[Nyagdu] Board Member, was Introduction,

Mon Nov 21 15:11:21 UTC 2016

     Oh, Awesome. Things were  crazy that weekend and I wasn't sure what 
all was happening. I will let my chapter know. As an aside we have been 
distributing assignments as Points-of-contact within our chapter. For 
instance, Bernice our secretary will be the POC when the senior citizen 
devision gets started. Jim, board member will do veterans, I will do 
NYAGDU, Candice, Treasurer will do parents of blind children, Helen, 
vice president, will do blind parents and Justin, member, will do blind 
students. This is really exciting. Thanks so much for clarification. I 
wasn't sure where I stood, so that is helpful.


On 11/21/2016 9:15 AM, Lucy Marr via Nyagdu wrote:
> Hi Heather,
>
> You are able to serve as First Vice President. You heard Carl and I 
> discussing who would represent NYAGDU on the Board. Because you are 
> the President of Rochester and I serve as Presdient of Syracuse, it 
> then goes to Joyce, our Second Vice President.
>
> Take care,
>
> Lucy
>
> -----Original Message----- From: Heather Bird via Nyagdu
> Sent: Monday, November 21, 2016 9:10 AM
> To: Nyagdu at nfbnet.org
> Cc: Heather Bird
> Subject: [Nyagdu] Board Member, was Introduction,
>
> Hi list. I wanted to respond to one of the welcome messages I got. At
> the in-person meeting I was made first vice president. However, because
> I am on the board of NFB NY in my copasity as the president of NFB
> Rochester, I apparently can not be the first vice president of NYAGDU. I
> am new to this all, so it is a little confusing. For instance, wouldn't
> the president, not the vice president of NYAGDU be the board member of
> NFB NY? I am totally fine either way. I am happy to be a board member of
> NYAGDU, or just a member, or whatever is needed. As I said, I am new at
> this. I'm going to go and reread the constitution for NFB NY, for my own
> Rochester chapter and for NYAGDU if there is one online? I will get the
> hang of this. Just give me time. *smile*
>
> Re: [Nyagdu] Introduction
> Hi Heather,
>
> Glad you joined the list and we are also happy to have you as our First
> Vice President. I hope everyone will give some consideration to ways we
> can strengthen
> this division. It has not been active in a few years.
>
> All the best to you and your family for a wonderful Thanksgiving!
>
> Lucy and Jayden
>
> -----Original Message----- From: Heather Bird via Nyagdu
> Sent: Thursday, November 17, 2016 10:51 AM
> To:
> nyagdu at nfbnet.org
> Cc: Heather Bird
> Subject: [Nyagdu] Introduction
>
> Hello, list.
>
> My name is Heather. My current guide is Ilsa, a black and tan German
> Shepherd Dog from the Seeing Eye in Morristown New Jersey. Ilsa is my
> second guide from TSE, my previous Seeing Eye dog being Frieda a black
> and tan coated GSD who just retired in August of 2016. I have had two
> GSDs, Paisley and Drew, sable and black and tan respectively, from
> Fidelco Guide Dog Foundation and my very first guide dog who I got at
> age 16 was a yellow Labrador retriever named Brittany, from Guiding Eyes
> for the Blind in Yorktown Heights New York.
>
> I grew up with guide dogs as my mother, Bernice, has been working guide
> dogs for almost 40 years. When I was an infant my mom, essentially a
> single parent, did such a good self-advocacy job that Jeff Lock agreed
> to make her one of GEB's first home placements, and the first of her
> dogs that I met was a black lab named Brenna. Now my sons, Jeremy 8 and
> Caleb, 3 in January are growing up watching me work my dogs, which is
> great because both of them are visually impaired. I had Paisley when
> Jeremy was born and I brought Frieda home just after Jeremy's third
> birthday. Caleb still asks where Frieda is, but he is adjusting to Ilsa.
> My biggest challenge is convincing my toddler parrot not to repeat all
> of the commands that I give to Ilsa while he rides in a baby carrier on
> my back.
>
> My husband, Jim is a service dog handler as well. He is sighted, but he
> uses a psychiatric service dog, a smooth coat collie named Dante, a dog
> we jointly owner trained to address Jim's combat-related PTSD. Jim is
> supportive of guide dog handlers and is quite savvy about the different
> schools, the guide dog/service dog laws and he and I help one another
> not only as spouses, but as fellow service dog handlers.
>
> Jim and I are both members of IAADP, International Association of
> Assistance Dog Partners. Jim, Bernice and I are all members of NFB
> Rochester as well. Jim and Bernice are also joining NYAGDU and one or
> both of them may or may not join the mailing list in future.
>
> I am a total guide dog geek, I admit it. *smile* I love to learn from
> and be inspired by more experienced guide dog handlers, and I love to
> teach/mentor less experienced guide dog handlers. I am a big preponent
> of my current school, the Seeing Eye, but I am also supportive of the
> rights of owner trainers and I am very interested in the constant
> changes in the guide dog world, including the areas of strength and
> weakness, growth and change  at all guide dog schools including my own.
>
> I have a passion for working dogs of all types as I believe that
> generally speaking, dogs are happier, healthier and more fulfilled when
> they are guiding, herding sheep, pulling sleds, finding drugs,
> identifying bombs, rescuing people who are lost, partnering with police
> officers, serving in the military, providing animal assisted therapy,
> helping hunters bring home dinner, or performing service dog tasks. I
> contend that a trained dog is a secure dog, a working dog is a fulfilled
> dog and as we all know, a tired dog is a good dog.
>
> PS, as an icebreaker for me to get to know some of you other listers...
> If you were a dog, what breed would you be and why? I would be either a
> German Shepherd or a Dobermin Pincher, as I am intelligent, but also
> very vocal, a little bit dramatic, a little bit obsessive, and these
> traits often work to my advantage, but sometimes work against me. My
> older son would be a standard poodle, my younger son would probably be a
> golden retriever, my mom a Labrador and my husband would be a
> golden/doberman cross, civilian self combine with military self.
>
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