Ridecamp: Re: [RC] [Guest] We are not your enemy...

Michael,

I didn't pick up on that in my first reading of the new Bylaws. My 
understanding is most of what is in the new bylaws is to bring them into 
compliance with CA law. I have a difficult time believing that US or 
Canadian citizenship a requirement  under CA corporate law. I would be 
very nice if someone of the AERC BOD would respond to your concerns. I 
think we need to know why citizenship, rather than residency is required.

Truman Prevatt
AERC number 8217

Ridecamp Moderator wrote:

> Michael R. Schuppenhauer schuppenhauer@xxxxxxxxxx
>
> I saw this line on a bus in San Francisco. "We are not your enemy, we 
> are your community." It was referring to hate crimes.
>
> I read the recently proposed changes to the AERC Bylaws. There has 
> been discussion around them on ridecamp. I believe there are useful 
> and some less useful things in there. One thing prompted me to vote:
>
> Full members have to be either US or Canadian citizen. Reason: "To 
> make the bylaws simpler". The difference would be that non-US and 
> non-Canadians can not vote. No further explanation as to the resulting 
> "complication", i.e. from having Europeans vote, is available.
>
> With all due respect, I am a legal resident in the US, the country 
> claiming the oldest democracy as its heritage - one (wo-)man, one vote.
>
> I am also a member of several respected sport and professional 
> societies in this country as well as internationally. None of them has 
> a citizenship requirement or connection to membership and voting, none 
> of them needed to "simplify bylaws", members are united by cause and 
> not by citizenship. In fact, I am not even sure there is a rationale 
> possible in a sport targeted association to have an element of 
> citizenship be important, even more the American (!) Chemical Society 
> recently proposed to include non-residents in their full membership 
> charter, they only differentiate between residents and non-residents 
> and not US vs. Non-US citizens. What would make a US or Canadian rider 
> a more causeful member than a Swedish one ?
>
> On a practical note: A citizenship requirement will be hard if not 
> impossible to check as only around half of the US population has a 
> passport as relevant document. It would only be relevant for 
> international competition anyway, which is not ruled by AERC but US 
> Equestrian/FEI (see FEI ruling). Further, the nationality at 
> international events is ruled somewhat different from actual 
> citizenship (see FEI rules). In fact, what is the actual legal 
> difference between a Canadian member and a British member (UK and 
> Canada both members of the Commonwealth, but certrainly both non-US) 
> as compared to a Canadian and a USA member. Also, I am not sure 
> including Canadians in membership but excluding Puerto Ricans and 
> Mexicans (NAFTA) or Europeans is in accordance with applicable law and 
> legal opinion, i.e. the constitution.
>
> Finally, I believe the introduction of a citizenship criteria in the 
> climate of concern of dominance in this sport is not in line with the 
> Olympic spirit attempting to bring youth TOGETHER.
>
> Therefore, I see no reason whatsoever to exclude legal residents of 
> the US (and Canada for that matter) from being a full member with 
> voting rights. For practical matters all members should be full members.
>
> The bylaws need to be changed to reflect residency and not citizenship.
>
> Michael R. Schuppenhauer, Ph.D.
> schuppenhauer@xxxxxxxxxx
>
>
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=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
Ridecamp is a service of Endurance Net, http://www.endurance.net.
Information, Policy, Disclaimer: http://www.endurance.net/Ridecamp
Subscribe/Unsubscribe http://www.endurance.net/ridecamp/logon.asp

If you are an AERC member - PLEASE VOTE in the upcoming By-Laws 
Election!!!! (it takes 2/3rds to tango!!)

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=