Catching up on chapter news

Time to catch up on a couple months' activities!

Our November meeting was an educational one. Patty Cameron from Gallops Saddlery in Tigard joined us for a presentation on bits and bitting. She brought a wide variety of bits to pass around as she talked about their structure and uses. The bits in the photo, although quite varied, are all legal for USEF events.

Our December meeting is always our popular Christmas party, one of the highlights of our "social calendar." On December 11 we gathered in Suzi Ronning’s beautifully decorated home for a festive potluck meal, and followed that with a cutthroat gift exchange and drawings for our “Powerball prizes.” For those who don’t know; CMC members put a ticket in a box for every chapter event they attend, and tickets are drawn at our Christmas for cash prizes; it’s a nice incentive for being an involved member!

Our January 11 meeting had to be postponed until January 18 because of the winter weather. We will be working on everything needed to ensure another successful edition of our annual Bears Above the Ground League Show. This year's show is scheduled for February 25 and 26 at the Yamhill Co. Fairgrounds in McMinnville. Our show is a great warm-up for the show season and we hope you’ll join us. If you aren’t interested in competing, we welcome volunteers!

November meeting reminder

Our November meeting will be on Wednesday, the 9th, at Clover Valley Equestrian Center, our usual meeting date and place. Patty from Gallops Saddlery is coming to talk about bits and bitting. (It would be great to have some snacks to bite while listening, so bring some to share!)

I have been remiss in posting the minutes of our September and October meetings; so sorry! I'll try to get those up here on the blog soon for those, like me, who were unable to attend.

July meeting minutes; August meeting coming right up!

At our July 13 meeting, we spent time reviewing this year’s Bears Above the Ground League show and making plans for next year’s Bears show. Since this is our chapter’s annual fundraiser, we discussed how we should use the funds raised. President Mary Ann pointed out that since we are a tax-exempt organization, we ought to have some vision about what we are raising funds for. At our May meeting, we talked about contributing funds toward the purchase of a mobile handicapped mounting block for ODS shows, but we really need more information before we can act on that. Meanwhile, we voted to sponsor a slot for the Region 6 Youth Dressage Overnight Camp at DevonWood. Besides donations, we can also provide classes or other learning experiences for CMC members. We should develop a plan for education.

As for next year's show, We have reserved the Yamhill County Fairgrounds for February 25-26, 2017. The Fairgounds will draw up a contract, probably in December or January. We will not be required to deposit any money until we sign the contract.

Motion: Mary Ann will be the Show Manager next year. Motion passed.

Motion: Jorine will be the Show Secretary next year. Motion passed.

No motion was made, but we are inclined to invite Jessica and Suzi back to be judges.

We mentioned several purchases that might need to be made, but no decisions were made at this time. Other topics discussed included the following:

Should we advertise the show early (perhaps in September)?

Should we retain the High Points awards? If we retain them, should we change the process?

Include Western Dressage?

Maybe have a class Friday afternoon? (As an additional source of revenue?)

Next we turned our attention to possible sites and dates for our annual picnic and officer election meeting. Suggested sites were Flying M Ranch, Perrydale Trails, and JoAnn Cooke's property; there was vigorous discussion but no decision was made. It was suggested that we elect officers at our August meeting and make a final decision about our annual picnic then.

That August meeting is at 7:00 p.m. this Wednesday, the 10th, at Clover Valley Equestrian Center. Please come and give us your input!

February minutes; countdown to Bears!

Here are the minutes for our most recent meeting, held on Wednesday, February 10, at Clover Valley Equestrian Center. Our next meeting will be held at the same place on Wednesday, March 9, at 7:00 p.m.

Below the minutes is a note about sponsorship of the Bears show, and earning a qualifying score for the ODS League Finals Show.

CMC minutes, 2/10/2016

Bears show

As of  2/10, there were 20 rides for Saturday, and 22 for Sunday.

We will hold the show, regardless of the number of entries. We will continue to accept entries.

[We had a wide-ranging discussion on topics such as the condition of local shows in general; how to advertise the Bears show; and the status of various prizes. No substantial decisions were made, and there were no motions.]

Follow-up to January meeting

In January, we authorized donating money to 4H so that the Yamhill County 4H could have an L-level dressage judge. Good news: the state 4H will have an L-level judge at the State Fair. Hopefully, this decision will continue into future years.

