[Mt-blind] Points to ponder

[James Aldrich]

Hello all,

It is time I wade in on this discussion.  My Outlook express and computer
prevented me from sending what I tried to write yesterday so I'll start
afresh!  I have been a member of the MAB since 1970.  I think I know
something of what I speak.  I don't proclaim to know everything by any means
but I certainly  did speak to Leila Proctor and Mike Maloney who are no
longer with us!  I of course read about and witnessed to some extent things
which happened in the 60s and 70s.  Much of this history I refer to is still
on the web with back issues of the Braille Monitor, the official monthly
publication of the National Federation Of the Blind as well as one of our
books known as Walking Alone and Marching Together.  I'm certain others who
witnessed these same events would concur with some of what I'm about to
write!  I have served as a chapter President and Secretary of the
Yellowstone Chapter and I'm presently District Five Representative on the
MAB Board at the time of this writing!

I for one appreciate anyone blind and sighted alike who will work with us as
we strive to meet the goals and objectives of our organization especially
the provisions in our mission statement.  We all have our strengths and
weaknesses.  We all have something we are capable of doing better than
others.  We are talented differently from one another.  It is when we put
our best efforts together,  things can happen!  If we were playing music in
a band and we insisted on playing different tunes rather than the same one,
the music would sound very chaotic!  I believe this applies to an
organization!  If we don't have many of the same understandings, we don't
have the same goals and purposes, we will reap chaos!  We would be
continually arguing about whose objectives are more important and worthwhile
thus getting nothing done!  Even though there should be a spirit about us
for working towards the common good of all blind persons, and we should as
much as possible have a unity of purpose, there still should be room for
discussion as to how we should best meet our objectives.  A number of you
will buy a new car when you feel it will better serve your transportation
needs!  Perhaps a previously owned vehicle will still be a favorite of yours
and you may talk about it from time to time with fond memories attached to
it!  Then again, you seem to be happy with your new car or newer used car
for that matter!  I believe these cars certainly needed some maintenance,
fuel to run it, oil changes, new tires, and other maintenance which goes
with owning and operating an automobile!  I think our organization is in
many ways like that automobile!  We too need to review why we are an
organization, why we have organized in the first place, and where are we
headed so we can still remain a relevant and viable organization in this day
and time and well into the future.  In order to know where we are going, we
must clearly understand where we started out from, (our history), where we
have been as our organization grew and where we are heading in the future.
The MAB as we know it today wasn't the same in the early days!  I've heard
stories of Board meetings which were continual shouting matches and people
were brutal to one another at times.  This was especially true in the
turbulent time of the late fifties, early 60s!  Some of our leadership in
the MAB didn't want to discuss this time in our history since things were
not good nationally as well as with our state association at times.  Thank
goodness we conduct ourselves today in an orderly manner and we have
graduated from the earlier days when things didn't go as smoothly as they do
today!

There was a time when a blind person wasn't allowed to travel on a bus or
train alone!  We really didn't have the right to travel as freely as we do
today!  A blind person of that day had to travel with a family member,
friend or with someone he/she trusted or they didn't go at all or their
travel was very limited!  This sounds absurd to us today but this was
actually the case in that day and time.  When some blind persons attempted
to travel by bus or train to another city, the bus or train company wouldn't
sell them a ticket!  Getting a loan to purchase anything was almost
impossible for a blind person in that day to do without sighted assistance!
Thanks to the efforts of the National Federation of the Blind, this has
changed!  Blind persons could not teach in public schools.  Unless a blind
person learned a trade as piano tuning, chair caning, vending stands (which
were very common trades in that day) they ended up in sheltered employment
in sheltered shops which often paid less than the minimum wage.  Work hours
were long!  If we couldn't sign our name to the satisfaction of whoever was
in charge, we couldn't vote, get a loan, or do a host of things without an
interested family member or sighted person being apart of what we tried to
accomplish.  Simply getting married and having children was frowned upon!
Of course, the people of that day didn't have the medical knowledge which is
available today!  True, blindness could be passed down through inherited
diseases but it wasn't inheritable in all cases.  I can tell you growing up
while at MSDB was indeed interesting at times especially when I was a teen!
The staff up in years did all they could to keep the guys and the gals
separate!  If they had their way, there would not have been much or any
social interaction between the boys and girls.  Speaking only for myself, I
think I had much to overcome when learning proper social graces.  Now back
to the brief history.  Blind persons weren't allowed to work for the
government at all levels.  Many blind persons managed to take the necessary
tests and these persons passed the tests to qualify for various government
positions thanks to the efforts of the NFB.   If you should want a more
detailed information about these and other matters, read Walking Alone and
Marching Together.  It is available through the Montana State Library, or it
can be ordered through the Independence Center at the National Office by
Calling the NFB main phone number (410-659-9314.  It may be available in
your local library or college library.  Perhaps there is an electronic
version available.  I haven't checked this out.  There is much on the NFB
dot ORG site one can read about any number of topics.  If you are in the
mood to browse, this is a good sight to browse!  Also check out the NFB net
dot org site.  One would find older Braille Monitor issues at that site than
1987.

