NC ride - the comments put together

[Deanna German <finishis2win@columbus.rr.com>]

Vicki Rutter wrote:
I saw the budget early on for the 2001 ride and they were anticipating a
$10,000 loss.  I questioned whether they could absorb this and they were
hopeful to get a sponsor to help but that didn't happen.


Connie Caudill wrote:
We thought that would be fine as long as we could go get our sponsors for
the ride. BUT no, we were not allowed to do that either, AERC wanted to get
all the sponsors and give the ride the first $5,000 that was brought in and
then AERC could keep the rest. But guess how much was brought in from them
as of 2 months before the ride? None, zero, nothing. At that time we were
really getting worried wanting to put on a first class ride for us, the
members. So then AERC turned us loose to go get our own sponsors. At that
late date we were not able to obtain hardly any, (only $200.00). The ride
cost $10,000 more than what the riders fee brought in to us but it cost AERC
nothing.

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We have two different versions of the sponsorship issue here. Looks like
miscommunication to me.

So what's up with the $10,000 now? Did DBDR find a way to cover it, or did
it come out of AERC?

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Heidi Smith wrote:
A great many of us wish AERC would still recognize an
overall points champion (as they used to), even if this award would no
longer be billed as "THE" AERC Champion.  There was no need to "kill" this
award, just to set up other formats.

That said, I support AERC buying awards for the NC ride, but beyond that, it
needs to stand on its own merits, just like any other ride.

Heidi (who chaired the 1997 Pan-Am Championship, with a budget over
$100,000, and it came out in the black.  If we can do it, they can, too.)

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Heidi, who provided your Pan Am budget? Did you have sponsorship $$ for the
1997 Pan Ams? These are honest questions since I don't know where the
financing for these high profile rides comes from.

I also have no problem with limiting the financial support of the NC (for
example, buying the awards or some such other agreed upon limit to financial
support), but the issue seems to be that the RM of this ride must know in
advance what the support will be and not that they think they will have
support and then it changes down the line. Communication is a wonderful
thing.

The proposed $20 ride fee may or not fix the problem because the problem
appears to be ill-defined. That's why I don't support the motion.

I'm a new member. What happened to the overall points champion? Why was this
discontinued?

Get the communications problems worked out, set what AERC support will
consist of (financial and/or publicity), communicate that to future ride
managers and let it be. Require full financial disclosure from the RM and
perhaps split the revenue if AERC has contributed financially. Split revenue
doesn't have to be 50/50.

Whatever it is, make it fair to AERC and the RM. Telling the RM they aren't
allowed to get sponsors and then changing the tune too late is not fair.
Making the rider pay $20 more does not guarantee the ride will not go into
the red and is not fair to the rider or to AERC membership (if the $$ to
make up the cost suddenly must come out of AERC funds).

I am confident our BOD will be able to hammer out a satisfactory solution.

Deanna #M30478