Last year, the rate for a Single Renewal was $45, and this year it's $65.
A significant increase.
$65 is a lot of money for folks like me to spend for an AERC membership.
Endurance is far from the only sport/activity that I have. Currently I
do a few limited distance rides a year, and, although I have great plans
for doing Tevis, Swanton, Outlaw Trail and a few other multi-day rides, I
rarely ride more than one or two 50's a year. I spend more time planning,
training and dreaming than competing.
My initial reaction was a shrugging "Drop the membership until I see
if this new horse ends up being competitive. Play with LD rides as a
non-member. The magazine isn't worth a $65 subscription. I devote time &
money to organizations that purchase and maintain trails, this $65
is better spent in those organizations if I'm not competing." But....
If that's the reaction of a lot of low-ranked riders like myself, AERC
rolls could drop significantly. Many of us haven't got 5 rides a year
in our horses - or our butts! Maybe I over-estimate the numbers of
"low-riders" out there!! Bottom line, I want the organization healthy,
but won't retain a $65 membership if I'm not competing consistently.
Friends belonging to ASHA tell me that their rates are $15 per year,
including a great full-color magazine. They do have a $75 membership,
it includes $1,000,000 of liability insurance for your horse. How do
they keep their rates so low? ASHA has their hands full keeping track
of statistics, they do more number tracking than AERC. Their computer
requirements must be a nightmare compared to ours... hummmm....
Anybody familiar with the workings of ASHA? How do they pull it off?
Is this an AERC management problem, or does ASHA have other resources?
I would expect an increase in the cost of ride sanctioning before a
membership increase. That would distribute the $$ hit through the year.
The more a part of your life competing is, the more you get to invest
in the organization that sustains it. New folks would be less hesitant
to join at the start, low-mile riders like yours-truly would re-up
without a second thought.
Is it just me? Maybe it's just peanuts to everyone else. Maybe I'm
all wet... if so, no big deal. Sometimes organizations just start
shrinking though; I'd hate to see that happen to AERC.
Later -
Linda
Gilroy California