GUIDE DOGS FOR THE BLIND - ALUMNI NEWS

Volume 23 – Number 3

Theresa Stern, Vice President of Outreach, Admissions and Alumni Services, Editor

Leanne Bremner and Maile George, Copy Editors

Send submissions to the editor via tape, phone, mail, or e-mail

Alumni Association Mission Statement

The Alumni Association will support the vision of GDB of “using our power of partnering to improve quality of life” by building a strong sustainable community of support among our Alumni. We will work to support Alumni success with their guide, in building relationships with others, and actively participating in the greater GDB community.

Alumni Association Board of Directors Mission Statement

Connecting Our Community through Leadership, Advocacy, Communication and Outreach

Alumni News is available electronically, in Braille, and on audio CD. If you are able to access email and would like future issues sent to you electronically, please let Theresa Stern know at . Email allows us to get the news to you in a timely manner and is easy on the environment!

We'd like to send our very special thanks to all of our Alumni who, by their efforts and their examples, refer others to our program.

Table of Contents

  1. FROM YOUR ALUMNI ASSOCIATION
  2. A Message from the Alumni Association Board Chair, By: Melanie Brunson
  3. Remembering Two Alumni Association Board Members, By: Melanie Brunson
  4. Alumni Association Seeks New Members
  5. A New Resource for You from the Advocacy Committee
  6. Your Ideas Are Important to Us
  7. They Walk Among Us – Congratulations Gary Skinner, RFS Scholarship Recipient, By: Samantha Adams
  8. Reach for the Stars Scholarship Information
  9. Dear Flanders, By: Maile George
  10. CHAPTER CHAT
  • Stick Stretches for Good Posture, By: Laurie Shay
  • GDB Book Hounds Update and Invitation, By: Sheila

Shulleeta

  • Come Fly with Us, by Danette Dixon
  1. NEWS YOU CAN USE
  • Who’s on First, By: Theresa Stern
  1. IN OUR OWN WORDS
  • Access Problem for Guide Dog Solved by Education, By: Bruce Breslauer
  1. ALUMNI BULLETIN BOARD
  2. IN MEMORIAM, IN MEMORY, IN TRIBUTE
  3. GIFT SHOP NEWS
  4. ANNOUNCEMENTS
  5. ALUMNI ASSOCIATION BOARD OF DIRECTORS
  6. ALUMNI ASSOCIATION CHAPTERS
  7. GUIDE DOG NEWS

FROM YOUR ALUMNI ASSOCIATION

A Message from the Alumni Association Board Chair

By: Melanie Brunson with Sparta

The Alumni Association board has been busy working to connect grads, the GDB family and our broader communities. We were delighted with the success of the alumni reunion in Portland last September. For the first time, the Alumni Association held a leadership workshop for chapter presidents as part of this event. A number of topics were discussed including: setting goals; running a successful meeting or conference call; recruiting new members; marketing and social media; and the role chapters can play in raising funds for GDB. The rest of the weekend was packed with workshops, tours, opportunities to make new friends, and a scavenger hunt! A great time was had by all.

I am pleased with the progress the Alumni Association Board is making with respect to our other goals and projects. The next Speaker Series call will be held on March 17 and will cover the topic of communicating with your guide dog. Also, we continue hosting the monthly Paws and Remember peer support calls for grads who are making decisions about a guide’s retirement, as well as those who are dealing with a guide’s death, with the next meeting on March 23rd.

Following are a few highlights of some of the other projects our committees have underway:

  • We are collaborating with GDB’s marketing staff to distribute a letter to business owners on fraudulent service animals (more info in this issue to follow);
  • We are investigating concerns grads have raised about signs in Starbucks welcoming “all service animals” and the impact that might have on legitimate guide dog users;
  • We are working on a long range plan for disseminating information to grads about legislative proposals from around the U.S. and Canada regarding service animal issues, and assisting those who want to become involved in advocacy regarding such legislation;
  • We are collaborating with GDB outreach staff to develop sample presentations and other materials for use in telling the GDB story;
  • We are developing additional info for alumni about chapter formation and management;
  • We are acting as a resource and providing feedback regarding the needs of grads related to the GDB website;
  • We are exploring options to improve our current system of communicating with graduates by email;
  • We are collecting information from alumni on topics that they would like to see covered in future Speakers Series presentations and Alumni News articles;
  • We have identified a recipient for the 2015-16 Reach for the Stars Scholarship and an article about our recipient follows in this issue; and
  • We will be looking for new Directors to join the Alumni Association Board and are working on an onboarding packet for new members.

We are very pleased to welcome two new Alumni Association Chapters this quarter: the Missouri Show Me Dogs, and the Paws Around the World, a special interest chapter which will focus on travel topics. The presidents of each chapter meet quarterly via conference call to discuss chapter related matters of interest. At our last President’s Forum meeting the group formed a sub-committee to explore the possibility of reaching out to local airports to assist in setting up appropriate dog relief areas in the secure area of the airport allowing passengers with service animals to quickly relieve their dogs prior to boarding connecting flights.

