July 10, 2008
DBC members - no voting power
After investigating on non profit organizations management how power and decision making processes should be distributed within groups. I learned that structures vary from a place to other place around the globe. Ok..from my perspective about DBC members not having voting power, it is not really healthy for any Deaf person to feel constantly oppressed especially when it comes to their own core of being oppressed trying to fight the same oppression of ASL language and Deaf babies - children’s right to it. This is how things really got out of proportion for me. I became silent and eventually was ousted.
Although there is variety of political structures in organizations, let me share you a text I found from a website about launching and managing an organization.
The Selection Process
“An inclusive leader selection process is important. Making the selection process appear inclusive of all members, to the extent possible, increases positive perceptions of the leader and support for change. The automatic leadership rotation process produced the least positive leadership perceptions. Even in the organization where leaders were appointed by a district bishop, the general membership perceived that they at least had “veto” power over the final hiring decision. Although in actuality they did not have that power, their perception of having a voice in the selection process created a personal ownership of the hiring decision and a responsibility to support the leader.”
www.maxwideman.com - a site about launching and managing an organization
55 Responses to “DBC members - no voting power”
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July 10th, 2008 at 6:53 pm
Hey AM, I didnt know you were involved with DBC. I was going to do a vlog on this, too…great minds think alike!
July 10th, 2008 at 7:16 pm
Good point and thought. It should be oppression-free environment for non-profit organization to begin with.
Thanks for sharing your personal experience/perspectives with us.
July 10th, 2008 at 7:27 pm
Perhaps instead of fighting DBC…there should be a new group with a brand new mission statement and with voting power?
What you think?
July 10th, 2008 at 7:38 pm
It can be done. We will need people with time and energy to pick up what we already have and move on in the direction that will serve solely to Deaf children not licking on ones’ own wounds.
I myself have little time for launching and managing but to offer research information, consultation, and presentations. I was hopeful to be able to make these contributions to DBC and was really disappointed not to be able to do this. No way without voting power and respect.
July 10th, 2008 at 7:58 pm
Anne,
It took you genuine honestly and inner goodness to share this information with the rest of us.
Please do consider setting up a new organization where my culturally deaf CI child would be better served and me as a parent would be better respected and supported.
July 10th, 2008 at 8:34 pm
I always have much respect for you for past 20+ years. I totally trust you and your judgements in many way.
I really do not bother to pay attention to the nuts and bolts of DBC mechanism so far. I never bother to apply for the membership with the DBC at all. Your vlog posting is real “wake-up” call about the so-called undemocraticization of DBC inner leadership.
That’s why many people came to me not to get involved with the DBC for past year.
I had immediately known when several individuals got involved with the DBC pretty long time ago and raised the alarm about the likely leadership scenario.
Yes, many states in the U.S. have various rules for non-profit organizations what they require to provide voting powers for its members. DC is one of the strongest member-oriented privileges, etc.
Where was the DBC incorporated in? That was really important.
Robert L. Mason (RLM)
RLMDEAF blog
July 10th, 2008 at 8:38 pm
I don’t know what to say. I know it must have called for your courage to come out and to share with us. Yes, we need to have voting power, for check and balance.
I am a bit more wary of DBC and Deafhood now… I don’t know what to say now. Looks like there is more than we don’t know…
But I do know that I want my deaf children to grow up respecting ALL kinds of deaf people, period, ASL or not.
July 10th, 2008 at 8:38 pm
Truth will set you free……
Serve only one mission, not two.
Good work and Proud of you, Girl.
Thank you.
July 10th, 2008 at 8:45 pm
Wait until soon your son with CI starts telling some DBC people..why are you trying to take away what is benefitting me? My Hoh son already said, “I cannot imagine myself going to all signing program school, I would lose my benefit to speak with anyone and enjoy reading through auditory processing. I would be angry at you for that.” He said that to me about two months after I took him to an all signing school program.
