Ridecamp: [RC] Fwd: Day Member Fee

Question for those opposed to day member fee. Lets say you are a non-member and enter a AERC sanctioned ride. You are on the trail and see a front runner cutting trail or being paced by a non-rider, or any other imaginable violation. And this person wins the ride. As a non-member you have no standing with the organization and have no right to file a protest. As a non-member if your placing or any other info is incorrect, or you are treated improperly by someone, you have no standing to protest in any form about anything because you are not a member. As a day member you have all the rights afforded by the AERC for anything pertaining to that ride. And on the other hand,if you are not a member the AERC has no regulation over any acts you might perform. The day member fee was instituted for reasons beyond just collecting some extra funds for the organization. It is also there to protect the AERC rules and the rider. I would be curious to know
 if our insurance would cover a non-member in case of litigation. Anyone know the answer to that one? More food for thought....
Ken Cook, AERC WEST
, 
     


> --- Begin Message ---
> Ken,
>
> You can quote me on ridecamp or elsewhere:  The main reason AERC
> instituted a "Day Member Fee" was to allow AERC to enforce AERC Rules and
> Regulations over all entries to rides.  When non members were allowed to
> enter and ride without paying the fee that made them official AERC Day
> Members, there was no way AERC had any control to enforce its own Rules,
> Regulations, and Policies over those riders.  With the Day Member
> category, those folks must now abide by AERC Rules, etc. just like a
> regular Full Member, and if they are in violation, a legal Protest can be
> lodged and AERC can penalize a guilty party.  That is the same reason
> AERC required that all LD riders must be Full Members or Day Members to
> enter an LD event. 
>
> Randy Eiland
> SW Region Director
>
> From: Klc5355@xxxxxxx
> Subject: Re: [RC]   Director at Large
>  
> In a message dated 10/1/02 8:49:25 PM Pacific Daylight Time,
> jlong@xxxxxxxx 
> writes:
>  
> > 
> > But the AERC doesn't even "own" the rides!  Rides are put on by ride
> > managers, private individuals and clubs.  The AERC only sanctions them
> > and keeps the records (and has awards programs FOR MEMBERS ONLY).
> > 
>   The AERC also keeps records and tracks mileage for non-members for
> later 
> incorporation into thier member record if they join at a later date, so
> they 
> can be eligible for awards if they decide to join. For this they deserve 
> compensation, and I dont think the paying members should be burdened with
>
> this cost. I believe one of the intents behind the non-member fee was to 
> encourage people to join our organization and further it membership
> roles. 
> This is a benefit to our strength as an organization. If a rider only
> does 
> one or two rides a year it really isnt a financial burden to pay this
> fee, 
> but if a rider should do say four or five rides a year the fee encourages
>
> them to join and be a paticipating member, maybe even vote, be a ride
> manager 
> or DAL. I dont think it was imposed to be a punitive fee, but rather as
> an 
> encouragement to join and be a participating member so that they can have
>
> awards. This benefits us all in the added strength of our sport. 
> Ken Cook, AERC WEST
>  
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>
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