With so many great ideas and projects, we are fortunate to have a group of people on our board who are committed and enthusiastic about making progress on our goals. We will keep you posted as we move forward.

Remembering Two Alumni Association Board Members

By: Melanie Brunson with Sparta

We had to say a very untimely good-by to our Secretary and friend, Michelle Miller who died suddenly at the end of February. Michelle was respected for her attention to detail, which was evidenced by her ability to capture all that happened during our Board meetings, as well as coordinate our most recent GDB Alumni reunion. She was appreciated for her love of fun and her creativity. She was frequently consulted for her extensive knowledge of advocacy. But the thing Michelle will be remembered for most was her kindness toward others. She was generally the one who went out of her way to make newcomers feel welcome, encourage someone who was frustrated or embarrassed, and otherwise put people at ease. By so doing, she enriched both business meetings and social gatherings. Please join the Alumni Association Board in honouring the life of Michelle and her many contributions to the GDB family and expressing our deepest condolences to her friends and family.

We would also like to thank Dudley Hanks for his time on the Alumni Association Board. We reluctantly accepted Dudley’s resignation as he was a valued member. Dudley brought extensive experience in working with community organizations and was a tremendous resource for adaptive technologies. He has a long history as a respected advocate for guide dog users. We wish him well in his future endeavours.

GDB Alumni Association Board Seeks New Board Members!

The Nominating Committee is seeking applicants to fill open positions on the Alumni Association Board of Directors. If you’re interested in serving the Alumni Association of Guide Dogs for the Blind, please Read on for more details!

Alumni Board meetings and subcommittee meetings are held on Saturday morning (Pacific time)/early afternoon (Eastern time), once a month, eight months out of the year. Most meetings are held via teleconference, with one in-person meeting held per year at either the San Rafael or Oregon campus. Much of the board work is accomplished via email, and each board member is expected to serve on several subcommittees and complete various tasks independently outside the meetings. The subcommittees are as follows: Advocacy, Communications, Nominating, Outreach, and Special Events. Each Committee selects several goals and works hard throughout the year to achieve them.

Any GDB Graduate is eligible to apply, with at least two years' experience working a Guide Dog, preferred. The board is especially interested in applicants with excellent communication and organizational skills; those who pay attention to detail, who enjoy working independently and with others on projects. We are looking for applicants who strive to represent the diverse spectrum of experiences and insights of the Alumni Association members throughout the U.S. and Canada.

Each new board member serves a three-year term, with an option to serve one additional term. If interested, please send a cover letter and resume to nominating chair, Samantha Adams, at: , and copy Theresa Stern, at: . In the subject line of your email, please enter: 2016 GDB Alumni Board application. Attach your cover letter and resume as two separate documents, each titled with your name and the document type. For example, if your name is Jane Smith, your attached documents should be titled: Smith, Jane Resume.doc and Smith, Jane cover Letter.doc.

The Nominating Committee will accept applications until Friday, April 22, 2016.

If you applied for a board position in the past, we strongly encourage you to apply again. Please let us hear from you. We work hard, but we have a terrific time!

A New Resource for You from the Advocacy Committee

By: Bruce Gilmour with Marley

During its 2014-2015 service year, your Alumni Association Board set a goal to assist business owners understanding of their rights, and the rights of legitimate service dog teams. The Board has now developed an informative letter targeted to business owners/ managers with the relevant information. Please go to the Alumni home page for this print ready letter.

On behalf of your Alumni Association Board, thank you for your individual efforts as an advocate for access.

Your Ideas Are Important To Us

By: The Communications Committee of the Alumni Association Board

We would appreciate any suggestions you have for future topics for the Alumni Speaker Series. The Speaker Series is hosted by the Alumni Association Board and held by conference call 3 or 4 times a year to share knowledge relevant to guide dog handlers. Over the last few years, past topics have included: what to know when you take a cruise with your Guide Dog; be prepared for an emergency; your ADA rights and advocacy; Meet the new GDB CEO; and Ask the Expertsabout puppy training, veterinary, training departments and more. We want these events to be useful and informative for you. Please take a minute to email Theresa Stern () with your suggestions for future topics.

Thank you in advance for your time. Your input will help the Alumni Association serve you better.

They Walk Among US – Congratulations Gary Skinner, Reach for the Stars Recipient

By: Samantha Adams with Lotto

“They walk among us.” This is a phrase usually associated with those silly e-mail messages my family sends announcing the Darwin awards for the year. Customarily, this phrase is somewhat derogatory; however, I am choosing to put a positive spin on it. They walk among us. “They” are the remarkable members of the GDB family who are out there in the world working with their guides and inspiring everyone they encounter to examine their own role in the world and to rise to new challenges. Do you realize that GDB graduates are among some of the most interesting and diverse people in the world and they are part of our very own family?

