[nfb-talk] state con attendance

[Ed Meskys]

When I first became NH state president in 1988 the first few state
conventions I put on had about 100-120 attendees, up about 20% from the
previous president, because I did a lot of outreach to find former and new
members, and initiated a state newsletter. We had been drifting down ever
since, to under 50. Last year we had our 50th anniversary, and got more
attendees, but with people muttering about our programs being the "same old,
same old." This year we decided to devote our whole morning to a topic
important to blind persons and many others in a rural state, the future of
transportation in NH. We made it a one-day con, with a luncheon banquet, and
the National report, some technology, mobility, and our business meeting in
he afternoon. With the help of Blind Services, the talking book library, the
Governor's Commission on Disabilities, and Granite State Independent Living
(Foundation) we distributed over 2000 flyers, and aside from program
participants we had only 30 attendees. Our officers are very disappointed,
and are saying it cost so much money to put on and advertise the con, and
put in so much work, that we will pull back and only have a business meeting
with lunch in the back room of a restaurant next year. Are other states
having the same problem getting attendance at a con?

We are using an Imagination Grant to put on a one-day tech expo next April,
which is not a convention (cons are normally in October or November). If
this flops too, I think the board will be devastated. We lined up an
excellent panel of five experts and administrators for the transportation
panel, and are working on getting excellent speakers for the tech expo.

Incidentally, the results of our state elections were:
continuing constitutional officers:
Marie Johnson, President
Gil Vickery, FVP.
Judy Leavitt, SVP
Ed Meskys, secretary
Lucille Lynch, treasurer
and our new slate of untitled board positions is:
Julie Clark (new)
Wayne Harvey (new)
Donald Little (new)
John Parker (returning)
Stephen Yerardi (returning)

Best, Ed Meskys


Edmund R. Meskys
NIEKAS Publications
National Federation of the Blind of N.H.
Moultonboro Lions Club
edmeskys at localnet.com
322 Whittier Hwy
Moultonboro NH 03254-3627
my credo:
Clinton lied, nothing happened
Bush lied, thousands died
and over 3,000 permanently brain injured