In January, we changed our meeting date from the second Wednesday of the month to the third Wednesday of the month. In the February meeting, we reversed this decision. We will continue to meet on the second Wednesday, at least for the time being.

Future plans (discussion)

We briefly discussed what we might want the chapter to be like. 

We did make this decision: if you bring a friend, you get an extra ticket for the year-end drawing.

The following possibilities for the future were raised. No decisions were made at this time. What do we want to be...

Social, including outside activities such as roping?

Educational, centered only/mainly around dressage?

Videos?

Schedule to go to certain events?

Don't call it a meeting; call it a social, or a get-together, or a gathering?

Sharon: maybe a couple of fun things? 

Mechanical horse at Devonwood that knows dressage and responds to what the rider is doing?

Dressage equitation? 

March meeting (March 9)

We will celebrate post-Bears with a baked potato bar. Potatoes will be provided. Bring you own topping. Members who were present passed a sign-up list indicating what they would bring. We also encourage people to bring a salad or dessert.

Present: Patty Armstrong, Jane Baer, Kate Beevers, JoAnn Cooke, Amanda de la Iglesia (friend of Karina's), Sylvia Kantas, Sharon Knowlton, Cary & Janet Kraft, Michelle McMillen, Karina Molatore, Jorine Rietman, Vickie Smith, Mary Ann Trout, Janis and Will Worrall.

#############################################################

SPONSORSHIPS

We are still accepting sponsorships for the show. Sponsor levels begin at the bronze level for $25, and can be from individuals as well corporations/small businesses. Why not join with a friend or barn buddy and sponsor a class?  

For further details, please contact Jane at englishrose@embarqmail.com  or 949-233-2724, or our show manager, Mary Ann, at   seemssoeasy@aol.com.

ODS LEAGUE FINALS SHOW & HIGH SCHOOL COMPETITION & BENEFIT SHOW

You can earn a Qualifying Score for the ODS League Finals Show at the Bears Above the Ground Show. Minimum score required is 55%. You must be an ODS member in good standing on the day of the show. Please note that although Bears is a two-day show, it is classified as ONE show, so you can only earn one qualifying score. However, if you get that score you’ll be halfway to qualifying for the Finals Show! Further details are on the ODS website and we’ll have them available at Bears, as well as ODS membership sign-up forms.

Thank you for supporting the Chehalem Mountain Chapter of ODS, and our Bears Above the Ground Show.

January minutes

Here are the minutes for our most recent meeting, held on Wednesday, January 13, at Clover Valley Equestrian Center. Our next meeting will be held at the same place on Wednesday, February 10, at 7:00 p.m.

CMC minutes, 1/13/2016

Introductions

No shiny new faces needed to be introduced.

News & Shares

Kristy DeVries' memorial service will be in February, date TBA, according to Kristy's husband Dirk. CMC chapter members will be welcome.

Treasurer’s report

Jorine (the treasurer) couldn't come. The second-Wednesday meeting dates are not good for her for the first six months of the year. (See also meeting date topic, below.)

The insurance issue for Bears got resolved.

Key Bank CD matures on March 19 2016.

The treasurer’s report was given by Mary Ann, and accepted.

Bears show update

1) Volunteers (Sharon)

Sharon sent email requesting volunteers, but many holes remained. Signup sheet passed. Several slots were filled at tonight's meeting.

2) Sponsor solicitation (Jane)

Jane has recruited a few sponsors already.

Jane read a letter requesting businesses or individuals to sponsor a Bears class. (See under Advertising/Promotion, below.)

There will be a program for the show (for the first time ever).

3) Prizes (Mary Ann & Patty)

First place prizes: mugs filled with peppermints. Mugs are $4-5 apiece. 

Motion: We will buy 72 blue mugs, which will cover 1^st place prizes for two years.

Motion passed.

Some new dressage books (ten or so), donated by Cary Kraft, can be given as 2^nd or 3^rd place prizes.

4) Advertising/Promotion

Using the new mailing list, the secretary will send the following Bears-related materials to all CMC members.

The letter requesting businesses or individuals to sponsor an event.

The prize list.

The concession stand's menu.

