Newsletters
Governor Morehead School Alumni Association, Inc.
Alumni Connection
Summer, 2022
Attention Please!
by Tim Snyder
It has been quite a while since I have written one of these columns for Alumni Connection. The reason this is so is because it had been quite some time since I had been president of this Association.
Of course we were all shocked and saddened by the passing of our friend and President, Fred McEachern on February 11, 2022. According to the terms of our Constitution, I, as vice-president, automatically became President. For each and all of us these past few months have become a time of grief and adjustment. This grieving period was certainly natural and to be expected. We have also done what we could to be supportive of Fred’s wife and family. His wife Selma and son Eric have been especially helpful in working with us to deal with the business affairs of the Association as they related to Fred. We wish them every comfort during this time and will be there for them and welcome their association with this organization.
Now it is time for us to move forward. Yes, we have also been slowed down, perhaps at times stalled, by COVID-19, but hopefully, that time is fading into the past. I know that Fred would also want us to move forward for the advancement of GMSAA, Inc. and all whom we serve.
In a couple of days we will hold our 2022 convention. We will hold elections for President, Treasurer and one unexpired Board position by taking nominations from the floor. We are taking this action because the nominating committee could not find people to nominate for these vacancies by their June 15 deadline. The unexpired term results from a Board member resignation a short while ago. I urge you to consider an area of service next year perhaps in one of these positions or serving on one of our committees. Together we can serve and accomplish much.
Tim Snyder, President
(Note that on August 6, 2022, Ricky Scott was elected president for a three-year term.)
Constitution and Bylaws Proposed Amendments
by the Constitution and Bylaws Committee
While Fred McEachern was president, the Constitution and Bylaws Committee and he were working on amendments to the bylaws. I have, since that time, worked with this committee to review the Constitution and Bylaws to submit amendments to complete the work Fred began. I present these proposed amendments to you for consideration. We will need to schedule a general business meeting at which we can vote upon these amendments. I recommend that we have such a meeting by telephone so that as many of our members as possible may attend. If we conduct a meeting in this way, we will need to work out the voting process. Below you will find the proposed amendments.
Constitution
Article V Officers and Board of Directors
Section 1
Current:
No officer or board member shall serve more than two (2) consecutive terms in the same office but may run for that particular office after absenting that office for one term.
Proposed Change:
No officer or board member shall serve more than two (2) consecutive terms in the same office but may run for that particular office after it has been vacated or the term of the office has ended. Each Board member position is considered to be a separate office. This means that a Board member may serve in a Board member position for two consecutive terms and will qualify to run for another Board member vacant position without any waiting period. Appointments to Board positions including officer positions by the Board of Directors are not subject to term limits.
Article IX Moneys
Current:
The signature of the Treasurer and authorization by the President shall be
required for all checks and withdrawals for this organization. An exception to this
rule is the use of an Association debit or credit card by an officer or Board
member of the Association.
Proposed Change:
The signature of the Treasurer and authorization by the President shall be
required for all checks and withdrawals for this organization. An exception to this
rule is the use of an Association debit or credit card by an officer, Board member or any person authorized by the President or Treasurer for conducting business on behalf of the Association.
Bylaws
Article II Officers and Board Members
Section 1 Qualifications for Service as an officer
Current:
In order for a member to serve as an officer of the Association, the member must meet the following requirements.
(2) The member has attended one of the schools mentioned in Article III of the Constitution of the Association.
(3) The individual must be a member of the Association for at least twelve (12) months.
Proposed Change:
Delete item (2) so that item (3) becomes item (2).
Section 2 Qualifications for service as a Board Member
Current:
In order for a member to serve as a board member who is not currently an officer of the Association, the member must meet both of the following requirements.
(2) The member has been a member of the Association for at least twelve (12) months.
Proposed Change:
(2) The member has been a member of the Association for at least three (3) months.
Article III Committees
Current:
Section 1 Standing Committees
(1) The Association will maintain the following standing committees: convention, membership, finance, awards/scholarship, nominating, communications, archives and history, education, constitution and bylaws, resource development, legislative/advocacy and benevolence. Each of these committees may form sub-committees from the Association membership as needed to assist with performing its duties.
(2) The purposes of the standing committees are as follows:
(a) Convention: to plan, organize and conduct the annual convention of the Association,
(b) Membership: to plan, organize and conduct methods and drives to initiate, maintain and increase membership in the Association, and maintain and distribute a membership directory,
(c) Finance: to prepare annual budgets and guide the Association with sound fiscal planning and management,
(d) Awards/Scholarship: to plan and develop an awards and scholarship program including developing awards and scholarship resources, administering awards and scholarship resources and selecting awards and scholarship recipients.
