Re: RC: rider education

["Nancy Mitts" <mitts_n@hotmail.com>]

As important as rider education is, a lot of this is being done through 
local clubs. It would be nice if AERC could sort of be the clearing house 
for materials AERC & local/regional organizations have put together. Perhaps 
copies of handouts on the web that ride managers & clinic groups can look at 
& print out what they need.

Nancy Mitts

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• To: Ridecamp <ridecamp@endurance.net>
• Subject: RC: rider education
• From: Laney Humphrey <laneyh@mbay.net>
• Date: Tue, 31 Oct 2000 17:41:09 -0800
• Old-Return-Path: <laneyh@mbay.net>
• Resent-Date: Tue, 31 Oct 2000 17:32:42 -0800 (PST)
• Resent-From: ridecamp@endurance.net
• Resent-Message-ID: <iKpisB.A.YOF.5K3_5@seahorse.fsr.com>
• Resent-Sender: ridecamp-request@endurance.net

Hi all,
    I'm not a candidate but I am a member/voter so I thought I'd throw my 2cents worth in.
    I've been a weaver/spinner for 30 plus years.  Back in the 1970s, the Handweavers' Guild of America, which had been the weaving organization for years, made the mistake of not acting on the desire of all the new weavers of that era for information and support.  A young english teacher/weaver started a small weaving magazine on her kitchen table that spoke to all of us trying to find ourselves through thread bending.  It wasn't very many years before Interweave Press and its publications and activities were much more important and influential  than HGA.  Like many others, I dropped my membership in HGA but I still subscribe to "Handwoven" and "Spin-Off."
    For years AERC has been the sanctioning, rule-making, record keeping body for endurance and seemed to believe that that was enough.  I know I'm not the only Ridecamper who turns first to Ridecamp or endurance.net for information instead of to AERC!  And just think of all those riders who don't have web access, where do they get their information?
    Our sport is growing in participation and in varieties of rides.  The time is ripe for AERC to be bold and innovative when it comes to rider education.  It should encourage regional efforts; make use of volunteers as mentors, teachers and writers/compilers of already available information; encourage vets to educate; cooperate with breed organizations to promote distance riding, etc., etc., etc.
    I personally think that rider education should be right at the top of any priority list of AERC activities.
    Thanks for letting me spout!
Laney =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Ridecamp is a service of Endurance Net, http://www.endurance.net. Information, Policy, Disclaimer: http://www.endurance.net/RideCamp =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

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