(At this time, the secretary described how draft minutes will be emailed to attendees within 24 hours for their review. Concerning distribution of these minutes beyond CMC: Patty will post the minutes on our chapter's Facebook page. Michelle will post them on our blog. Michelle will also rewrite the minutes in a narrative form, and submit the narrative to ODS for publication in Flying Changes.)

5) Other Bears-related matters.

Show signup opens January 20. 

Parking passes for paid campers: Vickie Smith will make out parking passes.

Goodie bags: Mary Ann read a portion of the minutes from last meeting. According to those minutes, we liked the idea of goodie bags for each participant.

Motion: we will not provide goodie bags. We will buy a large bag of carrots so that we can have carrots available in the office.

Motion passed.

Meeting dates

Beginning in March, we will move the meeting to the 3^rd Wednesday of the month. The February meeting will be on February 10.

New business

Is anybody going to the ODS retreat? Tentatively: Mary Ann, Karina Molatore, Vickie Smith. 

Motion: The chapter will pay their costs, so that they will represent us.

Motion passed.

Vickie described the judging of the 4H dressage program in Yamhill County. Could this chapter support hiring a dressage judge who knows how to judge? 

Motion: CMC chapter will donate funds to hire an L-judge for one day for pre-fair and one day for the Fair. (This is a chance to promote dressage beyond our own activities, and promote dressage to youth.) 

Motion passed.

Chapter activities: this item was on the agenda, but we ran out of time. We will discuss chapter activities at the next meeting. Come with ideas.

Present

Patty Armstrong, Jane Baer, Kate Beevers, Sylvia Kantas, Sharon Knowlton, Cary & Janet Kraft, Eric McKown, Michelle McMillen, Karina & Paul Molatore, Suzi Ronning, Vickie Smith, Robin Stern, Mary Ann Trout, Janis & Will Worrall.

Revived with "minutes" to spare!

Yes, the CMC blog is being put to use again. Here are the official minutes from our last chapter meeting, held at Clover Valley Equestrian Center on November 11, 2015.

CMC Minutes, 11/11/2015

Introduction of new officers

President: Mary Ann Trout

Vice president: Patty Armstrong

Secretary: Janis Worrall

Media queen: Kristy DeVries

Treasurer: Jorine Rietman (absent)

Members at large: Vickie Smith, Eric McKown (absent)

Bears show

Bears show dates: February 27-28 at the Yamhill County Fairground.

Mary Ann submitted the materials to ODS before November 1, as required.

The show is not listed on the ODS website's calendar yet. Kristy DeVries volunteered to submit the Bears show for inclusion on the calendar. She will also take on web duties in general.

The classes will be the same as last year, except that Maiden classes will be omitted.

The hardest part is the Fairground policy on stalls and parking. The Fairground rules are confusing and might cost a surprising amount of money.

Suzi Ronning and Jessica Rattner will each judge for one day.

Videography: ask Francy Haupt first.

The trailer's hitch and fenders need to be repaired. Vickie's husband will fix the trailer.

There was a discussion on how to prepare the arena rails. Pressure wash them? Wipe them off in the process of setting up? We seemed to decide that wiping them off was good enough.

Motion: We will replace dangerous or broken rails.

Motion passed.

There was a discussion on awards. (Sylvia had emailed, offering advice.)

Should we attempt to recruit sponsors? (See a couple of items below).

We will need approximately 40 blue ribbons (17 classes times two days, plus a few).

We would like to have High Point awards, spanning both days, to encourage people to show on both days.

Categories: there will be three awards: Intro, Training, and First Level and higher.

Computation for each rider:

For each day, the highest score in the category will be used.

The highest scores (as defined above) for the two days will be averaged.

Should we have goodie bags for riders? We liked the idea. The contents of the goodie bags would depend upon whether we have sponsors, and also on what our shoppers can find. Suggestions included peppermints, hoof picks, hand warmers, gloves, and horsey treats.

Should the first place winner also receive a mug? A mug filled with some goodies?

Assignments: Jane Baer will investigate sponsors and possibly having a printed program. Janet Kraft will shop for goodie bag items. Sharon will recruit volunteers.

Regarding concessions: we will use the assigned concessionaire.

We won't give concession vouchers etc to volunteers. We will have our traditional volunteer appreciation party a couple of weeks after the show.

[See below regarding submitting an announcement to the Flying Changes magazine.]

