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

Sun May 20 18:42:44 UTC 2012

Hi Kirk,
This sounds like a good idea, except it would cause a conflict with the 
part of the consistution that says nominations must be allowed from the floor.
Cathy-Alice
Original message:
> Dan, Let  me throw this at all to ponder! What if we had a set time frame in
> which all Florida chapters held an election locally for their state
> candidates prior to the convention and elected a delegate to attend the
> general assembly representing those votes in their prospective
> chapters(perhaps the  delegate could be one of their chapter board
> members?(. This would give our less financially able, or members with ill
> health  the ability to feel like they are still able to contribute to a part
> of our state decisions as well as bring less people, more votes to the
> floor! I do not believe this will reduce our attendance any, as most that
> wish to go will continue. It will just simplify our voting and the time
> involved as well as allow all of us when we cannot attend the good feeling
> of at least being able to contribute our vote and still be heard, albeit it
> silently if prefered. It would be Democracy at it's best! The individual
> chapters could even  vote  by secret ballot if necessary, and their chapter
> board could tally them and submit a ssealed count for the state conventions
> general assembly to validate! Just an idea from one  ,member. Kirk


> Kirk Harmon
> DA V national blind chapter
> Life member

> BVA/FRG
> Life member

> NFB & FCB
> member
> " A smile can change a persons life, try it sometime!"
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Cathy Koyanagi" <cakoyanagi at samobile.net>
> To: <kdavisnfbf at cfl.rr.com>
> Cc: <nfbf-l at nfbnet.org>
> Sent: Saturday, May 19, 2012 11:23 PM
> Subject: Re: [Nfbf-l] Important: Submitted for your
> Approval --ProposedConstitutional Amendment.


> Easy fix is to have each person put their ballot into an envelope and
> seal it, then they can be picked up by designated election officials.
> Cathy-Alice

> Original message:
>> Holly,
>>         Do you mean that you observed people tearing off an additional
>> corner or tearing off a corner when there was no corners torn off? I
>> really
>> do not see any way around that. I want each person to put their ballot in
>> the container for counting so there can be no alterations.

>> Kathy


>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: nfbf-l-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nfbf-l-bounces at nfbnet.org] On
>> Behalf
>> Of Holly
>> Sent: Saturday, May 19, 2012 7:26 PM
>> To: NFB of Florida Internet Mailing List
>> 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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