Re: RC: Response to National Championship $20.00 per Rider fee and AERC

[Jim Holland <lanconn@tds.net>]

Connie...

I could not agree more.  AERC is fortunate to have clubs like the DBDR's
who are willing to give their time and financial support to a National
Championship Ride, despite AERC's negative attitude.  In fact, I was
going to ask could I join?  Georgia is a little far away, but maybe my
dues will help a little, and hopefully I could make it up there for a
few events.  I would be honored to be a part of the Daniel Boone
Distance Riders. 

This is the ONLY ride that provides something for ALL Endurance Riders,
not just the 100 milers and the International Riders. I don't think the 
BOD realizes how important this is to our membership.  In fact, the 50
milers created the most excitement at the ride, had a better completion
percentage than the 100 milers, and demonstrated that, yes, we ARE a
vital part of AERC. For ONCE, somebody noticed us.  Thank you, Connie,
Amy, Diane, and so many I can't mention them all. 

I want every company and organization that is in any way associated with
Endurance to be clamoring to be part of our NCR....so many we're turning
them away.  I want it to be even bigger and better next year.  I want so
many riders to attend that each weight division starts at a different
times...and maybe even on seperate days.  I want it to be so big that
the local Porta-Potty company runs out of Porta-Pottys.  I want it be
bigger and get more publicity in EN than ANY International Ride.  (The
cost stated by Vicki is ridiculous.  You gotta publish the magazine
ANYWAY...that's like a mother sending her child a bill for labor pains!)
I want the NCR to be the standard by which Endurance Rides are measured.
Certainly this years site had ALL the requirements. 

Most of all, BOD, I want AERC to CONTRIBUTE to this ride, not CHARGE the
Ride Manager for the use of OUR name. Note "OUR". I propose charging
NOTHING for the ride, and I would support adding $.50 to my dues for a
NCR.  In fact, as supportive as I am of Trails, given a choice, I would
rather pay $1.00 toward the NCR and have the Trails money continue to
come out of the General Fund. (Sorry, Jerry...Diane did too good a job.)

If you didn't attend this ride, you missed a "happening".  Make up for
your mistake next year.  

I will do my best to UN-ELECT any BOD member who does not support this
ride. LOTS of us will be watching to see how you vote. I know you are
not compensated, and it's a thankless job...but you represent US.  If I
were on the BOD, I would ASK my constituents what they wanted and vote
accordingly.  I haven't seen any polls.....

Jim, Sun of Dimanche, and Mahada Magic



Enduroride@aol.com wrote:
> 
> In response to the Rules Committees motion on a $20.00 fee per rider
> in the National Championship in order to use AERC good name.
> The membership in a survey a few years back overwhelmingly voted that
> we wanted a National Championship Ride. In response to that, Randy
> Eiland (then president) went to work in trying to put on an AERC
> National Championship Ride. He was able to obtain a sponsor for the
> next 2 years for this ride. This past year our club The Daniel Boone
> Distance Riders put in a request to manage the ride for the next 2
> years. We were told AERC would pay up to $1500.00 in loses in the ride
> or if we made money they would get 50% of the profit. But the money
> was taken out of the budget before they were to vote on it
> (unbeknownst to us) so our club were on our own. We thought that would
> be fine as long as we could go get our sponsors for the ride. BUT no,
> we were not allowed to do that either, AERC wanted to get all the
> sponsors and give the ride the first $5,000 that was brought in and
> then AERC could keep the rest. But guess how much was brought in from
> them as of 2 months before the ride? None, zero, nothing. At that time
> we were really getting worried wanting to put on a first class ride
> for us, “the members.” So then AERC turned us loose to go get our
> own sponsors. At that late date we were not able to obtain hardly any,
> (only $200.00). The ride cost $10,000 more than what the riders fee
> brought in to us but it cost AERC nothing. This year we are asking the
> AERC BOD to turn us loose and for us to be able to obtain any sponsors
> we can get. We would like this to be a first class ride, that you can
> be proud to call your National Championship. We're wanting it even
> better than it was this year. Yes, AERC did let us have a page in the
> magazine, BUT it was for the AERC National Championship Ride –
> “OUR” – the membership Ride - in our the members magazine. I am
> sure the cost of the magazine add which Vicki Rutter quoted was the
> retail cost not actual cost to AERC. Why can't WE who put our board of
> Directors in office have a say on what WE want. This is our National
> Championship! This ride can be a goal which can be obtained by any of
> us that are AERC members, it not for an elitist group, it is for us
> – the AERC members. We tried extremely hard to keep the ride fees
> down, yes we thought we would lose money, but as a club we were
> willing to lose money to make this ride we thought we as AERC members
> deserved. Unfortunately AERC was not willing to take the chance,
> luckily for the regular AERC member, there are endurance clubs like
> ours out here that have more faith in our Championships than certain
> members of the BOD. Now there is one committee that is wanting to
> charge an extra $20.00 per rider fee in this ride. ( We had to pay
> AERC $692.00 in rider fees this year) We want all extra the extra
> money we can get to go INTO this ride for us-the AERC members-who
> chose to ride in their own National Championship. We do not want this
> ride to become expensive like the Race of Champions or the Pan
> American that has fees of $350.00 or more. Our fee was $110 or $210.00
> depending on which distance you entered. Each rider also had 3
> separate meals provided with this fee, even the 50 milers if they came
> early enough got to have all three meals. Everybody received a canvas
> briefcase as their rider’s packet, and finishers received an
> embroidered polo shirt and a winners circle photo. We thought for the
> money and in comparison to other rides each rider was well taken care
> of. It is too bad that some of the BOD is not willing to have our own
> championship and that WE (AERC members) have to seek out other more
> expensive FEI types of championship rides. Most of us want our own
> championship, that have weight divisions that put us on a playing
> field with rules that we are all accustomed to and feel it lets AERC
> be the focal point of the National Championship. We are not asking for
> money from AERC to manage their National Championship Ride but they
> should not be asking for money from people who are willing to manage
> them or participate either. We provided some very nice awards at the
> ride site. First place in each weight division in the 100 received an
> engraved leather halter, $400.00 coupon towards a saddle and a $140.00
> saddle pad second place also received a halter, first place in each
> weight division in the 50 received a leather engraved halter and
> biothane Halter/ Bridle, second place also received halter. Everyone
> won something in the big drawing we had. It would be nice if AERC
> would take up for their National Championship and offer an award or
> plaque of some sort to the top 5 in each weight division. The Bod
> needs to show us, that they support our National Championship Ride as
> much as we – the AERC members-want it. Let them know how you feel,
> thank you, Connie Caudill, 2001 AERC National Championship ride
> manager