With that school I was just invited to be on a committee to help with revamping bilingual learning approach in school for spoken language i.e. going into groups for reading time when some kids do better with auditory listening while others do better with signed version. We know a lot more than before enough to be able to figure out where our ASL language will have its place being in balance with spoken language mode.
Some people choose to completely shut out on this, do not allow this to be our problem. It is their.
July 10th, 2008 at 8:58 pm
Thanks for your words of support. We may still disagree on some things, that is perfectly fine. We are evolving.
Only that I am not too thrilled about such tumultuous processes we have been going through with technology advances and our ASL language still brushed aside. It is still happening and this is what PISS me off big time. Don’t we not want to see many Deaf CI kids growing up to finally tell their parents and their schools that they still fail them for not allowing them to be raised bilingually. This is essentially what we should go after it, nothing else.
July 10th, 2008 at 9:11 pm
Robert, DBC is still with California for tax status purpose. Correct me if it is a different story.
July 10th, 2008 at 9:20 pm
thought bdc was under a different organization in ca for tax exempt purposes but that the dbc didnt have their own bylaws yet?
July 10th, 2008 at 10:33 pm
Even though one of those dropped from the DBC roster without notice, I still believed in the DBC mission and hoped that they would grow, learning from their mistakes.
That they had remarkable success in Milwaukee and many participants returned to my hometown glowing and energized shows they did make progress. Kudos!
If DBC decides that their original emphasis of parent education is to be changed to self-empowerment and Deaf identity topics, they need to make that publicly known and to pass the torch of parent support/education about ASL to another group.
July 10th, 2008 at 10:47 pm
I think no matter what the reason is it’s simple enough as far as I see this. DBC is CAD. CAD is DBC. CAD is of NAD meaning DBC is of NAD thru CAD.
Those who donate or pay for CAD membership is actually fueling DBC agenda regardless viewpoints expressed by individual CAD members. Endorsements of DBC aren’t supposed to be imposed on individual CAD members.
DBC established so-called credibility behind CAD. DBC shouldn’t do this way. They should have been formed and received non-profit status on their own. No buts and ifs. No excuses. No exceptions. This literally opened a can of worms. What if there’s a ASL-CI interest group that wants to use CAD to advance its agenda? CAD might deny them that opportunity. This fair?
CAD is fiscally responsible for DBC and therefore has a most completely vested interest in DBC. This was a marriage consummated to full extent.
Question is did CAD members allow for this to happen? Was there a vote on that involving individual CAD members? This was totally behind the scenes.
NAD endorses CAD and therefore DBC and any anti-CI ranting presented on DBC’s Website such as those espoused by at least two at the DBC conference.
Think twice about adopting causes no matter how good it might appear.
Keep things pure.
July 10th, 2008 at 11:11 pm
Sad to see this happen again, history repeats itself even in our corner of the world! Evolution will not happen until the dirt is swept up from under the rug for concrete examine and fine print analysis!
AnnMarie, I’m sorry to see to you go through such distress esp., you’re a person who seems to alot to offer in the way of sign language development in infancy and early childhood.
Perhaps there was a conflict of interest or too many chiefs in the this group; then perhaps a reasonable reason could be afforded to explain you were removed as a core (?) member of DBC or even to designate you another position or task. Perhaps your some of your questions or line of questioning rocked the very foundation of DBC and one way to provide was to silenced you is to do without you!
This is to say that DBC’s true colors bled thru by exposing it’s internal membership organization and management style. If it is not ready for a polling or voting system, then it should have been discussed and put out in the open.
It seems that DBC derailed from it’s prestine early start by playing into dirty politics and hybrid into favoritism by shielding its power from the larger membership body and allow a priveldged few its reigns. All this happening while tauting democracy for early language development! Why not practice what one preaches?! A true leader breeds the type of leaderless leaders who are fearless and honest and can communicate its beginnings with justice, fairness and reciprocity in mind.
If the chiefs couldn’t communicate exactly what was needed by whom for what and when and making agreements so on; plus to leave you out in the dark, shrouded in secrecy and to have you, Anne Marie to come out and disclose such a let-down breeds contempt for democractic process and inclusion for all.