Meeting times for the coming year

Starting in January, we will meet every month, on the second Wednesday, starting at 7pm.

We will post newsletters and minutes to the CMC portion of the ODS web page.

There was a discussion about connecting with local trainers – possibly to mention them on the web page, possibly to have them present at meetings. No conclusions were reached.

Kristy and Janis will submit chapter news and announcements to Flying Changes. Submissions need to be made by the 7^th of each month for the following month. By December 7, Kristy and Janis will submit an announcement of the Bears show. The opening date for Bears entries will be January 20; the closing date will be February 17 (postmark date).

Treasurer's business

[Jorine Rietman, the treasurer, was out of state.]

President's proposal: when a treasurer's report is made, the minutes will state that the report was made; however, the details will not be included in the minutes. All agreed.

Because of the change in officers, Jorine is currently the only check signer. Mary Ann's name will be added so that she o r Jorine can sign checks.

Christmas party

The tentative date was December 6, at 4pm, at the Ronnings'. UPDATE: THE TENTATIVE DATE HAS BEEN CHANGED TO DECEMBER 13. An email to Chapter Members has been sent out with more information.

Motion: all of the following details. 

There will be door prizes and a “Powerball” drawing. (The “Powerball” drawing is drawn from tickets submitted by people attending monthly CMC meetings.)

Food. Potluck. Meat and drinks will be supplied by the Ronnings.

Cutthroat gift exchange: to participate, bring a gift not to exceed (roughly) $20.

Goals: at last year's meeting, members were invited to set goals for 2015. Those goals were retained, and will be reviewed. Members will be invited to set goals for 2016.

Motion passed.

Motion: Janet and Sharon will buy door prizes; a thank-you gift for the Ronnings; and a gift for the past president. They can spend up to $200.

Motion passed.

To be discussed in future meetings

Chapter/fundraising goals. For what purpose are we raising funds? Members are welcome to bring ideas to the January meeting.

Also: bring activity suggestions and related contact information.

Present:

Mary Ann Trout

Karina Molatore

Vickie Smith

Patty Armstrong

Paul Molatore

Jo Ann Cook

Jane Baer

Janis Worrall

Kate Beevers

Sharon Knowlton

Will Worrall

Michelle McMillen

Janet & Cary Kraft

Kristy DeVries

Gearing up for a new show

Our May meeting was held the 11th at Clover Valley Equestrian Center with Vice-President Kris Brown presiding. She is a member of the "new show" committee, which brought us the latest on the new show our chapter voted to hold this fall. Our initial idea was to keep costs as low as possible in order to keep entry fees as low as possible and call it the "Bare Bones League Show." But the Yamhill County Fairgrounds arena was not available in the time frame we desired and no other nearby venues could be secured. So the show committee came up with a totally different show concept to be held the weekend of September 21-22 at Mt Hood Equestrian Center, which is available for a fall two-day show. Saturday schooling show will offer dressage trail, musical freestyle (with no scoring requirements), Prix Caprilli, Western Dressage, a costume class, and if time permits, USDF Test of Choice USDF classes (entry priority will be given for the “fun” classes). We discussed offering a lasagna or spaghetti feed that evening, catered by the concessionaire. The idea is to promote this day as a fun, social event. Sunday will be an ODS League show, and will include the Rider tests and Western Dressage as well as USDF classes. We realize recruiting volunteers may be a challenge due to the distance from our "home base," so we discussed requiring competitors to volunteer for at least two hours each.

  

We then brainstormed at length about a fitting name for our new show. Some of the names suggested:  Harvest Hash, Cornucopia of Dressage, Dancing Bears, Dressage before Hibernation, and Shoulder-in to Autumn. Dressage Do Si Do, with its nod to the Western classes, got the most votes. The show committee is moving forward with the approval process.

Karina introduced the idea of forming a standing committee within the Oregon Dressage Society to promote para-dressage and network between para-equestrians. We moved, voted and approved setting aside a percentage of the profits from our fall show to start a fund for the future needs of a para-dressage program in Oregon. The ODS office has since advised that as long as we are setting aside funds for education or raising awareness of dressage-related issues, we should be fine within the non-profit framework of our organization. This is not a committee that is directly related to our chapter, but is of interest to us all.

Many thanks to Connie for providing pizza and pop to fuel our discussions!

