[NAGDU] Resolutions

Sun Jul 11 21:23:01 UTC 2021

Cindy,

I am not aware of inaccuracies in the resolution that was withdrawn. However, if they existed, the time to address them had long since passed. The resolution, in concept, was agreed upon long before the NAGDU board saw it. I agreed to author that resolution so long as the NAGDU board supported it.

The NAGDU board passed the resolution, as I recall, unanimously. NO OPPOSITION. Kevan Worley expressed much opposition using the argument about "a new administration and a new day rebuilding relationships with the schools". Come to think of it, that was the argument used yesterday on the floor by Stacie Gallegos. Again, the IGDF resolution passed the NAGDU board.

Yes, people can decide to change their minds. However, common courtesy, especially in the light of the fact that we are supposed to be working as a team, would have dictated that concerns would have been expressed to the resolution authors and, in fact, all members of the board. NONE OF THAT WAS DONE! I decided to withdraw the resolution after the president of NAGDU and a coauthor of the resolution, publicly opposed it at the resolutions committee meeting. Did the president consult with his colleague and coauthor? Did he consult with and get a change in vote from the NAGDU board? I know the answer to the first question is no and I suspect the same answer applies to the second question.

So, we have a president who explicitly went against the vote of his board and he totally threw his colleague and coauthor under the bus. If he had concerns he should have voiced them. We could have, and would have, to withdraw the resolution.

Clearly we live in a NAGDU era where people are NOT respected. Clearly we live in a time where the wishes of the NAGDU board are not volowed by the president. Given the Blake case, for example, clearly we also live with a NAGDU where the rights of guide dog users are indeed thrown away and instead it is all about simply "rebuilding relationships with guide dog schools" although those relationships have not existed before, not because of past NAGDU leadership, but because of guide dog schools deliberately choosing to ignore us.

By the way, Mr. Worley consistently claimed that because he had not seen evidence that the previous NAGDU administration had attempted to interact with the IGDF he had to question the existence of past efforts on behalf of NAGDU to work with that organization. I have seen such letters. However, what I have seen is irrelevant, especially in the eyes of Worley. The fact is that Mr. Riccobono was copied on every email sent to the IGDF.

Going back to what you said Cindy, possibly there were inaccuracies, although I am not aware of them. However, they do not matter. What the Gallegos combine did was unconscionable by any standard this organization has promoted, at least as long as I have been in the NFB which now  is over 49 years.

I had planned to remain silent, but your comments Cindy, I felt, provided a reasonable place where I could provide more information and give all of you the facts. I will most likely not comment further on all this. If people want to reach out I will never be so discourteous as to refuse to answer or dialog individually except where the present NAGDU high leadership is concerned. They no longer have my faith nor trust. Personally, I value the NFB highly. The philosophy upon which it was built as first established by Dr. tenBroek is the bedrock of what I believe we all should feel about ourselves and our organization. However, it is clear that I cannot trust the current president of NAGDU. I will be looking with fascination at what the board does about all this, if anything. NAGDU is not about one person. It is, however, all about respect, working together, trust and support of each other. From my perspective, that last part no longer exists.

Thanks for reading.

Best Regards,

Michael Hingson

The Michael Hingson Group, INC.
"Speaking with Vision"
Michael Hingson, President
(415) 827-4084
mike at michaelhingson.com
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-----Original Message-----
From: NAGDU <nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org> On Behalf Of Cindy Ray via NAGDU
Sent: Sunday, July 11, 2021 7:01 AM
To: NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users <nagdu at nfbnet.org>
Cc: Cindy Ray <cindyray at gmail.com>
Subject: Re: [NAGDU] Resolutions

I think that the resolution withdrawn had some inaccuracies in it that would not have been well to pursue, and it is my understanding that the resolutions committee may have asked some questions that made it harder to support. That’s not to say it couldn’t come up again next year.
I think the other resolution’s passage was a good thing, but I would like to speak to the relationship with the schools. I think we have to be firm in our beliefs about what the schools should and should not do. However, we really may stand a better chance of getting what we want from them if we can develop a working relationship with them. If our relationship with them is adversarial, they won’t listen to us at all. The Board had voted in favor of sending that resolution forward, and I am still glad we did. I think it does let them know we are watchful, and I think it does open the door to our dialoging with them when we see problems. I don’t think that is the same as kneeling before the school with our had in our hand, our head bowed, and saying that whatever they do is fine.
Cindy

> On Jul 11, 2021, at 7:31 AM, Tracy Carcione via NAGDU <nagdu at nfbnet.org> wrote:
> 
> We of NAGDU had what I thought were 3 good resolutions this year.  1 
> was withdrawn because, in the end, leadership didn't support it.  
> Leadership wants to "build good relationships with schools".  Well, OK...
> 
> Another, demanding a real due process when a dog is taken away, and 
> demanding that schools provide all materials in accessible formats, 
> was by far the most controversial of all the resolutions presented to 
> the convention.  I was shocked and dismayed.  One person who spoke in 
> opposition said again that we want to build good relations with the schools.
> Seriously?  Are we to come, with bowed head and hat in hand, saying 
> Please sirs, our members would like to tell their side of the story 
> should their dog be taken away?  Really?
> 
> I still remember, from many years ago, my first impressions of the 
> Seeing Eye graduates at convention.  They were not afraid to speak 
> their minds when they thought their school had made a faux pas.  I was 
> shocked, and impressed.  They clearly expected to be treated as 
> intelligent adults with a place at the table.  They were courteous, 
> but firm in their opinions.  After all, adults can have differences of opinion, and discuss them as equals.
> 
> I'm not sure all guide dog users feel like that.  I guess there was a 
> time when I did not, when I was a young newby.  I can understand owner-trainers'
> perspective even better than I already did.  I would not wish to hand 
> power over me to someone who does not respect my abilities.
> 
> I sometimes think guide dog users are the most timid of all 
> Federationists, when it comes to speaking truth to power.  I 
> understand why some would be, but it's not my idea of what it means to be a Federationist.
> 
> Tracy
> 
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