[Ohio-talk] Buckeye Update

Tue Dec 17 04:35:03 UTC 2013

 Hi JW.
I am not saying that you or anyone else was not spending wisely. What I am saying is that some people were allowed to attend Convention when they weren't very good about attending sessions and meetings. I know that the hope was that after awhile the people who were not as committed would decide that the Federation were for them.
I know that we had nothing to worry about as far as what the money was used for. My problem is with the people who didn't appreciate it and who didn't and don't do anything to contribute in any way to the NFB.
I do not have a problem with helping those who cannot come to the Convention without Assistance.
I just want people to be told that if they do not actively participate inthe Convention or any other event where their way was partially or fully paid that they will not get assistance again.
I want this to be done privately and I do not want anyone to be embarrassed.
I guess I feel that if those of us with health concerns can attend all of the sessions and many of the other activities which make up a Convention there is no reason for others to do less.
Without naming names you and I know that there are some people who do as little as possible at Conventions. When you look for them they are never around.
It is unfortunate that we do not have the money to help more people to attend the Convention and I hope this changes.
I am sorry that some people who actively participate in the NFBO have not been able to attend lately.
Colleen

----- Original Message -----
From: Smith, JW <smithj at ohio.edu>
To: NFB of Ohio Announcement and Discussion List <ohio-talk at nfbnet.org>
Date: Monday, December 16, 2013 9:41 am
Subject: Re: [Ohio-talk] Buckeye Update

>
>
> Colleen, while I appreciate and agree with many of your comments here and I can not or will not speak for Barbara or Eric,  I want  everyone to know that even when we had more money I was always very careful as to how to use it for the best interest of the affiliate and especially when supporting those who wanted to attend Conventions and other affiliate sponsored and sanctioned events.
> 
> I think that their may be the perception on the part of some that when we had a lot of money, that we were not "as diligent" but let me assure you once again that was and has never been my experience in this affiliate.
> 
> I remember in the last few years of Barbara's Presidency, long phone conversations together trying to discuss how to best spend the affiliates funds especially given the financial requests we were facing at a particular time. Those conversations, helped me when I became President and it was my turn to wrestle with these often very complex issues an believe me you will never really know what that is like until you have to do it yourself or be intimately involved in the process.
> 
> This is not a rebuke of you Colleen, just an effort to clarify and address some of the perceptions and comments I have heard out their over the years concerning the affiliates financial support ok?
> 
> Nothing personal, just the facts!
> 
> Jw
> 
> Dr. JW Smith
> Associate Professor
> Interim Director of Honors Tutorial Studies
> School of Communication Studies
> Lasher Hall, Rm. 112
> Athens, OH 45701
> smithj at ohio.edu
> T: 740-593-4838
> F: 740-593-4810
> 
> ininAsk me about the newly revised Ohio Fellows Program or visit http://www.ohio.edu/univcollege/ohiofellows.cfm
> 
> "Regarding the past, change what you can, and can what you can't."
> "Our minds are like parachutes. They work best when they are open."
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Ohio-talk [mailto:ohio-talk-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of COLLEEN ROTH
> Sent: Sunday, December 15, 2013 4:44 PM
> To: ohio-talk at nfbnet.org
> Subject: Re: [Ohio-talk] Buckeye Update
> 
>  Hi Cheryl,
> I do want as many people to attend the Convention as possible and I am aware that many people do not have the income to attend without assistance.
> My concern is the people who attend any event and do not actively participate.
> When someone's way is paid by anyone to attend anything the expectation is there that the person will be an active participant and not use this opportunity as a Vacation.
> I am not against people having fun but I want people to pull their and attend the Sessions which is the main reason they are given assistance.
> No organization will just give people money to have a Vacation at xs' expense.
> I certainly feel that those who are attending any organizational meetings should be active participants or people we are trying to mentor.
> Those attending should help with fund raisers and help with their expenses to whatever extent the" are able to do so.
> Unfortunately at this time worke need to think ways to stimulate some donations to the NFBO.
> For many years we were fortunate to have a good fundraiser which meant that some of us got spoiled because we didn't have to work as hard to get the funds we needed.
> We were also able to help many people attend the Convention and we were not as careful when allocating funds to people who did nothing or very little or could not even be bothered to attend Sessions or the Banquet.
> I hope people are more concerned about participating when they have contributed more and that they will do more.
> I do agree that people will learn and be more involved when they attend a State or National Convention.
> It puts things into perspective and energeizes all of us.
> We would really need some phenomenal fundraising events to get as many people to the State and National Conventions as we would like to be able to do.
> The one caveat I have about getting people there is that those who do not attend Sessions and other meetings should not expect assistance in the future.
> This is not meanspirited, this is just good economics.
> It shouldn't matter where you live in the State, we should be able to get everyone to the Convention who wants to attend and we should be able to get that done with good fundraising.
> Local Chapters do need to do some fundraising to help this process along.