(e) Nominating: to provide qualified nominees who are willing to serve on the Association Board of Directors. If two members are nominated to chair the nominating committee, a vote between the two nominees shall occur with one being chosen by majority vote. If more than two are nominated, the two receiving the highest number of votes shall run for the chair, the chair being elected by majority vote.
(f) Communications: to create, develop and maintain an Association web site, and oversee the production and distribution of publications produced by andon behalf of the Association.
(g) Archives and History: to preserve the archives and history of the North Carolina State Schools for the Blind and Deaf and the Governor Morehead School, in collaboration with the GMS Historical Society, ensuring that a museum for such purposes is in existence.(h) Education: to collaborate with and promote the Governor Morehead School and to plan, coordinate and conduct seminars, lectures and classes for the education of blind and deaf children and adults and their families and friends.
(I) Constitution and Bylaws: to receive proposed amendments to the Constitution and Bylaws, to recommend proposed amendments to the Board of Directors, and to annually review the Constitution and Bylaws for possible amendment recommendations.
(j) Resource Development: to plan, coordinate and direct all fund-raising efforts.
(k) Legislative/Advocacy: to monitor, communicate, and inform the Board of Directors and the general membership of the Association of any legislation or legislative actions that may impact or influence the lives of the blind and deaf populations in North Carolina and to plan, organize and execute strategies to facilitate effective advocacy related to issues impacting the blind and deaf populations of North Carolina.
(l) Benevolence: to provide acknowledgements, tributes, expressions of sympathy to members of the Association or immediate family members of the Association through the presentation of cards, or letters of condolence, or flowers, or modest financial contributions at the discretion of the Benevolence committee and to provide an annual monetary sponsorship or gift in-kind to a
needy individual or family who is blind or deaf at a special time during the year such as Christmas or holiday season from among applicants or recommendations received and reviewed by the committee; and to provide assistive technology or other services to a blind or visually impaired individual or deaf individual as resources are available for such assistive technology or other services
Proposed Changes:
(submitted by the Constitution and Bylaws Committee)
January 9, 2022
Article III Committees
Section 1 Standing Committees
(1) The Association will maintain the following standing committees: convention, communications and membership, audit and finance, nominating, education and governance. Each of these committees may form sub-committees from the Association membership as needed to assist with performing its duties.
(2) The purposes of the standing committees are as follows:
(a) Convention:
to plan, organize and conduct the annual convention of the Association,
(b) Audit and Finance:
(1) to perform an annual audit of the Association’s financial records with an oral and written report of the audit submitted at the board meeting prior to the annual convention;
(2) to prepare annual budgets and guide the Association with sound fiscal planning and management;
(3) to plan, coordinate and direct resource development;
(4) to oversee, make investment decisions and manage all investments on behalf of or owned by the Association.
(5) to report to the treasurer information needed for the Treasurer’s reports so that investment account values and holdings can be included in the treasurer’s report.
(c) Nominating:
(1) to provide qualified nominees who are willing to serve on the Association Board of Directors. If, at a meeting of the Board of Directors, two members are nominated to chair the nominating committee, a vote between the two nominees by the Board of Directors shall occur with one being chosen by majority vote. If more than two are nominated, the two receiving the highest number of votes shall run for the chair, the chair being elected by majority vote of the Board of Directors.
(d) Communications and Membership:
(1) to create, develop and maintain an Association web site;
(2) oversee the production and distribution of publications produced by and on behalf of the Association ;
(3) to plan, organize and conduct methods and drives to initiate, maintain and increase membership in the Association;
(4) to distribute membership renewal requests and process membership applications;
(5) to promote the opportunity of becoming a life member;
(6) maintain and distribute a membership directory;
(7) to provide acknowledgements, tributes, expressions of sympathy or other communications related to benevolence as directed by Association policy.
(e) Education:
(1) to collaborate with and promote the Governor Morehead School; this work includes any matters pertaining to archives and history.
(2) to plan, coordinate and conduct seminars and lectures for the education of blind and deaf children and adults and their families and friends;
(3) to plan, coordinate and administer awards and scholarships;
(4) to monitor and communicate legislative issues and actions to the Association board and membership that impact the blind and deaf of North Carolina and, with the help of the membership, to advocate on behalf of the blind and deaf of North Carolina before legislative bodies and boards on such issues.
(f) Governance:
(1) to receive proposed amendments to the Constitution and Bylaws;
(2) to recommend proposed amendments to the Board of Directors and the general membership;
(3) to review annually the Constitution and Bylaws for possible amendment recommendations;
(4) to develop policy and procedures to facilitate the management of Association general administration, board and committee activities.
