 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| VCMHC Newsletter |
| PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE Summer 2009 |
A Note From Barbara Hewitt Your AMHA Region 10 Director |
apparently “drowning”, with so much rain they haven’t gotten in the first cutting of hay and
some folks around here have two in the barn already!
SOUTHERN STATES REGIONAL
If you did not attend, then you missed some fabulous classes and fun times. Hate to brag but
I think the club/show committee has done it again. We do not have the final tally yet re
profit/loss but I have a good feeling. Fred Nava, our new show manager, brought in fresh
ideas and offered suggestions on ways to help keep the show financially sound. The show
committee’s hard work (with Jennie Mercier and Suzette Boisselle as co-chairs) also paid off
by ensuring a very smooth running of our 37th Southern States Morgan Horse Show.
Our numbers were down very slightly from our banner year in 2008 but the
’09 quality was akin to OKC! We were given some very good press by the SHR - Saddle
Horse Report (Thanks Diana!), TMC – The Morgan Connection (Thanks Elizabeth!) and am
sure TMH – The Morgan Horse (Thanks Stephen!) will give great coverage as well – be sure
to check out the front cover of TMH to see our club member Holly Johnson!
I feel that our promotion of the PINK RIBBON EVENING was a success - we made a
tremendous effort (special thanks to Dini Swanson who organized most of the affair!). And
those who missed The Pink Ribbon Class and any of the “non-fattening” desserts – well you
just missed out, period! I was particularly fond of the tiramisu – all 10 tickets worth!
Hopefully our efforts were worthwhile – I am sure they were! We did receive some
wonderful accolades and thanks from many cancer victims and advocate organizations.
OUR FUTURE
Since our Southern States Show I have heard from individuals around the country that other
shows are not doing so well – from shows completed as well as entries for shows to come -
obviously due to the economy! I hesitate to make any blanket statements regarding any one
reason for this downturn. However, I will say that our SSMHS has stood the test of time and
created a solid base of customer support because we go out of our way to provide
HOSPITALITY in the form of a friendly staff, a great facility, many wonderful free meals
and usually great weather! Again, what a pleasure being able to watch world quality Morgans
compete in our “backyard”!
VCMHC SUMMER MEETING
Please mark your day timers, calendars, blackberries, iPods, refrigerators, etc. … with the
date of our summer meeting and get together at Flintlock Farm – AUGUST 8th –Saturday.
There will be some surprises, some post-SSMHS Awards, lots of food, very little club biz,
and lots of time for camaraderie. Mary Daughtry please bring your Award winning club scrap
book to share with members! The Youth Club will be there as well. More info to follow.
MEMBERSHIP RENEWALS
I again appeal to any of you who are still receiving our (on line) Newsletter – please join or re-
join your club. We feel that the cost of membership is far outweighed by the benefits. We,
your Board, have resisted making our club exclusive to the degree that any friends and
previous members are excluded from our events and information. That is why we continue
to list and include our friends in our mailings and invitations! We do, however, encourage
you to support the VCMHC with a current (calendar year) membership easily submitted at
www.vcmhc.org with a secure PayPal sign up or via our membership chair Leanne Jones at
trigirl41@aol.com or her snail mail info also on line on the Contact Us Page.
CLUB FUNDRAISING & CHARITIES
Please check our club URL for information concerning club fundraising activities (VCMHC
Fundraising Page). Many of these will save you money and at the same time benefit the club
so that we can continue to provide service to our members – adult and youth!
As always, your input is appreciated. Our web master is always looking for news and photos
– go to www.vcmhc.org to contact Wendy Ehrlich.
Best regards,
Pete Jaeger
919-618-1234
pete@dixiemedia.com
some folks around here have two in the barn already!
SOUTHERN STATES REGIONAL
If you did not attend, then you missed some fabulous classes and fun times. Hate to brag but
I think the club/show committee has done it again. We do not have the final tally yet re
profit/loss but I have a good feeling. Fred Nava, our new show manager, brought in fresh
ideas and offered suggestions on ways to help keep the show financially sound. The show
committee’s hard work (with Jennie Mercier and Suzette Boisselle as co-chairs) also paid off
by ensuring a very smooth running of our 37th Southern States Morgan Horse Show.
Our numbers were down very slightly from our banner year in 2008 but the
’09 quality was akin to OKC! We were given some very good press by the SHR - Saddle
Horse Report (Thanks Diana!), TMC – The Morgan Connection (Thanks Elizabeth!) and am
sure TMH – The Morgan Horse (Thanks Stephen!) will give great coverage as well – be sure
to check out the front cover of TMH to see our club member Holly Johnson!
I feel that our promotion of the PINK RIBBON EVENING was a success - we made a
tremendous effort (special thanks to Dini Swanson who organized most of the affair!). And
those who missed The Pink Ribbon Class and any of the “non-fattening” desserts – well you
just missed out, period! I was particularly fond of the tiramisu – all 10 tickets worth!
Hopefully our efforts were worthwhile – I am sure they were! We did receive some
wonderful accolades and thanks from many cancer victims and advocate organizations.
