The growth in size and scope of AERC over the past three decades means that we have outgrown our current management structure for committees. AERC has grown from a few hundred members to more than 6,000 members. AERC has also become a much more complex organization:

-- We have gone from a modest number of single-day endurance rides to many single-day endurance and LD rides of varying distances; multiday and pioneer rides; a sponsored National Championship; educational introductory rides and clinics, and an insurance program to support the above.

-- We have a professional office staff of four providing extensive and excellent service to the membership.

-- We have an extensive educational program with clinics, mentors, and educational material.

-- We have a professional association magazine in Endurance News.

-- We have an increasing level of online support including a website full of valuable information for our membership and the public at large.

-- We have a vibrant trails program including grants, advocacy, and Trail Master classes.

-- We have a research program addressing specific questions for our sport.

-- We have a greatly expanded convention that moves to different locations.

-- We have an active international program supporting the aspirations of those members who wish to compete on the international stage.

-- We are providing extensive support for our veterinarians and now moving to recognize, through a formal program, those vets who have met certain qualifications.

-- We are actively doing drug testing.

-- We are providing more extensive support for ride managers.

-- We have a program to support and attract juniors.

-- We have a program to promote and pro­tect the welfare of the horse.

These programs were supported via a committee structure of more thanr two dozen committees which nominally all reported to the president who, according to our bylaws, serves as an ex officio and voting member of each committee.

Furthermore the Board of Directors as a whole frequently became involved in the functioning of individual committees. Such a structure led to slow decision making and implementation rather than the vibrant action needed to serve our members well. This was particularly true in light of the fact that the president and the board members are all volunteers doing this on a part-time basis.

I also observe that endurance riding around the world is growing very rapidly, both in numbers and in scope, whereas AERC is not. Our growth in numbers for the past few years has been quite modest, just slightly above the growth rate of the population. I believe that a better organizational structure can lead to AERC's achieving the type of vibrant growth that we are seeing in endurance riding around the world. For example, the Marketing Group will focus the efforts of several new and existing committees on this goal. On April 3, the Board of Directors—with all ayes except one abstention—approved a new committee structure for AERC. Key observations:

1. The governance structure of AERC in terms of voting on motions, making new rules, setting policy, approving the budget, etc., is a board function. This function does not change under the new structure, which addresses the operational aspects of the committees, not the governance of AERC. Each board member has one vote on motions. The president votes only to break ties.

2. The core work of AERC will continue to be done by the AERC office and the committees. The new structure is to facilitate the management of that core work by forming committees into groups that have commonality of purpose and function. Each group' of committees will have a group leader. The span of control for myself as president and for each group leader will be consistent with best practices.

The group leaders are to enable this work by guiding the committee chairs, coordinating among the committees, facilitating the exchange of ideas among the committees, providing ideas to the committees to supplement the committees' ideas, asking the right questions, and working with the committees to prepare the budget.

3. The board is in control and directs the president and the committees to the extent it deems necessary. Specifically the board can decide what committee meetings should be open or closed. Until such time as the BOD has articulated a specific policy on this issue, I will commit that all meetings and conference calls of the Group Leader and Officers of Group Leaders will be open to all AERC board members.

I believe this new structure will enable me to much better fulfill my roles as president in carrying out my responsibility for the affairs and business of AERC. More importantly, I believe this new structure will enable us to better serve our membership.

Take some time to look over the groups and committees on pages 2-3 of EN.