Our next chapter meeting is scheduled for June 10 at Clover Valley Equestrian Center.

Autumn update

One of Suzi's cats decided to be a door prize

Our annual chapter picnic was held at Suzi Ronning's Thornhill Farm on September 30. Along with perfect weather, good food, fun and useful door prizes (thanks, Sharon!), and visiting with friends we elected officers. Even though everyone pleaded with Sharon to continue her reign as president-extraordinaire, she could not be swayed from her decision to step down. When Eric McKown agreed to serve as president for the coming year, he was enthusiastically voted in.  Eric will take over his new responsibilities starting tomorrow, November 1.

Our other officers agreed to continue serving for another year: Kris Brown as vice-president, Suzi Ronning as secretary, Jane Baer as treasurer, and Sylvia Kantas as our long-suffering show secretary. Patty Armstrong also agreed to stay on as our volunteer coordinator. Don't forget to thank these members for all they do.  They are giving up their personal time to work for all of us, and keep things running, so we need to let them know we appreciate what they're doing, and support them as much as possible.

Jennifer Stoffer was our speaker for the October 8 meeting at Clover Valley Equestrian Center.  Jennifer talked about traditional Chinese medicine and its equine medical applications. She covered the five types of horses defined by the five basic elements in Chinese theory (fire, earth, metal, water, wood), food therapy, herbal therapy, and acupuncture.

Pamela Smith will be our speaker at the November 12 meeting, 7 p.m. at Clover Valley Equestrian Center. Pamela will be talking about thrush and other foot ailments we deal with during our wet northwest winters.

The tentative date for our annual Christmas Party is December 2. More information will be coming soon, but save the date. And don't forget to send in your high scores for the year if you haven't already done so! Email them to Michelle at mmcmillen@macnet.com.

On a sad note, chapter member Debbie Cummings had to give her mare Sadie (Black Satin Aboo) the ultimate gift in October, and had her put down to end her suffering. Sadie was Debbie's first dressage horse and produced three stunning foals by Ideal. Sadie also introduced Debbie to Rick and Michelle McMillen, and I (Michelle) will be forever grateful to her for that.

Meeting report

We had a well-attended meeting at Suzi Ronning's home on February 13. Although billed as a "movie night," we ended up taking care of a lot of business before watching a Jane Savoie video on "Rhythm and Relaxation." Fortunately, we had plenty of fabulous munchies brought by members to sustain us while taking care of said business!

The first order of business was welcoming new member Vicki Smith, who came with Maryann. Vicki rides her son’s Quarter horse and will be showing at our Bears show. Eric McKown returned to the fold, announcing that he just sold his young horse, Harvey. Also in attendance were Sharon, Carolyn, Janis, Andrea, Michelle, Patti, Sylvia, Jane, Kris, Joann and, of course, Suzi. Michelle announced that she again has a horse to ride, a Danish WB/Arabian gelding she is leasing. Sharon shared that she is starting to look for another Haflinger, and had photos of a beautiful mare in Wisconsin she is considering.

Sylvia announced that our Bears show is close to full. There may be an issue with haul-ins who have not purchased stalls. We will make sure that riders understand that no horses are allowed in the barn aisles unless they have a stall.

Suzi moved that we continue to use the ODS Bylaws as our chapter guidelines. The motion was seconded by Sylvia and approved unanimously.

We discussed the fact that ODS does not charge a non-member fee at ODS-approved shows. We feel that this should be considered by our parent organization as a way to increase income and more importantly, encourage riders to join ODS.

Jane discussed details of a basic business bank account with Key Bank which would only allow 50 transactions per month. We may run over that around Bears; however, the savings feature is still favorable. The chapter voted and approved it. Jane is also working on a budget for the chapter. We would like to generate some additional income beyond the Bears show, and talked about a ride-a-test event or a Pilates clinic. We decided on a ride-a-test at Clover Valley on July 29, at a fee of $30.00 for 30 minutes. Suzi will judge a half-day, and we will find a 2nd judge/instructor.

Our next event is the Bears show March 3 and 4, followed by a regular meeting on Monday, March 12. This is scheduled to be another “food event,” a potluck at Clover Valley to celebrate Bears and make plans for the summer.

Parting shot; Suzi's cat – shown here with JoAnn - was very much in attendance, too!