All in all the timing of your message allows the checks and balances of DBC to be in place for its future and the membership body including supporters/affiliates and so on, so forth. Hence, the million dollar question: what are the purposes of the members and its function? Lines can be drawn and communication can happen; easily and effortlessly.
There is a place for everyone in the business of ‘’selling and/or advocating that communication and language as an undeniable human right” and if ‘less is is more’ then say it to preserve the respect of dedicated and more knowledgeable members including the dignity of the organization.
AM, your courage puts DBC in a delicate position–it needs examination of its membership body and priveldges/power. And did you ever get a reason or an apology at all? I’m sure people are behind DBC for various reasons and have no power at all.
Who said this, “question authority!” There you go girl….. you rock!
July 10th, 2008 at 11:35 pm
This is from DianRez’s comment up above——-If DBC decides that their original emphasis of parent education is to be changed to self-empowerment and Deaf identity topics, they need to make that publicly known and to pass the torch of parent support/education about ASL to another group.—–
I agree with this but please change the word from ASL to bilingualism (ASL and English on equal footing and English can also be spoken).
I like what Anne is doing now with her son’s school, finding ways how to incorporate auditory component to instruction time, on equal footing as ASL!!!! My kid is technically mild hard of hearing and he would be unhappy if he knew what is happening behind the DBC veil.
July 11th, 2008 at 12:25 am
I just checked on whether DBC had implemented voting process for members, no, it is still raw as it has been to this day. They prefer to keep it this way. Second, it is my understanding that DBC does not want to become a formal organization with by-laws because of accountability, it wishes to remain a movement.
We will see tomorrow on which motions get passed at the NAD convention.
If you like to see motions, it can be viewed at Motions at NAD to be voted on Fri, July 11th
July 11th, 2008 at 12:31 am
Ann Marie wrote, “Second, I also learned that DBC does not want to become a formal organization with by-laws because of accountability and liability.”
I say, “DBC is an entity of the formalized CAD and is subject to its by-laws, accountability and liability. Therefore, DBC is bound to accountability and liability as subjected to CAD. CAD can’t compartmentalize their endeavors. Transparency is a must throughout all aspects within CAD.”
July 11th, 2008 at 12:42 am
I am not familiar with how affiliation should work, now I see DBC needs to be accountable, how it can be without voting power by members?
If anyone can, please help enlighten us with this so that we can better understand what to expect. Thanks!
July 11th, 2008 at 1:38 am
Anne Marie-
Did DBC ever file articles of incorporation with the state to form non-profit organization? If they did then yes they are mandated by state law to identify its specific purposes in its article. They will be required to select board of directors, create by laws and record meetings. They will also be required to file annual reports and fees charged by the state of incorporation. From my understanding is that DBC is not a non-profit organization then therefore they are not required to comply any of above. If core members consider DBC as movement then I am not sure how they can coordinate the movement. It is new to me. I would love to find out more about this myself when I return from my trip.
July 11th, 2008 at 1:59 am
To DianRez,
Are you a memner of DBC? If so, that explains why you
are so defensive.
July 11th, 2008 at 3:19 am
I forgot to add that if DBC filed an article of incorporation with the state to form a non profit organization then yes the board of directors will have voting rights. As for social movement…I am not familiar with that area however it will be good to find out. I believe strongly that the group of social movement has right to accept and reject anyone at anytime if an individual does not agree with the group of core members’ objective and goals.
July 11th, 2008 at 4:44 am
If it is a social movement, there is no need to be affiliated with CAD and me pointing out the issue with members’ no voting power and lack of transparency.
Suzy #15 to answer your question whether I did get a reason or an apology, no, however thanks for articulating exactly how we do have our business to examine the organization’s checks and balances of power how they are crossing the advocacy for language and communication as undeniable human rights.
