[nfb-talk] state con attendance

[Steve Jacobson]

Ray,

Please remember that states vary a lot in terms of population, distribution of population, and even in the overall level of activity.  I am not so sure that thirty people is 
that bad in New Hampshire although we always want to do better.  I have not checked populations, but it's quite possible that the New Orleans area by itself has 
more people than the entire state of New Hampshire, even after Katrina.  It is just very difficult to completely judge the success or failure of a convention strictly by 
numbers.

On Fri, 9 Nov 2007 11:37:23 -0600, Ray Foret Jr wrote:

>Edd, I am floored!!!  Are you truly telling us that at your last New 
>Hampshire state NFB convention, y'all only had 30 attendees?  Only 30?  What 
>is y'all's membership compared to that number?  I just cannot get my mind 
>around the idea of y'all putting all that work in to an all day state 
>convention and having only 30 people there.  Perhaps you might inquire of 
>your members just what the issues are which cause them not to attend y'all's 
>convention.  From what I gather, you say in your message that folks were 
>complaining that the program items were "so so".  If I'm not mistaken, we 
>usually have over 100 folks at the Louisiana NFB state convention.  How 
>about I forward your message on to Pam Allan and she can maybe suggest what 
>you might want to consider.

>Sincerely yours,
>The Constantly Barefooted,
>Ray
>Home phone and fax:
>(985)853-0139
>E-mail:
>rforetjratbellsouthdotnet
>Skype Name:
>barefootedray
>Blog:
>www.raysworld.blogs.com
>Podcast .rss Feed:
>http://feeds.feedburner.com/worldofray

>God bless President George W. Bush!
>God bless our troops!
>and God bless America
>----- Original Message ----- 
>From: "Ed Meskys" <edmeskys at localnet.com>
>To: "nfb-talk" <nfb-talk at nfbnet.org>
>Sent: Friday, November 09, 2007 10:44 AM
>Subject: [nfb-talk] state con attendance


>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

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