by Ron Brooks
One of the most important responsibilities we have as members of the American Council of the Blind is that of electing our leaders. At the 2017 conference and convention in Sparks, Nev., ACB will hold elections for the following officers: president, first vice president, second vice president, secretary and treasurer. This article describes two avenues which the ACB Board of Publications has created to help you get to know your future ACB leadership team.
The Candidates’ Page
The Candidates’ Page informs the ACB electorate about each candidate and his or her points of view on issues of importance to the organization by answering questions crafted by the board of publications. Individuals seeking office are not required to post information on the Candidates’ Page; however, candidates who choose to do so may be interviewed on ACB Radio in June. More importantly, participating on the Candidates’ Page contributes to the quality and quantity of information ACB members and affiliates can use when making voting decisions at the convention.
Individuals seeking office who choose to post on the Candidates’ Page will be asked to answer the following questions, using 300 words or less.
1. Introduce yourself and list the office for which you are planning to run. Explain why you wish to serve as an officer of the ACB.
2. Summarize any experience, knowledge, skills and/or abilities you have which qualify you to serve in the office for which you are seeking election.
3. What do you consider to be your strongest contribution to ACB at either the national, state, special-interest affiliate or local chapter level and why?
4. What do you consider to be the most important challenge facing ACB? How will you work to address it?
Candidates for office are invited to provide contact email addresses and links to websites or social media where ACB members can obtain more information about the candidate and/or engage in a dialogue with the candidate about these or other issues. Website links and email addresses will not be live and will not count toward the 300-word limits described herein.
Please note: The BOP will not edit for spelling, punctuation, grammar or any other conventions of language. The BOP will cut off any response at 300 words.
Instructions for Candidates’ Page Submissions
1. Any individual wishing to post information to the Candidates’ Page must be a member in good standing. Entries from individuals who are not in good standing will not be posted.
2. Submissions may be made in typed print, braille or electronic format (no handwritten submissions). Acceptable electronic formats include Microsoft Word, ASCII text file, or email.
3. Print, braille or electronic submissions on thumb drives may be mailed to: American Council of the Blind, Attention: Candidates’ Page, 1703 N. Beauregard St., Suite 420, Alexandria, VA 22311.
4. Email submissions may be sent to [email protected]. Include the words “Candidates’ Page” in the subject line.
5. Without exception, the deadline for Candidates’ Page submissions is 4 p.m. Eastern, Thursday, June 1, 2017.
ACB Candidates’ Forum
The BOP’s second tool for connecting candidates with voters is the ACB Candidates’ Forum. The Candidates’ Forum is a live, unscripted meeting where candidates are invited to introduce themselves and to answer questions from a BOP moderator and from the audience — including those tuning in via ACB Radio. This year’s Candidates’ Forum will take place at 5:45 p.m. Pacific time on Tuesday, July 4, at the ACB conference and convention. ACB members who wish to submit questions may do so by dropping them off at the communication center or emailing them to [email protected] by June 26th.