[VABS] February VABS Call: Attendance Necessary

Wed Jan 31 16:58:58 UTC 2018

Ashley

I appreciate your words. I truly think that your insight is needed on the
VABS call. Please find a way to call n on Thursday. Also, if you take
courses from time to time, you are still considered a student under our
constitution. Please do not hesitate to join in on this list more or call in
and join us in events. I am 28 years old and there is a board member in his
40s, so age is not an indicator of whether you can be associated with the
division.

Thanks

Robert E. Parsons Jr.
President, Richmond Chapter
President, Virginia Association of Blind Students
National Federation of the Blind of Virginia
President, French Club
Secretary, Caribbean American Student Alliance
Phi Theta Kappa International Honor Society '15
Randolph Macon College '18 
Phone: 804 801 7674
"Without struggle, there is no progress." -Frederick Douglass

-----Original Message-----
From: VABS [mailto:vabs-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Ashley Bramlett via
VABS
Sent: Friday, January 26, 2018 9:00 PM
To: Virginia Association of Blind Students list <vabs at nfbnet.org>
Cc: Ashley Bramlett <bookwormahb at earthlink.net>
Subject: Re: [VABS] February VABS Call: Attendance Necessary

Hi Robert,

I hope you get some good attendance for the call!

That's such a great idea to organize a retreat. I'm no longer a full time
student but I do pick up electives here and there to continue learning as I
look for employment.

When I was in my college years and younger, I did try VABS and one
disappointment I found was the lack of cohesion and lack of networking with
peers. I always felt isolated on campus and like I was the only one with
struggles to access the class materials. At my first college, George Mason,
I was not the only low vision student, yet with such a large campus, I never
saw the other students with visual disabilities. It was rare to talk to
other vabs students between conventions although one or two people did chat
with me some.
I think my experience with VABS would have been richer and more meaningful
had I had activities which you are organizing.

Learning how to do things to succeed in higher education and other life
skills are important. Having the opportunity to network with peers and
socialize is also  real important. I'm not sure what the complicating
factors are here and the general affiliate's  questions, but it seems to me
that getting together to have fun and also network is in line with NFB
mission.
Its one thing to preach philosophy, and another thing to live it.
If we want to show the world we are equals and do whatever everyone else
does, then what better way to do it than to do fun activities on a retreat. 
This is a real world activity and not just talking about philosophy. I'm
sure you can throw in a small philosophy talk as well.
I'm not sure what you had planned, but when I think of retreats, I think of
a camp site such as a lodge or cabins.
In this setting, you can do things like play games indoors and outdoors,
talk, walks or hikes and maybe even have a campfire and roast marshmallows.

Hopefully there will be enough support all around and it goes through.

Good luck!

Ashley

-----Original Message-----
From: Robert Parsons via VABS
Sent: Friday, January 26, 2018 9:26 AM
To: 'Virginia Association of Blind Students list'
Cc: Robert Parsons
Subject: [VABS] February VABS Call: Attendance Necessary

Good Morning VABS

I hope that you all are well. I am writing to discuss the VABS call this
coming month. The VABS call will take place on Thursday, February 1, 2018 at
8pm. This call is very important for a few reasons. First, we will be
discussing the national scholarship. Secondly, we will be discussing the
status of the potential VABS summer retreat in depth. At this point, some
people were not pleased with the location that was chosen for the retreat.
This is an issue because the reasoning behind it is layered in different
concerns that I need all of you to listen to and determine if this is a
place you want to have this event at. Furthermore, there is a concern from
the affiliate because they don't know if a social retreat is something they
want to support. I believe all your opinions were that you wanted to have a
social experience and not so much of a structured philosophical one like we
did last year in Baltimore. If this is still the case, your voices need to
be heard at this conference call. I do not mind the board and I going to bat
for what you guys want, but attendance has not been very high the last two
months on the calls. If you do not show up to the call and speak on what you
want to do at this event, I cannot guarantee that what you want to see will
happen or that you will be attending the event if it does happen. Please
take the time to call in next Thursday.

Thanks

Robert E. Parsons Jr.

President, Richmond Chapter

President, Virginia Association of Blind Students

National Federation of the Blind of Virginia

President, French Club

Secretary, Caribbean American Student Alliance

Phi Theta Kappa International Honor Society '15

Randolph Macon College '18

Phone: 804 801 7674

"Without struggle, there is no progress." -Frederick Douglass

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