Re: LD non-member fees

[renegade12@juno.com (Randy H Eiland)]

Teresa wrote:

<<  ....  Since LD riders have to attend twice as many
rides to get to the same mileage, and it is a starting level distance,
a $5.00 non-member fee would be so much more appropriate than $10 if
we must have a non-member fee.  That $5.00 quite likely could be the
difference between folks paying the fee vs deciding not to compete. 

If only the Board of Directors would plan their agendas before the big 
meetings and seek some input from the folks who elect them and whom they 
are supposed to represent they could probably greatly reduce the amount 
of criticism of their decisions on ridecamp and in letters to EN AND
better 
serve AERC.>>>>>

Teresa,

You are missing the point...it was the LD Committee, made up of LD
riders, who came to the Board at midyear and asked for equal footing with
other AERC members...asked for Regional recognition, and more National
recognition. The Board agreed to their requests, but that equality is a
two way street.  If LD Riders are on equal footing with all other AERC
members (and I think this is the right thing), then they must pay
equally, too.  The statement that they must ride twice as far has about
as much validity as saying 50 milers must ride twice as far as 100
milers....I can't argue with the black and white of the statement, but it
has no bearing because it is the choice of the rider as to what distance
they ride.   I can't bring myself to make a legitimate comment on whether
$5.00 instead of $10.00 would be a deciding factor in entering a ride.  I
will tell you that I manage 17 rides each year, most have LD distances
and it costs me exactly the same per rider regardless of the distance
ridden....and I think it costs AERC about the same per rider, regardless
of the distance ridden.  Personally, I don't think there are many people
out there who will not enter a ride because it has a non member
fee....and if they are riding more than one LD ride a year, then they
should be full members of AERC....they can join for $48.75 with the
SUNDOWNER TRAILERS, INC. discount.  BTW, at my rides nearly every LD
rider is a member of AERC or joins at the ride.....see BJ Winchester's
excellent letter in the Dec. Issue of EN.

As to getting input from the people who elected me and better
representing them, I am in contact with them constantly several times a
month, at my rides and at other rides.  I believe I am not alone on the
Board in reaching out to those who elected us..I think it is more the
norm!!!  Speaking of elections, I am willing to bet that less than 30% of
our total membership even voted in the Directors-at-Large election...I
hope I am wrong and we will soon know.

  
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