[Nyagdu] Report and Plans for the convention

[cheryl echevarria]

I am wondering if someone can tape the meeting a both the board meeting and the NAGDU member meeting at national, I will not be attending and would like to hear everything that is done. I don't know if we can do this or not.

Cheryl Echevarria
  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Margo and Arrow<mailto:margo.downey at verizon.net> 
  To: New York Association of Guide Dog Users<mailto:nyagdu at nfbnet.org> 
  Sent: Sunday, June 07, 2009 9:06 PM
  Subject: [Nyagdu] Report and Plans for the convention


  Hi, everyone.

  We need to start making plans for our state convention luncheon.  Any ideas for speakers or activities?

  Also, I need to give a Nyagdu report at the Nagdu meeting in Detroit.  I'd like for people to email me what has happened in their areas as far as advocacy efforts, issues that need to be dealt with, etc.  next year, if I'm elected President again, I'd like to see two legislative things occur or begin to occur.  This year, we had a full agenda as far as legislation is concerned on the state level.  I'd like to get the wording stricken that states that we can be asked for I D cards to prove our animals are service animals.  This is in direct violation of the ADA.  I'm hoping we can get it stricken before someone feels they need to file a complaint with the Department of Justice.

  Also, a resolution will possibly be passed at this national convention stating that laws regarding guide dogs need to have criminal provisions in them.  It's my understanding that we supposedly cannot get our new York guide dog laws criminalized.  To that I say the following:  I lived in Louisiana in the early 1980's with a guide dog.  Every day when I went into a business, I wondered if I'd be told to leave.  This was in new orleans and other places and I was not the only individual dealing with these negative attitudes.  In Louisiana, it was said NFB could not get strong criminalization passed, but, ladies and gentlemen, we did and we did it rather quickly.  Our White Cane law was at that time one of the strongest pieces of legislation in the United States as far as penalties go.  So, in spite of what has been told to us, I am not convinced.  If the resolution passes at National convention, that is like policy and I do hope we will conform to that policy and begin to criminalize our service animal laws.  To add to my understanding of why we supposedly cannot criminalize our guide dog laws, let me also add that Louisiana also has many rural areas and those folks didn't know about guide dogs and didn't care much and we were told those legislators would not help us, but, many actually did.  

  A Model Constitution for State Divisions of Nagdu has been written and has been endorsed by Nagdu, by Joanne Wilson who is Director of Affiliate Action, and by president Marc Maurer.  In fact, it's my understanding that president Maurer modified some of the wording.  We'll need to vote on adopting it as our Constitution by amending our present Constitution as needed, so that it conforms with Nagdu's Constitution.  As of now, anyone who is a member of Nyagdu is automatically a member of Nagdu and of the NFB of New York and of the NFB.  I have not received the Model Constitution yet and I'll send it out for members' perusal and will also send a copy to our State president, Carl Jacobsen.  This is a model constitution, so, we might adopt it as is by inserting wording into our constitution and some may not pertain to us.  Again, we haven't received it yet but we'll need to take a look at it.  We can also take another look at our present Constitution to determine what to do.  

  I'd like to have a conference call in July after our National Convention.  Please let me know about dates in July that would be a problem.  Would august be better?

  In the meantime, let me know about goings-on in your areas and send in ideas for state convention activities and/or  workshops and/or speakers.

  thanks, everyone.

  Margo Downey, president, Nyagdu
  margo.downey at verizon.net<mailto:margo.downey at verizon.net>
  (716)886-0567    

   
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