The idea that blind people could determine their own future or destiny as
well as organize their own unique organization was a revolutionary radical
concept back then!  Those agencies and organizations who set themselves up
as being in charge of the affairs of blind persons felt this idea should
never have been entertained!  Those persons were told they didn't have any
problems! They had American Foundation for the Blind,  American Association
of Workers for the Blind (now A E R), Blind Industries, and a host of State
Services for the Blind and Welfare looking out for our best interests!  We
didn't need to organize!  Well, thank goodness, we persisted with our
organizational efforts.  We organized in state after state, we had money in
the bank!  We were beginning to achieve some of our objectives!  This was
too much for the established state services for the blind, private and
governmental organizations and agencies and sheltered industry which
employed many blind persons.  Some felt very threatened!  Perhaps they'd
lose power and prestige!  Perhaps they'd go out of business!  This radical
organization had to be stopped!  The NFB experienced great pressure from the
outside from all of these agencies as well  as from people inside the
organization who questioned the governance of the NFB.  Some wanted the NFB
to tread a bit lighter when it came to the agencies since many were employed
by some of these entities.  The majority of the delegates voted to stay the
course and the minority went to a hotel across the street and founded what
we know today as the American Council of the blind.  Again the details are
in Walking  Alone, And Marching Together.  Despite the threats and the
split, the National Federation Of The Blind became a very large and modern
organization with services and facilities which all of us can be proud of!
All of this was based on a more positive philosophy and attitude and
definition of blindness.  It is there to help us change what it means to be
blind!

I know little about the history and beginning of the MAB.  I heard Lelia say
some interesting things at times!  She told me of a superintendent at MSDB,
perhaps it was at Bolder who took advantage of young blind girls as she put
it.  The MAB saw to it that he was relieved of his duties.  She called it a
victory for all blind children in Montana.  The problems of getting loans
from banks was a problem and the establishment of the Memorial Loan Fund
with interest free loans was the solution at the time.  It wasn't a perfect
solution but it did serve many people well!  One of the people involved with
our state services, a Sharon Crowmeens, use to gather Proxy votes from
members who couldn't attend the convention.  He of course was trying to sway
the policies of the MAB in the way he thought they should go!  His misguided
efforts probably brought about the ballot voting we experience in the MAB to
this day!  Proxy voting is prohibited by the NFB as well as the MAB.

Nothing seemed to escape Lelia Proctor!  If she felt something shouldn't be
done, it probably wouldn't happen!  She and the other early leaders of the
MAB thought it was wise to affiliate with the NFB.  I believe they saw the
value of being a part of a national organization especially the NFB.  I
thought we joined more in the mid 50s but it could have been as late as
1957!  If that's when we joined, we got in late prior to the big split or
the Civil War as the Walking Alone and Marching Together calls it!  Lelia
Proctor told me on more than one occasion that she felt it was best for us
to remain affiliated with the NFB.  She thought we may not have conducted
ourselves exactly as the NFB has done, but she felt our affiliation with the
NFB was greatly beneficial for us!  Not all of our early leaders felt the
same way but she and the majority of our early leaders and members voted to
remain affiliated with the NFB.

Yes, Lelia had much to do with the early days of the SOP.  It too had any 
number of names as the Summer School or program, finally the SOP.  This 
program replaced a Lions Club outdoor program.  Lelia and others thought the 
program would be best served in a setting where people could get mobility 
training, braille and a host of other skills of blindness.  It has been on 
the MSU Campus for a number of years and now is in Helena!  Lelia oversaw 
the administration of the program to make certain it was up to her 
standards.  She'd leave her Kalispell home and office to oversee this summer 
program.  No doubt her Daughter Lynnette Curtis could document this since 
she was with her Mom during some of those summer programs.  Nobody oversees 
the program today as she did I'm certain!

We can't forget another early leader, Dottie Bridgman.  She probably was 
Montana's first Home Teacher!  She traveled the state with very little pay 
some of the time.  I remember her voice in the hall when she visited MSDB. 
I don't recall speaking to her which is unfortunate.  A number of my 
classmates attended a 1966 SOP program and probably met her at that time.  I 
didn't go to that particular program myself.  Another thing which can be 
said about the SOP.  We have had out of state directors for some years. 
Elizabeth Lennon of Michigan directed the program on and off for quite a few 
years.  We of course had some fine Montana directors of the program as well.

   I Think it is time for part two of this where I'll attempt to bring us to
our present day!  I was going to write part two first, then send both parts 
but I think I'll just send this one tonight!

Thanks for reading!

Jim Aldrich