AERC Board Minutes

[Rides 2 Far <rides2far@juno.com>]

 >There were some negative comments about the 
> vests > given out last year.  

Ug! That's exactly why I made sure and didn't make any negative comments
last year, but heck if they're out...  O.K. I'd just love to know the
process here. Does somebody just look in a catalog and say, "That looks
good?" Here was the deal with the vests.  Don't know about ya'll but it
takes some planning to wear a vest it usually means cold arms are the
price you'll pay, but that was O.K. Then...we put them on. :-PP These are
the only ones like this I've seen. They're made of a really thick
semi-upholstery material. Nothing like the jackets. They immediately ride
up around you ears and the collar wants to stand up. They flaired out at
the shoulders for a sort of semi-cap sleeve that looked like Michael
Jackson's spaceman outfit from his one-glove days. I still wanted to try
to wear it so I put it on and shoved both hands in my pockets to pull it
down on my shoulders, but the cap sleeve business made it look like it
belonged to a 6'4 man not a 5' tall woman. Lynda Corry and I tried to
assure each other that they looked fine (we were at the convention) and
we wore them across the road to the McDonalds.  A certain little old
woman (whom I won't name but was a director's wife) saw us and just
collapsed with laughter. She laughed and laughed and finally looked up
with practically tears in her eyes and said, You...look....rediculous.
Ha, ha, ha, ha.  So much for us trying to comfort each other. I've stared
at mine and tried to figure out how to alter it...could a seamstress
change the shoulders to nomal? My 14 year old daughter who is my fashion
consultant said, "Mom, you look like one of those kids in a school play
who has to wear a box" :-(  So, if people complain sometimes it can be
the wrong thing to do. But if they don't, how will anyone know to change?
I think it's obvious that nobody tried one of these vests on before they
ordered a large group of them. Any company that wants to sell a big order
to AERC should be willing to supply one of the product for testing or at
least trying on.  So far both my jacket/vests have been from Auburn
Sportswear. I assumed that was Auburn, CA Maybe to an office worker this
purchase is just another job to do but to the person whose horse peaks
for maybe 2 years and earns a jacket, it may be the only visible lasting
evidence of 10 years on the same horse.  I don't think that wanting that
to be something special is "just riding for an award". I think it is
something to look at later to bring back the memories of all that riding.
 I've ridden plenty to just complete...and I've taken some chances to get
a jacket..I mean sofa throw.  You have to do things differently, make
late season choices maybe driving a lot farther to get in a 100 when a
close by 50 would have been more fun.  I'm goal oriented and that's a
goal. Now for those of you who complained about the vest, and you'll
think I'm kidding but I'm not...I've been looking at my vest and
wondering...if you can't beat them should you join them? I wonder if it
could be disassembled and turned into a cushion to go on the sofa with
the throw. I'll let you know if it works.

My question again is "who decides which awards?" It sounds like the board
was told what the awards would be, not asked. I mean, if you've got one
person deciding they can have a weak moment...like thinking, "Hey Mark
Spitz already got SIX gold medals, maybe we'll give him some cookware
instead of the seventh". You don't have to name a name to try and place
blame or anything, just what is the process? How do we participate?

Angie

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