[fcb-l] a few last points

[Edwards, Paul]

I find I must make a couple of additional points now that I have reviewed this thread more fully.

First, I want to explain to all of you why I was so determined to cut down on committee members who were not Board reps.  When I took office, we had just completed a legislative session where three more organizations were added to the state license renewal listing.  This has represented one of our major sources of income.  One of those organizations is blindness related.  They have mounted a campaign where posters have been placed in licensing offices. (Perhaps we should consider this as well!)  Nevertheless, I had serious concerns about what our income would be  over the next year and felt I had to do what I could to be fiscally responsible.

The last thing I want to do is to discourage people from offering to help FCB.  Our Board meetings are open and I welcome attendance by anybody who wants to come.  All committee meetings are open as well except for Awards over which I have no control, by the way.  I will get Sheila's number and will try to call her tonight to talk with her.  She worked hard on the Education and Leadership Committee and, according to Carla, she was an invaluable asset while we got ready for the Orlando ACB convention.

For all the years that I have been a member of FCB I have made it my business to be busy for all the hours I am at the Board meeting.  This has usually meant that I have attended committee meetings where I am not a member.  The chairs of committees welcome input from all who are there and the only time when guests are not full participants are on the rare occasions where there are votes.
The point I am making with this is that FCB welcomes work and contributions of time and talent from all our members.

One of the other changes I have made this year is to take a leaf out of a book that Brian Charlson and I started with ACB.  I have appointed officer liaisons to committees.  They have the responsibility of communicating with committees between Board meetings.  I am hoping that this will mean that committees do what they are really supposed to do in the future.

As things stand now, our committees tend to meet at Board meetings once a year and decide on actions that the organization or the committee will take.  Then nothing happens.  I truly want to see committees working all through the year.  There is a lot for us to do.  Committees are the way we are supposed to get things done.  I hope committee chairs will use this list to bring forward suggestions and to publicize activities.

I am not sure that there is more I need to say to all of you.  Thank you for listening.  The question we must focus on is how to get things done for blind people.  Getting together twice a year to talk about things won't do much.

If they have not started appearing yet, I am placing the minutes of Executive Committee meetings on the web site and will ask the Secretary to forward them to this list as well.  I want all of you to know what we are doing and why.

Remember we have a Presidents' meeting coming up tomorrow night.  Maybe we will end up spending some time discussing some of these issues.

Paul



Paul Edwards, Director
North Campus Access Services
Room 6113
11380 Northwest 27 Avenue
Miami, FL 33167
Work Phone: (305) 237-1146
Work Fax (305) 237-1831
Home Phone: (305) 692-9206
Cell Phone: (305) 984-0909
Work Email: paul.edwards at mdc.edu
Home Email: edwpaul at bellsouth.net

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