Re: RC: Re: AERC Board Minutes

[Howard4567@aol.com]

In a message dated 1/2/01 1:20:14 AM Eastern Standard Time, 
BMcCrary27@aol.com writes:

<< Personally, I ride for the pleasure of seeing new country and discovering 
new 
 ways to relate to my horse. >>

Well said, Barbara, well said.  I ride for that also.  I don't care if a ride 
has no awards whatsoever, and the year end awards thing, I'll probably never 
ever see anyway (I won't fly).  I doubt if I'll ever criticize the AERC BOD; 
I'm so grateful you guys even show up at the meetings.  How the heck does 
that work anyway? Every month y'all fly out west for the meeting, or is it 
done by a conference telehpone hook-up?

I've always wondered about that one.  If you fly every month to hold a 
meeting, God love every one of ya.  You're much braver than I'll ever be.

Now, FEI, that's whole other can of worms, but I'm not a member of FEI and, 
probably, never will be.  I believe that if I'm a member of an organization 
than it's my duty to be part of that organization, and like the Air Force, 
support it and be positive about it, especially to others.

Speaking of the Air Force, we had a chain of command there, and I believe 
AERC sort of has one, also.  If there is something you don't like I bet the 
best way to handle it is to go to your BOD representative and talk with 
her/him about it. See if they'll bring it up at the next meeting.  I see my 
rep at almost every ride I attend and all of their phone numbers and 
addresses seem to be listed in the AERC handbook.

To me, the actual award itself isn't what's important; it's the meaning 
behind the award that is significant.  It's what you and your horse have 
done, over the past year, and letting everyone else know that you did it.   

If we start worrying about what we're gonna get and how much that is worth, 
sooner or later, we'll turn into the FEI, and please, please, I beg of you, 
don't let that happen.  Have you ever watched our American Basketball team in 
the Olympics, trounce on every other country because the team is filled with 
NBA All Star Players?  It's one of the few Olympic events I refuse to watch 
because it has professionals walking all over amateurs.

I don't want to see that happen in our sport, and as long as AERC is around I 
don't think it will.  I've kind of made up my mind not to criticize, openly, 
any Ride Managers, BOD members, or AERC, because without them the sport will 
not happen.  I'm even working on adding the Vets to that list and I'm almost 
there.  FEI and UAE, they're wide open to me and I don't think I'll quit on 
them any time soon

cya,
Howard