Picnic report; upcoming events

Photos by Michelle McMillen

We had a great turnout for the annual picnic and trail ride at Jo Ann’s on October 2. It was great to spend the afternoon with everyone who showed up, and it made me realize once again what a great group we have.

Reports from the riders were that the trail ride was wonderful with some beautiful trails and views. Special thanks to Jo Ann for hosting the event and opening up her property for the great trail ride. Also, a huge thank you to Kris and her dad for bringing and setting up the barbeque and all the tables. I know it was a huge task to shuttle all those things to the picnic, so thank you very much for taking the time to do this for us. Kris was a most excellent cook for the day and with all the goodies that everyone brought to share, we had a yummy meal…as usual. Thanks to everyone for a wonderful afternoon!

As part of our picnic we also nominated and elected our officers for 2012. The results are listed above under the 2011-2012 Officers tab.

It was decided that we would appoint people as needed to coordinate activities as they come up, so as not to put the burden on any one person. You may be called to help out with an activity, so start thinking of ideas!

We reviewed the calendar for the rest of this year, and tentatively started drafting our calendar and events for 2012.

Nov 5 and 6 - ODS 40th Anniversary Celebration weekend. Check out the ODS web site for information.

Nov 14 - Monthly meeting at Clover Valley Equestrian Center with guest speaker Audrey Staton discussing Acupuncture. (Please note: Because of the ODS Anniversary Celebration weekend, our monthly meeting has been moved to the second Monday of the month.)

Dec 4 - Annual Christmas Party hosted at Suzi and Jim Ronning's home, starting at 4 p.m. More information will be coming.

Jan 9 - Tack swap/sale for chapter members. The location and more information to follow, as the plans are being worked on for this event.

Feb 6 - Meeting at Suzi’s to discuss the Bears Show and a DVD night. I’m sure popcorn and treats will be included.

Mar 3 and 4 - Bears Above Ground Show at the Yamhill Co. Fairgrounds. Please plan to share at least two hours of your time that weekend to volunteer and support your chapter.

Mar 12 - Monthly meeting, location and topic TBD.

Other activities we’re trying to plan for 2012 include a Ride-a-Test weekend, a Beth Glotsen Pilates and riding clinic, a musical freestyle clinic, more video nights, and a chapter camping trip. The group has lots of great ideas, so watch your inbox for more information. I’m looking forward to another fun year!

- Sharon

February meeting

We had a FULL house for our February 7 chapter meeting at Clover Valley Equestrian Center outside Newberg. The 25 in attendance included several visitors; we hope they decide to join us as members!

Sharon and Patty recapped the ODS retreat for us. One of the things discussed at the retreat was the Linda Acheson Education Fund. Since Linda was an active member of CMC until she died and we put on the first Benefit Shows, we decided to look into putting on a Ride-a-Test benefit for that fund this summer. Michelle is looking into a judge(s) for that, along with dates that will work. We plan to hold it at Clover Valley Equestrian Center, thanks to our generous hostess!

With the Bears Show coming up on March 5th and 6th, that was a primary item of business. The show still has rides available; the closing date is February 22. We are still in need of volunteers; if you haven't signed up to volunteer yet, please email Janis Worrall at will.janis.worrall@gmail.com.

Lastly we discussed upcoming meetings and events (in addition to the Ride-a-Test benefit). Our March meeting will be a celebratory pizza party at Abby's on March 14 at 7:00 p.m. Our April 4 meeting (back on the first Monday night of the month) will feature special guest Cydria Schaefer to discuss the training she does with body awareness and riding. Towards the end of April we are planning a thermography clinic with Miriah Stuart. On June 25 JoAnn Cooke will host a trail course play day at her arena/farm, and on September 25 we'll head back to JoAnn's for our chapter picnic (with trail ride and elections).

In member news, our treasurer Andrea Onstine is sporting a sparkly engagement ring!
The wedding date is September 17; congratulations, Andrea!

HHR results, meeting report, party promo

The Honkin' Huge Ribbon Show was a success again this year, thanks to decent weather, willing volunteers, and a full slate of competitors. It also added money to the chapter coffers, which is always a good thing!

