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RE: [RC] [AERCMembersForum] A vote at the AERC Board meeting--another oersoectuve - heidiJoe is basically correct in what happened (below) but I would like to add a different perspective to his comments. 1) He is right on the mark that we do need to be willing to put our money where our mouth is with regard to drug testing by supporting the Gluck Center. Dr. Thomas Tobin is a unique asset to the world of equine sports medicine and is a priceless resource when it comes to putting together a state-of-the-art concept for drug regulation such as the one that he has coached our organization through. I think that the Board is in full agreement that such support must be forthcoming from us if we are to continue to build on what we have started. 2) I wholeheartedly agree with Joe that monies collected with the intent of testing should be used for same, and I (and a few other directors) voiced this sentiment. I certainly came away with the idea that the vet committee and the Board woould be far more sensitive to this issue in the future--and had a good side discussion with Melissa about this as well. 3) The Board had ALREADY in long-past action agreed to use this money as was finalized. There was no point in reinventing the wheel or going back over and over old ground--the main thing was to clarify how this would be handled in the future, and I think the discussion fully got that point across. 4) Additional discussion would not have added one iota to enlightening any of us further on this issue, nor would it have changed the outcome of a vote--therefore additional discussion was utterly pointless. I for one really appreciated the fact that Mike ran a very tight meeting in which we got through a lot of material in a limited time, and I REALLY appreciated getting to leave just a tad early as a result, which meant I could catch an earlier plane and get home before 3 a.m.! All in all, it was an excellent meeting, and it is refreshing to see how much the organization has matured in the past several years. Heidi Smith DVM Director-at-Large There was a motion at the Board meeting yesterday to donate $7,500 out of the drug testing fund to the Gluck Equine Research Center at the University of Kentucky. The Center is doing work that is very helpful to the AERC in refining our drug rules and appendices. I was the only one to vote "no" and I'd like to explain my vote. I fully support the donation, I believe the work they are doing is very worthwhile and important to the AERC and endurance riding. I objected only to the source of the funds. Although the Board voted last year that drug testing funds, which come from a dollar-per-rider surcharge at AERC rides, may be used for research as well as testing horses at rides, I do not believe that we should have done that in this case. Not only do I believe that earmarked funds should be used for the purpose that we told our members they were earmarked for, I believe that we need to be testing more rides and should not be diverting funds from that purpose. I intended to suggest that we take the money out of our general funds instead, but the Board cut off debate before I had an opportunity to do so. Therefore, I voted against the motion. -- Joe Long jlong@xxxxxxxxxxxxx =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= 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 Ride Long and Ride Safe!! =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
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