[acb-lions] dear fellow lions.

Tue May 22 08:16:58 EDT 2012

I just returned  from a state convention here in New York, where we elected
an international director to lions international from our district on long
island. I am charged with hope and aspirations for winning the election for
president of GDUI the largest  affiliate of the ACB. If any of you are guide
dog handlers and members  of GDUI , I would appreciate your support.

As we draw nearer to the time to elect our next slate of leaders to
represent our interests and to head up GDUI, I wanted to share these
thoughts with you as I hope to earn your support and ultimate vote to be
President of this organization with a rich history,ardent supporters, and in
need of your full participation in this critical election.

First let me ask you to make sure that you all have your personal id number
to use when voteing. The only way to secure that is to reach out to Jane
Shehan directly. it will be my hope to be able to make this one option for
securing the same information in the future. there is always a critical
reason to need to have a warm and comforting voice to contact for sure, but
sometimes, being able to independently and swiftly do things on our own is a
great option. if anyone has missed the many notices and posts with the
contact info for Jane, feel free to contact me and I will share that with
you. also, keep an eye out for announcements about all you will need in this
regard from the board in the coming days.

Second, I wanted to also thank all of you who participated in our forums,
all of our forums, but especially those who joined me and some of the other
candidates on our call to discuss what is needed to strengthen and build a
new GDUI that will sustain itself for another40 years. I feel very strongly
about some of the other candidates for sure. with holly, annie, Bill,
Caitlyn and now ken all running, and when we are elected,assures me that I
will be working with a winning team. Thank you for all the honest and heart
felt suggestions that I and the others on the board need to know with regard
to what the membership needs and requires from those of us elected to lead
on your behalf.

To say my first year as a director has been an experience would be an under
statement. I have made new friends, developed new contacts, and gained
insights into the inner workings of GDUI. We must band together so we, all
of us, can make sure we reverse the dwindling numbers of our membership, and
revitalize what it means to be a member. We just learned that our membership
numbers are hovering around 600 which is a decrease I am not happy about.

we cannot afford to let things stay as they have been, and we must get out
and vote in a new slate of officers and directors to turn this around.

My experience and leadership qualities have been clearly presented to you
all, but if there are still some burning questions which need answering, or
thoughts that need to be shared, feel free to write me at
albert at myblindspot.org <mailto:albert%40myblindspot.org>  or call me at
917-553-0347.

While I am very happy to see the excitement and interest generated in this
election, the major issue as I see it, is saving GDUI from losing more and
more members, and to shifting gears and finding new ways to rebound from the
downward spiral we have fallen into as an organization and as a community.

I will work hard to strengthen our fiscal resolve, while working to include
members in all things like never before. 

while at times I reacted to defend myself, and to defend some communications
which for all practicle purposes were shared thinking they were private and
to be considered as such, I have listened to you all and accepted your
request to keep the dirty laundry in the hamper. I am also wanting to
apologize for any perception out there for what if anything I lent to the
discussions being taken away from the issues before us. i do not feel that I
was ever on the attack and I refuse to bend to attempts to draw me into a
dialogue that does nothing to build and strengthen our resolve. We are a
family, at times more like the Hatfields and the Mccoys, but through it all,
we work on our issues as best we can, and always come back to center for the
main purpose and goal of advancing opportunities for the handlers and the
guides of this world.

While attending to our family and our differences of opinion on things is
important, I am more interested in dealing with the issues that exist such
as the financial situation of GDUI, the lack of fully active and engaged
committees, the lack of outreach to both the membership and potential
members, and the fact that some people would rather own GDUI rather than
continue to let it run for the purpose of attending to our collective needs
and to solve and resolve guide dog issues across this nation.

I know some out there have had their opinions swayed and colored by rumor
and innuendo, but I urge you to form opinions based upon knowledge and
personal experience. I know , and I believe the others I will be working
with feel the same way, when I say we stand ready to speak with you to allow
for a truly personal opportunity to get to know each of us, ask us questions
that linger, and to allow for an open dialogue to allow each of us to get to
know one another and to allow for that critical need to independently know
all the candidates. 

I truly feel that I have what it takes to join with the others to turn
things around and to deliver a more vibrant and focused organization. I know
I can be that leader for us all if you select me to be so. The one thing I
feel strongly about is Leadership cannot be given, it has to be earned, and
I stand ready to take any and all inquiries to in fact earn your vote. so,
Hop Up and Forward my friends. 

Yours in Lionism,

Albert J. Rizzi, M.Ed.
Founder
My Blind Spot, Inc.
90 Broad Street - 18th Fl.
New York, New York  10004
www.myblindspot.org

PH: 917-553-0347
Fax: 212-858-5759
"The person who says it cannot be done, shouldn't interrupt the one who is
doing it."

Visit us on Facebook
<http://www.facebook.com/home.php?filter=pp#/pages/My-Blind-Spot/19374068832
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