March 1, 2015 at 9:36 AM
Well, Kat, your post recommending a mass exodus on behalf of members (if they don't like how the UAE abuse situation is being handled) contained no questions, and it was difficult to take your thoughts seriously, as they seemed merely provocative, at best.. Joe was musing about possibly giving up his lifetime membership over it (really Joe? You and your horse are in the HOF and you would leave our ranks over this?) and Truman, was yet again spouting off on how he thinks the Board is ever silent and inept on all things AERC, while growing moss on his north side. I rarely am snide, but there is no rule against returning it in response to "discussions," as you call them like these. Bruce Weary
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but AERC's main purpose is promoting the sport here in the US. That means working on trails, member attraction and retention, sanctioning rides, educating our riders and all the things that go with promoting a sport. We aren't asleep at the wheel, nor do we, as a small private club, have the power to legislate or force large international organizations to knuckle under to our demands. That is the job of the federations,
March 1, 2015 at 12:35 PM
Joe, my best advice to you is to stay put. Please don't follow Kat's suggestion that if you don't agree on an issue or policy the best practice is to leave the organization until things are more in line with your preference. That would lead to an awful lot of coming and going. Maybe Kat could return to membership, if she hasn't already, and show support, rather than disdain for this great organization. We aren't the ones killing the horses. I wrote a scathing email to the Sheik. Have you? This issue may be with us for a while, but AERC's main purpose is promoting the sport here in the US. That means working on trails, member attraction and retention, sanctioning rides, educating our riders and all the things that go with promoting a sport. We aren't asleep at the wheel, nor do we, as a small private club, have the power to legislate or force large international organizations to knuckle under to our demands. That is the job of the federations, and we have made our position and disdain clear multiple times in the press, with the Motion passed last August, and with ongoing communications globally with the other federations, supporting consensus on rejecting the evils ways of some stables in Group VII. Michael Campbell has probably been our busiest President in recent times, in large part due to the demands of dealing with this issue. You would be proud to know the level of involvement of AERC to date, and that it will continue. We will get more traction on this when we meet in Reno, face to face. We should remember that there is a lot of other business to attend as well. Don't leave, Joe. Support the same constituents that put you in the HOF. Bruce Weary
March 1, 2015 at 5:03 PM
As I read Bruce's recent comments, he gives very persuasive arguments for the AERC to divorce itself from the USEF. He admits that our charter is to sanction Distance rides in the USA, not the rest of the world and that we do not have particular influence over what goes on with the USEF, let alone region VII.
March 1, 2015 at 6:10 PM
When the AERC was created, it was done to support endurance riding in the U.S. (and Canada). Of course, there were no FEI endurance rides back then. When the first FEI ride was held in the U.S. in Virginia, I had the honor of being chosen for the U.S. team. At the final cut I scratched because Khalil was questionable and we took an alternate who was ready to go (and finished as I recall). I became part of the crew. I was very enthusiastic about international riding going into that event.
I was put off by the cutthroat nature of the competition, though. Just one example: the wife of one of the European riders was waiting at the road crossing near the finish, after dark, to give him a jacket. It was getting cold. But her ride was leaving and he hadn't arrived yet. We offered to take the jacket and give it to him, but she reminded us that was against the rules! We suggested that she just hang it on a fence post and we'd tell him where it was, but she was afraid to even do that. A far cry from endurance AERC style.
Over the years I became more disenchanted with FEI, and with co-sponsored rides, to the point where I vowed to never do another one. I felt some time ago that it would be better all around if AERC-I was separated from AERC, where they could do their thing and we could do ours. AERC rides and FEI rides have become two different worlds. The need to do this split, in my opinion, has now become imperative, there is no longer really a reasonable choice to not do it.
The people who compete internationally have AERC-I and USEF, they do not need AERC to have their sport and their opportunities. The AERC does not need AERC-I or USEF. If we cannot keep the USEF drug testing there are other ways to do that. We must not let the desire of the international riders to have joint sanctioning to support their rides hold us in a bad marriage.
