[aavl] BOARD CONFERENCE CALL REMINDER

[Bill Lewis]

Hello Rob, 

I had planned to listen in on the AAVL Board Meeting last Thursday; but my  memory failed me again; because it hard now for me to keep track of several dates in my mind so have to rely on a schedule notebook, which I forgot to do.  Sorry.  

I hope you guys were able to get something organized.  

Remember that people can’t join something they know very little about, so keep advertising every chance you can.  Do something catchy and then get it into the Braille Forum.  Put information briefs into the BF.  Get brief articles into Dialogue Magazine, into Newsreel Club tapes, into Ziegler, etc.  Why does McDonalds keep running ads on radio and TV regularly?  It keeps the company in the awareness of the public.  Same for special interest organizations.  

When AAVL first organized as a special interest committee in ACB, it attracted the interest of a lot of folks, because very little was being done about aging and vision loss at that time.  Then the “Committee was changed into its present 501 form.  At first it drew a lot of energetic people.  But after some years, those folks aged and dropped off or retired or whatever.  Younger folks just don’t like to join organized movements anymore.  Direct communication has given way to electronic exchanges and coded briefs called “texting.”  So there are now millions of people typing away on keyboards to one another around the world but never see one another in person.  

Furthermore, there are now many dozens of organizations across the country dealing with aging and vision loss, so the available labor supply of potential members is diluted.  After AAVL was established in 1990, or thereabouts, AFB and NFB and numerous  well-known organizations took up the clarrion call.  

In reality, that’s the usual lifespan of a special interest organization.  It has a lifespan, and without continual p.r. efforts, organizations fade away after the second or third generation, unless a few devoted members keep running it and keeping it alive.  Take CCLVI and GDUI, and such which draws on a special breed of people as members.  

In addition, membership in AAVL is diluted because we are also part of other disability groups, such as low vision, diabetes, guide dogs, and such.  

So, if AAVL can find some new and youn ger members who will carry the flag, great.  If it can’t, so be it.  Even the great RED Wood Trees have a lifespan of a thousand or more years, while lawn grass lasts but for a few years.  The purposes of AAVL will live on, although those purposes will now, more likely, be part of the purposes of state and local organizations, rather than concentrating a national affiliation.  

Although I usually only get a pe nny for my thoughts, I gave you two cents worth.  Sorry about that.  

An old friend,

Bill 




From: Robert R Rogers 
Sent: Tuesday, January 29, 2013 1:35 PM
To: Alliance on Aging and Vision Loss discussion list 
Subject: [aavl] BOARD CONFERENCE CALL REMINDER

AAVL Board members:

A reminder, the conference call for the board is on Thursday night.

Robert Rogers
(513) 921-3186  I am available for phone calls after 6:00 p.m. eastern, Tuesday if there are questions.

Ms. Garner -- send me a return on this message so I know you got it.



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