[Nyagdu] Report and Plans for the convention

Mon Jun 8 19:49:02 UTC 2009

Margo,
    Well, this is scoop! I was out and about today and received a telephone 
call from Pete Donahue. Pete is on the Living History Committee and will 
record the entire business meeting and seminar! I will make an official 
announcement on the list when I get the chance, but it may not be until 
Wednesday! There are some urgent things that need to be dealt with by me!

Fraternally,
Marion


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Margo and Arrow" <margo.downey at verizon.net>
To: "New York Association of Guide Dog Users" <nyagdu at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Monday, June 08, 2009 1:06 PM
Subject: Re: [Nyagdu] Report and Plans for the convention


> Hi.  It is my understand, and Marion, please correct me, that there will 
> be efforts made to tape some or all of it.  I don't know the status of 
> that discussion.  marion, please answer.  thanks.  (smile).
> Margo and Arrow
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "cheryl echevarria" <cherylandmaxx at hotmail.com>
> To: "New York Association of Guide Dog Users" <nyagdu at nfbnet.org>
> Sent: Monday, June 08, 2009 7:04 AM
> Subject: Re: [Nyagdu] Report and Plans for the convention
>
>
>>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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