OUR FUTURE
Since our Southern States Show I have heard from individuals around the country that other
shows are not doing so well – from shows completed as well as entries for shows to come -
obviously due to the economy! I hesitate to make any blanket statements regarding any one
reason for this downturn. However, I will say that our SSMHS has stood the test of time and
created a solid base of customer support because we go out of our way to provide
HOSPITALITY in the form of a friendly staff, a great facility, many wonderful free meals
and usually great weather! Again, what a pleasure being able to watch world quality Morgans
compete in our “backyard”!
VCMHC SUMMER MEETING
Please mark your day timers, calendars, blackberries, iPods, refrigerators, etc. … with the
date of our summer meeting and get together at Flintlock Farm – AUGUST 8th –Saturday.
There will be some surprises, some post-SSMHS Awards, lots of food, very little club biz,
and lots of time for camaraderie. Mary Daughtry please bring your Award winning club scrap
book to share with members! The Youth Club will be there as well. More info to follow.
MEMBERSHIP RENEWALS
I again appeal to any of you who are still receiving our (on line) Newsletter – please join or re-
join your club. We feel that the cost of membership is far outweighed by the benefits. We,
your Board, have resisted making our club exclusive to the degree that any friends and
previous members are excluded from our events and information. That is why we continue
to list and include our friends in our mailings and invitations! We do, however, encourage
you to support the VCMHC with a current (calendar year) membership easily submitted at
www.vcmhc.org with a secure PayPal sign up or via our membership chair Leanne Jones at
trigirl41@aol.com or her snail mail info also on line on the Contact Us Page.
CLUB FUNDRAISING & CHARITIES
Please check our club URL for information concerning club fundraising activities (VCMHC
Fundraising Page). Many of these will save you money and at the same time benefit the club
so that we can continue to provide service to our members – adult and youth!
As always, your input is appreciated. Our web master is always looking for news and photos
– go to www.vcmhc.org to contact Wendy Ehrlich.
Best regards,
Pete Jaeger
919-618-1234
pete@dixiemedia.com
you are local to the Piedmont of NC! Second, it gives me a chance to “catch up” and take
care of some of the odds and ends that tend to “pile up” around here! My sister in-law and
her husband call it a “Book Day” where they take a break from their restoration – antique
business and just enjoy a day off with a favorite book in an easy chair. I think more of us
busy horse people should do this!
I reflect that we are really in the midst of an INFORMATION FLOOD! Someone called it
the Info “Age” but there is so much at one’s fingertips via unsolicited sources as well as
resources, such as Google if you want to search for it, that I find myself sidetracked and even
forget what I was searching for at times.
My friend and your Club Secretary Betsy Buchanan and I ran an Internet development
business for a number of years when I first retired from the corporate “world” – at that time
we were, dare I say, “ahead” of the” wave” and full of ourselves with the knowledge of
HTML a step up from dos and entering the Bill Gate’s world of Windows platforms! It was a
tough sell “back then” as many folks did not see a “need” for a web site much less Internet
conductivity! Today I’ve heard people say you can steal my car but don’t mess with my
Internet service provider (ISP)!
I have to admit that iPod’s and Blackberry’s have passed me by – I do not have to be plugged
into “music” constantly – quite frankly I feel this adds to motor vehicle accidents – JMHO of
course! I would, of course, be lost without my cell phone – have even upgraded to one that is
easier to use for texting – however, not while driving!
All of this discussion leads me to the Morgan Horse – specifically the American Morgan
Horse (AMHA) and its many associations who are in one form or another promoting our
wonderful breed! I consider myself a “bottom line” type fellow which may not always be
good – however, I dislike wading through the minutia of detail to come to a conclusion – the
information age has helped vastly in this area. I got into the habit early on of “Book
marking” Internet sites that provided information I thought I might want or need at some
future time. Much of this has since been deleted or updated but nonetheless it was there…
We many times talk about the VALUE of something, more specifically the VALUE OF
BELONGING to something, to some organization. I can think of a few other than equine:
AARP, USG, Political Org’s., Frequent Flyer programs, Car Rentals, Insurance plans etc. - ad
infinitum. I always marvel at horse folks who will spend a fortune on some – IMHO –
frivolous item and then balk at the yearly fee for a convention or year end club dinner or
AMHA membership! I have gained so much useful information not just for the horse
business but for life in general – that I would never dream of giving up many of my
memberships. Admittedly much information is not useful to me (again a bottom line type)
but after scanning “stuff” I’ve still got enough memory (;> to be able to “go back” to the
source if necessary.
AMHA for example has been sending out weekly summaries of events affecting AMHA, its
members and the goings on in the Morgan world! I find this a very useful tool, more so than
waiting for the monthly magazine. Most recently I’ve been made aware that AMHA has an
“AMHA YOU Tube” site on line. It is, BTW, located at: http://www.morganhorse.
com/activities_and_recreation/videos/
There are many interesting videos – a wide range and variety of items that would be of
interest to any equestrian.