Frederick Douglas McEachern – The Governor Morehead Student
by Yvonne Kea
Frederick began his education at the Governor Morehead School Garner Road campus in 1958 after he attended public school in Durham, NC. He started in the fifth grade. Frederick was from the city so he enjoyed the spacious setting of the Garner Road campus. It was nestled in the lovely countryside of Raleigh, NC and backed up to woods, a dairy farm, vegetable gardens, brooks and streams. He rambled in the woods gathering earthworms, frogs, fish and anything else he could find for us to use for science classes. Frederick assisted the biology teacher in the lab by feeding the animals and keeping their cages cleaned. He prepared frogs for bone structure study by boiling the meat from their bones. There was a rumor that he fried a chicken in the lab and he and his friends had a feast.
Frederick was a very helpful student and volunteered for every occasion to demonstrate this trait about himself. He worked on the milk truck that delivered milk from the dairy to North Carolina State for processing and distribution to the Garner Road and Ashe Avenue campuses. When the drama club presented a play or the Rhythm Kids entertained us with one of their thrilling, exuberant concerts, he helped with the stage settings.
Frederick was a very sociable person and was loved and respected by the administrators, teachers, staff, and students. He was a star Greyhound on the basketball team and on the track team. He was a member of the Student Council and the Young Mens’ Development Association (YMDA). Frederick loved music and always owned the latest records. He loved to have fun and danced the night away at our dances. He was homecoming king one year for selling the most candy.
Of course, Frederick got into mischief as any young boy would do but he always cleaned up his act and got it right again. He was a loyal friend but did not hesitate to let you know if you were not on his list of favorites. Frederick graduated in 1966 and left a very empty space on the Garner Road campus.
Remembering Fred McEachern
by Tim Snyder
I went to the Garner Road campus of GMS in the Fall of 1968. I would guess that during that time Fred McEachern was in the midst of his college studies. Perhaps he did not know it at the time, but he was actually preparing for a decades-long career at GMS. He worked at both the Garner Road and Ashe Avenue campuses.
So in the early 1970’s Mr. McEachern became one of the school counselors at GMS on the Garner Road campus. Mr. McEachern was certainly professional, but somehow he related to the students in ways that other counselors did not relate. I understood why this was so when I learned that he had attended and graduated from GMS. He was one of us, but he was a professional also.
Since I graduated in 1978, I have maintained contact with Fred. Over the years Fred became a stable institution at GMS. Even though staff would change at GMS, Fred was always at the school, serving in many roles, getting things done. From time to time Fred served as principal of GMS. He retired from GMS in September, 2021 after decades of valuable service.
It should come as no surprise that when we began to develop the idea of forming a GMS alumni association, we asked Fred McEachern to become involved. He readily agreed and jumped into the endeavor with both feet. He served as treasurer and was always helping in various ways for the success of this organization and all that we were attempting to do. His last duty that he undertook was to serve as our president. I was glad to serve as his and our vice-president during Fred’s 2019-2022 term as president. As all of you were, I was also shocked and sad at the loss of such a great school counselor, leader and friend.
I am sure that we will all remember him and carry his memory with fondness and respect in our hearts.
Upcoming Candidates Forum
by Ricky Scott, Education Committee Chairman
As chairman of the Education Committee of the alumni Association, one of my goals is to advance the education of local leadership on issues of concern to the blind and visually impaired in our local community and across the state. To that end, in 2019, the Association sponsored a candidates forum for those running for office for city council of Raleigh, North Carolina, where candidates addressed issues of concerns to our blind community concerning accessible and affordable housing, programmatic and facility access and employment. Likewise, the Association plans to host a candidates forum for the 2022 municipal elections in Raleigh, North Carolina to address issues related to employment, accessible and affordable housing and accessible pedestrian street crossings. While some progress has been made on these issues, the work remains incomplete, therefore, the need for hosting this candidates forum.I report this effort to you to encourage similar actions be taken in your local communities in future elections. With support from the Association and collaboration by other consumer and advocacy organizations of the blind and other organizations for persons with disabilities, I do believe that progress can be made on these very important issues. So, then, let us commit ourselves anew to this effort and work meaningfully together to achieve these goals related to improved employment outcomes, improved access to facilities and programs and improved access to pedestrian crosswalks.
Closing Remarks
by Tim Snyder
Thank you for taking the time to read this issue of the Alumni Connection. I appreciate Yvonne and Ricky for contributing articles on short notice. I also thank Eric and Patrick for helping us to get it on the web so that all can read it. I will work on getting an audio format that can be accessed by those who are unable to read it from the web. I am uncertain about other formats at this time for this issue. Thank you for being a valuable member of the Governor Morehead School Alumni Association, Inc. If you have not joined yet, we invite you to join today. We would love to welcome you into our GMSAA family.