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GAL Association Membership

Membership to the GAL Association is now open to all GAL staff, volunteers and other child advocates who would like to help the GAL cause of providing advocacy for the abused and neglected children in the state of Florida. Non-profits who support the local GAL programs, the circuit GAL programs and the corporations are all invited and encouraged to become members.

The following are the fees requested for annual memberships:

• $25 for individual memberships
• $100 for GAL programs or non-profit board memberships
• $250 for corporate or other organization memberships

Members in good standings shall be entitled to hear and receive reports of the status and conditions of the Corporation. No member, however, shall be entitled to vote on any matter. Members will be notified of meetings, receive the Network Newsletter and receive discounts on conference and training registrations.

 Please contact Mcgauley4flnet@aol.com for additional information and/or a membership application.

* New office e-mail addresses *

firstname.lastname@gal.fl.gov

Please update your address book with the new e-mail addresses included inside the April 2005 newsletter.

  Sunday evening, August 27th, in Tampa at the annual convention of the GAL Association of Florida, Angela Orkin, Executive Director of the Florida Guardian ad Litem program, named the GAL of the Year in each of the 20 Florida Judicial Circuits. 

I was honored to receive the Award for the 18th Circuit (Seminole).  At the same time, Seminole County Vice Chairman, Bob Dalari, accepted the GAL Community Advocate of the Year Award on behalf of the County Commission.

However, my evening was hardly over!  Much to my amazement, I was named the Guardian ad Litem of the year for the State of Florida!   

For probably the 1st time in my life, I was speechless. However, had I been able to choke back the tears, I would have said that my work in so many areas of child advocacy over the years has been a labor of love. The satisfaction I received watching my efforts assist Florida's abused, neglected and abandoned children to become productive young adults was more than enough reward!  To be publicly honored for my work with beyond my wildest dreams.  

I could not have continued my work over the years (so very often personally devasting and heartbreaking) without the unfailing support and guiding hands of my wife, Chris and the Seminole and Brevard Guardian ad Litem staff and attorneys. Special thanks to the Brevard and Seminole Juvenile Dependency Magistrates and Judges...especially to my Friend and Mentor, Circuit Judge Jack Griesbaum.  

Having said all that, our dependent children desperately need to have a Voice (your Voices!) as they travel the rocky road to independence in the foster care system.  Please look into your hearts and consider becoming a GAL volunteer. It is an experience that I guarantee will change your life forever as it has mine.   What's it going to be?

Please do not hesitate to contact me to talk about what you can do on behalf of our "little ones". You can make a difference.......one child at a time! 

For more information on the GAL program in Seminole County go here:

http://www.galseminolecounty.org/ 

For the GAL office in your County, please visit here:

http://www.gal.fl.gov/partners_c18.asp#map__._,_.___

Speak for a Child.  The Guardian ad Litem!

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