[nfbwatlk] A question of recruitment
Kaye Kipp
kkipp123 at msn.com
Mon Oct 2 11:38:08 CDT 2006
That's well said. It's exactly the way I see it too.
Kaye
----- Original Message -----
From: "Mike Freeman" <k7uij at panix.com>
To: "NFB of Washington Talk Mailing List" <nfbwatlk at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Sunday, October 01, 2006 9:59 PM
Subject: Re: [nfbwatlk] A question of recruitment
> Jim:
>
> I agree with you and also disagree. I agree that we should change with the
> times. But we should not abandon that for which we are respected. Some
> people come to us *precisely* because we do *not* emphasize the "bells and
> whistles" that other organizations honor. I am one of those. Insofar as I
> am
> concerned,if we need to soft-pedal our message or put on "bread and
> circuses" to gain recruits, they're not recruits I want. WE don't want
> bodies for bodies' sake; we want people who are anxious to put their
> shoulders to the wheel. And, like it or not, we won't be able to
> hornswagle
> people into our philosophy if they don't understand or believe it. We are
> what we are.
>
> I think part of the reason we're not getting recruits is that the current
> generation isn't as "activist" as was my generation. I don't think blind
> people these days truly believe that the system of rehabilitation,
> libraries, civil rights laws and the like might be in danger if we aren't
> vigilent. If they are worried, they tend to think that "they" (meaning we)
> will do the watching. It doesn't occur to them that without recruits, the
> watchers will slowly fade away.
>
> Moreover, there was a great lump of young, capable, active blind people
> forty years ago due to the RLF wave; the great lump of blind people today
> is
> bound to be among senior citizens and diabetics who do not have their
> disease under control. I do not want to stereotype but I think it's fair
> to
> say that they do not march to the same clarion call to change the world as
> my generation (now NFB leaders) did. And our primary mesage is that we're
> changing what it means to be blind. So the seminal problem is how to keep
> on
> doing the changing while incorporating those who do not feel the same
> impetus and just want friendship and the latest technological gewgaw at a
> rock-bottom price!
>
> Whatever else may be said, it is a fundamental truth that most people come
> into the Federation (or the Council, for that matter) because they have
> friends in the Federation or Council, respectively. So our primary task
> might well be to get to know other blind people, to make friends with them
> and bring them into the fold.
>
> I'm open to new ideas for convention fare. But said fare must not
> compromise
> our purposes or our methods.
>
> I think this discussion is extremely healthy; many heads are better than a
> few.
>
> Mike Freeman
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: Jim Portillo
> To: NFB of Washington Talk Mailing List
> Sent: Sunday, October 01, 2006 9:28 PM
> Subject: Re: [nfbwatlk] A question of recruitment
>
>
> Hi Kris,
>
> You are not just hearing stories. I've heard similar stories as well.
>
> We really need to be careful that we don't come across as what the public
> has thought of us in the past. This is another reason why people feel a
> lot
> more comfortable with the WCB.
> Now, I'm not slamming them or anything like that either. And there might
> be
> some people who will right away say that our organization is here for
> certain reasons or purposes. That's all well and good; however, we're
> also
> people and want to be treated well. That means that if we at one point
> want
> others to reach out to us and take us in, then we need to do the same
> with
> new people.
>
> As far as recruitment, I strongly think we also need to make our
> conventions
> a bit more newby friendly. What I mean by this is that we should also
> have
> a few items that will attract people who either are new to blindness or
> new
> to the organization. Some might say we're conforming or throwing in some
> bells and whistles when we don't need to. Well, I'm seeing it more as
> we're
> attracting new members.
>
> A friend of mine, named Bob Dylan, once said, "The times...they are a
> changing!" I agree with him, and the NFB needs to keep up with those
> times
> as well. We can not be so set in our ways that we aren't willing to
> think
> out of the box.
>
> It's not good for people to have such a negative concept of us, as Kris
> has
> said. We need to recruit. I think that what people need to see first
> and
> foremost, is that the NFB is made up of people who are united to make
> life
> better for the blind. THey should first see people, who happen to be
> blind.
> They can learn about the rest of the stuff once they feel comfortable
> among
> the group.
> Jim
>
>
>
>
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "kris Lawrence" <kris.lawrence at comcast.net>
> To: "NFB of Washington Talk Mailing List" <nfbwatlk at nfbnet.org>
> Sent: Sunday, October 01, 2006 9:08 PM
> Subject: Re: [nfbwatlk] A question of recruitment
>
>
> > This brings up another topic for me. Recruiting and maintaining
> > membership is an important part of a healthy and growing organization.
> > However, I have heard a number of stories lately about how people who
> > are new to the organization feel as though no one is interested in
> > getting to know them. So, if they do attend a convention, no one asks
> > them to lunch or bothers to get to know them while they are there. So,
> > off they go feeling that we are a very clickish group. Other stories I
> > have heard deal with the fact that some of our members come off rude
> and
> > opinionated to the point of not listening to what the new person is
> > trying to say or ask. While a certain amount of this may be "sour
> > grapes" there may be a grain of truth in it somewhere?
> >
> > Or, am I just hearing stories that have no foundation....
> >
> > Kris
> >
> > Judy Jones wrote:
> >> Hi, Lisa,
> >>
> >> Along with this is also reaching the parents of blind youth, too.
> >>
> >> Judy
> >>
> >> ----- Original Message -----
> >> From: <Owenblue2 at aol.com>
> >> To: <nfbwatlk at nfbnet.org>
> >> Sent: Sunday, October 01, 2006 1:55 PM
> >> Subject: [nfbwatlk] A question of recruitment
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>> Hello my NFB friends:
> >>>
> >>> Earlier this week I posted a question concerning a student division.
> >>> Jennifer asked me a very good question. How do we attract members and
> >>> keep
> >>> them
> >>> interested. I'm especially interested in attracting young members.
> The
> >>> student
> >>> division is a good start. On the other hand, there are not that many
> >>> students in
> >>> the NFBW. Perhaps we need to concentrate our efforts on recruiting
> and
> >>> keeping our present membership interested. Not always a simple task.
> >>>
> >>> I'm committed to reaching out to all interested parties. It takes
> time
> >>> and
> >>> effort, but it's worth it.
> >>>
> >>> I think this is a good topic to discuss and something to consider and
> >>> think
> >>> about.
> >>>
> >>> Warmest regards and many blessings to all of you:
> >>>
> >>> Lisa A. Owen
> >>> Treasurer Officer
> >>> The Northwest Chapter
> >>> NFBW
> >>> 3330 Northwest Avenue #C5
> >>> Bellingham, WA 98225
> >>> 360-920-8652
> >>> _nfbnorthwest at aol.com_ (mailto:nfbnorthwest at aol.com)
> >>>
> >>>
> >>
> >>
> >> --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>> _______________________________________________
> >>> nfbwatlk mailing list
> >>> nfbwatlk at nfbnet.org
> >>> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nfbwatlk
> >>>
> >>>
> >>
> >> _______________________________________________
> >> nfbwatlk mailing list
> >> nfbwatlk at nfbnet.org
> >> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nfbwatlk
> >>
> >>
> > _______________________________________________
> > nfbwatlk mailing list
> > nfbwatlk at nfbnet.org
> > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nfbwatlk
> >
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> nfbwatlk mailing list
> nfbwatlk at nfbnet.org
> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nfbwatlk
>
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
> _______________________________________________
> nfbwatlk mailing list
> nfbwatlk at nfbnet.org
> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nfbwatlk
>
More information about the nfbwatlk
mailing list