> Hats off to those who worked so hard on the Malley's Chocolate fundraiser.
> I do not know anything about smile_amazon_com but it might be good for some people who like to order online.
> I think the two Chapters in Cleveland could put on a good fundraiser and help a lot of people attend the Convention.
> When I suggested Toledo I wasn't indicating that I wouldn't work on such an event.
> We do need to think about the time it takes to get from one part of the State to the other when Conventions are planned.
> I am sure that if we got the money we wouldn't have any problem spending it to get people to the Convention.
> Colleen Roth
> President
> At Large Chapter
> NFB of Ohio
> 
> 
> 
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: Cheryl Fields <cherylelaine1957 at gmail.com>
> To: NFB of Ohio Announcement and Discussion List ohio-talk at nfbnet.org
> Date: Saturday, December 14, 2013 9:29 pm
> Subject: Re: [Ohio-talk] Buckeye Update
> 
> >
> >
> > Hi colleen,
> >
> > I respect your sentiments about the convention. Just 1 little item,
> > the word spoiled!
> > for the last 2 years the Cleveland Chapter has been able to work
> > towards providing transportation and room accomadations for first time
> > convention goers, outside of the present financial framework of the
> > nfb, this is actually a long held tradition of the Cleveland chapter.
> > Most recently, The Cleveland sight Center has contributed greatly
> > towards this effort and so have our own chapter members, and I might
> > add at a great sacrifice. We did this so that people would have the
> > experience. I realize there are some that look for handouts at every
> > turn, but these are not the folks I am speaking of.  For the continued
> > growth of the organization we must consider financial stabilityeaand
> > some ways to provide introductions to newer members at the state level
> > of nfb, and this requires funding. Very few groups and organizations
> > do not provide some assistance to members for cobentions. There are
> > several reasons behind this, first economics, all members are not on
> > the same economic playing field and need the assistance, secondly,
> > incentive, some members will blossom and become more involved after
> > attending a larger assembly, last but not least, the greater the
> > attendance the greater the exposure of the nfb to the community the
> > event is held in creating opportunities for education and an open
> > invitation to others that never herd of nfb. It is my opinion that we
> > must start somewhere to make our convention appealing to everyone.
> >  Toledo would be a great location for a convention and Cleveland is a
> > great location, too. The difference is that I am asking for future
> > consideration and volunteering to be part of the process. keeping with
> > inclusion and dibversity having people from other locations around the
> > state would add balance to the convention, where ever it is held. It
> > is entirely possible to be involved in planning from a remote
> > location, actually you can plan any event remotely quite nicely.
> > In the end, I am sure Eric, Richard, and the board will weigh all of
> > the factors and make intelligent decisions as we move forward.
> >
> > Stay Warm!
> >
> > Cheryl
> >
> >
> >
> > On 12/13/13, COLLEEN ROTH <n8tnv at att.net> wrote:
> > >  Hi Eric,
> > > Please check the dates for the 2014 Convention.
> > > I think you might want to send something changing the dates.
> > > Thanks,
> > >
> > > Colleen Roth
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > ----- Original Message -----
> > > From: Eric Duffy <eduffy at deltav.org>
> > > To: ohio-talk at nfbnet.org
> > > Date: Friday, December 13, 2013 3:55 pm
> > > Subject: [Ohio-talk] Buckeye Update
> > >
> > >>
> > >>
> > >> National Federation of the Blind of Ohio Buckeye Update, December
> > >> 13, 2013 It is Friday the 13th. For those of you who are
> > >> superstitious this is not a good day. For those who don't believe
> > >> in such things it is just another day, unless the thirteenth has
> > >> significance in your life for another reason. I thought of this
> > >> because I just passed a car accident while getting on the highway
> > >> to travel back home from Brookville.
> > >> The Board of Directors of the National Federation of the Blind of
> > >> Ohio met Tuesday evening. We had a good but short meeting.  I
> > >> appointed the committees that will do much of the work of the
> > >> organization in 2014. The committee appointments will be sent out
> > >> with the minutes of the meeting next week. Shelbi was very quick in
> > >> finishing the minutes, and we are now giving the board the chance
> > >> to look at them before sending them out.
> > >> I can tell you that it was decided that the 2014 and 2015
> > >> conventions will be in the Columbus area. Specifically we will be
> > >> at the Holiday Inn at 7007 North High Street in Worthington. The
> > >> date for the
> > >> 2014
> > >> convention is October 31 through November 2. Room rates are $76 plus tax.
> > >> I have been highly involved with planning conventions for this
> > >> organization for about 26 years. I first started traveling to look
> > >> at hotels with Barbara Pierce and Pat Eschbach. Once I demonstrated
> > >> my ability to select appropriate hotels for the organization and to
> > >> successfully negotiate with the hotels, Barbara turned the
> > >> responsibility for finding suitable convention sites over to me.
