Re: non-member fees

["jsalas" <jsalas@tampabay.rr.com>]

The club has no choice but to charge. The county requires insurance and maintenance in order for us to ride there. If the county maintained the property we would not have a place to ride. Believe me when I say there were many times when we, the board, put in our own money to mow and pay insurance just to keep the trails because we couldn't convince enough people to join.

It is AERC's choice to keep track of non-member rides and to charge the $10 non-member fee. They also charge a research fee if someone decides to join to get their past mileage to count. Isn't that right? So yes, I do know that is a considerable amount of money. That is why I say, let the office deal with it. Not RM. Not everyone who puts on a ride will be able to insist on the fees or  UTD cards.  Let's be realistic. While some of us love to argue it is easier for others to let people slide than to argue with them while you have 20 people standing in line. And if after having spent 6 months preparing for a ride as RM and spending lots and lots of money to put on a ride,  and then listening to people gripe after the ride, (there is always a few) I certainly would not expect a bill from the AERC office telling me I owed them anything. Why can't they call the riders themselves and collect the money? If the riders are the soul of AERC then ride managers make up  the heart that keeps the blood flowing. why can't it be a little bit easier for them?? Why give them a heart attack? Lisa Salas, The odd Farm

----- Original Message -----

From: Bob Morris

To: jsalas

Sent: Saturday, June 09, 2001 10:03 AM

Subject: RE: non-member fees

Lisa: I believe you answered your own question. Why does your group persist in the membership of $35 when some people do not want to pay it?

 

And to most ride managers the $10 is not an aggravation but a fee the riders are required to pay.

 

If you were aware of the number of non-members that ride you would realize the fee does amount to a fair sum. Several of us are very cognizant of the size of the non-member contingent from trying to correct back ride data and to give the members their correct records. Some rides show a considerable number of non-members in the LD category. Realize that the AERC keeps records on all of these who do not belong.

 

Bob Morris.

-----Original Message-----
From: jsalas [mailto:jsalas@tampabay.rr.com]
Sent: Saturday, June 09, 2001 6:15 AM
To: ridecamp; Trailrite@aol.com
Subject: RC: non-member fees

You and I know what AERC means for trails and the sport and we will probably be doing it for the rest of our lives. But the people who don't, or won't join will be gone in 2 or 3 years and don't care. I already see that happening in the crowd I started with. We have in our area about 55 acres that is owned by our county and maintained by our riding club through dues. We mow, pay for the phone, water, insurance and repairs. We do this so we all have a place to ride. A yearly membership fee is $35. Most people in this area have no place else to ride and no trailer to go someplace else and they still complain about $35. Huh?? They couldn't care less about trails anyplace else and whether or not they will be there in 5 or 10 years. So my point is, the people who are not members, probably never will be and will only be riding for a few years. Is the $10 worth the aggravation to the AERC office and ride managers? Lisa Salas, the Odd FArm

----- Original Message -----

From: Trailrite@aol.com

To: jsalas@tampabay.rr.com ; ridecamp@endurance.net

Sent: Friday, June 08, 2001 9:19 PM

Subject: Re: RC: non-member fees

In a message dated 6/8/2001 2:04:50 PM Pacific Daylight Time,
jsalas@tampabay.rr.com writes:

I ride with quite a few people who are not members and don't intend to join.
They only do 3 or 4 rides a year so that is only $40 as opposed to $60 or
$65 dollars (whatever it is) for a membership. So does it encourage or
discourage people to join? The best way to get people to join a group or
club or organization is to make them think they are missing something.
HMMMM, there's a thought.  Lisa Salas, The Odd FArm

I find this sort of sad that riders do not want to belong to a great
Origanization such as the AERC, because a of $20. savings.  Even the $65. per
year is nothing as to what people spend on anything else today.  As for
missing something, don't let them borrow your Endurance News! :)
Just were would endurance riding be right now, if not for the AERC?

Tammy Robinson
Trail-Rite Ranch & Products
661/513-9169 or 661/713-3912