News from the Board of Governors

Membership totals 556 with 522 home club members. Honorary memberships for Michael Weiss, Derrick Delmore, and Carol Ann Peters Duncan have been renewed. The board passed a motion to give an honorary membership to Florence Sifferd.

The board discussed designating the last Monday night dance session in March, 2004 for the Club Dance Competition at Cabin John. Mt. Vernon has offered Sat., Feb. 21, 2004 (8 a.m. - 4 p.m.) for the Club Freeskating Competition. Ashburn has issued a contract for the New Year's Adult Invitational for Jan. 30 - Feb. 2, 2004. Preliminary committee appointments for 2003-04 were announced. Separate test committees, headed by the chairs, will be established for dance and MIF/FS. A Member-at-Large remains to be appointed. The board will establish coordinators with each rink to facilitate the dissemination of information. To facilitate the process of obtaining an officer's signature on competition forms, especially for out-of-town members, it is possible (for some competitions) for an officer to send a list of skaters in good standing to the competition chair. Another alternative is to send the skater a letter of permission that can be attached to competition forms during the year. Permission to test outside the club must be obtained from the WFSC test chair at least two weeks in advance of the test session.

Membership reports 905 members with 831 home club members. Combining the election materials with the membership mailing worked well except that some members sent ballots to the membership chair along with their membership forms. Return envelopes were not sent this year in order to reduce postage costs. Mt.Vernon: Ice requests have been submitted for the Sunday dance session, MIF/FS tests, and the Club Freeskating Competition (Sat., Feb. 21 or Sun., Feb. 29, 2004). Cabin John contracts for Fall/Winter have been signed and returned. Reston has confirmed dance test dates for October 25, November 22, January 17, and February 28. A MIF/FS test session is scheduled for Jan. 19, 2004 (MLK Day). The nominating committee presented the following slate of officers for 2003-04: President, Peter Tsai, Vice President, Judy Reiner, Treasurer, Konrad Huppi, Secretary, Barbara Shaw. A motion to accept the slate of candidates was passed. The board expressed appreciation to Linda Laurel for her excellent work as Vice President.

Annual Meeting attendance was down. Suggestions for improving attendance included holding the meeting in conjunction with a competition (interpretive-improv or team) or a seminar.

The Washington Figure Skating Education & Development Fund has asked the club to take over responsibility for running the Edward Picken Pro Am Dance Classic with a grant from the Fund, and the Board voted to accept responsibility.

The board also passed a motion to give $100 to each of the Adult Nationals Qualifying competitors, Allison Manley, Dennis Palaganas and Beth Delano.

Yvonne Delmore would like to create a trophy in honor of her husband, John, to be awarded to the highest placing male skater in singles competition at Junior Nationals. The board passed a motion to establish the John Delmore Trophy and appoint a committee to work out the details on how it is to be awarded. President Peter Tsai will recruit members for committee appointments.

Membership reports 904 members with 831 home club members. Membership has increased from 778 at this time last year.

Contracting reports Fall & Winter times for Cabin John have been submitted. Other Cabin John times approved include Sunday, October 5th, 12:30-4:30 pm for the South Atlantic Send-Off & Saturday, November 29 for MIF/FS test session.

Reston has been sent written notification that WFSC will not be scheduling the Saturday dance session this fall. Test dates have been submitted & we are awaiting confirmation.

The board passed motions to approve Kristen Fraser and Vitaly Shalin to coach on club.

The Club Competition trophies will be engraved after the Annual Meeting & WFSC will keep them rather than allowing the winners to retain them for a year. The Board decided by consensus to recognize Bunny Jones with a plaque for her years of dedicated service to the club.

Governing Council Meeting updates include:
- Phyllis Howard was made an Honorary Member of USFSA
- Chuck Foster was elected President of USFSA
- The 12/4 plan for qualifying competitions was approved & will be implemented in 2005-2006
- Derrick Delmore's motion was passed to return the top 6 senior skaters to Nationals every year
- Derrick Delmore is the Athlete Representative for the Eastern Section
- Leslie Gianelli was appointed to the Nominating Committee for the Eastern Section

The WFSC membership list is not to be used for commercial use by private rinks.

Membership reports 890 members with 818 home club members. Only 15 copies of the Membership Directory remain. Photocopies will be made for the new members added since the directory was printed.

Cabin John ice requests (9/7/03-3/29/04) have been submitted for Sunday (10:15 a.m.-12:15 pm) and Monday (6:30-9:00 p.m.) at a cost of $230 per hour. The board will need to decide by July whether to retain the 6:30-7:30 time on Monday night, and will investigate special programming such as a spin class and dance clinic. Rob McBrien may be able to teach on a visiting basis. Contracting has also submitted request for Sat., Oct. 4, 2003 (South Atlantic Send-off) and dates for FS/MIF test sessions. The MIF/FS test scheduled for June 8, 2003 has been moved to June 15 to avoid conflict with Pro Am dance Classic. The rate for 2003-2004 at Reston will be $270 per hour. Dance test dates have been requested. The board has been asked to reconsider holding Saturday dance session during the summer at rate of $225/hour. However, Wheaton may be holdi ng Saturday dance sessions, which would fill the need. Dorothy Dodson is working on getting a stove for the kitchen at Mt. Vernon, and is advocating for a second rink to meet requirements for holding qualifying competitions there.

Critique sessions held on April 7 and 14 at Cabin John were well attended. Vera Spinner, Connie Povich, Vicki Bruch and Debbie DiCamillo met with 14 skaters on April 14. Special programming for Monday nights includes a class with Igor Lukanin and Kristen Fraser on April 21 and a Spring Fling Social Dance on April 28. Due to change in dates of Pro Am Dance Classic, the pick-up session for Saturday Dance at Reston will be switched to June 7 from June 14. Members are encouraged to share "Special Tales" from their Worlds 2003 experience for publication in the Blade. The board passed a motion to approve the executive board decision to place a half-page ad in the Cherry Blossom program.

Applications for the Edward Picken Pro Am Dance Classic submitted by WFSC members do not need to be signed by an officer, but will be validated by the committee.

USFSA Governing Council (May 6-10, 2003) will reconsider regional/sectional realignment. Phyllis Howard has withdrawn from the Presidential election. In New Business, a Nominating Committee has been appointed; ballots will be mailed to members by May 19. Debra Vandemark will collect nominations for the Wheeler Award. Konrad Huppi is establishing contacts at each rink to post information on the bulletin boards.

The board passed a motion to increase the entry fees for the WFSC Dance Competition from $40 to $46 for regular events, and from $10 to $12 for the Wheel of Fortune event. The board agreed by consensus to keep the Earl Porter event but make new plans for the award due to the expense of an individual trophy every year. An existing trophy will be used this year while future arrangements are finalized. There is no change in fees for the freeskating competition which is scheduled for May 31, 2003.

Membership committee reports 874 members with 805 home club members. Contracting reports that the MD Personal Property tax forms required to maintain business standing in Maryland have been completed.

Reston offered a summer rate of $225 per hour for Saturday dance in July and August. However, a motion to schedule Saturday Dance at Reston did not pass, nor did a motion to continue Monday Dance at Cabin John and Saturday Dance at Reston in the fall. A motion to continue Monday Class and Dance beginning in September at Cabin John was passed. The Monday Class will be contingent on the return of Rob McBrien or a suitable replacement. The board passed motions to request 2 hours of ice on Sunday mornings at Cabin John and to continue Sunday Dance at Mt. Vernon beginning in September.

Pro Liaison reports that the CRC has a new Web site: www.crcskating.org. CRC will hold a meeting for Governing Council delegates in early April with Debbie Weidman as the speaker. Barb Kapinus was designated as the assistant to the Pro Liaison to help with dance coaches and temporarily take over duties for Vera Spinner when needed.

A motion to hold board meetings at McLean Government Center for 6 months and at Davis Library for the other 6 months did not pass. The board will continue to use the Davis Library for now and will revisit this issue at another time.

A Nominating Committee will be appointed by the President in April for the upcoming election. A committee for the Wheeler Award will also be formed by April.

