By Stagg Newman, AERC President

By the time you read this column, the AERC board of directors will have held its midyear meeting. As I write this column I am also finalizing the agenda for the midyear meeting. So my thoughts are on the priorities for the BoD's time and energy at the midyear meeting and how that meeting will set the stage for the next several months.

This year the board, thanks to the efforts of Patti Pizzo and the Finance Group, has already approved the 2007 budget so we can concentrate on other key areas.

As can be expected, some parts of AERC's programs are going well while others need more attention. Our basic member services, led by our excellent office staff, and our competitions program are going well. Our Education Committee is providing more and better educational opportunities for members. Our Trails Group continues to expand its activities to keep AERC in the leadership position with federal and local land managers of maintaining and building trails for long-distance equestrian use. AERC-I continues to serve well our members interested in competing internationally. Our Veterinary Committee has launched major new education efforts, including a certification program.

The counterpoint is the areas that need attention. The midyear BoD meeting will have a major focus of time and energy on:

-- Revising the AERC drug policy

-- Developing a new set of rules and regulations for AERC to enable AERC, the board and the Protest and Grievance Committee to function more effectively

-- Launching a new marketing and membership drive to grow AERC.

You will be hearing more about each of these efforts in the next few months.

Endurance News has featured a set of articles on why we need a new drug policy and what the major issues are. The group of people leading this effort -- Melissa Ribley, DVM; Stan Eichelberger, DVM, and John Parke -- will be presenting their recommendations to date. Given the complexity of this subject, their presentation is bound to generate lively discussion and controversy.

We will share these recommendations with the membership for feedback with a goal of having new policy and rules ready for consideration by the BoD at the convention next year. So please let us hear from you as we share our recommendations.

The second effort, led by John Parke, has become a priority because the effectiveness of AERC can greatly improve with rules and regulations that are much better written and give you, the membership, the clarity needed. I and other BoD members, particularly John Parke, have personally spent much of our time on legal and other issues created by ambiguity and uncertainty in the rules, time that we would have much rather spent on growing and promoting AERC.

The marketing effort, led by Barry Waitte, is particularly timely. AERC's growth rate has been declining over the last few years and this year AERC membership is flat with last year at the same time (6,555 in October 2005 to 6,556 in October 2006). New members are actually up from last year but retention is down. So now is the time to revitalize our marketing and membership efforts. Our most important marketing is of course done by you, the members. See my July EN column for ideas on how you personally can grow AERC.

Vote! November is election season, not just for Congress but also for AERC directors-at-large. This year we have 13 candidates including five current directors-at-large running for re-election, two former board members, and five new candidates, all of whom aspire to serve AERC. I thank all for running.

I hope each of you will make as one of your personal priorities to cast an informed vote for the AERC directors-at-large. By now you will have received the ballot along with the statements by the candidates. The candidate information is also posted on the AERC website.

Many candidates are also engaged in dialog with members of the unofficial AERC members' forum discussion group. If you are not a member of the members' forum, you can join by going to http://sports.groups.yahoo.com/group/AERCMembersForum/ and clicking "join this group."

I urge you to carefully read the candidates' statements and other information. In deciding for whom to vote consider the candidate's experience and perspective as an AERC member and the candidate's motivations for serving on the board.

Equally important, please consider the professional qualifications that the candidates bring to the board. Much of an individual board member's time is spent on fiscal matters, legal matters, governance and other activities that are integral to the functioning of a nonprofit sports organization. Having a board with people of varied professional background and experience strengthens AERC by bringing complementary expertise and experience.

In voting for your overall slate of candidates, consider the mix of experienced BoD members and new BoD members. The AERC BoD needs the new ideas, perspectives, enthusiasm and passion of new members (i.e., "fresh blood") as well as the wisdom of experienced members. So consider the candidates carefully and vote wisely. And once selected, let your board members hear your views, desires, issues, and aspirations for AERC.

Board resignation and new board member. Director-at-large Teresa Cross has resigned her position. The remainder of her term will be filled by Kim Fuess. Thank you, Teresa, for your service. A 20-year member of AERC, Kim serves on the Education and Rules committees. She has upwards of 5,000 miles including more than 10 one-day 100s. Kim helped to organize a 100-mile recognition program in her Pacific Southwest Region. She and her husband Richard raise and breed Arabians for endurance and other performance sports. Welcome Kim!

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