Report back from the BOD mid year meeting

[Michael Maul <mmaul@flash.net>]

We met Friday night until late - then started at 8 AM and went until 1 AM Sunday
with committee meetings after 1 AM...

I'm just going to summarized some of the major points in our discussions and motions
with more to come after the official minutes come out from our Secretary Louise R.

Randy has also posted and since it went really late - we may differ on a few things...

More when the minutes come out,

Mike Maul


1.  We significantly tightened up the qualifications on the National Championship.
There is more emphasis on longer mileage horses and riders in some parts.
I'm not going to give the details here until I get the official version from the 
minutes. One change was to allow automatic qualification if a horse/rider team 
had at least 1000 miles together. Minimum 500 lifetime miles on the horse/rider - no
LD miles allowed. You have to place top 5 in your weight division in 2 rides
in the August to August period for the 50. Plus some more on the 100.

2. The motion on more than one vet check required in a 50 was sent back to the rules
committee for rewording.  Some members felt that excluding multidays from this 
was inconsistent.  It will be reconsidered at the annual convention.

3.  Limitation on the time a member could serve as a director was defeated.  This
was a part of the bylaws revision.

4.  The bylaws revision was discussed - changed - and a version for consideration
by the membership was approved.  This was a major accomplishment at this meeting 
because we have been trying to do it for several years now.

5.  A change in the bylaws that has impact for the BOD was to allow the Secretary
and Treasurer to be selected by the BOD from the active membership list if an
appropriate person was not on the BOD.  Previously both of these positions
would have to be filled by BOD members.  This gives the BOD the flexibility
to go outside the BOD if necessary.  Normally these people would be part of the 
executive committee but will not be if they are not a part of the BOD.  The 
executive committee would be selected from the other directors if this happens.

6.  The family membership was changed in the Bylaws to have Youth members up
to age 18 and this will affect the family dues.  This did not change anything 
in the awards and points concerning Juniors.

7.  The annual budget will become a part of the minutes of the meeting.

8.  The National Championship sub-committee became a committee on it's own.

9.  Awards money($2700) for the NC at the annual meeting for places 1-3 was approved.

10.  The $20 per rider fee at the NC was withdrawn.

11. Ride sanctioning by the AERC office rather than the Sanctioning Directors 
was sent back to the Sanctioning Committee for consideration at the annual
meeting.

12.  Disqualified, Surface Factors(SF), RO-L and RO-M were added to the pull codes.

13.  Proposal to drop weight divisions was defeated.

14.  Approval to work on database sharing and links to the AHRA was approved
with BOD approval needed for any final agreement.

15.  The trails contribution to the American Horse Council was delayed while
we investigate what is needed to add the tax status necessary for our 501C
to be able to make contributions to entities that use some moneys for lobbying 
activities.  AHC does lobby on behalf of equine activities and trails.

16.  The $1 increase in rider fees was approved for trails.

17.  Motion to open BOD list to members - failed.  BOD needs area to discuss 
issues in private.

18.