[nfb-talk] state con attendance

[richard payne]

I think this is a problem across the country.
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Michael D. Barber" <m.barber at mchsi.com>
To: "'NFB Talk Mailing List'" <nfb-talk at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Friday, November 09, 2007 12:14 PM
Subject: Re: [nfb-talk] state con attendance


> Ed:  Have you thought about surveying your membership to see what would
> interest them and what might attract them to a state convention?  I'm
> certainly not an expert in this but it might be a thought, unless you've
> already tried it.
>
> Michael D. Barber
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: nfb-talk-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nfb-talk-bounces at nfbnet.org] On
> Behalf Of Ed Meskys
> Sent: Friday, November 09, 2007 10:45 AM
> To: nfb-talk
> 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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