[Flagdu] I know you'll be mentors at convention

[Sherrill O'Brien]

Hello all,

For those of you attending convention, I urge you to assist anyone with a
dog who asks for help or appears to be disoriented. Sometimes we're the ones
who are confused, I know, but at other times we know the way and can get
that guide dog user out of a jam. Consider these as minimentoring
opportunities. We who are convention veterans have much to share with
newcomers, and we know how to share it in a way which doesn't sound
condescending. Sometimes we simply have to educate handlers about taking
their dogs out more frequently, or keeping the dogs' paws out of the aisle
in general sessions. FLAGDU is the NAGDU host affiliate, so we have the
chance to show guide dog users from across the country how welcoming and
helpful we can be .

NAGDU will have an information sheet in print or braille, telling about the
relief areas and the two NAGDU meetings, on Tuesday and Thursday nights,
which I encourage you to attend. We'll try to have the sheet available at
the check-in desk, no promises on that. It will be available at the Florida
information table in the lobby.

I will send out two informational emails which may be of help to you.
They're both from our NAGDU president Marion. One is the welcome information
sheet which I mentioned. The other is an overview of NAGDU happenings during
convention.

As NAGDU's secretary, if you have a serious guide dog concern, whether for
yourself or someone else, and you can't reach him on his cell at
813-626-2789, by all means get in touch with me and I'll see that your
concerns are passed along to him as quickly as possible.

I'm looking forward to seeing lots of you   in Orlando! Please drop by
NAGDU's exhibit hall table b17, say hi and support us by buying a rain
poncho with the new NFB logo. I can't think of anything more useful in
summer in Florida, especially when we have to take our dogs out and it's
raining cats and...never mind (haha!) We also have a great technology
package we'll be raffling.

Warm regards
Sherrill