Discussion issue from the BOD meeting - WT Divisions

[Michael Maul <Michael.Maul@nsc.com>]

The AERC membership BOD discussed an issue that pertains to weight divisions
that needs to be mentioned again to AERC members.

AERC office policy is that the wt division you are listed as on June 1 is the 
weight division all your ride results will be listed as for the year.

For example - you started out the ride season as a HW.  It's July
1 and you have lost 40 lb. - you are now a MW.  You enter a ride and declare 
yourself as a MW.

You are first place MW and get the award for it at the ride.  The ride manager
sends the report in to the office as a MW and your placing, time, and ID are
entered in the computer.

Your points and miles will show up in the HW standings in EN if you are high
enough to have a placing even though you rode as a MW.

If you gain weight starting from a MW and go to  HW -
this is OK as you are always allowed to ride in a lower WT class and your 
results will be recorded in MW for the year. You can ride either as a MW or
a HW with no problem.

The bottom line here is that:

1.  Always make sure your weight division is reported correctly to the office
by June 1.

2.  If you are competing for year end awards in a weight division - and you 
lose enough weight to change your wt division after June 1 - you need to 
carry enough weight to get back up to the minimum for your division. If you
don't - you have an unfair advantage over the other riders in your division.

The rules committee is looking at the best way to handle this with our new 
office s/w.

One way is to simply record your points in the division you ride in - and then
have entries for you in the  two divisions.

This will mean that it will be harder to place in either  division as your 
points and miles will be split.  But at least it is fair.

Mike