July 11th, 2008 at 6:49 am
Good AM,
To respond your comment addressed to me, my son will be part time mainstreamed at the local elementary school and other half time at ISD. And since he still receives great benefits from his digital aids (he hears at 20 to 30 dB with aids), he is not a candidate at this moment, but he is still losing his hearing… at this point I am leaving the decision up to him, since he is 11 years old and he already knows pros and cons of CI. He will be taking core academic subjects at the mainstream school and the electives at ISD.
The Spoken English program was shelved last year… the reason was “not sufficient resources”, but I heard that there were objections from the staff and a few parents against the program. I just emailed to the supervising teacher and the superintendent, asking for the status of the program and the sup. responded back, letting me know that most of the staff was on vacation at the moment. I will get in touch with them again in a few weeks. I did notice that my daughter’s speech and auditory skills improved a great deal and even the speech/language pathologist remarked on it.
By the way, good posting. We all have NO idea about what is going on in the inner core, whether they have bylaws, or do they have to follow CAD’s government reins, etc. But so far it sounds like it is a social movement and like Cy said, it is time for DBC to change its format to step up to a higher level, an organizational level, taking responsibility with taxes, creating bylaws, etc.
July 11th, 2008 at 7:24 am
One more thing… DBC could see the v/blogs about it as a blessing in disguise. DBC probably reached at a level where it could forge ahead to become recogized as a non-profit organization, separate from CAD, for tax purpose, etc., to set up its own bylaws, etc., like you and Cy suggested.
Who ever said that growing up was painful? ;o)
July 11th, 2008 at 7:54 am
There are laws governing non-for profit organizations.
I’m not going to get into details because I’m not a lawyer.
This would explain why DBC is affiated with CAD, because they wouldn’t have to be required to meet any expectations since CAD is already doing that.
Kind of complicated.
You might want to check out this blog that covers Movement vs. Organization:
http://maclake24.blogspot.com/2008/06/movement-vs-organization.html
July 11th, 2008 at 9:04 am
Oops, I meant middle school, not elementary school, as a 6th grader ;o)
July 11th, 2008 at 9:18 am
Anonymous: I am not a member of DBC since they dropped me from their roster, so am not being defensive. As with most groups, they have some merit and need to be more transparent in order to grow.
July 11th, 2008 at 10:33 am
AM, very sad and bruising tale…I’m sorry. Btw, are you from CA, the Bay area and related to Joey?
July 11th, 2008 at 10:34 am
I wrote my comment here to answer someone’s concern…my apologies. You asked a good question. I am not sure how voting power works if social movement affliated with non profit organization for tax purposes only. I plan to check this out later.
July 11th, 2008 at 11:04 am
Didn’t you announce your resignation to DBC before they remove your name on the roster?
July 11th, 2008 at 11:14 am
AnnaMarie,
Thanks for your report. Wow!! We do have right to vote.
I want to inform you with the update report from SJIAA (oral deaf education St Joseph Inst for the Deaf Alumni Association) Reunion was held here in St. Louis from July 4 to 6th. One of the young Deaf did reported me that his father is a very strong member of AGB but sadly not get along with his father because he is still against him and oppressed him all the way. So he is now happy learn how to use ASL because he got so much benefit from ASL in NTID. His father still against him with his own Deaf wife and his 3 hearing CODA children!!! Not get along with his own family as well. Thanks for accepting my comment. Have a nice weekend! Shawn
July 11th, 2008 at 1:00 pm
DBC is not reconized by Nationwide so they do not have any power to stop anyone to have their vote rights …….
Sorry to hear that you are not one of them while you give up alot of your enegries and they throwed you in garabage!
July 11th, 2008 at 1:34 pm
impressive! good luck!!
July 11th, 2008 at 1:59 pm
Dear Anne Marie..this took guts and more power to you for standing up for what you believe in because you have children in the so-called system, you can see the importance of options being available and still supporting the importance of ASL in your child’s life. Its because your child has this language that he can articulate what his needs are for himself. This is what all Deaf children should have and this is what I believe the mission of the DBC stands for also. Hope those involved with DBC recognize your important points and strive to improve based on feedback shared here.
