Re: RC: Ride Managers..HEART OF OUR SPORT..

[Rides 2 Far <rides2far@juno.com>]

>And if you > don't > mind making it public, do you have any stories to
tell of "RMs Most > Stupid 
> Goofs", not just for laughs but for a warning, too?

One of the years that I was NOT the manager of our club's ride the acting
manager decided at the last minute to redo the entry form I had made out
the year before in her own style, and didn't mention it to anyone just
sent it out that way.  When I got up to give the pre-ride meeting the
crowd seemed very hostile and they soon let me know most of them had
gotten lost finding the place.  Seems the new manager didn't think it was
necessary to mention the part of the directions where you turned from
I-24 to 124 and people had been literally circling Chattanooga round and
round trying to find the place using her incorrect directions.  I
remember Shelby Cook bragging about his dirty truck.  After they'd been
lost awhile he dug around under the seat and found the entry form I'd
sent out from the previous year. >g<  MAKE SURE YOUR DIRECTIONS ARE
ACCURATE!!!

Be sure newbies understand that you'll be waiting for them and will
notice if they don't come back.  We had a woman at Tellico Plains leave
out on the 25 and not come back for about 7 hours.  Never showed up at
the first vet check.  Turned out she realized pretty quickly that she had
missed the turn, but the trail she was on was so pretty, she just decided
to keep riding!

One thing I will point out that is an advantage about being a part of
ride management.  I think it helps a lot to have marked trail before. 
I've marked so many trails that it really helps me to understand
troublesome markings.  You know what the marker is going through and the
system makes more sense.  One year I marked and unmarked so many trails
that my horse literally started stopping on his own under limbs that were
handy to tie to.

Angie

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