[nagdu] convention 2010 ???

[Marion & Martin]

Jenine,
    though the "half cup of coffee" statement was meant only as a metaphor, 
the Tampa convention did have a sighted guide booth and several people came 
to me to let me know that there were volunteers available to take my dog out 
to relieve, if I felt I was not capable of doing this for myself.
    as for joining CADO, if Suzanne Whalen said it had anything to do with 
the ACB's involvement, she was not clear on this. Though I was not privvy to 
this discussion, there are several reasons the organization does not enter 
into coalitions.

Fraternally yours,
Marion


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Jenine Stanley" <jeninems at wowway.com>
To: "'NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users'" 
<nagdu at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Tuesday, September 22, 2009 4:59 PM
Subject: Re: [nagdu] convention 2010 ???


> Marion,
>
> I'm not sure at which ACB convention volunteers took anyone's guide dog 
> out
> for him or her but that's not a common practice at all. Having spilled
> enough coffee over my hands for the past 20 years at such conventions, I'm
> also not sure where you got a half-full cup because you were blind. My
> coffee spilling had nothing to do with blindness btw, but walking too fast
> and juggling too many items. <grin>
>
> I think devout members of both organizations have misconceptions and
> stereotypes about the others based on outdated info, like the October '95
> Braille Monitor that fueled the anti-guide dog debate as well as the 
> article
> you shared. Believe me, having attended both organizations' conventions 
> now,
> I heard equal amounts of "trash talking" from both sides.
>
> I will be honest and say that I was very nervous attending my first NFB
> convention in 2008. Even though I did so in a professional capacity, most 
> of
> you know that I am a past president of Guide Dog Users, Inc, the ACB guide
> dog affiliate, and currently hold office on ACB's Board of Publications. I
> thought for sure these things would be brought up against me.
>
> Of course they were not and everyone was incredibly friendly, not 
> mentioning
> my other affiliations at all. I did appreciate the many activities of the
> NFB national convention and would say that yes, despite the number of
> socially oriented activities at the ACB convention, there are similar
> workshops, seminars, etc. I think people need to compare for themselves. I
> think both organizations have a great deal to offer and like the two major
> political parties in this country, both will forever have members who find
> it necessary to berate the other organization as part of their duty to 
> their
> own.
>
> I was part of the initial founding of the Coalition of Assistance Dog
> Organizations and we made every effort to invite NAGDU but at that time 
> your
> president, Suzanne Whalen, was told that NAGDU could not participate 
> because
> of the ACB affiliation of GDUI. I still regret this and hope that some 
> day,
> if it hasn't happened already, NAGDU is at that table.
>
> I think the best of both worlds occurs when the conventions are staggered 
> so
> that people may attend both. Of course the best of both worlds would be 
> that
> we all had enough money to do so as well.
>
> Jenine Stanley
> jeninems at wowway.com
>
>
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