>>presidential release is edited down a little bit for our
chapter<BR>>>meetings.<BR>>><BR>>> You are correct that
the presidential release has been a long time<BR>>>tradition in the
federation chapter meetings, but at no time has there<BR>>>ever been a
rule saying that they have to be played at all. So to<BR>>>state that
changing or modifying the recording may bring us problems,<BR>>>is a
bit outlandish and childish. Our national center puts
out<BR>>>materials for us to use at our own discretion in order to get
the<BR>>>message of the federation across to as many people as
possible.<BR>>><BR>>> We have been doing this for a while with
the understanding that we<BR>>>have new individuals coming out to
learn about the chapter and the<BR>>>organization and listening to a
20 minute presentation from someone<BR>>>they do not know talking
about things that are not familiar to them<BR>>>yet may turn them
away. So a little edited form of the release is<BR>>>presented to
introduce the federation’s doings on a national level and<BR>>>other
very important information. We also make sure that
everybody<BR>>>knows that these presidential releases are available to
all to listen<BR>>>to and download at their own time in the full
form.<BR>>><BR>>> The leadership and the majority of this
chapter agrees on what steps<BR>>>are being taken, if you have an
issue with how things are ran at our<BR>>>chapter, please make sure to
bring the issue up in the proper forum<BR>>>for
discussion!<BR>>><BR>>><BR>>><BR>>>Thank
you<BR>>><BR>>>A.
Z.<BR>>>President<BR>>><BR>>><BR>>><BR>>><BR>>><BR>>><BR>>>On
9/12/11, Peter Donahue <<A
href="mailto:pdonahue2@satx.rr.com">pdonahue2@satx.rr.com</A>>
wrote:<BR>>>> Good afternoon
everyone,<BR>>>><BR>>>> To insure you hear
the September 2011 Presidential Release in its<BR>>>> entirety you
will find the link below:<BR>>>><BR>>>> <A
href="http://www.nfb.org/images/nfb/Audio/pr/PR398.mp3"
target=_blank>http://www.nfb.org/images/nfb/Audio/pr/PR398.mp3</A><BR>>>><BR>>>>
Our national office works very hard to produce these every
month.<BR>>>> It's<BR>>>> our responsibility to be sure
they're played in their entirety during<BR>>>>
local<BR>>>> chapter and division meetings. There was content on
last month's<BR>>>> presidential release that would have been of
benefit to the new people<BR>>>> who<BR>>>> attended their
first chapter meeting. We have no right to prevent them<BR>>>>
from<BR>>>> learning about services like the Blio E-book reader.
Jim Gashel<BR>>>> demonstrated<BR>>>> it on the last
presidential release. He also does a demonstration on this<BR>>>>
month's release in connection with the announcement about
the<BR>>>> availability<BR>>>> of Mike Hingson's book
"Thunder Dog" now available in the Blio Bookstore.<BR>>>> I've
known Mike Hingson for many years and want people to be aware of
the<BR>>>> availability of Thunder Dog from all sources including
Blio. Our<BR>>>> presidential releases are a great way for
spreading the word.<BR>>>><BR>>>> Our
literature including our presidential releases are
intellectual<BR>>>> property of the National Federation of the
Blind. Altering its content in<BR>>>> any way opens us up to the
possibility of legal action something I and<BR>>>> others don't
want to see happen to our chapter. Dr. Maurer and I have<BR>>>>
discussed this matter in the past. He has discussed it with me
personally<BR>>>> and during a seminar I attended at our national
center in 2008 that was<BR>>>> held<BR>>>> for our
Webmasters.<BR>>>><BR>>>> Having
presidential releases played at local chapter meetings is a<BR>>>>
long-standing tradition in this movement. When I joined the
organization<BR>>>> in<BR>>>> 1976 presidential releases
were always played during chapter meetings.<BR>>>>
Like<BR>>>> Dr. Maurer Dr. Jernigan kept us informed about what the
organization was<BR>>>> doing around the country and what we could
do in our community to further<BR>>>> the work of the federation.
At no time were these releases ever altered<BR>>>>
just<BR>>>> because of time constraints. If we need more time for
the meeting to be<BR>>>> able<BR>>>> to play the
presidential releases please arrange for it Mr. President. I<BR>>>>
recall that we had 30 minutes after the last meeting took place time
that<BR>>>> could have been used to play the last presidential
release in its<BR>>>> entirety.<BR>>>><BR>>>>
Anyway enjoy the unadulterated version of this month's
Presidential<BR>>>> Release. Let's hope that what you hear by
following the link above is<BR>>>> what's<BR>>>> played at
Saturday's meeting. This kind of thing must stop! All the
best.<BR>>>><BR>>>> Peter
Donahue<BR>>>><BR>>>> "Will you come and awake our lost
land from its slumber<BR>>>> And her fetters
we'll break, links that long are encumbered.<BR>>>>
And the air will resound with hosannas to greet you<BR>>>>
On the shore will be found gallant Irishmen to greet
you."<BR>>>> Will You Come to the Bower<BR>>>> Traditional
Irish Folk Song<BR>>>><BR>>>><BR>>>>
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