The Director's Chair,
By Glen E. Keller, Jr.
(from the Fall/Winter 1998/99 issue of Boots and Saddles)
Annual show is over!!! One more event of 1998 is over. On a recent Saturday, I was working in a room with a group of young men. One of them remarked that a friend of his had forecast the end of the world on a particular day in the year 2000. One of the others remarked that "Maybe we can do a show for it." I suppose that we have really come to expect to be called upon when there is an event of note about to happen. I sometimes forget to realize that there is a real impact upon us all by a busy show schedule until, in a moment of quiet reflection, I look back on the year. Then, I know just what we have accomplished together. All of this has happened because of the dedication of so many people, adults and riders, who have committed themselves to excellence. Ride with Pride is really more than a slogan, it is a way of life. On the refrigerator of one of our volunteers, a slogan appears: "Believe in yourself!" Westernaires had incorporated that conviction into our very fibre.

The annual show was special this year. This marked the first year that the challenge to sell 500 tickets and win a horse was accepted. I have made that offer every year for 16 years and this is the first year that the challenge was truly accepted and then, not by one but by three riders. Because the feat is significant, the Westernaires Executive Board has authorized me to award a horse to each of the three. We hope to do so very soon, but we are proceeding with care to be sure that any horse presented will pass the appropriate vet check. Perhaps we can get it done at the Christmas Party. Hope you all come to share the joy of the season with all of the Westernaires. More on the party appears elsewhere in this Boots and Saddles.

You may have noticed the steel structure coming out of the ground for the new Blue Arena. Isn't it wonderful to see progress? Hopefully, the long months of winter after the first of the year will find us ensconced indoors in that arena as well. Much remains to be done and many of you have completed the volunteer sheet we passed out on ticket turn in night. I have learned, however, that not all of the Special Director's Chair handouts got home, so we have repeated the volunteer form in this Boots and Saddles. Please find it possible to complete the form, turn it in to your monitor who will get it to the office, and then respond when the call comes and give a little time and effort to the enormous project we have undertaken. Let me tell you what is on the schedule now.

1. The new Blue Arena … backfilling, building the new tack room, insulating, heating, lighting, hanging doors, erecting tie rails, and many more little things like painting and getting the arena ready to use.

2. Finish removing the upper and middle arenas, building fences for pens, corrals and pasture, building loafing sheds so the horses and ponies will have shelter when needed. Install waterers, lights and other facilities necessary to provide for the horses.

3. Erect two new outdoor arenas on the northeast open area. This will mean setting some posts and pinning panels together and strapping them to the posts.

4. Designing and planning the new 1000 seat indoor arena where the little wheels track now sits. Engineering, architecture, construction planning and so forth are the initial needs. Already, we have some who have volunteered to help and we will be calling them for a meeting soon. We still have to complete the zoning and land use permission with the county planning department and that is underway.

5. Fund raising activities such as sending letters, following up requests for information, writing grant applications, planning events and on and on.

There is plenty for us all to do and I am heartened by the number of people who have stepped up already, but we need many hands, strong backs, wide ranging talents or no talent. Thanks to all who have shown they care!

In the Special Director's Chair, I included an anonymous letter which I had received. I encouraged responses and have received a number, all taking the opposite view from the "concerned parent." I think some language from some of the letters is instructive and so reprint them here. Although all were signed (none anonymously) they are printed without attribution.

Please don't do away with "optional" gift giving. My daughter's instructors and monitor worked very hard on their own time. At times, our instructors missed out on seeing their own kids ride.

***** To the "concerned parent" I would like to say, "Just say no!" Please don't ruin it for the rest of us.

***** Children need to learn from an early age how to demonstrate appreciation for those from whom they benefit. The parents that solicit contributions for thank you gifts model this behavior and do so with good intentions.

***** I can only reiterate that the reasons I volunteer are clear to me and do not require a show of gratitude. I hope that some tradition of thanksgiving continues for the sake of the children learning to give.

***** I volunteer because my child benefits from the Westernaire program, and I want to support its existence. I volunteer for the many other children who are growing up around my own and who will influence their lives. I volunteer to express to my children, by my actions, that they are important to me and that I support their interests. I do not anticipate any reward other than the fulfillment of these things.

*****

STAY TUNED!

This will probably be the last Director's Chair this year. This is the time when I pause to reflect and give thanks for all the people that make the Westernaires the most unique youth organization anywhere. There are so many, more than 650 in all, who work hard to make the program work. That doesn't count those in the kitchens on Saturday, the moms and dads who bring their rider to Saturday practice and to shows knowing that our future is more secure when families participate together and the many in the community who have supported the organization by their ads in the program and their ticket purchases for Annual Show. We are all blessed to know you and experience the warmth of your commitment and friendship. May you all have a wonderful holiday season. Mrs. Keller and I wish you the happiest of Christmases and the most joyous new year.