You may or may not be aware that the GDB Alumni Board has been vested with the responsibility of selecting a scholarship recipient every year. The value of the scholarship is $1500. The selection process assesses the applicant’s academic accomplishments in addition to their community involvement and leadership. Every year, the Board is introduced to a whole new slate of motivated grads making a difference.

I am pleased to introduce to you the 2015 recipient of the Reach for the Stars scholarship – Mr. Gary Skinner and his guide Hogan ofArizona. Gary is a 64 year old psychology student at Grand Canyon University.

Gary was born and raised in Bradford Pennsylvania. He was diagnosed with RP as a teenager but continued to function in the sighted world doing things the sighted way for quite a while. He worked in various locations in the insurance industry in various capacities until 1984 when he returned to Pennsylvania. He then opened his own computer business specializing in custom design, networking, business application and custom built computers. He operated this business until 2004 when he moved to Tucson, Arizona for health reasons.

Gary started his current educational journey when most would be considering retirement. He graduated summa cum laude with his Bachelor of Science degree and is currently working on his master’s degree in General Counselling. He anticipates graduating in 2018 at the age of 67. Gary says he is not ready to retire yet. He’s having too much fun. Perhaps he might retire when he turns 80, but until then, he’s “not old enough”. Gary’s references included a strong endorsement from one of his instructors who characterized him as a leader in the classroom and as contributing to the learning of all students in his classes.

Gary thinks he would like to ultimately work with people with disabilities which are the result of an injury leading to a changed capacity. He is leaning towards specializing in the area of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder.

In the midst of a busy academic schedule Gary found himself widowed in 2015 with the sudden death of his wife of 16 years, Shannon. Shannon left behind a working guide dog. Since then, Gary’s second guide, Heritage, has retired. With the endorsement of GDB, Gary has been able to pick up the harness with Hogan, his wife’s guide. Gary’s household consists of a working guide, a retired guide, lap dogs, cats and his adult daughter. In his spare time, Gary enjoys cooking and working with his hands. Gary is also active in his church where he is a Sunday school director and teaches a men’s Sunday school class.

Reach for the Stars Scholarship Application Information

The Guide Dogs for the Blind Alumni Association invites you to apply for the Reach for the Stars Scholarship. This $1500 scholarship is for a GDB Alumnus who is pursuing post-secondary education or training. The scholarship funds can be used to help offset costs of tuition, books, supplies, adaptive equipment, etc.

To apply, please submit the following in electronic format.

1)A letter of introduction to the committee which includes your email address, phone number and mailing address.

2)An essay (not to exceed 500 words) that describes your course of study, your career aspirations, and how our investment in your success will help to realize those goals.

3)Transcripts for the past semester and proof of registration for the upcoming semester.

4)A letter of recommendation from a member of the faculty at your school.

All application materials are to be submitted as email attachments using the following file name convention:

Last Name_FirstName_IntroductionLetter_RSS

Last Name_FirstName_Essay_RSS

Last Name_FirstName_Transcript_RSS

Last Name_FirstName_RecommendationLetter_RSS

In order to provide the Nominating Committee ample time to consider your Reach for the Stars Scholarship application, please email all required documents to Theresa Stern (email address: ) by May 15, 2016.

Good luck in your endeavors and we look forward to hearing from you!

Dear Flanders

By: Maile George with Jasmin

I can’t believe it’s been almost five years since that heartbreaking moment when we stroked your soft Golden fur, told you how much we loved you and said goodbye. I sure hope your life over the Rainbow Bridge is everything you deserve! I’m writing to assure you that I think of you often and things are pretty good here at home.

I have such happy memories of you walking so confidently by my side - your gait so graceful and smooth, your Golden feathered tail so swooshy, , and your head happily bobbing along as we went so many wonderful places together. From the moment I picked up your harness, you cleared every obstacle in our path and trotted right up to the edge of each curb.

That is not to say everything was perfect right from the start of our partnership! Oh no! Despite your excellent guide work, your house behavior needed some serious adjustments. At home, you were one crazy canine, especially when anyone came to our front door – you jumped, barked and acted as if our visitor was your very best playmate! And then there was that Valentine’s Day when you ate part of the box of Godiva chocolates, and the other time when we turned our backs and you’d managed to swallow a whole cube of slightly softened butter! I think there was a barbecued salmon incident somewhere in there too. Oh yeah, and then there was the time I Heard you chewing on something- what I’d assumed was a Nylabone - only to discover just a few minutes later that it was my insulin pump-ruined! Let’s also not forget those mornings when I’d be heading for my computer, only to step barefoot in a pile of gooshy poo!