International GA Convention: Day Two 8/6/10

Friday August 6th 2010, this is the second day of the 2010 World Conference and it was even more exciting. There where more Angels that had arrived, there where more patrols, and there where alot of meetings on this day.




We begin with Curtis Sliwa giving his speech and when Curtis gives his speech he tells it like it is. Remember he is the founder of The Guardian Angels, he started the group in 1979, the place was N.Y. the Bronx, and this idea came to him as a night manager in McDonald's Rest.



So here we are today a World Wide organization that fights crime in the streets around the world. The Guardian Angels is a National and International organization, we are getting stronger and we are getting better through the leaders that we have in our organization. Next is our guest speaker Eddie Ramirez, great guy as a Oakland Police Officer and this guy used to be a Chapter Leader for San Francisco, he is a roll model.

As the day moves forward, we patrol the Tenderloin Dist. it is what it is, we check out our hot spots, we check out Cobra's Corner, all is calm. This is a day patrol and we do stick out like a sore thumb, the schedule for this patrol is ending so we march back to the hotel for updates.






Here we go, the plan for tonight is two patrols, there will be one patrol in the Mission Dist. with half of the Angels, there will be another patrol in the city Oakland with the other half of the Angels. As it goes on through the night, things turn out for the good, there is no bad reports coming in, so it looks good for both patrols.






Both patrols come back to the hotel with a Safe feeling, and a feeling of a long day, now it is time for sleep and rest to be ready for tomorrows big events. One other part that needs to be said, every Angel that is here for this 2010 World Conference got to see the San Francisco Headquarters, this is not bragging, this is not showing off, and that this is not just a Headquarters, this is a Headquarters for all Guardian Angels. This HQ does not belong to me, this HQ does not belong to you, this HQ belongs to the Guardian Angels Organization and it belongs to Curtis Sliwa the founder of the Guardian Angels. Thank You All Angels For Making It Safe!

CHAPTER LEADER/JERRY LONGORIA/J.D.

Read the rest

International GA Convention: Day One 8/5/10

Thursday August 5th 2010; This is the day the 2010 World Conference begins, and there will be Guardian Angels from around the world here in San Francisco for this Conference. All of the chapters from California have put this together to make it the best one ever. All of the Angels had lodging at the Holiday Inn, the location was great it was close to everything, most of all the patrols.






For this first day of the Conference, it is meet and greet for the Angels who where arriving from other country's and city's. There are patrols planned for today and tonight so we do have a big day ahead of us. The first patrol begins in the Tenderloin Dist. it is a day patrol, the teams are ready to hit the streets. On this patrol it is our same tour in this neighborhood, because we know the hot spots in this area, but today it is calm.



One thing did stand out, we the Angels was marching up this one street, we stoped at this bus stop and observe three men smoking crack cocaine, we thought they had just finished it. So we the Angels asked to see there hands, the first guy opens his hands (nothing), the second guy opens his hands (nothing), but when the third guy opened his hands, there it was that one rock he put it to his mouth an swallowed it. We the Angels could not do anything about this, so we explained to the guy to take off and never come back here again, he left.



Day patrol was done the Angels did there job, and the Angels came back to the hotel SAFE, this was a good patrol. As Angels are still arriving from there country's and city's to the hotel, we get ready for our second patrol, it is in the Mission Dist. The teams are ready to hit the streets, for this patrol it is our same tour for this neighborhood as well, we know the hot spots in this area, but it is not the same because it is a night patrol.




There is alot going on tonight, we pick-up dirty needles, we took crack pipes from crack heads, and we pour out alot of alcohol from drinking in public. We made it a little safer tonight for people to come out an enjoy the evening. This is a great start for the 2010 World Conference, there will be more to come, more patrols, more training, and guest speakers that everyone is waiting to see and hear. So lets make this a SAFE and a LEARNING experience for all Angels that is here for this 2010 World Conference.



CHAPTER LEADER/JERRY LONGORIA/J.D.

Read the rest

Convention planning, 4/3/10

Saturday April 3rd 2010, we the San Francisco Guardian Angels have a very busy schedule today. The schedule is, all chapter leaders and their 2nd in commands will be staying for the world convention meeting. All other leaders and all members from each chapter will be going out on patrol in the Tenderloin Dist. The world convention hasn't been in California in a long time, not since 1992. For this meeting every chapter from California is here today in the San Francisco HQ to come up with a plan for the world convention. It is going to take time, it is going to take money, and it is going to take all of the chapters to come together to work together for this world convention. So a lot of ideas are put on the table, no decisions are decided, and we cannot let out the date just yet because it could still be change.

For this patrol, the patrol leader is Lion, he is a good leader and he does know what he is doing, they will using all radios for communications, and there are two first aid techs on their patrol. As for their return, and for our meeting to end, we will be doing a debrief on how their patrol went.









Everyone did give good feedback, and it did turn out to be one of those patrols that everyone learned something, this is good. This was a very productive day, and these kind of days doesn't happen all the time, but it did come true because we want this to be the best convention EVER!

