[nfb-talk] Need Advice: Chapter Meeting Locations and Programming

Tue Mar 4 18:39:14 CST 2008

Most towns have a bank that has a conference room.  This is a neutral
location and it is easy for members to locate.  I have never known the banks
to charge for these rooms.

Before each meeting, you will want to call each member to remind them of the
meeting and to tell them about the program.  Members will come if you offer
them new information.  They need to gain more than fellowship from the
meetings.

It is always helpful to have a project in progress.  This keeps the chapter
working together.

Always play the President's tape.  Keep the chapter informed on NFB
activities.  Remember, most of these folks are coming to fulfill their
needs.  It will take awhile before they can give out to other blind folks. 

 Keep your business meeting and announcements as short as possible.

Give one of Dr. Jernigan's speeches to each person to listen to at home.  At
the next meeting, ask each one to express one thing that stood out to them
as important.

In addition, there are some wonderful videos by Dr. Jernigan.  You might
show part at one meeting and the remainder at the next.  (Always allow time
for discussion.)

Encourage each person to read the Braille Monitor or other NFB publications.

I brought in speakers that offered services to the blind, but I also brought
in speakers concerning Florida laws pertaining to wills, burials, volunteer
opportunities, etc.  You may wish to bring in a vendor that will explain and
demonstrate their adaptive equipment.

You may have a meeting that offers two or three activities at once.  Maybe
the demonstration of the long white cane, the Braillewriter and the Braille
alphabet, marking and labeling, etc.  You will find that there are many
older folks who are recently blind and have never received training.  Be
sure to reach out to them for they have much to offer and they need your
help.

Anyway, those are just a few quick thoughts.  I hope some may be useful.

PS  Be organized and know what you are doing.  If you want others to attend,
then you must be a role model that they respect.  Make sure that all leaders
are well dressed.  It will make a big difference in the behavior of the
persons who attend.  It will encourage those who are not too sure they want
to be with blind people to have a higher opinion of the blind person's
abilities.

Marilyn Womble  
-----Original Message-----
From: nfb-talk-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nfb-talk-bounces at nfbnet.org] On
Behalf of Richard Payne
Sent: Tuesday, March 04, 2008 4:43 PM
To: 'NFB Talk Mailing List'
Subject: Re: [nfb-talk] Need Advice: Chapter Meeting Locationsand
Programming

I am in Dayton we  have met in a lybrary  but it became hard  so  some
people have found a food establishment  with a room. We have met in
buildings where the blind vendors had some influence. I try to keep my
meetings under 1 hour and a half that will keep things flowing. From time to
time have speakers that members in the group will be interested in. The
current place that we have our meetings is a church they  normally  are
free. Richard ps feel free to directly email me I am a president

-----Original Message-----
From: nfb-talk-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nfb-talk-bounces at nfbnet.org] On
Behalf Of Brian Miller
Sent: Monday, March 03, 2008 10:36 PM
To: NFB Talk Mailing List
Subject: Re: [nfb-talk] Need Advice: Chapter Meeting Locations and
Programming

Hi Tiny,

I have always liked to set up meetings at public libraries -- they usually
have meetings rooms for free, but you usually need to sign up month to
month, and sometimes the room may not be available.

Still, I always prefer to be somewhere out in the public and not in a school
for the blind or a blind facility.

Good luck,
Brian Miller

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Tina Hansen" <tinah at peak.org>
To: <nfb-talk at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Monday, March 03, 2008 5:18 PM
Subject: [nfb-talk] Need Advice: Chapter Meeting Locations and Programming

First off, I'm pleased to be back on the NFB lists after a long break.

To get right to the point: I'm doing research into possible alternative
locations for our local chapter meeting, should our current location, a room
at the State School for the Blind, no longer be available. I also recognize
that while some chapters have an ideal meeting place near an NFB training
center, others don't have that benefit.

What other locations have local chapters found for meeting places, and how
much have they needed to charge? How did your chapter decide on this
location?

When does your chapter meet, and for how long?

What program items do you include at your chapter meetings, and how do you
keep things interesting so that members will keep coming back?

If you have any ideas on how you've answered these questions, I'd be open to
hearing from you. Thanks.

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-----Original Message-----
From: nfb-talk-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nfb-talk-bounces at nfbnet.org] On
Behalf Of Brian Miller
Sent: Monday, March 03, 2008 10:36 PM
To: NFB Talk Mailing List
Subject: Re: [nfb-talk] Need Advice: Chapter Meeting Locations and
Programming