Thanks for all your hard work and advocacy too.
Best.
July 11th, 2008 at 3:37 pm
Anne Marie,
I just learned that you were exusively involved in early developmental field through one video… It has been a long while since you posted anything, smile. Glad to see you again. Maybe it is me, cuz i was busy with many things, lol.
So, I wanted to let you know that I was saddened to hear how things turn out unwantedly. It is not what I expected to hear.
Oppression is something we all want to avoid. I am surprised to hear that you, too, experienced the closed meetings at GU. You? You know, what I mean, from a strong Deaf family, or at least from my impression, ;D.
So, thanks for opening my eyes. I am hoping for DBC to learn their mistakes…
deafk
July 11th, 2008 at 5:33 pm
Hi Anne Marie,
Hope you remember me, smiles! Say hi to your husband for me please.
Anyway, if DBC is affilated with CAD, it is probably because they have to act quickly to get donations as CAD has non-profit tax status and it takes a while to get approved by the state if you want to apply for non-profit tax status and time was of an essence to them as they were planning for a DBC conference. That is my thoughts, I could be wrong on it but this is what it seems to be. Also if you wanted to file for nonprofit tax status, it will cost a lot of money, by-laws would have to be set up, it would have to be structured into a formal organization and all those things. It is not uncommon for organizations to be affilated with another organization that has nonprofit tax status.
July 11th, 2008 at 7:01 pm
deafmommie,
Emergency timing is not an excuse!!! Don’t you ever forget that. I have known of many intelligently functioning organizations including a rare few Deaf-oriented attaining 501 (c) (3) not-for-profit status rather quickly. It’s all possible thanks to unity within. DBC can’t do that as long as they’re rendering their own as very expendable. Accountability, integrity and membership-wide approval is a must for any justification to put DBC thru hasty processes with CAD. Transparency in regards to finances and leadership wasn’t existing within DBC the first place.
July 11th, 2008 at 7:49 pm
Correct as I recall the hasty period in the beginning of getting organization set up. We had a member with a good knowledge about operating non profit organization who did help with advices about it. We finally understood and agreed that affiliation with CAD works fine. Afterward we started asking about voting power, this is where it got lost.
I have to keep it brief for now. I have read messages already and was digesting them while cooking my family dinner this evening. I want to express my sincere appreciation for your intelligent inputs to see how DBC could set its path just simply toward to…Deaf children, just them through their parents and professionals but nothing else.
I will be back with another vlog soon to wrap up this entire blog discussion. Thank you, and if you like, do feel free to continue discussion about affiliation and voting power how they can be implemented for the full effect it truly deserves.
July 11th, 2008 at 7:57 pm
Additionally, it is not that hard to get polling system implemented, it is right there under everyone’s nose. It takes only 30 sec to activate it on the web discussion group.
That is the point..and why it was never implemented? Why?? This is already self explanatory.
July 11th, 2008 at 8:08 pm
I want to make sure that my viewpoint is understood. DBC shouldn’t have affiliated with the CAD in the first place. Why? This open a can of worms in terms of precedent. Now there’ll be CI-ASL group, Gender-specific interest groups, Victim-interest groups wanting to affiliate with CAD just for sake of short-term convenience. Simple as is.
July 11th, 2008 at 10:41 pm
I’m not really paying close attention because this kind of thing happened before in another group, organization, or thinktank.
So are you saying….DBC’s another social movement with a cause? Think tank perhaps….what are the next steps for this group and that group, DBC?
To keep our community in balance; we have to do the checks and balances. This energy has to be proactive. Respect at all cost; tolerance for diversity and focus on the real issues: Is there agreement that….
l. Bilingualism and bi-or tri culturalism is complementary in its language and communication access function.
2. Access to language acquisition at infancy: provide the ‘easy’ language for learning and communication is at it’s best for optimal brain development; right? That’s American Sign Language.
Visual-gestural; kinetic.
