Re: RC: AERC Revenue/Expense (was: Happy New Year)

[BMcCrary27@aol.com]

In a message dated 01/03/2001 5:22:59 PM Pacific Standard Time, 
guest@endurance.net writes:

<< I will preface everything that I say with this statement:
 If the AERC raises it single membership dues, I will not join.
 
 So, now everybody knows where I am coming from, and know what my 
 priorities are in how to improve the AERC's Revenue/Expense imbalance.
 
 The Endurance News (EN)
 
 I have already said a bit of my piece about the EN, and its, what I 
 consider to be its absurd, shift from a B&W newsletter to an attempt to 
 become a "premier color magazine." I know a thing or two about the 
 difference in cost and effort between producing an informative black & 
 white newsletter and a quality color magazine, and if the rest of the 
 membership of the AERC wants to raise the dues that I have to pay to 
 ride my horse in endurance so that they can get a slick color magazine, 
 I can only say, "shame on them." >>

I cannot speak from the standpoint of a member faced with annual membership 
renewal, since we became lifetime members many years ago.  But I personally 
LOVE the new glossy paper, color format of the Endurance News.  I'm so very 
proud of the advancement made in its production, and I would miss the 
improvement sorely if we went back to the old newspaper format.  I believe 
our organization deserves to be represented by a better quality publication 
than newsprint.
As far as awards are concerned, if I were to be a winner of a national award, 
I would be thrilled to pieces by a classy sweatshirt with my and my horse's 
name silkscreened on it. Example: we offer a 100-mile Ride & Tie with our 
Swanton Pacific 100 each year. One of our daughters devoted to R&T selects 
the awards each year and has them silk screened.  I saw one of these down at 
Death Valley ride last week, being worn by its proud owner.  It is charcoal 
grey with a plaid collar and a short zipper.  It is silk screened with the 
ride logo on the back and the team's names and overall time on the front 
left.  Something like this could be done for much less cost than jackets or 
Polarfleece vests (though those would be classy, too).  Belt buckles and 
horse blankets are the most costly, if I recall from my search for ride 
awards.  I'm a great believer in finding the classiest award possible for the 
least amount of money. And a shrewd shopper can find things that only LOOK 
expensive, without actually being so. ALL of our members receive the 
Endurance News, but only a few receive year-end awards.  I'd hate to see the 
reduction in quality be placed on the entity that all members receive.  I 
also would hate to see an increase in individual dues.  Perhaps a more 
equitable balance between the dues of the individual and the family is in 
order.

Barbara