The club has 869 members (800 home club). Test certificates were mailed out with the Directories.
Rinks were closed on Feb. 16 and 17, 2003, canceling the club sessions at Cabin John and Mt. Vernon and the MIF/FS test session at Reston. Mt. Vernon has approved the Sunday Dance session (3:45-5:15 p.m.) for April 6-June 8 with exclusions for April 20 (Easter) and April 27 (Cherry Blossom competition). Also approved are the following special events: April 6 (10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.), Adult Nationals Send-off; May 31 (11:45 a.m.-8:45 p.m.), WFSC Club Freeskating Competition; June 1 (5:30-7:00 p.m.), WFSC Annual Meeting; and August 17 (8 a.m.- 4 p.m.), FS/MIF test session. Cabin John has approved weekly sessions (Olympic rink) for Sunday MIF & Family Session (10:15 a.m.-12:15 p.m.), April 13-May 18 (April 20 excluded); Monday critiques (6:30-7:30 p.m.), April 7-28; and Monday Dance (7:30-9 p.m.), April 7-August 25 (May 26; Memorial Day excluded). Dates for FS/MIF test sessions (NHL Rink, 8 a.m.-4 p.m.) on May 4, June 8, and July 13 were also approved. The board discussed the possibility of holding the Club Dance Competition on April 28 (6:30-9 p.m.).

Reston has approved ice for the Saturday dance session (NHL rink, 8:30-9:50 a.m. with zam at 8:20). WFSC requested April 5-June 14, but the rink contract runs through June 28. The club has the option to give back the extra two weeks but with a dance test scheduled for June 28 at Reston, the session would provide a good practice opportunity. Test session ice requests (Olympic Rink) were approved for April 5 (Dance, 1-4:45 p.m.), May 24 (Dance, 1-5 p.m.), June 20 (FS. MIF, 8 a.m.-noon), June 28 (Dance, 1-5 p.m.), and August 30 (Dance, 1-5 p.m.).

The New Year's Adult Competition attracted interest from Canadian skaters, so next year WFSC should obtain a competition sanction from the Canadian Figure Skating Federation as well as USFSA. Rhea Schwartz sent a note of appreciation for the Club's work on behalf of adults. Eva Przygodzki won the Edward G. Picken Memorial Trophy with the top performance by a WFSC skater in Bronze Freestyle, the level selected by random draw.

The board passed a motion to ratify the executive decision to purchase a copier for use at competitions.
The delegates selected to represent WFSC at the 2003 USFSA Governing Council are Pat Brockner, Terri Chadwick (from the Chesapeake area), Leslie Gianelli, Konrad Huppi, Beverly Kimes, Patsy Picken, Judy Reiner, Marcia Sowles, and Vera Spinner.

The board passed a motion to ask Jim Wilson to fill Ed Picken's spot on the Board (through 2004) and appoint him to the Board if he accepts. President Huppi has appointed Marcia Sowles to finish out Ed Picken's term as Member-at-Large.

The Washington Figure Skating Education & Development Fund has asked WFSC to run the Edward G. Picken Pro Am Dance Classic, with the Fund providing support through a grant of $2500.

The board approved a motion to obtain a sanction for the exhibition at Mt. Vernon's 25th Anniversary Celebration and to pay the $25 late fee.

The Cash Report shows total income (7/1/02 through 12/31/02) of $51,481.25 and total expenses of $58,028.74. Income will be coming from the New Year's Adult Invitational. Competitors support checks will be written to the skaters who represented WFSC at the U.S. National Championships. Investment accounts are down 33% from 9/26/97.

The Rink and Programming committee made the following recommendations: (1) to drop the Moves-in-the-field session for spring and summer, (2) to continue the Saturday dance session only through Pro Am weekend unless SkateQuest Reston agrees to a reduced rate in the summer, (3) to continue the Sunday dance session through the weekend before Pro Am, (4) to contract for the ice from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. on Monday nights for an additional 8 weeks, to be used for either a class or critique sessions, and (5) to continue the Monday night dance session through the summer. However, the board voted to retain the Sunday MIF session for the spring season, maintaining the current subscription rate but charging a $10 pick-up fee for critiques. Motions also were passed to continue the Monday night dance session from April 7 through Aug. 25 (20 weeks) and continue the Saturday and Sunday dance sessions up to the Pro Am as recommended. Initially the board voted to discontinue the Monday night class during the spring and summer and resume in the fall. This was superceded by a motion to continue to contract for ice on Monday night from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. through April (4 weeks) to give options to continue the class if there is sufficient interest, or otherwise use the ice time for critiques; this motion was passed.

Membership is 840 with 777 home club members. Directories are being distributed.

Requests have been submitted to Mt. Vernon for special events-April 5 or 6 (Adult Nationals Send-off), May 31 (WFSC Freeskating Competition), and June 1 (Annual Meeting), and spring and summer test dates (May 4 and August 17). Linda Laurel will submit a request to continue the Sunday dance session for the period 4/6/03 to 6/8/03. A dance test session at Cabin John has been confirmed for Sat., Feb. 22 (7:45-11:45 a.m.).

The board passed a motion to ratify the executive decision to provide flowers for Ed Picken's memorial service at a cost of $69.

The New Year's Adult Invitational competition has 174 starts scheduled and will run from 9:45 a.m. to 4:55 p.m. on Saturday and 8:45 a.m. to 1:05 p.m. on Sunday. On Saturday evening from 5 to 6 p.m. there will be a panel discussion and a wine & cheese social. A club member has established a permanent trophy in memory of Ed Picken for this competition, to be awarded to an outstanding performance by a WFSC competitor. The process and criteria for selection will be worked out.

The club has been asked to host a reception at the World Championships.

Club membership now stands at 832, with 769 home club members. The 2003 Directory is ready to print.

The December 5 dance test, which was cancelled due to snow, has been rescheduled for January 23, 2003 at SkateQuest Reston. The club is looking for ice in late February or early March to schedule additional dance tests. A request has been submitted to Mt. Vernon for 9 hours on May 31, 2003 (8 a.m. to 5 p.m.) and 4 hours on June 1 to hold the Club freestyle and improv competitions in conjunction with the Annual Meeting.

The Holiday Dance Party on December 8 was very popular, attracting 20-30 skaters. Trina Graham is teaching the adult group lesson on the Family Session. The board would like to schedule another moves-in-the-field critique session.

A motion was passed to approve Joel Dear to teach on the Saturday and Sunday dance sessions. In addition, the board passed a motion to ratify the executive decision to purchase a quarter page ad for $25 in the Northern Virginia Area Special Olympics competition program.

Membership totals 815 with 755 home club members. The club has obtained a quote of $567 from Montgomery County Public Schools to print 700 copies of the Directory. A list of collegiate skaters residing in Maryland has been compiled and sent to Bridgette Snyder and Brienne Johnson to help secure the in-county (Montgomery and Prince Georges) rate for ice rental at the Wells Rink.

The Club has filed a sanction request for the holiday show on December 15 at Cabin John. A First Night Annapolis preview exhibition originally scheduled for 12/4/02 at Quiet Waters Park was cancelled due to lack of skater interest. A spring show will be scheduled instead at Cabin John. The CD playe r at Mt. Vernon is broken but a new one should be in place in time for dance tests planned for spring. Ernie Harris stated that the sound system works better for announcers with smaller and higher-pitched voices and that using a new microphone or the one in the music room will not solve intelligibility issues for the audience, which are due to placement of speakers over the ice. Because of higher ice costs, club sessions are losing more money this year and the board will need to consider their viability. The December 8th session at Mt. Vernon has been designated as a social ice dance holiday party.

The board passed a motion to approve Joel Dear to teach on the Mt. Vernon and Reston dance sessions if he passes the Vera test. Konrad Huppi has written a letter in support of Igor Lukanin's application for an O-1 visa, stating that Igor has the potential to earn in excess of $10,000 from teaching during the year. The board also passed two motions ratifying executive board decisions to hire Justin Pekarek as a temporary replacement for Rob McBrien to teach the Monday night class at a rate of $75 per week, and to purchase 500 WFSC patches at $2 apiece.

The New Year's Adult Competition committee met to organize and assign duties. Ideas for the competitors are being investigated, as is the purchase of a copier. For WFSC home club members, the registrar will obtain a club officer's signature to certify entry after he receives the forms, so they need not be signed in advance.

