Fwd: RC: Nomination Statement

["hope lundquist" <wwho20@hotmail.com>]

Hey Steve I am tempted to move to the southwest just so I can vote for you! 
Alas I am in The West. You have pointed out many things that have gone 
astray. We sure need to get back on track but soon. Bye Hope
========================================================================

>From: "Stephen Rutter" <rutter@dakotacom.net>
>To: "Ridecamp" <ridecamp@endurance.net>
>Subject: RC:  Nomination Statement
>Date: Sat, 29 Sep 2001 16:36:07 -0700
>
>
>As a nominee for Director in the SW Region, I would like to see the AERC 
>Board carry out its duty of managing the affairs of the organization 
>according to the purposes stated in the Articles of Incorporation, 1972. 
>Most of the Directors have been in their position for a long time and have 
>allowed the AERC to stray from its founding purposes (e.g., to promote long 
>distance riding, care and welfare of the horse, riding historic trails and 
>collection and publication of scientific data from the endurance horses). 
>All other activities that AERC is engaged in are to be only in an 
>"insubstantial degree".
>
>I support the following:
>     1. Term limits for all Directors: six years at any one time would seem 
>appropriate.
>     2. Elect one Director from each of the nine Regions, with an alternate 
>Director to insure representation at Board meetings. This would result in a 
>nine member Board which could function much more effectively.        The 
>Board should meet more frequently or delegate authority to the executive 
>committee.
>     3. Discussions of the Board between meetings on the closed "Board 
>List" should be open for all members to see their Directors at work.
>     4. Adoption of the updated and revised Bylaws as presented at the 2001 
>Annual Meeting and which were ignored by the present Board of Directors.
>     5. Update and simplify the Rules and write them so that they are not 
>ambiguous, giving Ride Managers more autonomy to adjust for the inevitable 
>circumstances that occur unexpectedly at rides. Rides throughout the 
>country will never be entirely comparable, nor should they be.
>     6. Encourage International to form its own organization and remove the 
>seemingly endless discussions concerning International endurance racing 
>from AERC, most members of which could care less. This would also eliminate 
>International's independent, unaccounted fund raising activities which 
>violate AERC financial polices.
>     7. Recognize limited distance riding as a pastime that relates to and 
>supports endurance riding and is not a purpose of AERC, in and of itself. 
>LD riders that complete should be listed alphabetically with the statement 
>"completion within allowed time". Eliminate all national awards for LD.
>     8. Promoting and encouraging "welfare of the horse" issues such as:
>         a. The Pride Project (rejected by the Board) and carried out by 
>the tenacity of Dr. Fleming.
>         b.  Require the Veterinary Committee to develop methods of 
>tracking horse illness, treatments and deaths both at the rides and 
>associated with the rides. Many treatments and some deaths occur after 
>leaving the rides and are not scrutinized. We owe it to the horses to have 
>their best interest at heart.
>         c. Eliminate placing and timings, other than overall time limit, 
>for LD rides to discourage racing.
>         d. More education funding and emphasis at all levels of the 
>organization.
>     9. AERC sanctioning of rides but not promoting or financially 
>participating in selected rides such as the National Championship. Let the 
>Race of Champions or similar rides decide those issues for those riders 
>interested in such things.
>     10. Maintaining the sound financial practices implemented these past 
>few years.
>
>If you can relate to these issues, I ask for your support and vote. Please 
>contact me directly (info under Rules Committee in "Endurance News") and I 
>would be happy to discuss these and any other issues and concerns SW 
>members may have. In any event, please vote when your ballot comes! Let's 
>get AERC back on trail!
>
>Steve Rutter


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