[Ohio-talk] Chapter building advise from our national board member

[Rachel Kuntz]

On February 29th the NFB of Ohio membership committee was treated to a guest
appearance by NFB Board Member, Ms. Ever Lee Hairston. She offered a variety
of sage advice that is worthy of sharing on our Ohio distribution list. Read
over her thoughts and add to the discussion if your chapter is doing
something interesting that helps build membership. This way we can all learn
from your proven success and creativity.

 

Ever Lee Hairston's Advice:

 

.        Members at the chapter level are the grassroots of the National
Federation of the Blind. The NFB is currently focusing on membership
development

.        We should know the history of our organization.

.        All of us have something we can contribute to the organization. No
one person should bare all of the responsibility. Having a role to play will
make members feel more connected to the group.

.        Chapters and divisions should be sure to send updated officer lists
to the national office in Baltimore. Among other reasons why this should be
done, they will publish the list in the Braille Monitor.

.        Chapters should have standing committees which report business to
the chapter President and board.

.        Meetings should follow a consistent schedule. Frequent changes to
the date, location, and time of meeting make it difficult for members and
new people to join.

.        Maintain a list of members and a separate list of those who have
attended meetings but have not yet joined in order to keep in contact.

.        Assign someone to call people to encourage them to come to
meetings. Emails are nice but a phone call adds a personal touch. 

.        Food is nice to have but should not be the focus of the meeting.
There is no right way to do this. Whether your group has a meal together
before, after, or some other time, keep in mind that the meeting should not
be interrupted by food.

.        Assign a member to the role of meeting hostess. This person can
assist people while they make themselves comfortable and take visitor
information from guests.

.        Make sure the meeting starts on time. 

.        Chapter presidents should begin each meeting with a quick reading
of the agenda. This way those who have something to offer to the group can
get the approval to discuss it at a specific point in the meeting. This
approach will create a sense of structure. People will know when or if they
will have the chance to talk.

.        Recite the NFB one minute message.

.        Read the Treasurers report and minutes from the last meeting. 

.        Always play the NFB President's Message. This is very important
because it connects the chapter to the larger organization. It is available
in a variety of formats. Assign someone to the task of having one of the
formats ready to go for the meeting. The President's Message is undergoing
positive changes so stay tuned.

.        Discuss new and old business. Don't forget to include state and
local fundraising efforts. These projects make it possible for all of us to
benefit from membership to the NFB

.        Committee reports should be extremely brief. This is not the time
to provide a detailed discussion of the most recent committee meeting. Share
full reports with committee members, board, and the chapter President
outside of the chapter meeting. The purpose of committees is to tackle
projects and other things assigned by the President. Limit discussions that
require decisions to those authorized by the President prior to the chapter
meeting. This is to help make this portion of the meeting go as quickly as
possible.

o   Readers Note: see also Eric Duffy's email dated March 1, 2016 subject
"listservs, and other things" for more details about reporting committee
minutes

.        In lieu of a guest speaker, select someone (prior to the meeting)
to play a favorite article from the Braille Monitor then have a quick
discussion about it.

o   Reader's Note: Ever Lee Hairston will have an article in the April
edition that is perfect for this purpose.

.        Auction an item or have some other means of raising money while at
the meeting. For example: members pay a fine if they don't wear their NFB
pin to the meeting.

.        For more information about building a chapter read Barbara Pierce's
Braille Monitor article from a few years ago. 

o   Reader's Note: Chapter Presidents can email off list to request a copy
of this article. See also the NFB website for membership resources and
literature about this topic. https://nfb.org/literature-affiliates-chapters 

 

Ever Lee's closing remarks were especially meaningful to me. She said that
she owes all that she is today to finding the NFB. She recited the NFB one
minute message by memory. Taking each word to heart as she works to raise
expecations and change lives. Ms. Hairston quoted Maya Angeleu "I rise" to
sum up her belief in our individual power to live the life we want.

 

Here is the one minute message:

 

The National Federation of the Blind knows that blindness is not the
characteristic that defines you or your future. Every day we raise the
expectations of blind people, because low expectations create obstacles
between blind people and our dreams. You can live the life you want;
blindness is not what holds you back.

 

Your friend,

 

Rachel Kuntz

937 245-0547