The adult critique session held at Cabin John on November 19 was very successful. Judges Vera Spinner and Connie Povich met with ten skaters to give feedback on moves in the field as well as freeskating and interpretive programs. There is interest in a Monday night critique session at Reston; the difficulty is in obtaining judges. Skaters can contact Vera Spinner directly to set up a critique at Mt. Vernon. Vera will also provide dance critiques on the club's Sunday dance session for interested skaters.

The board reaffirmed a policy of purchasing USFSA gold medals for home club members passing standard track freestyle, compulsory dance and pairs tests. The motion passed with dissent from a member who felt that the adult track dance test should be included. A motion was approved to give $300 to each of the U.S. Nationals competitors representing WFSC, contingent upon their competing. Michael Weiss, winner of the men's event at Trophie Lalique, is the club's first Grand Prix gold medallist.

Membership totals 776 with 721 home club members. The Directory format will be revised to reduce the number of pages in order to save on printing costs.

Pros are still needed to teach group lessons on the Family Session, and the moves-in-the-field session will be aided by scheduling another judges critique session. With the new subscription segment approaching, the board would like to have a plan in place for the Monday night class, detailing the instructor (either guest instructors or a paid instructor) and the potential for continuing support of Rob McBrien. Subscribers and pick-up participants will be canvassed on these options. Concerning contracting, the Dance Test session at Reston has been changed from Saturday 1/4/03 to Thursday 12/5/02 (8:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.). The WFSC bulletin board at that rink has been hung in the lower hallway outside the Olympic rink. WFSC has sent a certificate of insurance to Wells Ice Rink for the new collegiate team that will lease ice there when the rink opens at the end of October. The hourly rental rate is $210 in-county (Montgomery and Prince George's) or $260 out-of-county, to be paid from team funds. Linda Laurel is preparing a collegiate skater roster for the Washington metro area to determine if it meets the required 70% in-county residence standard. The Dahlgren Hall contract for First Night Annapolis has been cancelled by USNA due to security concerns.

The new USFSA Directory incorrectly lists Laurel Ice Gardens (with Gardens Ice House address) as a WFSC rink. Corrections have been sent to USFSA and insurance to delete the rink from future listings.

The board passed two motions concerning pros: the first, to approve Vera Spinner's recommendation to add Julia Bikbova to the list of professionals; and the second, to give temporary approval to Alexei Kiliakov and Elena Novak to teach on the club dance sessions, if they pass the "Vera test"

The board approved a motion to give $100 to each individual representing our club in Junior Nationals and sectional competitions. (It is estimated that there are 10 Junior Nationals competitors and 12 to 14 sectional competitors.)

A lapse in filing Personal Property Tax returns in Maryland resulted in WFSC's forfeiture to do business in the state. This return, which must be filed by April 15 each year, had not been filed since 1995. Linda Laurel filed Maryland Personal Property Tax forms for 1999 through 2002, and had to refile a Foreign Corporation Qualification in Maryland. She obtained a Certificate of Good Standing, which was submitted to Cabin John and M-NCPPC.

The club currently has 680 members with 634 home club members. Ice requests have been submitted to Mt. Vernon for WFSC competitions and the Annual Meeting as follows: May 31, 2003 (WFSC Freeskating Competition); June 1, 2003 (WFSC Dance & Interpretive Competition followed by Annual Meeting). At Reston a MIF/FS test session has been added on 2/17/03 (President's Day). Time was not available to move the Dance Test Session, scheduled for 1/4/03, to a later date in January or February. The club has new test forms that are available online in pdf format and at the rinks. Fall/Winter subscription information is posted online. Fees were increased to reflect increased ice costs. October 20, 2002 will be used for MIF/FS tests at Mt. Vernon and has been omitted from the Sunday Dance subscription. Session monitors will have a supply of subscription forms and will collect forms and fees.

Skaters from the Tidewater, Virginia area asked the Board to buy ice at the Chesapeake Icesport rink for a club freestyle session (6-8 a.m., Mon.-Fri.), and to consider holding a test session at either the Chesapeake or Richmond rink. Board consensus was that WFSC should not sponsor sessions or hold tests at rinks where other USFSA member clubs are based.
Igor Lukanin must have an employer in order to receive an interim green card, which is required for him to teach on club sessions. The board determined that WFSC is not set up to act as an employer, and board members are trying to assist him in finding other options.

The Adult New Year's Invitational announcement is available on line. The board is working to set up critique sessions for adult skaters at the area rinks. They also considered a request for judges' feedback for regional qualifying competitors, but felt that the Send-off is too close to the competition for a critique to be useful.

Club skaters have been invited to perform at intermission on Washington Capitals Skate Night. Beth Delano cautioned that the ice quality is not good, and a sanction would be required. The possibility of using the time as practice for the Worlds 2003 ice sweepers was discussed.

Options for honoring retiring dance test chair Bunny Jones were discussed and consensus was that the Annual Meeting would be the best venue. Competition eligibility rules were clarified: the WFSC club competitions are open to all members regardless of home club; skaters wishing to compete in the CRC low-test competition must be home club members of a CRC-affiliated club.

Membership stands at 559, with 525 home club members. The Board supported the requirements set by the Worlds 2003 committee that skaters auditioning for flower sweeper positions must be home club members of a CRC club at the time of the tryout and maintain home club membership through the event in March 2003. Officers need to check membership status carefully in signing forms for summer and early fall competitions, and should e-mail the membership chairs about any skaters whose names do not appear on the current membership list.

A schedule of upcoming events for the 2002-03 season will be posted on the bulletin boards at the rinks and online. Response was negative to the proposal to reprogram the Sunday session at Mt. Vernon as an adult mix session, so all club sessions will continue in the fall as currently programmed. Because it is difficult to compete with rink freestyle sessions, the Board discussed alternate ways to support the adult skating community. Ideas include hosting seminars and special events geared toward adults, and scheduling a judges review (critique) session prior to Adult Nationals. The Board is also working on setting up a dance lesson for the group lesson segment of the Sunday Family Session.

Fall subscription information is being prepared and will be mailed to current subscribers and new members. In order to save postage and copying costs, the subscription brochures will be placed on bulletin boards, in folders at the rinks, and posted on the web site.

NanciEllyn Lazarowitz is the new Dance Test Chair, and will be supported by new committee chairs: Hospitality (Jennifer Lyons, assisted by Ann Merz), Music (Jim Wilson), and Monitors (Margo Ritter). The Board passed a motion to authorize NanciEllyn Lazarowitz to open a dance test account with $1,000 in start-up funds; the signatories for this account will be NanciEllyn Lazarowitz and the Washington Figure Skating Club treasurer (Judy Reiner). Committee Appointments were announced. College liaison Bridgette Snyder has expressed interest in forming a collegiate synchronized skating team. Board members are also working to establish better communication with the CRC.

The announcement for the New Year Adult Invitational is being prepared for distribution. The moves-in-the-field events will be aligned with the new adult track.

Plans for the Open House on September 8, 2002 include the moves-in-the-field critique (Vera Spinner) and possible exhibitions by national competitors (Sarah Solomon and Ben Cohen, Beth Delano, Chesapeake Ensemble Teams).

Condoleeza Rice will be invited to be an honorary member of the club and a celebrity judge for the flower sweeper try-outs. President Huppi will send an official letter to the club,s honorary members notifying them of the renewal of their memberships.

The club concludes 2001-2002 with 780 members (717 home club). For fiscal year 2002-03, the club has received 312 memberships (295 home club). The board discussed a request by some members to change home club designation to a club in the Midwest Region to improve odds of advancing to sectionals. USFSA allows skaters to do this, though the switch generally does not improve chances of advancing.