Thank You Chapters For Showing Up;:

1. San Diego Chapter
2. San Francisco Chapter
3. San Jose Chapter
4. Stockton Chapter
5. Salono Chapter
6. Sacramento Chapter
7. Richmond Chapter
8. LA Chapter
9. Inland Empire Chapter
10. Huntington Park Chapter
11. Contra Costa Chapter
12. Oakland Chapter
CHAPTER LEADER/JERRY LONGORIA/J.D. Read the rest

Convention in NYC, June 12-15

On Friday June 12th, 2009 we the San Francisco Guardian Angel Chapter went to New York for our CONVENTION. This is our 30th year anniversary and this is where the Guardian Angels first began.

(photo courtesy of http://www.johnniehwilliams.com/photos.aspx)

There are going to be Guardian Angels from around the world there and every angel would like the chance to go to this CONVENTION. As we did get this chance, we are a blessed chapter, because there where 9 of us San Francisco Angels that got to go on this trip to New York.



That evening on Friday we arrived in NY, made it to the hostel, the place that we would be staying with other angels, changed into our uniforms to begin night patrols. The leaders that had been there before knew how to start things out, first is to separate the angels into teams for patrols, next is to go into these areas that are picked out by these leaders so no one criss-crosses each other.

(photo courtesy of http://www.johnniehwilliams.com/photos.aspx)

My leader of our patrol took us into the sub-ways, this was cool but it was hot outside, and I did learn how to patrol sub-ways again, but I did not know if the other angels I was with had experience. Got back up to street side to meet up with another team, posted up for awhile then headed back to the hostel for debrief. Got to the hostel, did our debrief, came back safe, a few of us was tired, called it a night.

(photo courtesy of http://www.johnniehwilliams.com/photos.aspx)

On Saturday June 13th, 2009 all Guardian Angels will meet up with Curtis Sliwa at a movie theater to hear upcoming events and upcoming announcements. There was a big surprise for all the angels, Sliwa's Mom and Dad, and his family were there for everyone to meet, this was a moment to remember for all of us. Next we marched down to one of the GA leaders DO-JO, a self defense studio and a Guardian Angel HQ.

I felt this was cool a place, this was a place to come to be somebody and to learn confidence in yourself. Then the rain came as we started to head out to our next assignment, a Festival, to help out with traffic control and crowd control. It was raining, but everyone was OK with it, we even do it in SF because the rain doesn't stop the drug dealers. The rain stopped the Festival was ending we got into ranks and march back to the hostel for the award ceremony.

(photo courtesy of http://www.johnniehwilliams.com/photos.aspx)

Curtis Sliwa was there and always as he does, a great job for acknowledging the chapters for there well done deeds. Next is the night patrol to the McDonald's, the store that Curtis first started thinking of doing something about the streets, this is amazing a chance to see how this first started with Curtis. We took some pictures, paused for a moment, and begin the tour back to the hostel. It was getting late so we all called it a night and thank Curtis for his story where it first began.

On Sunday June 14th, 2009 our day is pretty much planed out, first thing is to get some breakfast and the second thing is to make sure everyone is wearing their best uniform for the PARADE. Today we are going to be in a PARADE, The Puerto Rican Parade. Everyone is very excited and very thrilled to be doing this, as of now all the angels must be ready and march to the area where the PARADE begins. We get there to the area and never in my life have I ever seen this many Guardian Angels come together to do an event. There had to be at lease 100 Guardian Angels, and there was the leaders that started with Curtis Sliwa (The Alumni), there was even Curtis's family that got involved. This is a major event for the Guardian Angels to do anything like this, and it was fantastic, it was the biggest, it was the most, it was the loudest PARADE I have ever seen in my life.

As the PARADE had reached its end for us, there was so much more to go for the Bands and the Floats. Then we begin to march to Central Park to take a break and grab some water. While we were taking our break I was thinking, I am very proud to be a part of this as an angel and I feel the other angels felt the same way. Now we began to march through Central Park back to the hostel, we got there at the hostel we looked like one long line of Guardian Angels, it looked great, then Curtis Sliwa spoke and said he had to graduate one more angel to Safety Patrol, this was an honor to see this, this man had been in training for almost a year, this man is 77 years old, but he was ready. Then he dismissed us and we all started to make plans to get home, or to go out on the town. Our chapter had one more night, so we went out to TIME SQUARE and had a great time, then we went back to the subway to get back to the hostel.

On Monday June 15th, 2009 we wake up, but there would be no Guardian Angels today. Today we fly back to San Francisco, all 9 of us, no one got left behind. There is not much to say about this day, one-because we were tired, two-because we were hungry, and three-because we had learned so much about the Guardian Angels and about ourselves. This is what it is all about, (Commitment, sacrifice, caring) that is DARE TO CARE, that is the GUARDIAN ANGELS. CAPTER LEADER/JERRY LONGORIA/J.D.

Read the rest