[Nfbf-l] Important: Submitted for your Approval --ProposedConstitutional Amendment.

Sat May 19 23:47:03 UTC 2012

If I were a due paying member, I would vote no as well. Who I vote for is no 
one's concern. RJ
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Holly" <hbeanie at gmail.com>
To: "NFB of Florida Internet Mailing List" <nfbf-l at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Saturday, May 19, 2012 7:25 PM
Subject: Re: [Nfbf-l] Important: Submitted for your 
Approval --ProposedConstitutional Amendment.


> Kathy,
> I tend to agree with you. I would also like a different way to collect the 
> secret ballot, as well. I have seen people change the ballots as they were 
> past down the isle. At that point, I did not feel that I could do anything 
> about it.
> Holly
>
> Sent from my iPhone
>
> On May 19, 2012, at 7:18 PM, "Kathy Davis" <kdavisnfbf at cfl.rr.com> wrote:
>
>> Hi Dan,
>>    I totally oppose your proposed amendment to the NFBF Constitution.
>> You and I have always held differing opinions on the matter of secret
>> ballots.
>>    The fact is that I do not want to stand up publically or even raise
>> my hand so members will know exactly how I vote. I may respect several
>> members running for office but I do not want them to be cognizant of how 
>> I
>> choose to vote.  Hurt feelings that can be long-lasting in nature would
>> likely result.
>>    Even though the majority of the voting members are blind, many have
>> enough vision to see how folks cast their votes and of course, we have 
>> many
>> sighted members who will also be part of the election process. Don't 
>> think
>> for a minute that a given candidate will not learn from other members 
>> what
>> they observed pertaining to how others cast their votes
>>    To take my position a bit further and a little more concrete, let me
>> add an example. It's a really terrible situation when two of my really 
>> good
>> friends are running for the same office such as Second Vice President. 
>> This
>> situation has occurred on numerous occasions throughout the years I have
>> been part of the NFBF. For example, let's say that Sherrill O'Brien is
>> running against Gloria Hicks. I may choose to vote for Gloria but I would
>> feel horrible for Sherrill to know that I voted against her because I 
>> value
>> both candidates' friendship. After all, we are an organization that has
>> worked for years and years for voters to have the right to vote in secret
>> and in private.
>>    Sorry my friend, but I can never support your amendment! Moreover,
>> elections are far too important to get caught up in making our elections 
>> be
>> over and done with in the quickest manner possible. If only one voting
>> member is uncomfortable about voting publically, that member should have 
>> the
>> right to call for a secret ballot. I hope others will jump in and share
>> their views on this matter.
>>
>>
>> Your friend and longtime colleague,
>>
>> Kathy Davis
>>
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: nfbf-l-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nfbf-l-bounces at nfbnet.org] On 
>> Behalf
>> Of Dan Hicks
>> Sent: Saturday, May 19, 2012 1:47 PM
>> To: 'NFB of Florida Internet Mailing List'
>> Subject: [Nfbf-l] Important: Submitted for your Approval --
>> ProposedConstitutional Amendment.
>>
>> Fellow NFBF Members,
>>
>>
>>
>> As Rod Serling used to say in the beginning minutes of "The Twilight 
>> Zone,"
>> 'Submitted for your approval."
>>
>>
>>
>> Some of you may recall that at our 2011 NFBF Convention, we approved an
>> amendment to the constitution which changed and simplified the way 
>> chapters
>> designate their representatives.
>>
>>
>>
>> During this convention, I mentioned another amendment that I wish to see
>> passed, and will be voted on at this year's convention.
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> ARTICLE IV:  ELECTIONS
>>
>>
>>
>> Now reads:
>>
>>
>>
>> ARTICLE IV:  ELECTIONS
>>
>>
>>
>> Elections shall be conducted by a majority vote of the active members
>> present and voting at an annually held business meeting.  Election shall 
>> be
>> by voice vote, standing vote, show of hands, roll call vote, or secret
>> ballot.  Secret marked ballots shall be required upon the request of any
>> active member present and voting.  There shall be no proxy voting.  If no
>> nominee receives a majority vote on the first ballot, the name of the 
>> person
>> receiving the fewest votes shall be dropped from the list of nominees, 
>> and a
>> second ballot shall be taken.  This procedure shall continue until one of
>> the nominees has received a majority vote from the active members present
>> and voting.
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> Proposed Change:
>>
>>
>>
>> ARTICLE IV:  ELECTIONS
>>
>>
>>
>> Elections shall be conducted by a majority vote of the active members
>> present and voting at an annually held business meeting.  Election shall 
>> be
>> by voice vote, standing vote, show of hands, roll call vote, or secret
>> ballot.  Secret marked ballots shall be required upon the request of a
>> majority of the active member present and voting.  There shall be no 
>> proxy
>> voting.  If no nominee receives a majority vote on the first ballot, the
>> name of the person receiving the fewest votes shall be dropped from the 
>> list
>> of nominees, and a second ballot shall be taken.  This procedure shall
>> continue until one of the nominees has received a majority vote from the
>> active members present and voting.
>>
>>
>>
>> I am putting this out now so that we can talk about it and debate its 
>> merits
>> via NFBF-L before the start of convention.
>>
>>
>>
>> Let me just say that we spend something like 45 minutes each convention
>> passing out, collecting, and counting secret ballots at our conventions.
>> This year, the number of offices up for vote could make this time grow to 
>> an
>> hour or more. We usually have about 120 people voting the final day of
>> convention. That's 120 collective hours - the equivalent of five 
>> twenty-four
>> hour days - of valuable convention time that we waste on a procedure 
>> which a
>> majority of us may not want.
>>
>>
>>
>> Please note that my proposed amendment does not eliminate secret 
>> balloting;
>> it just changes our constitution to call for a secret ballot only if the
>> majority of the members present and voting wish to have it.
>>
>>
>>
>> Please take a look at this and give it your consideration. Feel free to
>> share your thoughts.
>>
>>
>>
>> Dan Hicks, President
>>
>> NFB of Florida
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> "It's a shallow life that doesn't give a person a few scars."
>>
>>
>>                                                     -Garrison Keillor
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
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>
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