Ice contracts include the following: Mt. Vernon has confirmed the Sunday Dance Session (3:45 to 5:15 p.m.) for 9/8/02 through 3/30/03, plus the following special events: MIF/Freestyle test sessions on 8/18/02 (break for group lessons in middle), 10/20/02 (break for group lessons), and 1/19/03 (no break in schedule); and South Atlantics Send-off on 9/15/02 (8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.). Rink is interested in scheduling dance tests beginning spring/summer 2003; time is not available in fall/winter unless there is a cancellation by another user. Cabin John has confirmed a Freestyle/MIF test session on 11/30/02 (8 hours). The rink can accommodate dance tests beginning in spring/summer 2003. The only available time in the fall/winter would be on weekdays. Reston has confirmed the Saturday Dance session (8:40 ^10:00 a.m. with ice cut at 8:30 a.m.) for 9/7/02 through 3/29/03. Ice requests for dance tests will be submitted for 10/2602 and 1/4/03 or 1/5/03. ^ Ashburn Ice House has confirmed ice for New Year,s Adult Invitational, 1/31/03^2/2/03. WFSC has contract; submission is on hold while Ed Picken tries to negotiate a discounted rate (currently $240/hour). Ice is not availab le for a Sunday adult session. Monday night ice time at Cabin John may be useful for a dance test session if needed; must be decided in advance of session announcement flyer. The Annual Open House is scheduled for Sunday, Sept. 8, 2002 during the Family Session at Cabin John. There will be a moves critique beginning at 9:30 a.m. (off-ice) with on-ice evaluation (9:45-10:15). A monitor is needed for Monday evenings during the summer.

The Board passed a motion that new WFSC professionals should be members of the PSA.

The officers elected for 2002-03 are President~Konrad Huppi; Vice President~Linda Laurel; Treasurer~Judy Reiner; and Secretary~Barbara Shaw. Konrad Huppi announced that this will be his last term as president, and that he will work to increase committee membership.

The board will approach Ron Dei Cas about conducting a seminar on judging, perhaps in conjunction with the Open House.

Dance Test Chair Bunny Jones is resigning, effective Sept. 1, 2002. She will handle the test sessions scheduled for June, July and August and assist in training a new test chair.

The announcement for the New Year,s Adult Invitational is being prepared for distribution.

Ice for Annual Meeting (5:30-7:00 p.m.) and August 18 test session have been confirmed at Mt. Vernon. Test dates and Special Events for the 2002-2003 season have been submitted to the rinks as follows: At Mt. Vernon ~ Test sessions on Sunday, 10/20/02 and Sunday, 1/19/03; South Atlantics Send-off on 9/15/02, 9/21/02, or 9/22/02; Adult Nationals Send-off on 4/5/03 or 4/6/03. At Cabin John ~ Test Session on Saturday, 11/30/02 (8 hours). At Ashburn ~ Adult New Year Competition on Saturday & Sunday, 2/1/03-2/2/03, with 2 hours of practice ice on Friday 1/31/03.

The Potomac Ice Theatre has been awarded the contract for First Night Annapolis, December 31, 2002 at USNA Dahlgren Hall, along with a preview exhibition earlier in December at Quiet Waters Park in Annapolis.

Roy Wu announced that he will not run for another term on the Board of Governors.

A report from USFSA Governing Council included the following points:
^ WFSC is still the second largest club (behind DuPage)
. ^ Paul Wylie was the special motivational guest speaker.
^ The redistricting plan for Regionals and Sectionals did not pass and was returned to committee for further evaluation.
^ Juvenile FS program time increased to 2:15 effective with the 2003-2004 season.
^ Time for test reports to be sent to the USFSA has been changed to 21 days.
^ USFSA television contracts will plateau in 2006-2007 and there is a possibility funding may reach critical levels.
^ There is an urgent need to recruit new judges.
^ A national competition series similar to the Grand Prix and Junior Grand Prix is under study for juvenile - novice levels.
^ Ron DeiCas is researching plans to organize a sports medicine seminar for lower level skaters.
^ WFSC skaters assigned to Team Envelopes are Michael Weiss, Derrick Delmore, Sarah Solomon & Ben Cohen, and Emma Phibbs (with partner Devon Patrick).

The Pro-Am Dance Classic has an excellent turnout of competitors. Additional time will be added on Friday due to the volume of events.

Plans were finalized for the Annual Meeting on June 2, 2002. Nine nominations for the Wheeler Award have been received.
Announcements:
Members of the ISU were in Washington, DC recently to meet with the Worlds 2003 organizing committee. Chesapeake Skating School ensemble teams placed well at the international competition in April: The Diamonds were second and the Emeralds were fifth.
Sarah Solomon and Ben Cohen will compete in Junior Dance at the North American Challenge Competition in Alabama.
The Leeann Miele Award for judges was announced.

December 2001

Total year-to-date income is $40,138.72 and total expenses are $29,446.83. Net income minus expenses is $10,691.89. There is a slight improvement in club session income although the sessions continue to operate at losses as follows: Sunday Moves in the Field (11 weeks), -22%; Sunday Family Session (11 weeks), -29%; Monday Dance at Cabin John (13 weeks), -21%; Saturday Dance at Reston (10 weeks), -44%. (Figures were not available for Sunday dance at Mt. Vernon.) The board discussed options for increasing attendance at the Saturday Dance session, including the introduction of a half-hour class for beginners and a phone survey of past subscribers.
Membership totals 680, with 629 home club members. The board discussed the printing of the Club Directory, which is likely to entail a significant increase in costs when printing services are no longer available through Ed Picken,s office. A policy of supplying directories only on demand was considered, but the consensus was that all members should receive a Directory . It was suggested that the board contact the membership (by e-mail initially) to solicit a source for printing services.
Contracting: ^ The Reston Dance session on Saturday, December 29, 2001 was cancelled and the ice time returned at the rink,s request due to a hockey tournament.
^ Ice time is available at Cabin John on Monday nights from 6:30 to 9:00 p.m. on the NHL rink to hold the Plié Power class in conjunction with the dance session, beginning on January 14, 2002.
^ The club still has not received contracts from Mt. Vernon.
Applications are starting to come in for the New Year,s Adult Competition. E-mail reminders will be sent to other clubs and to WFSC members. The application for the Club Freeskating Competition was mailed with the October issue of the Blade. The application will also be placed on the Web site.
Michael Weiss will carry the Olympic torch through Alexandria, VA on December 21, 2001 at 1:35 p.m. Club members will be encouraged to gather at Alfred and King Streets to cheer him on.
The board approved a motion by Marcia Sowles to give $300 to each of the club,s U.S. Nationals competitors (Michael Weiss, Derrick Delmore, Caitlin Obremski, Joseph Jorgens, Sarah Solomon, Ben Cohen, Emma Phibbs and Meghan and Michael McCullough).
National Skating Week is March 4-10, 2002. The board discussed possible locations for events, including the rink at the Sculpture Garden and Ft. Dupont.
President Huppi issued a call for delegates to the 2002 USFSA Governing Council to be held in Minnesota in May; contact him if interested in serving as a delegate.

November 2001
Total year-to-date income is $34,375.72 and total expenses are $20,697.09. The board approved the revised budget totaling $97,800 for the 2001-2002 season. The report on session income shows that club sessions are operating at a loss as follows: Mt. Vernon Sunday Dance (figure from first 4 weeks), -42%; Sunday Moves in the Field and Family Sessions (4 weeks), -21% and ^35% respectively; Monday Dance at Cabin John (4 weeks), -30%; and Saturday Dance at Reston (9 weeks), -46%.
Membership totals 626 with 578 home club members. The rink and programming committee is working to obtain ice for the Plié Power class, with a potential start date in January 2002. There were 46 participants in the Nov. 11 seminar, representing a diverse group of adults, juniors and parents from a wide geographic area. The committee is investigating a future seminar on judging led by Ron DeiCas, perhaps in conjunction with the Annual Meeting. It was recommended that the committee also look into coordinating with a spring PSA seminar to take advantage of the presence of out-of-area speakers.
The New Year,s Adult Invitational Competition will be patterned on the Atlanta Adult Open competition. The club has received a contract with Ashburn Ice House for 14 hours, running until 2 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 26, and until 4:45 p.m. on Sunday, Jan. 27, 2002. Additional time may be available on Friday afternoon. January 4, 2002 was established as the deadline for entries and the announcement form was finalized. The Club Freestyle Competition announcement was mailed with the October Blade.
Announcements: Dorothy Dodson is seeking bids to host the 2002 Commonwealth State Games. Gabrielle Friedenberg and Brett Dunie-Neustadt will compete in Juvenile Pairs at Junior Nationals. An official press conference for Worlds 2003 is scheduled for Dec. 11, 2001 at Ft. DuPont Ice Rink.