I met a fellow horseman at an AMHA convention some years ago in Atlanta - another added
value to membership! He is Doug Emerson who was a great speaker and a promoter of the
horse industry – more specifically he runs a business called the “Profitable Horseman” – I did
join his organization for the VALUE! One on going nugget is his Newsletter which offers
information on “how to lose less money raising horses’ (;> Most recently, he commented
about how much of a “visual” society we have become. His own 13 year old son was doing a
school project and when Doug suggested he read some books on the subject his son
responded by saying “No” its much easier to just go to You Tube to watch a video that was
applicable – yes it has arrived! Not that books or libraries are extinct or becoming so – I do
not believe that – but for us “bottom line” folks please do not disconnect me from my ISP!!!
You may not like PC’s or MAC’s or email or Twitter or Facebook or any of the other more
personal Internet “interfaces” but they are here to stay and will most likely morph into more
amazing things that others are dreaming about today but will be in place and in use very soon
– we live in an exponential technological age!
Do visit your local club (www.vcmhc.org) and AMHA (www.morganhorse.com) on line…
and JOIN if you have not already!
So much for my rainy day!
Pete
919-618-1234
care of some of the odds and ends that tend to “pile up” around here! My sister in-law and
her husband call it a “Book Day” where they take a break from their restoration – antique
business and just enjoy a day off with a favorite book in an easy chair. I think more of us
busy horse people should do this!
I reflect that we are really in the midst of an INFORMATION FLOOD! Someone called it
the Info “Age” but there is so much at one’s fingertips via unsolicited sources as well as
resources, such as Google if you want to search for it, that I find myself sidetracked and even
forget what I was searching for at times.
My friend and your Club Secretary Betsy Buchanan and I ran an Internet development
business for a number of years when I first retired from the corporate “world” – at that time
we were, dare I say, “ahead” of the” wave” and full of ourselves with the knowledge of
HTML a step up from dos and entering the Bill Gate’s world of Windows platforms! It was a
tough sell “back then” as many folks did not see a “need” for a web site much less Internet
conductivity! Today I’ve heard people say you can steal my car but don’t mess with my
Internet service provider (ISP)!
I have to admit that iPod’s and Blackberry’s have passed me by – I do not have to be plugged
into “music” constantly – quite frankly I feel this adds to motor vehicle accidents – JMHO of
course! I would, of course, be lost without my cell phone – have even upgraded to one that is
easier to use for texting – however, not while driving!
All of this discussion leads me to the Morgan Horse – specifically the American Morgan
Horse (AMHA) and its many associations who are in one form or another promoting our
wonderful breed! I consider myself a “bottom line” type fellow which may not always be
good – however, I dislike wading through the minutia of detail to come to a conclusion – the
information age has helped vastly in this area. I got into the habit early on of “Book
marking” Internet sites that provided information I thought I might want or need at some
future time. Much of this has since been deleted or updated but nonetheless it was there…
We many times talk about the VALUE of something, more specifically the VALUE OF
BELONGING to something, to some organization. I can think of a few other than equine:
AARP, USG, Political Org’s., Frequent Flyer programs, Car Rentals, Insurance plans etc. - ad
infinitum. I always marvel at horse folks who will spend a fortune on some – IMHO –
frivolous item and then balk at the yearly fee for a convention or year end club dinner or
AMHA membership! I have gained so much useful information not just for the horse
business but for life in general – that I would never dream of giving up many of my
memberships. Admittedly much information is not useful to me (again a bottom line type)
but after scanning “stuff” I’ve still got enough memory (;> to be able to “go back” to the
source if necessary.
AMHA for example has been sending out weekly summaries of events affecting AMHA, its
members and the goings on in the Morgan world! I find this a very useful tool, more so than
waiting for the monthly magazine. Most recently I’ve been made aware that AMHA has an
“AMHA YOU Tube” site on line. It is, BTW, located at: http://www.morganhorse.
com/activities_and_recreation/videos/
There are many interesting videos – a wide range and variety of items that would be of
interest to any equestrian.
I met a fellow horseman at an AMHA convention some years ago in Atlanta - another added
value to membership! He is Doug Emerson who was a great speaker and a promoter of the
horse industry – more specifically he runs a business called the “Profitable Horseman” – I did
join his organization for the VALUE! One on going nugget is his Newsletter which offers
information on “how to lose less money raising horses’ (;> Most recently, he commented
about how much of a “visual” society we have become. His own 13 year old son was doing a
school project and when Doug suggested he read some books on the subject his son
responded by saying “No” its much easier to just go to You Tube to watch a video that was
applicable – yes it has arrived! Not that books or libraries are extinct or becoming so – I do
not believe that – but for us “bottom line” folks please do not disconnect me from my ISP!!!
You may not like PC’s or MAC’s or email or Twitter or Facebook or any of the other more
personal Internet “interfaces” but they are here to stay and will most likely morph into more
amazing things that others are dreaming about today but will be in place and in use very soon
– we live in an exponential technological age!
Do visit your local club (www.vcmhc.org) and AMHA (www.morganhorse.com) on line…
and JOIN if you have not already!
So much for my rainy day!
Pete
919-618-1234
