[nagdu] GDF and NAGDU conventions

Mon Apr 23 12:52:53 UTC 2012

Janice:
GDUI is the ACB's Guide Dog Division. 

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> From: jeninems at wowway.com
> To: nagdu at nfbnet.org
> Date: Mon, 23 Apr 2012 08:27:14 -0400
> Subject: Re: [nagdu] GDF and NAGDU conventions
> 
> GDUI stands for Guide Dog Users, Inc. I'm assuming you asked what the
> initials stood for not what the organization stands for in terms of
> principles and such. That's another topic and probably not one for this
> list.
> 
> Jenine Stanley
> jeninems at wowway.com
> http://www.twitter.com/jeninems
> 
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf
> Of Janice Toothman
> Sent: Sunday, April 22, 2012 10:53 PM
> To: NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users
> Subject: Re: [nagdu] GDF and NAGDU conventions
> 
> Jenine,
> What does GDUI stand for?
> Janice
> 
> On 4/22/2012 6:40 PM, Jenine Stanley wrote:
> > Julie,
> >
> >
> > Let me give you a little more info on the exhibiting factors that lead 
> > to GDF decisions anyway regarding conventions.
> >
> > We have not had a booth at the ACB convention for many years. The 
> > primary reason is that their exhibit hall hours are much longer over a 
> > longer span of time than at NFB and we simply do not have the staff to 
> > man a booth and take part in the activities of the guide dog 
> > affiliate, GDUI, which demand volunteers from te schools to help with
> various events.
> >
> > I'm the GDUI Program Chair this year so I can say things about 
> > them.<grin>
> >
> > We do, however, hope to have a booth at the NFB convention even though 
> > the cost is more, primarily because we like how the exhibit hall is 
> > organized and run and that this is an audience we have been neglecting for
> some time.
> > As you see from my earlier note, that's paid off in the number of 
> > people referred to us through NFB and NAGDU.
> >
> > I personally like the dedicated exhibit hall times at NFB as it gives 
> > me time to attend the NAGDU functions without having to worry about a 
> > booth and as I'm the one responsible for said booth, that matters a 
> > lot.<grin>
> >
> > The ACB exhibit hall is very crowded all week, which is fine but 
> > again, we find that we reach more people by walking around, talking to 
> > people, helping them with various things around the hotel, etc.
> >
> > We also have found fewer graduates attending ACB conventions, 
> > especially when held in western states. Some day this balance may 
> > swing again, but I really think that having different strategies for 
> > each type of convention, even the state ones, is important. As long as 
> > people know how and where to find us, That's what really matters.
> >
> > Jenine Stanley
> > jeninems at wowway.com
> > http://www.twitter.com/jeninems
> >
> >
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On 
> > Behalf Of Julie J.
> > Sent: Sunday, April 22, 2012 6:10 PM
> > To: NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users
> > Subject: Re: [nagdu] GDF and NAGDU conventions
> >
> > I have been to both NFB and ACB national conventions.  At the NFB 
> > conventions I have been to there are generally a handful of the guide 
> > dog program reps there.  It is usually the larger schools, unless the 
> > convention is geographically very close to a smaller program's main 
> > offices.  When I was at the ACB national convention last year, I think 
> > there was a booth in the exhibit hall for just about every program 
> > available.  There were definitely many more than at the NFB conventions.
> >
> > So I asked myself why this might be?  On the surface it might look 
> > like there is more agreement with ACB so that's why more of the 
> > programs attend that convention.  But I don't think so.  I think a 
> > larger percentage of blind people at the ACB conventions are 
> > interested in working with a guide dog.  If you only have so many 
> > advertising dollars, it makes sense to use them where you are going to get
> the most out of them.
> >
> > I've talked with a lot of program representatives over the years.  I 
> > can honestly say that what we talked about wasn't much different based 
> > on whether I was at one of the NFB conventions or the ACB convention I
> > attended.   The guide dog program employees talk about dogs, dog
> > training and what they have to offer.  After all the guide dog programs
> > are businesses.   They are providing trained dogs to blind people, not
> > entering into philosophical debates.
> >
> > Sure I do think that there are employees within the various guide dog 
> > programs that are NFB or ACB members and promote their personal 
> > beliefs purposefully or incidentally through their employment, but I 
> > do not think that any of the guide dog programs as a whole favors one 
> > organization over another.
> >
> > JMHO
> > Julie
> >
> >
> >
> > _______________________________________________
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