October 2001
The Cash Report (9/1/01-9/30/01) shows total income of $11,351.00 and total expenses of $13,533.18. These figures include some income ($498.00 in pick-up fees for August sessions) and expenses ($45.98 in Annual Meeting expenses) attributed to last year,s budget while excluding income of $3500.00 from 2001-02 memberships collected in August and expenses of $994.00 in 2001-02 dues paid to USFSA.
The treasurer also presented a proposed budget for 2001-2002. However, this will be a 10-month fiscal year, so the budget needs to be revised to eliminate the July-August figures. The board passed a motion to change the club,s fiscal year to begin July 1 [effective in 2002] to coincide with USFSA,s fiscal year.
Membership totals 562 with 520 home club members. Subscriptions for the Saturday morning dance session at Reston continue to lag behind previous seasons. Due to a glitch in the contract, the dance session ends at 9:50 a.m. instead of 10:00 a.m. The club will request that future contracts include the ice make to avoid this problem.
First Night Annapolis has been cancelled due to security concerns.
Rink and Programming is still exploring options for the Plie Power class. The Moves-in-the-field critique session on Oct. 7 drew 13 participants. The critiques are a service provided to members and participating judges do not want or expect to receive gifts of appreciation. The November 11 seminar focused on "Maximizing Potential" with emphasis on a fit body (presented by Margie Weiss), attitude (by Carolyn Silby) and skates (by Mike Cunningham). Ron DeiCas is not available that weekend but is interested in providing a future seminar on judging.
A committee has been formed for the New Year Adult Invitational. Immediate needs are: contract, announcement, proposed budget and sanction.
The photo composite of individual skaters taken at the South Atlantic Send-off worked very well and is recommended for future photos of regional qualifying competition competitors.
Under New Business, the board discussed the 2002 Club Freeskating Competition. The interpretive event will be renamed the "improv" event and will be held in conjunction with the Annual Meeting. A suggestion was considered to add a group for younger skaters.
The board passed a motion to give $200 to Junior Nationals competitors and $100 to sectional competitors.

September 2001
The treasurer presented the Year End Cash Report and Final Budget Report for 2000-2001. The Cash Report for the year ending August 31, 2001 includes an overlap of 2001-02 season membership and USFSA fees. It shows total income of $108,885.25 and total expenses of $105,304.70. The Final Budget Report shows actual income of $102,735.25 and actual expenses of $104,130.70. Income from subscription fees came very close to the budgeted amount ($1,041.50 short), while income from guest (pick-up) fees fell $4,393.50 short of the budgeted amount. Income from both the Free Style and Dance Competitions exceeded budgeted projections. The club did not need to use income from the return on investments.
The club has been renewing members online with USFSA and paying dues with electronic transfers through the checking account at Suntrust Bank. New memberships are sent by mail to USFSA. At the start of the new fiscal year, membership totals 437 with 401 home club members.
There was an error in the Cabin John contract for Sept. 24 with the result that the club could not hold the Plié Power class as expected, and the dance session moved to its fall/winter time of 6:15 p.m. At Mt. Vernon, the club is awaiting the fall-winter contract and confirmation on rooms for the November seminar.
Dr. Carolyn Silby,s sports psychology seminar, held in conjunction with the Open House, was very well-received and well-attended. Dr. Silby is scheduled also for the November seminar. Other seminar leaders had not been confirmed at the time of the meeting.
Sarah Smith, a club professional teaching group lessons during the Family Session at Cabin John, asked that, in lieu of payment, the club set up a fund to assist needy skaters. Rather than establishing a new fund, the board agreed by consensus to attribute the money to the competitor,s support fund.
A critique session is scheduled for the Oct. 7 moves-in-the-field session. The club does not have a contract with Ashburn yet for the Adult Competition. Ed Picken has received a verbal commitment for 15 hours and is hoping to get 20 hours. News of the competition is out and skaters are requesting details.
Consideration of plans to establish a trophy in memory of Jim Maltby at Sectionals is on hold while USFSA debates changes to the qualifying competition structure.
The board passed a motion to extend an honorary membership to Condoleeza Rice, National Security Advisor, and invite her to participate in National Skating Week in March.

The club has 736 members with 664 home club members. This year USFSA will not preprint membership renewal forms; members will complete the information themselves before returning the forms to the membership chairs who will register members online with USFSA. A July issue of the Blade will include information on membership along with guidelines for entering the South Atlantic regional competition.

The club is in the process of contracting for fall and winter ice time. At Mt. Vernon, the request has been submitted for the Sunday Dance Session, 3:45-5:15 p.m. (30 weeks, Sept. 9, 2001 to March 24, 2002) plus the following special events: South Atlantic Competitor Send-off, Sun., Sept. 23, 12-4 p.m. WFSC Club Freeskating Competition, Sun. Feb. 24, 2002 (1st choice) or Sat., Feb. 23, 2002 (2nd choice), 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Test sessions on Sun. Jan. 13, 2002 and either Sun. Feb. 10 (1st choice) or Sun. Feb. 17 (2nd choice), 8 a.m.-4 p.m. Adult Nationals Competitor Send-off, Sun. March 17, 2002, 1:30-3:30 p.m. At SkateQuest of Reston, the club will request Saturday Dance Session, 8:40-10:00 a.m. (30 weeks, Sept. 8, 2001-March 30, 2002). The contract at Cabin John is in place, and the club is requesting ice time at Wheaton for the Plié Power class. Once the ice requests are confirmed, the Rink and Programming Committee will finalize the fall/winter subscription brochure.

Request to teach forms go out to pros at the end of July along with a letter explaining the board policy on inviting professionals to attend the board meetings. The letter will also include an explanation of test guidelines. The board voted to give permanent approval to Gary Shortland to teach on club sessions.

The current officers were re-elected to serve in 2001-2002: Konrad Huppi, President; Linda Laurel, Vice President; Judy Reiner, Treasurer; Barbara Shaw, Secretary.

The Sports Medicine Seminar Committee had considered holding the seminar in conjunction with the Open House on Sept. 9 at Cabin John, and confirmed that Carolyn Silby is available on that date. However, the date conflicts with the Chesapeake Open competition. An alternative is to have Carolyn Silby at the Open House and schedule the full seminar at another time.

The Interpretive Competition worked well in conjunction with the Annual Meeting. Judy Reiner suggested changing the name to Improv Competition to avoid confusion with interpretive events involving a pre-choreographed program.

The 2002 Pro Am Dance Competition will be held on June 8 & 9. In addition, the board is initiating plans for an Adult Competition at the end of January 2002.

The board agreed by consensus to sponsor a Frederick Synchronized Skating Team coached by Peter Murfitt.

With 725 members and 654 home club members, WFSC is the second largest club in USFSA behind DuPage FSC. Membership fees will be pro-rated ($25) as of June 1.

The club in in the process of contracting for fall/winter sessions and special events. Ice is not available at Cabin John for the Plié Power class after September. The class will move to Thursday nights at 7:20 p.m., beginning in October. The rink and programming committee is investigating the USFSA Bridge Program as a means of drawing beginning skaters into the club.

Dance professional Gary Shortland has arrived from the U.K. and will be teaching on the Sunday dance session at Mt. Vernon with temporary approval granted by the board. Pro liaison Vera Spinner introduced a proposal to invite professionals to attend board meetings on a rotating basis. She will send a letter to all club professionals asking if they would be interested in attending, and inviting suggestions to improve club operations. A similar invitation will be extended to rink managers. The moves critique sessions have been very successful and are appreciated by professionals, students, and parents.

The Nominating Committee announced the slate for the Board of Governors election, including incumbents Konrad Huppi, Ed Picken, Margo Ritter and Barbara Shaw plus new candidates John Blendell, Judy Holland, and Barbara Kapinus. The election will be held at the Annual Meeting on June 3, 2001 which will begin with the special interpretive competition (12:30 to 1:30 p.m.), open ice and games (1:30-2:00), and the meeting (2:00 to 3:00), followed by the dance session (3:45 ^5:15 p.m.). The 2001 Wheeler Award recipient is Emma Phibbs and the winner of the 2001 Bachrach Trophy is Rusty Fein.