Our November 1 meeting was a "show celebration" pizza party held at Clover Valley Equestrian Center. We had a great turn-out, and started work on our next show, which is Bears Above the Ground, March 5 & 6, 2011. Carolyn Ritacco has agreed to manage the show; our judges will be Paige Ruhl (Saturday) and Suzi Ronning (Sunday). Since we are returning to a two-day event and this show will be our chapter's only show in 2011, we need you to mark your calendars now so you'll be available to volunteer! It's not too early to let Janis Worrall (will.janis.worrall@gmail.com), our volunteer coordinator, know what job, which day, and what time works best for you. The funds we raise at this show allow us to provide clinics, events, and other educational opportunities for our members, so let’s all pitch in as best we can. Eric has volunteered to haul the show ring to the fairgrounds and to oversee its set-up on Friday, March 4. We’ll need at least four people on Friday night to set up the arena; let Janis know if you can be there to help with that.

We discussed the food vendor situation at the fairgrounds, since people were not happy with the vendor at the HHR show. Carolyn is going to make some inquiries into what other options we might have, in order to have a better menu and a more reliable vendor. We also discussed videotaping for the Bears show. We decided that we could pay the videographer $10 per ride, which would be covered by the office fee we charge, but we don’t want to pay more than what we collect from the office fee. We will seek bids from a few different videographers to get the best deal for the chapter. Carolyn will talk to a few videographers and report back to us in January on her findings and we can decide then how to proceed.

Clover Valley Equestrian Center is sponsoring a tack sale on December 4 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tables are $5. The sale will be set up in the indoor arena, so you don’t have to worry about rain. The sale is being advertised with flyers and on Craig’s List, so if you have things you’d like to sell, contact Ashley Bertell at aabertell@comcast.net or 503-936-6116 to reserve your spot.

Our annual CMC Christmas party is scheduled for December 5 at Thornhill Farm, starting at 4:00 p.m. The chapter will provide the main dish and beverages; bring a side dish or dessert to share along with a $20 gift if you’d like to participate in the always fun and exciting gift exchange. We'll also hand out awards* and draw the PowerBall winners for the year.

*Special award nominations needed! As yet your awards committee (Janet, Heather and Michelle) have not received any nominations for special awards, such as “Most Improved Rider," "Most Improved Horse," or any other award you can come up with. Be creative! This is your chance to honor your fellow chapter members for something they’ve done that you’d like to recognize.

If you took advantage of the chapter-sponsored opportunity to clinic with Julie Ronning and would like to ride with her again, please note that Julie will be in town during the Christmas holiday and will be available for private lessons December 28-January 2. Contact Suzi Ronning (503-537-6530) if you are interested in reserving a time.

Our first chapter meeting of the new year will be on January 3 at Clover Valley Equestrian Center. We plan to schedule a speaker for that meeting, so stay tuned for more information.

One final, sad note. This week Jane Bauer had to say good-bye to her long-time partner Hoby due to a severe colic. Most of us have experienced the pain of good-bye; we're hurting with you, Jane!

Thought for today

Taken from Jane Savoie's e-zine: "Action always generates inspiration. Don't wait any longer. Just do SOMETHING. You may have to force yourself. You may have to push through your inner resistance. But DO SOMETHING." ~Kris Garrett

You'll notice that I've added tabs at the top, where you will find a list of officers and their email addies, minutes from our last chapter meeting, and a "For Sale" page where I've listed Suzi's horse. If anyone else has for sale items, email them to me and I'll add them to that page.

- Michelle

Welcome to the CMC blog!

At our last meeting on October 4, the chapter discussed communication options for the chapter. In lieu of a website, which has associated costs, we voted to try a blog. I volunteered to set one up, and here it is.

As the "administrator," I have control of the template, etc.; that is why you're being subjected to a photo of Russell and me in the header - it's what I have available (photo by Eric McKown)! Feel free to give me feedback in the comments regarding design, content, questions on use, etc.

All the chapter officers are "authors" on this blog and as such can post entries. Readership is open to anyone and everyone, and all readers are free to comment (you may have to sign up for a Google I.D. or comment anonymously; if you do the latter, be sure to add your name at the end of your comment). Use the "labels" list at bottom to find posts that include (or will include) various topics, like "chapter activities," "chapter meeting," "clinic," "for sale," and "member news." You can become a "follower" of this blog to receive notification from Blogger when there is a new post.

- Michelle