[NFBV-Potomac-Announce] FW: John, please send out to Potomac Chapter

[John Halverson]

-----Original Message-----
From: Christine Grassman [mailto:cfgrassman at icloud.com] 
Sent: Saturday, May 2, 2020 3:15 PM
To: John Halverson <jwh100 at outlook.com>
Subject: John, please send out to Potomac Chapter

Sssssssh. What’s that I hear? Lots of text alerts from FAcebook, Zoom, my calendars, and email . . . but not a one in answer to my email requesting fund-raising, chapter activity, and membership ideas. Hey, I know you all have time on your hands, just as I do. So put down that glass of wine — just for a minute . . . no judgment, I just don’t want you to spill it . . . and wash the chocolate off your hands, and put the ice cream carton that you’ve been eating out of away for just a few moments, and revisit the below. I implore you.
Dear Friends:
I want to thank the chapter and the nominating committee once again for your faith in me and for this honor and welcome challenge. 
I never imagined I might take the helm of a chapter in such circumstances, and we are all going to have to put extra energy, effort, and creativity into building our chapter, preparing for our state convention, and mustering the motivation to move past the current uncertainties and troubles. 
I would like to ask each and every one of you to give serious thought to three things over the coming weeks, and either call me or email me with your answers and suggestions.
First, fund-raising is going to be a particular challenge this year. As we have been forced to reduce our support for various funds, individuals, businesses, and sponsors of all kinds will be unable to be as generous as they have been in the past, or might have been had we been given an opportunity to request assistance in better times.  I would like at least one idea from every member on how we might be able to build our treasury despite the current economic challenges.  
Second, I would like each of you to consider your greatest strengths and the ways you imagine yourself assisting with building our chapter and preparing for the state convention. Are you an organizer?  Are you someone who likes to write, speak, coordinate meetings, gatherings, and/or activities?  Are you a really tech-savvy person?  Do you have particular cooking, artistic, building, or other skills that might offer an interesting learning activity for fellow Federationists, or for the creation of door prizes, auction items, etc.?
Do you have a talent such as sculpting, playing an instrument, singing, comedy, teaching fitness, dancing, or martial arts, creative writing? These could also be great chapter activities or Meet the Blind Month activities.
Do you feel that there is a significant issue that requires collective response locally or beyond?
Do you like to write letters, meet with community leaders, make phone calls, prepare slogans, or flyers?
Every one of you has something to contribute, individually and/or as part of a committee.
Please let me know what strengths you would like to use in meeting our goals.
Finally, what are particular activities, events, gatherings, etc., that you believe would be opportunities for us to get together as a chapter, or in gatherings with other chapters? 
From a picnic in a park to something perhaps none of us has considered, put your ideas forward, and contemplate whether you might wish to reach out to individuals or merchants who could provide those opportunities for us. When things open up around here, I don’t know about you, but I’m going to want to dive in and make a splash.
I am so looking forward to being in actual physical proximity to my local Federation family again, but in the meantime, please feel free to call, email, text, etc. with ideas, to chat, or for whatever reason. 
Send the texts you want. Make the calls you want. Live the lives you want.
Christine Faltz Grassman
President
Potomac Chapter
National Federation of the Blind of Virginia cfgrassman at icloud.com
(917) 657-6879