On Mar 1, 2015, at 11:36 AM, Bruce Weary <weary...@gmail.com> wrote:
Well, Kat, your post recommending a mass exodus on behalf of members (if they don't like how the UAE abuse situation is being handled) contained no questions, and it was difficult to take your thoughts seriously, as they seemed merely provocative, at best.. Joe was musing about possibly giving up his lifetime membership over it (really Joe? You and your horse are in the HOF and you would leave our ranks over this?) and Truman, was yet again spouting off on how he thinks the Board is ever silent and inept on all things AERC, while growing moss on his north side. I rarely am snide, but there is no rule against returning it in response to "discussions," as you call them like these. Bruce Weary
March 1, 2015 at 8:03 PM
Bruce while I don't really give a rats behind what you thing of me or say about me. I've know Joe a long time and I doubt if does either. However, your argumentum ad hominem gets pretty old and is pretty lame. It seems when you can not address and issue with logic - you attack the person for what ever reason. In reality it adds no substance to any debate. There are certain professions that make a living by argumentum ad hominem - politician comes to mind such a great and noble profession that it is.So if you want to discuss facts - that's fine. Am I disappointed at the AERC BOD for it milk toast response last year, it's total public silence this time and it total lack of transparency. You bet I am and it is the responsibility of every member to make their views know. I know a lot of people on the board and they are good people but as a collective as a corporate board - the board leaves something desired.As a start at better transparency I call for the AERC BOD to live stream all board meeting (both in March and August). When we did that last year (BCHA) it went over very well with the members and a lot of people tuned in. It is time for the AERC BOD to address transparency and it long over due - about a year - for them to address the abuses and doping in FEI endurance.Truman--
"Prejudice is a great time saver. You can form opinions without having to get the facts." E. B. White
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March 1, 2015 at 9:36 AM
March 2, 2015 at 8:40 AM
I agree that the motives of most of the board members that have ever served for the AERC are good and noble and most directors have the best interest of the AERC at heart. I’ve sit on enough boards and steering committees to know it is not always an easy task. I have no problem with any of them individually. However, it sometimes seems that taken as a political entity - all boards of directors are political entities - the AERC board does not perform as well as one would hope.
March 2, 2015 at 8:58 AM
Truman--Your response sounds like you are going the long way around to avoid admitting you haven't bothered to even place a call to your Regional Directors to find out what we have been working on. You will find great transparency, if and when you do. We can deliver the newspaper to your doorstep. We shouldn't have to open it and read it to you. Meet us halfway? Bruce Weary
When people delegate to someone the responsibility to represent them, it is the delegate’s responsibility to report back to those who elected her/him on what s/he is doing.
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Are your
congressmen contacting you regularly and personally to keep you informed,
or do you have to at least visit a website, or blog, or make a phone call
to being the education process? I
When I was on the board, and I can’t remember how long ago that was, but I was a director for 20 years, all board meetings were recorded.
Barbara McCrary
Lifetime AERC member #2079
West Region
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Yes! And I write back and give them MY opinion on something they’re trying to put forth (or over on us, as the case may be.)
Barbara McCrary
Lifetime AERC member #2079
West Region
From: ridecampre...@googlegroups.com [mailto:ridecampre...@googlegroups.com] On Behalf Of Bruce Weary
Sent: Monday, March 02, 2015 3:04 PM
To: ride...@endurance.net
Subject: Re: [RC] Board
Are your congressmen contacting you regularly and personally to keep you informed,
or do you have to at least visit a website, or blog, or make a phone call
to being the education process? Bruce Weary
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On 3/2/2015 3:04 PM, Bruce Weary wrote:Of course, I agree with you, Diane. My objections are primarily to the
accusations of impropriety, corruption, and conspiracies to keep the
membership uninformed, especially as they are put forth by people who
haven't made the simplest attempt to inform themselves.
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Bruce, by now you must be living up to your last name – weary – of being criticized, hounded, etc. Odd…I don’t remember this sort of thing happening when I was on the board, but then that was before e-mail and Ridecamp. I vividly remember one Sunday morning – Louise Riedel, one of my favorite people and a fellow BOD member, called me and asked me if I knew about such-and-such an issue. I told her I had not even heard about it. She answered that the other BOD members were discussing it via e-mail (which I did not yet have.) I was really upset about this, so (if you can’t lick’em, then join’em) I promptly signed up for e-mail and haven’t looked back. It’s a valuable tool, but it does allow people to say snarky things about – and to – others, which is quite uncivilized. If you wouldn’t say it to someone’s face, then don’t hide behind e-mail. Or as Thumper famously said, “if you cain’t say something nice, don’t say it at all.” I’ve thought about that MANY times in my life.