March 4-10, 2002 has been designated National Membership week by USFSA and clubs are encouraged to tie in special events. At the 2001 Governing Council, Derrick Delmore was appointed athlete representative and Deveny Deck appointed to the nominating committee for the Eastern Section.

The board approved the appointment of Florence Sifferd to the ex officio position of parliamentarian. The club is also looking for a historian to manage the scrapbooks.

The Club has 711 members with 643 home club members. Subscriptions to the Plié Power class have increased with the shift to Monday nights preceding the Dance session at Cabin John~16 skaters have subscribed to the spring segment along with 11 who have taken advantage of the special package price to attend both the class and the dance session. The club will request time at Cabin John during the fall and winter to continue this program on Monday nights.

The Sunday morning critique sessions during the club,s Moves in the Field session at Cabin John have been very popular, and another session was scheduled for April 22. The board discussed the potential impact on test panels when judges who have provided a critique excuse themselves from judging that skater,s test. A proposal was made to hold a judging information session at each rink during summer school with assistance from the coaches in setting it up.

Florence Sifferd reported on discussions with the test chairs regarding the question of setting priority guidelines for test session applicants. The USFSA Guide for Test Chairs provides guidelines so the club does not need to duplicate them. However, the test chairs have asked for assistance in preparing food and setting up judges, hospitality for test sessions. The board will work to set up a hospitality committee .

The nominating committee, chaired by Bob Dorsey, includes Debbie VanDemark, Roy Wu and Peter Tsai. Incumbent board members, with the exception of Florence Sifferd, plan to run for reelection, and the nominating committee will select three additional candidates. Ballots will be mailed on May 17.

The board ratified an executive committee action giving $100 to each of the Adult National Qualifying competitors~Beth Delano, Jeff Lubertazzi, Alison Manley and Marlene Eden.

Information on the Wheeler Award will be put on the Web site.

The club is exploring options for a memorial to James Maltby.

Club membership stands at 697 with 634 home club members.

Spring ice times at Mt. Vernon have been approved, with the addition of dance sessions on 4/22 and 5/27 and the following special events: April 1^Adult Nationals Send-off (1:30-3:30 p.m.), June 3^WFSC Annual Meeting (12:30-3:30 p.m.), August 19^FS/MIF Test Session. Saturday morning ice at Reston (8:30-10:00 a.m.) approved for April 7^August 24, 2001 (20 weeks with 5/5 omitted due to possible hockey tournament). Moves in the Field/Freestyle Test sessions are scheduled at Cabin John for June 2 and July 8. With the start of the spring segment, the Plié Power class moves to Monday night at Cabin John, 6:45-7:45 p.m., preceding the dance session. Sunday dance at Mt. Vernon will continue up to the Pro Am. On the Pro Am weekend, the Saturday Dance at Reston will be pick-up only. The Sunday FS at Reston is discontinued.

The board approved Pamela Jones Morris, request to teach on WFSC sessions. Gary Shortland, a British dance professional, has also filed a request to teach pending approval of his INS application.

The Sports Medicine Skating Seminar committee proposed holding the seminar in conjunction with the Annual Open House on Sept. 9, 2001. The 4-hour schedule would include sessions on conditioning, nutrition, sports psychology, and judging; participants would be divided into four groups based on age.

The Club Competition interpretive events will be held on June 3 at Mt. Vernon prior to the Annual Meeting. Moves critique sessions on March 4 and 18 were appreciated and additional sessions will be scheduled in April. Consideration of test priority guidelines was tabled until board members have an opportunity to review SCNV guidelines to see how they apply to WFSC and to get feedback from test chairs.

Complaints regarding local ABC affiliate WJLA,s decision not to air the Ladies final at the World Championships in prime time are being sent to the station, ABC Sports and the sponsors.

A committee was formed to consider applicants for the Wheeler Award. Nominations are sought by May 8. Also, a nominating committee for candidates to the Board of Governors will be selected within the month.

As a rule, the club does not place ads in programs for non-qualifying competitions, but the board made an exception last year for the Cherry Blossom competition in order to support the CRC of which WFSC is a member. For this year, the board again approved a motion to take a 1/4 page ad in the Cherry Blossom program.

Total income (9/1/00 through 1/31/01) was $57,664.00 and total expenses were $54,235.16 for a total income minus expenses figure of $3,428.84. In February, income is expected from the Club Freeskating Competition and Segment 3 session subscriptions.

The club has 681 members (619 home club) as compared with 633 members in February 2000. The Membership Directory has been printed and will be distributed at the Club Freeskating and Dance Competitions. The remaining directories will be mailed to members.

All the Club,s sessions at area rinks will begin new segments in April with the exception of Reston Sunday. At Mt. Vernon, the Sunday Dance session (3:45-5:15 pm) will be held on 4/1, 4/8, 4/22, 5/6, 5/15, 5/20, 5/27, and 6/3. At Reston, the Saturday Dance session will continue through the summer, including Memorial Day weekend. The Sunday Moves-in-the-field and Family session will run from 4/1 until 5/20, excluding Easter (4/15). Beginning in April the Plié Power class with Rob McBrien will move to Monday nights preceding the dance session at Cabin John (through 9/24).

Special events at Mt. Vernon include: Sun. April 1: Adult Nationals Send-off (1:30-3:30 pm); Sun. April 8: Moves in the Field/Freestyle test session (8 am ^ 4 pm); Sun. June 3: WFSC Annual Meeting (12:30-3:30 pm). MIF/Freestyle test sessions are also scheduled at Cabin John on 6/2/01 and 7/8/01.

The Sunday Freestyle session at Reston has been well-attended as skaters made use of the half-price offer and several have continued to use the session. Adult skaters have been attending and pros are supporting the session. The one-time, half-price offer has been extended to the Sunday moves in the field session at Cabin John to encourage attendance. The board also instituted the addition of judges,critiques for the moves in the field sessions on March 4 and 18.

The club has received numerous requests from college students who are looking for rinks and coaches in the area. A proposal to add a bulletin board to the Web site where college students could post requests for coaches was tabled until the next meeting.

Delegates to the 2001 USFSA Governing Council are: Vera Spinner, Pat Brockner, Beth Delano, Judy Reiner, Marcia Sowles, Leslie Gianelli, Suzanne Courtright and Konrad Huppi.

The board voted to reimburse Ice Force One for their entry fee ($250) to the U.S. National Synchronized Skating Championship, in accordance with the policy to pay the entry fee for teams qualifying for Nationals. The board also voted to place a half-page ad in the Adult National Championships program book.

Expenses for Competitors Support included grants to Eastern Sectional and Junior National competitors, plus the South Atlantics send-off. Form 990, the club,s annual report to the IRS for the fiscal year 1999-2000, has been filed.

Current membership totals 651 with 591 home club members. This compares with last year,s membership figures of 614 and 573 respectively. The board hopes to have the Directory ready to hand out at the Club Competition on Feb. 25. The Directory will list all professionals who have submitted paperwork and have been approved by the Board to teach on club sessions.

The Rink and Programming committee is developing a subscription package for the Sunday afternoon dance session, and is considering an Invitational for May 3. Alternatively, the Invitational could be held at Reston. A Sports Medicine Seminar may be held in conjunction with the Annual Meeting on June 3.

A new warm-up jacket design has been produced, and will be displayed at the Club Competition, where the Solomons will be taking measurements and assisting with ordering. A minimum order of 12 is needed.

The board has received two complaints regarding the sessions at Cabin John. One family complained about the occasional shifting of the Family session from the Olympic to the NHL rink. The club,s contract does not specify the Olympic rink, though the session is generally held on that rink except when the session coincides with a hockey game. Because the noise of a hockey game makes it difficult for group lesson instructors to teach on the studio rink, the staff schedules the WFSC Family Session on the NHL rink in those instances.
A subscriber to the Monday Night dance session complained about the ice quality for the session on Martin Luther King,s birthday. Extra time may be needed for a second ice cut when the dance session follows a large public session on holidays. The session monitor has the authority to request a recut to protect the safety of skaters. A copy of the complaint will be filed with the rink along with a request to take extra care in making the ice prior to the dance session on holidays.

Applications for the Club Freeskating Competition may exceed ice time; the competition will start at 6:30 a.m. Star Light will provide professional still photos in lieu of videotaping.

