[nfb-talk] Convention

ckrugman at sbcglobal.net ckrugman at sbcglobal.net
Wed Aug 31 08:43:30 UTC 2011


Hi Heather,
The one size fits all approach that I was referring to deals with a feeling 
that all members need to be made aware of all aspects of the organizations 
activities as presented by the mass general sessions at conventions that can 
be drawn out without other events occurring at the same time that might hold 
the interests of attendees. I too have seen people with all levels of 
independence attending conventions and chapter activities and for those who 
are new to blindness and the NFB the conventions can be a positive 
experience. For one who was born blind it is very easy as well to overlook 
the adjustment processes that a newly blind person goes through as it is 
easy to take many things for granted. I think it is important to reach 
people in as many different ways as possible to provide useful information 
and services and to a large extent the NFB has done that. There are those of 
us whose level of militant participation in protests or other activities may 
be less than others when it comes to choosing and picking battles. While 
personally willing to fight battles in court for example I for one am not 
willing to get arrested in the name of demonstrating for a particular cause 
for professional reasons.
Chuck
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Heather Field" <missheather at comcast.net>
To: "NFB Talk Mailing List" <nfb-talk at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Thursday, August 04, 2011 3:56 PM
Subject: Re: [nfb-talk] Convention


> Hi Chuck,
> As the, organisation, is made up of individual members, and these members 
> work through chapters to implement the policies of the organisation, I am 
> very interested to hear more about your assertion that there is a 
> problematic single approach in implementation. I've been involved with 
> numerous chapters and divisions and we've used lots of approaches, 
> depending on the age/demographic of the folks we're working with. I 
> personally know of at least five new programmes that have been recently 
> developed and implemented. The programmes I'm thinking of have been 
> designed to meet the new blindness issues in education, and with rising 
> numbers of seniors,
> diabetics and veterans.  Please share more about your concerns regarding 
> your perceptions of the, one-size fits all aproach.
>
> Incidentally, John Heim's remark about the best of the best attending 
> convention appears to be based on a general lack of experience at 
> convention. I have personally met, and assisted, hundreds of blind 
> attendees who were clearly not those who could be described in this way. 
> If one takes the time to stop and meet and assist people at convention one 
> really does get to experience the real diversity that still exists among 
> the membership. While it is tempting to make statements about the 
> convention being attended only by highly competent, employed, "best of the 
> best, blind people, such statements are shear speculation and the 
> experience of large numbers of convention attendees who take time to help 
> other folks at convention demonstrate that these statements are patently 
> untrue.
>
> Regards,
> Heather
>
> -----Original Message----- 
> From: ckrugman at sbcglobal.net
> Sent: Monday, August 01, 2011 1:34 AM
> To: NFB Talk Mailing List
> Subject: Re: [nfb-talk] Convention
>
> Loren, these are very valid points. While I continue to support the
> principles of NFB I have become frustrated by many of the practices of the
>
> organization as they are antiquated and portray an approach that indicates
> a
> "one size fits all" mentality. There needs to be greater flexibility in
> many
> areas. There have been many successes such as the implementation of NFB
> newsline and court victories such as the Target law suit although it would
>
> have been nice had it been a broader one, just to name a couple.
> Chuck
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "Loren Wakefield" <isaiah5719 at mchsi.com>
> To: "NFB Talk Mailing List" <nfb-talk at nfbnet.org>
> Sent: Monday, July 11, 2011 8:06 PM
> Subject: Re: [nfb-talk] Convention
>
>
>> One sign that an organization of any kind is dying is when it takes the 
>> attitude, "we've never done it that way before".  Times are changing.
> An
>> organization or business cannot afford to chase people the same way they
>
>> did 20 30 years ago.  This in no way means they must change the corp 
>> beliefs of the organization.  But just because it wasn't done that way
> in
>> the past, is not a reason to do it now.  If that was the ccase, the
> blind