> > >> Yes Mary Pool chaired the convention committee for many years, and
> > >> she assisted me in this process. But the responsibility was mine,
> > >> and I didn't take it lightly. If all went well with the hotel,
> > >> people were happy, and Mary and I received a lot of praise. If
> > >> things didn't go well with the hotel, then our selection of hotels
> > >> was questioned. That really never happened.
> > >> Yes, we had a time or two when we said let's not go back to that
> > >> hotel, but by and large the membership has been pleased with the
> > >> hotels we have had and the rates we have enjoyed.
> > >> It seems to me that in the early part of this decade the board
> > >> decided that we should hold the convention in Columbus for several
> > >> years and we did that. We have been in the Dayton area for the last
> > >> three conventions.
> > >> I have come to understand that many who attend convention on a
> > >> regular basis prefer Columbus, because it is centrally located. We
> > >> have certainly discovered that we save money by holding our in
> > >> person board meetings in Columbus.
> > >> It seems to me that when everything else is equal among hotels,
> > >> people want a hotel that is easy to get to and good room rates.
> > >> Richard Payne once said to me that perhaps people would be willing
> > >> to pay a little more for a hotel with some extra amenities. I
> > >> believe that we must have a nice hotel that is affordable. Only
> > >> those who can afford to do so will attend the convention. Now that
> > >> we no longer have money to offer convention assistance
> > >> affordability is even more important than it was for many years.
> > >> We are in the Columbus area for the next two years, but we should
> > >> think about future conventions and whether or not we want to move
> > >> around the state each year as we once did.  Is moving around the
> > >> state important enough that we want to put time and resources in to
> > >> finding convention locations as we once did. This certainly food
> > >> for thought.
> > >> We have the money to make three scholarships available in 2014.
> > >> Deborah Kendrick chairs the scholarship committee and will get
> > >> applications out soon.
> > >> The folks at Malley's Chocolate have extended our ordering
> > >> opportunity through the end of the business day on Monday. We have
> > >> passed our sales goal of $1,000, but the Cleveland chapter is
> > >> putting together a nice order that won't be finalized until Monday.
> > >> So if you want Malley's chocolate the clock is ticking, but you still have time.
> > >>
> > >> The winter edition of the Buckeye Bulletin is out. It is another
> > >> good issue. I want to thank Barbara for her work and also thank
> > >> everyone who contributed to the issue. I read many affiliate
> > >> newsletters, and I am proud to say that ours is second to none.
> > >> This is a reminder that our friends at Vanda Pharmaceuticals are
> > >> running a campaign to raise awareness of Non-24 Hour Disorder and
> > >> raise funds for the National Federation of the Blind at the same time.
> > >> Non-24-Hour
> > >> Disorder (Non-24) is a serious circadian rhythm disorder that
> > >> causes significant nighttime sleep problems and a wide range of
> > >> daytime difficulties, including an overwhelming urge to sleep during the day.
> > >> According to Vanda, Non-24 affects nearly 70 percent of people who
> > >> are totally blind. Sign up to learn more about Non-24-Hour Disorder
> > >> by calling 1-855-856-2424, and a portion of $24, divided among
> > >> several other blindness organizations, will be donated to the NFB!
> > >> And even better, every time you share the program with someone you
> > >> know and he or she signs up, Vanda will make another $24 donation.
> > >> Sign up and spread the word! I have done this.
> > >> It
> > >> is an easy way to get a few dollars in to the treasury of our
> > >> national organization.
> > >> Next week Richard and I will to be traveling to Cleveland to meet
> > >> with the Director of the Cleveland Sight Center and to attend the
> > >> chapter Christmas party. I am looking forward to both things.
> > >> I will write again next week. Here is my last reminder about
> > >> Malley's.
> > >> The National Federation of the Blind of Ohio is conducting a
> > >> fundraising activity with Malley's Chocolates of Cleveland, Ohio.
> > >>
> > >> A website has been setup specifically for the National Federation
> > >> of the Blind of Ohio fundraising campaign. All purchases made on
> > >> that site will directly benefit the National Federation of the
> > >> Blind of Ohio. To connect to this site, please visit
> > >> http://www.malleys.com/national-federation-of-the-blind-of-ohio
> > >>
> > >> Thank you very much,
> > >> Eric Duffy, President National Federation of the Blind of Ohio
> > >>
> > >> http://www.malleys.com/national-federation-of-the-blind-of-ohio
> > >> Our mailing address is:
> > >> 13400 Brookpark Road
> > >> Cleveland, Ohio 44135
> > >> Contact us by phone: 1-800-275-6255
> > >> Fax: 1-800-211-0567
> > >> All website content C Copyright 2013 Malley's Chocolate. All rights
> > >> reserved.
> > >>
> > >>
> > >>
> > >> _______________________________________________
> > >> Ohio-talk mailing list
> > >> Ohio-talk at nfbnet.org
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> > >
> > > _______________________________________________
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> > >
> >
> >
> > his
> > Peace
> >
> > _______________________________________________
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