[Oabs] Committee feedback

[brennenkinch at gmail.com]

I a am sorry i wasn't at the last meeting i was just getting over a cold and wasn't feeling well

Sent from my iPhone

> On Jan 18, 2015, at 4:22 PM, Kaiti Shelton via Oabs <oabs at nfbnet.org> wrote:
> 
> Hi all,
> 
> I've said before that if there is a problem with OABS that I hoped the
> individual(s) who felt it to be a problem would come to me.  I've
> mentioned that I can only fix something if I know that it is
> bothersome to someone, and I am holding that to myself as well as you.
> Communication is the key to any organization's success, so I'm taking
> this opportunity to do with you as I hope you all would do with me and
> your committee leaders.
> 
> There is a problem with attendance.  We've heard that time and time
> again, especially since Emily and Aleeha have been vocal about it as
> well in the past few months.  Both committees are struggling to
> achieve quorem, and I mentioned in a previous email that our business
> meeting on Thursday had to be canceled for the same reason.  Emily,
> Macy, and I were the only ones there.  Elif tried to call in but
> somehow could not get through, and Aleeha had an emergenc come up.
> 
> The problem I see in this is that the board is not OABS.  The monthly
> meetings are not meant to be conducted between the five of us, and
> though we hold officer positions and some chair committees, we can't
> do the work of OABS by ourselves.  For a long time everyone in OABS
> was on the board because we barely had enough people to fill the
> cabinet, but now the board makes up less than half of the division.
> The board has its own time to meet separate from the monthly calls.
> 
> According to our constitution, meetings can be conducted with just 25
> percent of active members present.  While this would be perfectly fine
> and normal if we had even 20 members, this means that having just 3 on
> the call like we did is a judgement call, since one can't have part of
> a person to constitute a proper 25 percent.  While I trust the board
> to advise in decisions related to the division, it isn't right for the
> board to have to make all the decisions without input from general
> members on calls.  That would be akin to congress men and women never
> taking the concerns of their constituents into account by never
> inviting them to speak before senate committees, or discuss matters
> with them.  I know Emily and Aleeha especially are offering several
> opportunities for members to provide input on membership and
> fundraising efforts, but they're just not getting any feedback to
> assist them in their work.
> 
> So, I'm asking you, and I hope that this email will not fall on deaf
> ears as my last one has appeared to. What is difficult or challenging
> about the committee meetings and the general set up of OABS as it
> stands now?  Everyone said they could make the calls on Thursdays, so
> I'm a little puzzled by the poor turn out not just at this past
> meeting, but at committee meetings where Emily and Aleeha have also
> checked with everyone involved for times that would work for everyone.
> Any ideas on why this is happening would be very useful to Emily,
> Aleeha, and I, and would give us the chance to rectify any problems
> that are keeping these committees and general meetings from being
> successful.
> 
> One last piece of food for thought.  If you paid dues you are
> considered an active member of this organization.  If you pay dues and
> then don't show to meetings, you're counted against quorem.  If
> multiple people pay dues and remain on the periphery of involvement,
> it seriously damages the group's ability to do work because by not
> showing to meetings you're striking a blow to our quorem.  The message
> I'm trying to send is not one of a "get on one side of the fence," but
> I just hope you will consider why you joined, and why you said you
> wanted to be involved.  Everyone seemed so enthusiastic about OABS in
> our meeting at convention in November, so I'm wondering where that
> enthusiasm has gone.  Another way to look at it is that you paid for
> membership, so shouldn't you get the most out of it by attending?
> 
> I'm looking forward to any feedback you may be able to provide.
> Emily, Aleeha, and I all want the committees and general meetings to
> be successful, and with feedback we can address any problems which we
> do not yet know of.
> -- 
> Kaiti Shelton
> University of Dayton 2016.
> Music Therapy, Psychology, Philosophy
> President, Ohio Association of Blind Students
> Sigma Alpha Iota-Delta Sigma
> 
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