The proposal to hold an adult competition on July 8 and 9 was discussed. These dates potentially conflict with the International Ice Theatre competition at Laurel, and July may be considered an off-season for adults. Members have expressed interest in a Star Group competition, and the board is considering options for holding it either as part of the Family Session or as a stand-alone event.

The USFSA Governing Council will be held May 11 & 12 in Las Vegas. Those who are interested in serving as delegates should contact Konrad Huppi. The deadline for submitting the list of delegates to USFSA is February 16.

The club has now has 612 members, with 560 home club members. Session subscription figures remain essentially the same as last month except for the Thursday night Plié Power class which gained several full season subscribers in response to the offer to convert segment subscriptions to full subscriptions at a special rate. The class now has 6.5 full season subscribers plus 9 subscribers to segment 1, for a total of 15.5. Recently, the Sunday family session at Cabin John was transferred by the rink staff from the Olympic to the NHL rink because instructors teaching group lessons on the studio rink had complained about the noise of the hockey games scheduled for the NHL rink. The board is investigating how often the potential for this problem exists, and is discussing the situation with the management. The club,s contract is for the Olympic rink.

WFSC now has bulletin board space in the main lobby at the Wheaton rink. The Potomac Ice Theatre has scheduled a show there on Saturday, June 2, 2001. In order to encourage patronage of the Sunday freestyle session at Reston, the board plans to offer members a one-time half-price pick-up coupon or a half-price guest pass for subscribers to bring a friend.

The board has approved the application by Igor Loukanine to teach on the Sunday dance session, as well as any other sessions that he can attend. The board is considering a request to highlight the professionals in the WFSC Directory by placing an asterisk next to their names in the alphabetical listing.

Plans are being made to institute a holiday social for the Sunday dance session, in particular. Because there was not sufficient time to plan one for December, the board proposed a February social in connection with Valentine,s Day.

In response to an inquiry about financial assistance for synchronized skating teams, the board reaffirmed its policy of paying the entry fee for a team that qualifies for the National Championships. The board also clarified its policy on support for sectional and national competitors: support is contingent upon participation in the competition.

A design has been selected for the new WFSC warm-up jacket and the board hopes to have some of the new warm-ups available at the Club Competition so members can be measured and place orders. The Worlds 2003 committee now has an office at the MCI Center. The Web site is scheduled to be operational on January 8, 2001.

The board voted to hold the Annual Meeting at the Mt. Vernon rink on June 3, 2001. The club will continue to distribute the trophies for the freestyle and dance competitions at the annual meeting.

The board also voted give $300 to each of its U.S. National Championship competitors: Michael Weiss, Derrick Delmore, Rusty Fein, Caitlin Obremski, Emma Phibbs, Joseph Jorgens, Ben Cohen and Sarah Solomon.

Membership totals 573 with 525 home club members. There are 90 are new members.

Plans for a Sports Medicine Seminar include three topic areas~nutrition, injury prevention, and sports psychology~through which three groups (under 12, teens, and adults) will rotate. Potential dates include May 20 and June 3. The board is still discussing the possibility of hosting an adult competition in July and will canvass adult skaters on their interest in competing and/or volunteering for the planning committee.

Current membership totals 550 with 509 home club members.

All club sessions are underway except the Thursday Plié Power class at Wheaton which is scheduled to start November 9. The first segment will have 8 classes with a revised fee of $96; the full season series will be 20 sessions. Full season subscribers to the class will receive a refund for the sessions cancelled due to the rink,s delayed opening. Segment 1 subscribers will get a credit toward the next segment and will have the option to convert to a full season subscription. The sessions with the largest number of subscribers are the Family Session (21.5), Saturday Dance at Reston (20.5) and Monday Dance at Cabin John (17.5). The session with the lowest number of subscribers (9) is the Sunday freestyle at Reston.

The pro liaison has received applications from several new professionals to teach on WFSC sessions: Marat Akbarov and Marina Akbarova for the Family Session and Igor Loukanine for the Sunday dance session. The board has deferred decisions on the applications until the pro liaison has had an opportunity to meet with the pros and take a trial lesson.

A large number of skaters participated in the South Atlantics Send-off this year and the exhibition ran over into the dance session. Session subscribers were issued credits for the missed time. The board discussed the advisability of taking the group photo at the conclusion of the exhibitions rather than in the middle.

The board discussed a proposal to host an adult competition in early July. The advantages of a July competition date are the availability of large blocks of ice time and the potential for tying in with vacation travel to the area around the time of the July 4 holiday. The drawbacks are that July may be an off-peak time for some adult skaters and the schedule is crowded with the Skate Wilmington competition (which features adult events) and an adult training camp planned by the Gardens FSC for August. As an alternative idea, the club is considering a bid to host the Adult Eastern Sectional in a future year.

Concerns were raised regarding the selection criteria for the proposed volunteer award. The club has many worthy volunteers, and it would be difficult to select one recipient without slighting other candidates. The board endorsed a proposal that the award be given for long-term service when appropriate, rather than instituting a yearly award. The board also recommended that the Blade feature spotlight articles to recognize the contributions of the club,s volunteers. The first article will recognize Florence Sifferd.

The committee on jacket design has produced a sketch that will be sent to the Blue Sky company to determine the design,s suitability for production. President Huppi is in the process of completing the USFSA nomination form for 2001-2002 officers and committee chairmen, due by November 15. At the recommendation of board member Marcia Sowles, the club is investigating the possibility of hosting a seminar on sports medicine to inform skaters, coaches and parents about ways to recognize and avoid training injuries. The seminar would include sports psychology as well.

The board voted to give $100 to WFSC skaters qualifying for sectional competition and $200 to those qualifying for Junior Nationals.

WFSC extends deepest sympathy to the Delmore family on the death of Derrick,s father, John.

At the request of the Dance Test Chair, the Board voted to transfer $800 into the Dance Test Account to bring the account balance to $1500. The account showed a net loss of $2,935 for the period October 1999 to August 2000, due in part to the cost of bringing in judges for high level tests. The board suggested that the test chair evaluate the number of high level tests at each session and consider paying the guest fees for high level skaters to test with other clubs when that would be more cost effective.

All memberships were due for renewal on September 1, 2000. At the time of the September meeting, membership totaled 363 with 344 home club members.

The board was advised that the opening of the new Wheaton rink will be delayed. Therefore, the board decided to start the Plié Power class after the South Atlantic Regional Competition and to issue refunds to subscribers for the cancelled weeks. The first Family Session had 25-30 skaters. Three pros~Sarah Smith, Sherry Winder Cook and Sharon Jordan~are willing to teach the group lessons. The board reaffirmed the policy of prohibiting private lessons during the group lesson time.

Marina Akbarova (Pestova) and Marat Akbarov have applied to teach on the Family Session. The board will delay a decision until Vera Spinner has had a chance to review their applications.

The Board voted to extend complimentary memberships to Michael Weiss and Derrick Delmore and complimentary social memberships to Carol Ann Peters Duncan and Carl Hoffner.

The club is considering two new awards to celebrate the achievements and contributions of members. Leslie Gianelli has proposed establishing an annual award to recognize volunteer service. Connie Povich is interested in establishing an award at the Junior National level similar to the Bachrach Trophy (which is awarded to the skater earning the most points in national qualifying competition).

The Potomac Ice Theatre has received 501(c) status and organized a yard sale fundraiser. Douglas Mankovich will be the coach and choreographer for the competitive ensemble teams. Auditions were scheduled for September 25 (senior ensemble) and October 2 (Junior ensemble). The skaters are currently rehearsing for First Night Annapolis.

Club Membership totals 731 which is comparable to the August 1999 total of 728, although the number of home club members is higher (671 versus 654 in 1999).
Subscription figures for August show a need to evaluate the profitability of summer sessions as only the Plié Power class on Monday night had a good base of subscribers (22 plus monitor), followed by Monday dance at Cabin John (13 plus monitor), Saturday dance at Reston (11 plus monitor), and Thursday dance at Mt. Vernon (8 plus monitor). For the fall and winter, the club has contracts for sessions at Cabin John (Sunday moves and family sessions and Monday night dance), Reston (Saturday dance and Sunday freestyle), Mt. Vernon (Sunday dance), and a new Plié Power class at Wheaton on Thursday evenings (7:15-8:15 p.m.). A change in management at Mt. Vernon led to difficulties in securing ice time. Although the club requested an earlier time on Thursday nights, the rink offered only an even later time which was not acceptable. Special events have been scheduled at Mt. Vernon including the South Atlantics Send-off (Sun., Oct. 1, 12:30-3:30), test sessions (Oct. 8, Jan. 14 and April 7), and the Club Freestyle Competition (Feb. 25, 2001).

