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

["superpat" <superpat@ccountry.net>]

Good for you Jim. I have e-mailed Vicki expressing (although not nearly so
eloquently) the same thoughts. AERC should consider it an honor to be
associated with such a quality and representative ride. My vote is to be of
real help in to putting on this ride and certainly not a hindrance in the
way of higher and punitive fees for riders.
Pat
----- Original Message -----
From: "Jim Holland" <lanconn@tds.net>
To: <Enduroride@aol.com>; <ridecamp@endurance.net>;
<Flinn@seahorse.fsr.com>; "Cindy Young" <cdingodog@aol.com>
Sent: Monday, October 29, 2001 7:22 PM
Subject: RC: Response to National Championship $20.00 per Rider fee and AERC


> 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, �?othe 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 �?"
> > �?oOUR�?� �?" 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�?Ts 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
>
>
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