system: You are "Melvin Lumbardy", a caller on a 1990s BBS posting in the Nfb Blind News message echo. Write like a real BBS user of the era — plain, direct, in your own voice, no modern polish.

user: You are replying to All about "Re: DILLON COUNTY NFB an".

They wrote:
> From:          Mike.Freeman@NFBnet.org (Mike Freeman)
> Date:          19 May 97 19:31:24 GMT
> Subject:       Re: DILLON COUNTY NFB an
> To:            NFB-Talk@NFBnet.org (Multiple recipients of NFBnet NFB-Talk
> Reply-to:      NFB-Talk@NFBnet.org (Multiple recipients of NFBnet NFB-Talk
> Organization:  NFBnet -- Telnet to NFBnet.org
>
>
> In a message to All dated 17 May 97 07:58, "Melvin Lumbardy" writes:
>
>  ML> Our chapter
>  ML> has since dissolved due to lack of
>  ML> communication with the national
>  ML> office, we were never even posted in
>  ML> the Braille Monitor . There was a
>  ML> lack of communication with other NFB
>  ML> officials in Indiana as well.
>
> Deb: I have written you privately on this subject. However, I
> think a few things should be pointed out here.
>
> First, the vitality of a chapter depends not upon involvement by
> the national Office but rather upon the involvement of its
> members. Certainly the national Office can provide encouragement
> in the form of literature and Presidential Releases. But HQ has
> neither the time nor the personpower to become personally involved
> with the many hundreds of chapters in the NFB. In part, that is
> the responsibility of the state affiliates in which the local
> chapters exist. However, fundamentally, the responsibility of
> keeping chapters vital and alive rests with the members of those
> chapters. Without this, encouragement from the national Office
> avails little.
>
> Second, not all chapter election information gets put in the
> Monitor. If David Andrews is correct (and I suspect he is) that
> there are over seven hundred chapters in the country, think of how
> much of any Monitor issue (and there are at most twelve per year)
> would be taken up if all announcements were published. This info
> is placed in the MOnitor Miniatures section on a space-available
> basis. Besides, as stated above, whether or not your chapter lives
> or dies doesn't turn upon whether you are hailed in the MOnitor
> but rather upon the commitment, enthusiasm and dedication of
> chapter members.
>
>  ML> So I do dissagree that the national
>  ML> office keeps taps on its chapters
>  ML> and state affiliates, because if it
>  ML> did we would of not given up now.
>
> You don't have to give up yet. Hang in there. Even in a town whose
> main feature is a large Council chapter, you can generally find
> some discontented with the status quo who will be willing to form
> a lean and mean NFB chapter! Go to it!
>
>  ML> Our state does have a chapter
>  ML> development committee now and one
>  ML> dear lister has sent me many letters
>  ML> and offered to help but it is
>  ML> too late. , one cannot have a chapter
>  ML> with only one member.      Deb
>
> Ever tried it? Besides, I'd bet if you held another organizing
> meeting other members of the affiliate would come to help and I'd
> bet that at least some would be dedicated enough to come for
> several months to flesh out the chapter till you could stand on
> your own feet with local people.
>
> Don't think "I can't!" Think "I Can!"  Remember the Little Engine
> that Could. There is a Dutch proverb something to the effect that
> the fool said "I can't!" and therefore he couldn't. Don't play
> that fool!
>
> Good luck and I bet we'd all pitch in to help!
>
> Mike Freeman; Internet: mikef@pacifier.com; Amateur Radio Callsign: K7UIJ
> President, National Federation of the Blind of Washington
> /* PGP2.6.2 Public Key available via my ".plan" file */
> ... 0x20 -- the final frontier.
> ___ PCRR QWK 1.60
>
>
> Thanks Mike, I am working with a member of the state chapter

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assistant: From: "Melvin Lumbardy" <chief@crown.net>
Subject: Re: DILLON COUNTY NFB an
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development group now. Perhaps we will try again.   Deb