[Nfb-lions] New member

Tue Jun 4 13:32:15 UTC 2013

Dar, I would love to meet you at convention.  When will you arrive?  Is this 
your first NFB Convention?   Travis Moses, the President of the NFB of 
Montana can help you find people. Others will also be able to help.  I can 
meet you in Mrs. Jernigan's suite at 8:00 a.m. Monday morning if that will 
work for you.  You should look for an agenda as soon as you arrive if you do 
not download one from the NFB Web Site before you leave home.

The Lions meeting Monday evening will  begin at 5:00 and be finished no 
later than 6:30.  If you can plan your dinner around that schedule, I 
promise you will meet lots of blind Lions, and one or two may be able to 
join you for dinner.

Do not hesitate to say to the person sitting next to you at a Lions meeting 
that you would appreciate it if he or she would tell you when you miss 
something that is happening.  Not only do you need to know that people stand 
during the pledge to the flag, but you also need to know where the flag is. 
They might have thought you should know to stand, but there is no way you 
could know where the flag  is.

The Lions in your club know very little about blindness.  You have the 
opportunity to help them learn.  You may be still learning yourself.  I 
suggest you tell them that.  They will take their cues from you, at least to 
some degree.

I would try to find a job at their breakfasts, even if your first one is 
simply passing out plates and napkins.  My club now trusts me to collect 
money, but that didn't happen the first day.  It happens that we also do 
breakfasts, some for a fundraising and some for service. As you get to know 
the group, you may be able to find a member who lives near you.  Or someone 
who will go near your home on the way to a project.  Then it is a matter of 
coordinating schedules.  You don't want to be a pest, but most Lions are 
very generous once they get to know you.  As you show them that you are 
trying to work with them, you may make some good friends.

You may want to visit some other clubs if there are some in your town.  Not 
all clubs are alike, and it is not unusual for prospective members to visit 
several clubs before choosing one to join.  If you are in a tiny town, of 
course there will be only one club.

See you soon.

Ramona
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "d m gina" <dmgina at samobile.net>
To: <nfb-lions at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Monday, June 03, 2013 9:58 PM
Subject: Re: [Nfb-lions] New member

> Hello,
> I know they have plans going up to December their Christmas party.
> They do allot of breakfast servings.
> One is a bank that I can try to take a cab to,
> The strawberry fest is this coming weekend.
> I will share what I can learn.
> the two guys were very offended with me that I didn't stand up for the 
> Pledge of the Legence.  Being at a dinner table I didn't realize they were 
> standing.
> If you can give tips on how you help your groups, I will take the tips and 
> share.
>
> Original message:
>> Dar, The Lions International motto is "We serve."  Of course, there is
>> sharing in that, but virtually all Lions expect to serve in a variety of
>> different ways.  Every club has its own projects and their own meeting
>> schedules.  The NFB Lions is an informal group which share ideas about 
>> how
>> to integrate Lions into our own clubs and communities and help our clubs
>> accept us as blind people and how to help Lions clubs respect blind 
>> people
>> as partners.  Sometimes this takes a little work.  As you get acquainted
>> with a particular club, individuals are likely to offer transportation 
>> when
>> it is convenient for them, but this may not always happen.
>
>> Lions have made helping blind people a priority, but sometimes this means 
>> to
>> them preventing blindness.  I try  to keep reminding them that preventing
>> blindness is a very good thing, but different from helping blind people.
>> Helen Keller asked Lions to be "Knights of the blind" in 1927.  They have
>> taken this challenge seriously, but I think it is fair to say that there 
>> are
>> several different understandings of what that means. Most clubs are glad 
>> to
>> welcome blind members, but you will need to help them understand what you
>> can do to contribute to their projects.
>
>> Dues vary from one district to the next.  There are international and
>> district, and then club dues.  Thus, the total can be different from club 
>> to
>> club.  My club charges 30 dollars per quarter, and we probably should 
>> raise
>> it.  The NFB Lions group has not charged dues, but perhaps we should.  We
>> generally hold one meeting at the time and place of our national 
>> convention.
>> Sometimes we have discussions between conventions, and we all do what we 
>> can
>> think of in our various local clubs.  Some of us have held district 
>> offices
>> and most have held local offices.
>
>> Please do not hesitate to ask whatever questions you like, but you will 
>> need
>> to get your local information from local clubs.  I think that Montana has
>> only one district, although some states have more than one.  There may 
>> also
>> be a piece of Canada in the same district as Montana .
>
>> If you use the internet, there is a huge Lions Web Site at
>> www.lionsclubs.org.
>
>> Ramona Walhof
>> NFB Lions co-chair
>> ----- Original Message -----
>> From: "d m gina" <dmgina at samobile.net>
>> To: <nfb-lions at nfbnet.org>
>> Sent: Monday, June 03, 2013 5:52 PM
>> Subject: [Nfb-lions] New member
>
>
>>> Hello,
>>> I am Dar Aldrich from Montana,
>>> ,I am trying to join a lions club here in town where I am asked what can
>>> you do for us, we expect you to do for us more than we can do for you.
>>> I know there are lions all over the country, I wish to learn what all of
>>> you are doing, so that I can fit rite in.
>>> One of the huge problems is transportation here in town.
>>> We already use the cabs where to go to events by cab all over town would
>>> be a huge expense.
>>> Can you share what you do.
>>> this is with transportation.
>>> I am willing to pay my $150 in July with the rest of the folks.
>>> that isn't a problem.
>>> I tried to join another club where they refused to help with
>>> transportation.
>>> I don't have the money to give any organization just so they have money 
>>> to
>>> throw me out.
>>> I want to support them as best as I can.
>>> they call guide dogs service dogs.
>>> I explained that our guide dogs or even seeing eye dogs are just for the
>>> blind.
>>> Here in town they sponser leader dogs for the blind, you would think 
>>> that
>>> would give them a clue, blind?
>>> I am wishing to learn how you get to all activities as well as helping
>>> out.
>>> We have some pretty eldery seniors in the club so I will ask many
>>> questions.
>>> I would like to share what you folks have done.
>>> Thanks again,
>>> I sure appreciate your help.
>>> I am wishing to get out more in the community.
>
>>> --
>>> --Dar
>>> skype: dmgina23
>>>  FB: dmgina
>>> www.twitter.com/dmgina
>>> every saint has a past
>>> every sinner has a future
>
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>
>
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>
> -- 
> --Dar
> skype: dmgina23
>  FB: dmgina
> www.twitter.com/dmgina
> every saint has a past
> every sinner has a future
>
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