Vice-Chairperson

11/6/2019

I don't think I've mentioned this yet, but I somewhat reluctantly volunteered to serve on the board of my chapter of CDS, the Tehachapi Mountain Chapter (TMC). I've been a member since 2010, but since I live an hour away, I've never volunteered before. In all honestly, the team that has served until now has done an excellent job. I am not sure how welcome my help would have been anyway.

So here we are, a decade later, and as always happens, the core of the old board decided to retire. You know how it is though. When someone's been doing a really good job, it's hard to find people to step up to fill their shoes. After some deliberation, Chemaine Hurtado, owner and trainer at Symphony Dressage Stables, stepped up and agreed to serve as the chapter Chairperson. She asked me to serve with her. Darn it.

Wielding her new power!

At the chapter's annual awards banquet, Terry Quinn, the outgoing Chairperson, handed off a literal gavel to Chemaine and introduced the new board. Up until that moment, being chapter Vice-chair was really just words on a page. Once Terry formally introduced us to the membership though, my stomach gave a little flip flop. Stuff was about to get real.

Our new website!

Last night was our first official meeting. I am nothing if not dedicated, so as Vice-chair I've already logged in a few dozen hours. I started off by attending a Golden Empire Arabian Horse Society meeting in an attempt to join forces. We're hoping to put on a joint TMC/GEAHS show in the spring. So far, the folks at GEAHS are on board. Now we just need to get the venue lined up, the date established with CDS, and about a million other details ironed out.

More from the website.

Besides being the liaison between the two chapters, I also volunteered to redesign and manage the chapter's website. It's a job I like and actually feel that I can do well.

Hey, that's me!

You're probably going to hear more about what it's like to actually work behind the scenes of a dressage organization. I love to show, and that won't change, but I felt like this was a good time to start giving back a little.

If you're part of the Tehachapi Mountain Chapter of CDS, or you just want to be, give us a holler. It'll be fun!

Laura link

11/6/2019 05:34:07 am

Good for you guys for stepping up and volunteering. It can be fun, if the people with you are good - sounds like with your coach as the Chair you are all set. I just resigned from a club this year, after 5-6 years of doing that sort of work for 3 different clubs. I got a touch burnt out on it all...hoping to actually show next year!

Bakersfield Dressage link

11/23/2019 07:00:35 am

Thanks! Yes, we have a very cooperative group of people. I actually hate to volunteer because I like to get things done NOW, but when working with a group, things don't usually happen that way. We have one other person on the board who does things like I do, so maybe we'll be a more proactive group.

Mia Johnson link

11/6/2019 06:43:32 am

I served on my GMO's board for 2 years. I also did the website. It was fun, but the experience was brutal too. We had some big clashes on direction of the org. This was when Western Dressage first started rolling, and some on the board were against including it. A lot of hours attending meetings, events, running around. Plus, I also did the newsletter every month and that was time consuming. It was exhausting, but rewarding.

I'd suggest that next Oct/Nov you submit your website for the USDF GMO website award. They give you a really pretty plaque if you win, and I think you could win it. You do a nice job on the websites you've done.

11/23/2019 07:03:01 am

This group is just a small chapter of CDS which is our GMO, so our "reach" is limited to our local area. Thank goodness. I am not ready to help run CDS. That's too big of a job. I had already planned to submit our website to CDS - they do an award at the end of the year, but I didn't know USDF did as well. Thanks for the heads up! :0)

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Not-So-Speedy Dressage