The Rink and Program committee is working with the pro liaison to get commitments from coaches to use the club,s sessions. In light of changes made to sessions after publication of the subscription brochure, it was suggested that the web site include a monthly calendar to provide current information about sessions and special events.

Four professionals (Greg Bell, Donna Reed, Scott and Michelle Myers) attended a meeting with the pro liaison at Reston. They made the following suggestions: Program the Sunday morning session at Reston to include one hour of freestyle followed by a 20-minute stroking class Back-to-back sessions are more attractive for professionals Use official judges at the Club Competition to provide feedback for skaters Plan social events for adult members Ask a professional to attend board meetings when planning a special event

The board has formed a committee to work on designing a new warm-up suit and will consider their recommendations at the September meeting.

Preparations are being made for the Open House, Sunday, Sept. 10 at Cabin John (10:15 a.m.- 12:15 p.m.), which will feature refreshments plus fun and games on the ice organized by Barbara Brown, John Blendell and Roy Wu.

The Board authorized transfer of $800 into the Dance Test Chair,s account to pay ice costs for a recent test session. In addition, the board authorized purchase of a half-page ad in the South Atlantic Regional Qualifying Competition program which will highlight the club,s sponsorship of the 2003 World Championships.

The next meeting will be held September 20, 2000 at Davis Library, 6400 Democracy Blvd., Rockville, MD.

The Treasurer,s Report shows income of $99,3111.65 and expenses $98,612.17 through June 30. The income includes $5,000 withdrawn from the Merrill Lynch investment account in June, which brings the total year-to-date withdrawals from this account to $13,000. Most of the club,s programmed sessions have lost revenue with an average loss of $8,000-$9,000 per year. The Plié Power class taught by Rob McBrien is the only session making a profit (11%). No further withdrawals from reserve funds are anticipated in order to cover expenses through the end of the fiscal year.

Club membership totals 726, with 668 home club members. Membership renewal materials will be mailed the second week in August. Parents will be encouraged to join as parent members. Benefits of the parent membership include USFSA membership and a vote in the annual election.

The board voted on recommendations made by the Rink and Programming Committee for the 2000 ^ 2001 season:
- Tuesday at Mt. Vernon ^ discontinue both sessions.
- Thursday Dance at Mt. Vernon ^ fees will be raised in accordance with the increase in ice cost, and the session will continue with probationary status subject to reprogramming and review in winter.
- Saturday at Reston ^ retain dance session as scheduled.
- Sunday Dance at Mt. Vernon ^ retain session but raise fees to match those at other rinks.
- Sunday Moves at Cabin John ^ retain session, but evaluate usefulness
- Sunday Family Session at Cabin John ^ retain session as scheduled and continue to plan group lessons and social events for this time.
^ Sunday Freestyle at Reston ^ the possibility of an adults-only session was discussed but the session was retained as open to all ages
- Monday at Cabin John ^ Because extended ice time is not available during the fall and winter, the board had to choose between offering the dance session or Rob McBrien,s Plié Power class followed by a short dance session. The board voted to retain the dance session as scheduled and locate alternative ice time to offer McBrien,s class.

- The following recommendations were made for special events: September 10 - Annual Open House at Cabin John
October 1 or 8 - S. Atlantic Send-Off at Mt. Vernon
March 26 - WFSC Dance Competition at Cabin John
April 7 - WFSC Freestyle Competition (tentative; board is also exploring alternative dates in January or February)

The following dates have been scheduled for skaters to turn in memberships and have South Atlantic applications signed:
Saturday, August 19 at Mt. Vernon during test session
Saturday, August 26 at Reston following the dance session
Monday, August 28 at Cabin John during the dance session

The Pro Liaison, Vera Spinner, has scheduled a meeting with WFSC professionals in August to review club goals and get input from coaches. Vera also plans to form a committee to research warm-up apparel for WFSC skaters and make a recommendation to the board.

The board agreed to sponsor an adult synchronized skating team, "Ice Force Oneo/oo, coached by Kathy Hurd, and pay their competition application fee if the team qualifies for the U.S. Synchronized Team Skating Championships.

An updated official press announcement regarding Worlds 2003 will be distributed shortly.

South Atlantic Competition application forms are now available on the Internet and skaters are encouraged to print a copy from the web site. Copies are also available from club officers.

Financial report on Club Competitions: The freeskating competition earned $3440 in entry fees (deposited in June); the cost of ice rental was $1750 and expenses for the announcement and judges were under $200. Because entries were down, the Sunday Moves and Family sessions were converted back to pick-up sessions and lost $173. The dance competition (in March) took in $845 in entry fees; ice rental was $700 and expenses for the announcement totaled $110. For both events the costs for medals and engraving are not complete. (A three-year supply of medals was purchased in April for $2643.43.)

Spring session attendance figures show that all sessions continue to operate at a loss: The Saturday Dance at Reston (-13%) and Sunday Family Session (-17%) were the most utilized, followed by Monday Dance at Cabin John (-29%) and Thursday Dance at Mt. Vernon (-31%). The other sessions lost 40% or more: Sunday Dance at Mt. Vernon (-40%), Sunday Moves at Cabin John (-46%), Tuesday at Mt. Vernon (A: -47%, B: -45%), and Sunday freestyle at Reston (-48%).

The club has 713 members (656 home club). Following a complaint by a member who noticed a number on his ballot, future ballots will be marked with the stamp of a red skate rather than numbers. (The mark is used to ensure that the ballot was generated by the membership chair.)

Contracts are in place at the rinks as follows: Mt. Vernon RECenter through August 31 at $175/hour (Sunday and Tuesday sessions through June; Thursday session through August); Cabin John Ice Rink through September 30 at $200/hour (Sunday session not held in August, resumes Sept. 10-24; Monday dance continues through September); SkateNation of Reston through September 30 at $200/hour (Saturday continues through September; Sunday excluded in July and August, resumes Sept. 10-24). A request has been submitted to Cabin John for Sundays and Mondays, Oct. 1, 2000 through March 31, 2001, at $210/hour.

There has been one response to the session survey published in The Blade. A dance session subscriber proposed special programming such as edge classes (grouped by level~high vs. low), adult moves in the field or "power moveso/oo instruction, and special classes such as Rob McBrien,s Plié Power class scheduled on weekends. She suggested that even informal classes would help skaters get to know one another while improving their skills.

Concern about under-utilization of sessions continues. The board is considering discontinuing freestyle sessions now that rinks offer sessions throughout the week. The board will vote at the July meeting on whether to eliminate the Tuesday afternoon and Sunday morning freestyle sessions. The board defeated a motion to put the Sunday afternoon dance session on probation during the fall. Discussion indicated that there is sufficient interest in the session to enable it to grow.

There will be a meeting of club professionals at Reston on August 14 at 6:30 p.m. The pros have concerns about the Club Competition, particularly the need to separate skaters by age at the lower levels. The board is also looking into updating the club,s warm-up suit. Trina Graham,s application to teach on club sessions was approved and Andrew Newberry was welcomed as a guest coach.

Special features such as the Crossover Carnival, Exhibition by the Potomac Ice Theatre and the Pot-luck supper resulted in good attendance at the Annual Meeting. The Pro-Am Competition also attracted an enthusiastic group of skaters from across the country.

The following officers were elected for 2000-2001: President~Konrad Huppi; Vice President~Linda Laurel; Treasurer~Judy Reiner; Secretary~Barbara Shaw; and Member-at-Large~Florence Sifferd. Florence moved to adopt the slate. Roy Wu seconded and the motion passed.

The board voted to increase the moves in the field and freestyle test fees by $5 across the board (effective September 1, 2000). The increase is needed to offset rising costs for ice rental and to cover the $3-per-test fee levied by USFSA.