3. Oralist practices; speech and speechreading. My question is why can’t hard-of hearing or people who use CIs the right to be able to function the way they do? The truths have come out about CIs on babies and the economic factor. Who’s reporting the facts that CIs can and do fail?
4. How does two languages of our choice impact social harmony, personal growth and development and success measure up against each other? How do you define its complementary practices and identify the areas where it is not working with justifiable facts; testimonies, etc and so on so forth.
I’ve enough. I’m tired for personal reasons. I was glad I saw this discussion and MetaASL, AMB’s pain/struggle. Fate shd have it as I had not been watching the vlogs lately.
All I want to see is incongruence and tolerance for differences. I’m getting old for these battles!
Thank you for your attention. If you process these words with the truth around respect and kindness in drawing the lines (safely), we will have some of the finest and happiest communities in the world!
GN
~S
July 12th, 2008 at 12:02 am
#41. It takes so much of energy to launch something that has to be least chance it has to be so stupidly silly, one needs really consider before becoming so dramatic.
Suzy had just said it simply.
July 12th, 2008 at 6:51 pm
Anne Marie,
GOOD JOB!!
July 13th, 2008 at 1:20 am
DBC is a big joke….
July 13th, 2008 at 10:21 am
Glad you saw through the deafhood fog. You can see the damage the deafhood concept can do.
I warned plenty of this. People, even the likes of you Anne, saw me as crying wolf.
Now you have to live with the embarrassment of a big red DBC flag over your head for the rest of your life.
July 13th, 2008 at 7:42 pm
John basically called you and the others out…He said he is the sole founder of DBC and those who claimed to be ex founders aren’t true.
What say you to that?
-Ben
July 13th, 2008 at 10:21 pm
I did not say I am one of founders. There was about 17 members by the time when I was invited to join. I believe we all were just on the same footing with John as a founder to start with. We were wrestling and sorting out ideas which to prioritize and act on. After series of frays, suddenly one person (rather not to mention) created a huge vlog announcing that a core leader group is formed, with four people in the group doing different roles who we members can choose to respond and voice whatever what we want…and they will discuss then make their own final decisions.
I disagreed. I said we should select leaders and vote on motions. This is what really happened.
July 14th, 2008 at 6:30 am
Ah,
Thank you for clarifying this up. Amy mentioned something over at Mishka’s blog…
Now it all makes sense.
Thank you
Ben
July 17th, 2008 at 9:43 am
Interesting . . .from the CAD website:
Deaf Bilingual Coalition
Aug 30th, 2007 by admin
California Association of the Deaf supports the Deaf Bilingual Coalition’s goals to promote acquisition of American Sign Language (ASL) in Deaf babies and children and to protest the Audio-Verbal Therapy (AVT) which excludes ASL, currently promoted by the Alexander Graham Bell Association for the Deaf.Research has shown that hearing children are benefitting much from signs in their early years, but Deaf babies are systematically being denied their natural visual language. We believe fluency in ASL increases opportunities for increased fluency in written English as well as spoken English. For additional information about the Deaf Bilingual Coalition, please go to www.deafbilingualcoalition.com/14.html We hope you will join us in supporting this endeavor. If you wish to make a tax-deductible donation to Deaf Bilingual Coalition’s work, please either send a check made out to “CAD” (be sure to put “DBC” on the memo line) OR donate through PayPal by clicking on the link below. Thank you very much!
I wonder if CAD is obligated to actually give donation monies to DBC or if they can chose to keep them for their own purposes. I didn’t see any clarification in the CAD by-laws.
I expect that if they are having trouble with the DBC for some reason, withholding funds could provide a lot of leverage.
August 3rd, 2008 at 4:04 am
Brilliant!
August 16th, 2008 at 7:34 pm
Your blog is interesting!
Keep up the good work!
September 28th, 2008 at 12:24 pm
nice work, man
October 6th, 2008 at 5:50 pm
omg.. good work, brother
December 31st, 2008 at 5:46 am
s8Py5g Thanks for good post