Alberta Central Pony Club News
May, 2001

Hello fellow Pony Club members! This is my first attempt at the news for our Region and I am very excited about being the new Central Alberta Region Communications Co-ordinator. My name is Sharon Orcutt and I am newly returned from the Pony Club 2001 A.G.M. and Communications Conference. Before I tell you a bit about the conference I will finish the information that you need to know about me.

I have two young daughters in Pony Club, Kathleen and Emily, with another waiting in the wings. The girls are Dl and D respectively. I instruct our clubs youngest members, the E's, D's. I really enjoy this organization and am feeling fortunate to have this position! have a very limited knowledge of the policy of our club and its members so please feel free to help me out and correct any errors I make. I do not have Email or a fax but I think that we can work around that but I apologize now for any inconvenience that it might cause. I can be reached by phone at (403) 845-3582. Also, I can get faxes through our local Stationary Den at (fax)845-6566. Please fax me through their number.

I would love to feature one Pony Club member per month from each Branch. I think that the kids would love to see their accomplishments and ponies in Horses All. If I could have a contact from each branch to work with that would be really helpful. I will need info. and pictures to me by the 28th of each month as I have to have our article in by the 5th. You as a Branch contact don't even have to write the article, I will do that if you want but some info. even in point form would be appreciated. Any news on upcoming events, or results from things your children have participated in are very welcome. If your club has a weekly news letter please forward it to me and I will use it too. If you include a picture or two that would be great. Please put a return address, child and horse name and any other info. that I might need to return them on their back side on a piece of tape. Thanks.

Now I will tell you a bit about the Communications Conference that was held in Calgary March 30, 31 and April 1, 2001. The Communications Conference was held in conjunction with the Pony Club National A.G.M. We at the Communications Conference were introduced to the Board members and then basically had our own work to do. The conference was very well organized and was a very positive and extremely interesting experience. It was an opportunity to meet other Pony Club Communicators and to exchange ideas and information as well as to put faces to names. I went to the conference with NO knowledge of the internet, or our Pony Club websites and returned home educated and enthused.

The Pony Club website # is www.canadianponyclub.org and it is completely user friendly. Anything that has to do with this organization can be accessed through there and if you have any suggestions they are completely willing to work with you. I cannot emphasize how much those involved with the website want it to be used and well run, they are real experts and so nice.

Anything that is available through the Pony Club "store" is on line and it as able to be down loaded and printed for free. You can still always obtain items through Canada Post but if you have access to the website use it. An example of one quick application is obtaining entry forms. If they have been posted on the site you can have them almost instantly. Check the site encourage your kids to. There are games and quizzes, level requirements info. the most current National rules and forms, riding requirements for each level, Awards and Scholarships etc. And you can have updates almost the same day should something change. It is well run and again very user friendly.

The weekend was well worth attending and I am thankful that I had the opportunity to go.

By the time that this issue of Horses All has reached you our Regional Quiz will have taken place in Alix, AB. The Haunted Lakes Pony Club is hosting this year and it sounds like it is going to be a lot of fun. The games this year are to be: Sock It to Me, Name the Games, Puzzles, Parts of the Horse, Bridle Path, and Odd One out. This sounds like a really good assortment of fun challenges and it will be great to hear how everyone does.

I am sending out a reminder to everyone that the showing and eventing season is upon us and most activities require at least A.E.F. membership. An example of this would be both the Thompson Country Horse Trails in July and the Thompson Country Equibition out here in Rocky Mt. House in August. Don't trailer to an event and then be without the required coverage. Day rates are sometimes available but much more costly than the family or years membership.

Because I know so little this is about the end of my first submission. I'll just leave you with two interesting things that I found out at the Conference: Fort Vermillion has a Pony Club as does Jasper. Think of the challenges that those two locations face to ride. What interesting clubs.

Remember, only you can do your best.

Sharon Orcutt