[Ohio-talk] chapter building

[richard]

On the Art of Chapter Organizing
by Parnell Diggs
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The National Federation of the Blind of South Carolina has sixty local NFB
chapters, three of which are statewide divisions. South Carolina takes pride
in our many chapters and high membership numbers, and we would like to share
with other affiliate leaders some of the lessons we have learned about the
art of chapter organizing. 
	South Carolina is a rural state, but we have never let that
discourage us. A prolific chapter organizer is capable of clearing the mind
of any preconceived notions about a given locality, such as how densely or
sparsely populated it is or whether a good transit system exists in the
area. If you think hard enough, you can always find an abundance of reasons
not to organize and thereby deny a potential superstar a chance to learn of
the National Federation of the Blind. In short, anywhere can be a good place
to start a chapter.
Not all of our chapters have a hundred members, but they all have a
president. The president is the most important component of a successful
chapter. A supporting cast is helpful, but a chapter without a good
president will soon die on the vine. 
>From time to time I receive phone calls from those seeking assistance or
information about services or employment opportunities or from someone new
in the area who just wants to get involved. Blind people in the state
contact me about scholarships, discrimination, or custody issues based on
blindness. I consider all of these people potential chapter presidents. This
is so whether I am talking with someone in an area with a thriving chapter
or no chapter at all. 
If a chapter is in the area, you should put that person in touch with the
chapter president. When no chapter is in the area, you should keep in touch
with that person and begin cultivating his or her interest in the NFB. Even
if the caller is not presidential material, he or she is still a potential
member. I have never met a blind person who could not benefit from
membership in the National Federation of the Blind. But don't be quick to
write anyone off as a potential leader.
You are looking for a chapter president, not a national leader. Some chapter
presidents will ultimately become national leaders, but you do not have to
make this determination during the first contact. When you set up an
organizing meeting in the caller's area, invite him or her to it. Do not
discuss the chapter presidency until and unless you and that person have
reached a threshold level of comfort; this may not occur until the first
organizing meeting.
As for planning the organizing meeting, you should pick a time and place and
send invitations to as many blind people in the area as possible. How do you
find people? First and foremost, rely on the blind people you already know
in the area to spread the word and encourage others to come. A personal
invitation is the most effective way to get people to show up. Prepare a
letter inviting local people to the meeting. In the letter discuss the NFB's
mission and accomplishments. Enclose a reply card and keep track of
responses. 
It is usually good to have food at an organizing meeting; it is not
required, but people will usually show up for free food. In your letter you
can say that you are sponsoring a dinner for blind residents of the area. We
recently had sixty-three turn out for a dinner at a popular restaurant. 
You might want to give the letter (ready to mail) to your state
rehabilitation agency or your state library for the blind and ask them to
distribute it for you. Occasionally they will give you names confidentially.
Do not breach this confidence. Begin a database of contacts in the area from
the responses you receive. This is your information, and from then on you
will not have to rely on others to put you in touch with blind people in the
community.
In rural areas it is particularly easy to talk with the postmaster about who
receives Free Matter for the Blind in the area served by that post office.
Postal officials will usually be glad to help if you tell them about the
programs and services we offer. Give them a Kernel Book or another
publication of the National Federation of the Blind. Local Lions Clubs,
churches, cab companies, and other transportation services may also be good
referral sources. Remember, maintain your own file for later reference.
The state president or designated affiliate officers should conduct the
organizing meeting. Be sure to encourage discussion and take note of those
who ask good questions and appear genuinely interested in the proceedings.
These people are your potential officers. I presided at a meeting a few
years ago and noticed one woman sitting at the front of the room who
responded to questions put to the audience, asked questions of her own, and
offered solutions to the issues raised throughout the discussion. I had
never met this woman before, and we had not talked on the phone. I did not
know of her before she started speaking up at the meeting. I asked what her
name was and made a mental note of it. She continued to contribute
positively throughout the meeting. When the meeting was about to conclude, I
recommended that she be elected president. She was shocked and unprepared,
but she accepted. She is now a state leader and one of our best chapter
presidents. 
You must prepare for one other thing in organizing a chapter if you want
your efforts to pay off; you need to plan for the second meeting. If you do
not, it may not happen. While you are presiding at the organizing meeting,
discuss a second meeting time and place with the new members. Food does not
have to be involved at the second gathering, but snacks might be helpful.
Keep in touch with the new president about the second meeting. When it is
over, call the new president and ask how it went. Even thriving chapters are
an illness or a re-location away from falling apart. You need to stay in
touch with the president and help in any way you can. A good chapter is
defined, not by its size, but by whether it meets regularly, conducts
activities that educate the public and raise money for the organization, and
sends representatives to national and state meetings. 
Once the chapter has been organized, the real work begins. It is impossible
just to start a chapter and forget about it. Keeping the chapter strong and
active is an ongoing business that requires a continuous commitment from
chapter and affiliate leaders. Geography and population do not a good
chapter make. It all comes down to the chapter leaders and the support they
receive from the state affiliate.
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Tips for Finding Future Federationists

	One of the challenges we face as we try to organize new chapters and
increase membership in the National Federation of the Blind is locating
blind people. The following suggestions have proven effective for chapters
across the country. We hope that they will help you begin to think
creatively about how to find future Federationists.
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Personal Contacts
When looking for future NFB members, one of your best resources is personal
contact with others.
*	Current Federation members: One of the most effective ways to find
future Federationists is through current Federation members. Most of us know
other blind people, and current members are one of your most important
resources.
*	The blind people we locate: New blind people we find can also be a
resource to find other contacts in the area, even if they are not interested
in the Federation themselves. Often people are still willing to give you
other names.
*	Chance meetings: We often encounter blind people at the bus stop or
in the grocery store. Don't let these opportunities pass you by.
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Blindness-Related Organizations 
You may be able to obtain lists or have NFB mailings sent through the
following blindness-related organizations:
*	Braille Monitor, Future Reflections, NFB-NEWSLINER, and other NFB
lists
*	Regional libraries for the blind
*	Vocational rehabilitation agencies
*	Adult orientation centers
*	Paratransit
*	Adaptive equipment distributors
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Other Organizational Contacts
You might also have some success locating individual blind people through
the following organizations. It probably works best to make an appearance
rather than a phone call. People will be more likely to share information
with you in person:
*	Post offices 
*	Churches
*	Elementary and secondary schools
*	Universities-office of the student government, the student
newspaper, and other organizations 
*	Senior citizen centers
*	Ophthalmologists' offices and other medical facilities
*	Cab companies
*	Restaurants