We at MD22-C have a new member that found our club through our website.  Lion Dawn and I picked her up and brought her and her closest friend to our club meeting.  A new experience, a very enlightening experience, an experience that I think touched the feelings of all members of the club.  I asked her today if she would mind writing something that I could put in our website about her.  Here it is:

Lions Clubs and Leader Dog

 

    My name is Lion Pam Yaney.  I live in Owings, Maryland.  I have been blind since birth. I went to regular public school classrooms until the end of first grade.  Then in the beginning of second grade entered a whole new world.  My teacher for the elementary years was totally blind and awesome.  She taught me braille and many other skills in life that I needed in the future, such as typing.  As the years went on and I entered sixth grade I started receiving some mobility training using a white cane for travel as a blind person.  This helped me a great deal as I wanted very much to get out and go for many a walk and make new friends.  I received more cane travel skills as I got older.  When I reached my senior year in high school, I wanted to go on to the Michigan Rehabilitation Center for the Blind located in Kalamazoo, MI.  I went on and received more mobility skills and in April of 1981 I went on to Leader Dogs for the Blind to receive my first dog named Cricket.  She was a Black Lab.  She worked for eight years.  Lions Clubs International has given me this chance to become both independent and involved with many facets of the community.  I now have my 7th Leader Dog, Bravo who is a black lab.  He is eight years old and still working strong.  Thank you LCIF and Leader Dog for making my independence possible.

 

Sincerely:

Pam Yaney & LD Bravo

Pam is transferring from North Carolina, where she was involved as a club officer.  She will be attending 22-C Night with us.  She says that she has given talks to organizations, school groups, etc. in the past about blindness.   

P.S.  We have brought in 3 new members in the past two months - all the result of our website.  And all younger people.  I think this is something that we (clubs) need to put some effort into.

  Jim Daniels