>> would not have made any advances at all.  We changed the paradigm out 
>> there, and fortunately, it is still changing.  Streaming is not just for
>
>> those who will not go to convention or can't go, it is a way to get the 
>> message out to the general public.  If we take the attitude that if you 
>> cant beg borrow or steal your way to convention, then you cant hear or 
>> share what happened or was said, then why publish a summary in the 
>> monitor?
>>
>> Like it or not, society is changing.  Who really cares if we change what
>
>> it means to be blind, and the blind are still two centuries behind the 
>> rest of the world?
>>
>>
>> ----- Original Message ----- 
>> From: "Peter Donahue" <pdonahue2 at satx.rr.com>
>> To: "NFB Talk Mailing List" <nfb-talk at nfbnet.org>
>> Sent: Monday, July 11, 2011 5:37 PM
>> Subject: Re: [nfb-talk] Convention
>>
>>
>>> Hello Lauren and everyone,
>>>
>>>    With that kind of outlook it's true. We've fought the dragons of
> hell
>>> to
>>> make it to convention and succeeded many times. We feel we've set a
> great
>>> example for others to follow.
>>>
>>> Peter Donahue
>>>
>>>
>>> ----- Original Message ----- 
>>> From: "Loren Wakefield" <isaiah5719 at mchsi.com>
>>> To: "NFB Talk Mailing List" <nfb-talk at nfbnet.org>
>>> Sent: Monday, July 11, 2011 4:29 PM
>>> Subject: Re: [nfb-talk] Convention
>>>
>>>
>>> The thing to do is get the stream working or not do it at all.  It
> sounds
>>> like we are getting it down.  Things will work better next time. 
>>> Streaming
>>> probably will benefit more than those who are already members as well. 
>>> And
>>> as much as we may wish to do so, it is impossible for all who want to 
>>> attend
>>> to do so.
>>>
>>>
>>> ----- Original Message ----- 
>>> From: "Peter Donahue" <pdonahue2 at satx.rr.com>
>>> To: "NFB Talk Mailing List" <nfb-talk at nfbnet.org>
>>> Sent: Monday, July 11, 2011 10:35 AM
>>> Subject: Re: [nfb-talk] Convention
>>>
>>>
>>>> Hello again everyone,
>>>>
>>>>    The ultimate solution is to quit complaining about the stream and 
>>>> start
>>>> now to plan to be with us in Dallas next year and at future Orlando
>>>> conventions. From what I hear there will be a lot of them.  Get busy 
>>>> now,
>>>> wrestle up the bucks now and we'll see you in Dallas and beyond.
>>>>
>>>> Peter Donahue
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> ----- Original Message ----- 
>>>> From: <bookwormahb at earthlink.net>
>>>> To: "NFB Talk Mailing List" <nfb-talk at nfbnet.org>
>>>> Sent: Sunday, July 10, 2011 2:30 PM
>>>> Subject: Re: [nfb-talk] Convention
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> Jim,
>>>> What do you mean? Are you saying the banquet wasn't available live due
>
>>>> to
>>>> technical issues?
>>>> I agree the convention is important to stream, but due to work and 
>>>> family
>>>> events, I only got to hear it a few times.
>>>> I heard it more live last year and it was very clear.
>>>>
>>>> Ashley
>>>>
>>>> -----Original Message----- 
>>>> From: James Aldrich
>>>> Sent: Sunday, July 10, 2011 1:48 PM
>>>> To: NFB Talk Mailing List
>>>> Subject: Re: [nfb-talk] Convention
>>>>
>>>> Hi Jim,
>>>>
>>>> The banquet wasn't available to me but I probably got in much too
> late!
>>>> I
>>>> think we need to show our leaders how important this streaming is to
> us
>>>> and
>>>> we need to keep it out front!  It is truly important and it does
> indeed
>>>> get
>>>> our message out!  I too enjoyed what I heard from the stream!
>>>>
>>>> Jim
>>>> ----- Original Message ----- 
>>>> From: "Jim" <jp100 at earthlink.net>
>>>> To: "Jim" <jp100 at earthlink.net>
>>>> Sent: Saturday, July 09, 2011 2:15 PM
>>>> Subject: [nfb-talk] Convention
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>> Hello everyone,
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> It sounds like it was a wonderful convention.  Once the streams got
> to
>>>>> working right, I was able to hear and see what all was going on.
> Very
>>>>> informative.  The banquet was also great last night.  A few times,
> the
>>>>> stream went out, but again, that was temporary.  I was able to get
> most
>>>>> of
>>>>> the speech.
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> Anyway, for all who went, I hope you had a great time and I'm glad
> that
>>>>> those of us who couldn't go could at least take part in the listening
>
>>>>> of
>>>>> the
>>>>> sessions.
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> Jim
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> _______________________________________________
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>>>>
>>>>
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