Re: RC: AERC nonmember fee idea/Board?

[Nat & Richard <trailride@foothill.net>]

> Ride managers can contact the AERC office and double check on whether the 
> riders listed are current members.  I've done this before, and if a rider who 
> claims to be a member is not current, I simply make a notation on the 
> registration list that the rider owes $10 when he or she checks in. I am 
> rarely caught having to pay the bill for non-current members.  If I have 
> missed one or two, I call them and insist they pay up.  I won't pay for their 
> negligence. 
> 
> Barbara 
> West Region director 
> Chair, Rules Committee 
> Special Events sanctioning director 

Just looking at this $10 Non-member fee from a "systems" point of view,
I'd have to say that the prudent thing would be to just get rid of it
altogether.  

It is obviously a royal pain in the keester for ride managers, seems to
generate significant work for the AERC office staff (by way of
enforcement, answering questions, accounting, etc.), probably is not a
vital source of AREC income, and serves only as a negative incentive for
non-members to join the organization ("What's my break-even point, given
that I'd like to do a few rides each season, but I don't give a hoot
about collecting points?")

Instead of stressing about how to make the Non-member fee system work
better, why not just cut the Gordian Knot?

/richard

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