Maybe you’ve had enough of the non-productive wrangling between the AERC BOD and a few dissatisfied members, and if so, I can’t blame you. The reason I’m not still on the BOD is that the membership got tired of ME. J
Back to riding and competing, Bruce.
Best wishes,
Barbara
From: ridecampre...@googlegroups.com [mailto:ridecampre...@googlegroups.com] On Behalf Of Bruce Weary
Sent: Tuesday, March 03, 2015 3:45 AM
To: ride...@endurance.net
Subject: Re: [RC] Board
I don't think there is anything else productive to come from this discussion. Contact your Directors. Or, don't contact your Directors. Step up and serve, or don't step up and serve. Actually ride endurance or don't ride endurance. Presume the worst, or presume the best. It really is what we all make of it. It's up to each of us to enjoy the sport and work for its betterment. Or not. I'm on to other things. Bruce Weary
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Answer to last question: No, I won’t be there. I ride very little now and I don’t like leaving Lud on his own. He’s very independent and I’m afraid he’ll do something that could be dangerous. We agreed that neither of us will operate machinery (tractor, chainsaw, brush cutter, et al) without the other being along. It’s too risky now. Lud will be 87 in June, and I’ll be 82 in May. We have to take care of each other. J
Darn, I’m going to miss that steak dinner you keep talking about…
Oh, piffle !
March 3, 2015 at 10:51 AM
Well, Barbara, you and Lud are doing pretty well for your age. My wife won't leave me alonewith a blender without a babysitter. :) Bruce
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March 3, 2015 at 10:46 AM
March 3, 2015 at 9:53 AM
Will I see you at convention? BrucePeople are people and they will usually work better, more enthusiastically, and more productively, with support than criticism, although both serve their purpose. I am reminded of an anecdote I heard from Wayne Dyer, where he tells a story of when his car had stalled in a rainstorm. He tried and tried to get it started, but with no luck. The guy behind him was impatient and was constantly honking his horn and angrily admonishing Wayne to move his car. Wayne walked back to the guy and said, " I think it's flooded and I can't seem to get it started. Would you like to give it a try?" "I'll bet I can do a better job than you!," was his reply. When Wayne didn't follow him to the car, the guy asked "What are you gonna do? Just stand there?" To which Wayne replied, "I thought I'd stay back here and keep laying on the horn, if you think that might help." The two ended up pushing the car to safety together. Not a bad solution. :)Hi Barbara--Thank you for your kind thoughts, as well as your service to AERC over the years. As much as I have been willing to be in the fray on issues that face us, and exposed to the frustrations of our members at times, I truly don't take it personally, or lose any sleep over it. I know that Truman and Diane and Kat and others don't mean their comments to be taken personally, either. At least I think they don't. I feel that they are passionate about our sport and our horses, and for whatever reason if they don't find themselves in a position at the moment to strike a blow for horse welfare or to exert influence personally to make changes for the better in AERC, they are hoping those who they elected to do so will, and hopefully in the way they envision it. And I think that is where the rub is. Things seldom happen as quickly as we would like when we look at pictures of horses with broken legs, or lying dead in the desert sun from overexertion. I think the Board is too big, but nevertheless there are 26 dedicated people, with good minds and AERC's best interest at heart at the helm. And those people are replaced fairly frequently, so to always attribute certain qualities to the Board is like aiming at a moving target.
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March 3, 2015 at 8:57 AM
March 3, 2015 at 4:44 AM
I don't think there is anything else productive to come from this discussion. Contact your Directors. Or, don't contact your Directors. Step up and serve, or don't step up and serve. Actually ride endurance or don't ride endurance. Presume the worst, or presume the best. It really is what we all make of it. It's up to each of us to enjoy the sport and work for its betterment. Or not. I'm on to other things. Bruce Weary