Members concerned about the future of Figure Skating at Wissahickon Skating Club

This petition has been initiated as a direct result of the recent reduction in Freestyle skating time for the 2008-2009 Club Season coupled by the increase in Membership Dues and auxilliary skating membership fees.  We have recently received notice that not only would most Figure Skating club membership fees increase, but we would also now be responsible to pay our own USFS annual membership fees (which were previously included free of charge with our membership), and we would be now be assessed a participation fee for any additional members past the first who do not belong to any team whereas in the past, those members did not need to pay the $700 participation fee to just skate during Family or Freestyle time as long as they were not members of a team.  For all these increases in fees, we have also learned that our skating ice times have been seriously reduced so that in essence, we are being asked to pay more money and receive far less ice time and services.  We feel that a raise in dues is not the issue at hand, but asking for more money to receive far less ice time and services to allow for non-club members to utilize that ice time that was previously allocated to Figure Skating is not in the best interests of any Club Member.  In actuality, taking in non-club member revenue does not benefit either the Jr. or Sr. Hockey players or the Figure Skating members.  The only benefactor of replacing existing Figure Skating member ice time with new non-member revenue is the Skating Rink.

Another serious implication of this new reduction in ice time is the drastic cut to the number of students our valued coaches will be able to teach during the 1 hour only session afforded on only 3 afternoons.  Whereas coaches used to be able to see anywhere from 3 to 4 skaters an afternoon for lessons on at least 4 days a week, they will now only be able to take 2 students per day on 3 days a week.  They will now have to tell skaters they were already instructing at Wissahickon to go to other rinks for their lessons because there isn't enough time at Wissahickon to fit in all their students.  Wednesdays were the busiest days for instruction at Wissahickon, and that is the one day that the Club decided to cut out.  Now the instructors will need to go elsewhere to seek their revenues and the students (i.e. our club member figure skaters) will need to follow their coaches to other rinks offering longer blocks of time for their instruction.  Again, this cut does not benefit coaches, skaters or anyone at the Club other than the Rink itself.

This petition has been initiated as a direct result of the recent reduction in Freestyle skating time for the 2008-2009 Club Season coupled by the increase in Membership Dues and auxilliary skating membership fees.  We have recently received notice that not only would most Figure Skating club membership fees increase, but we would also now be responsible to pay our own USFS annual membership fees (which were previously included free of charge with our membership), and we would be now be assessed a participation fee for any additional members past the first who do not belong to any team whereas in the past, those members did not need to pay the $700 participation fee to just skate during Family or Freestyle time as long as they were not members of a team.  For all these increases in fees, we have also learned that our skating ice times have been seriously reduced so that in essence, we are being asked to pay more money and receive far less ice time and services.  We feel that a raise in dues is not the issue at hand, but asking for more money to receive far less ice time and services to allow for non-club members to utilize that ice time that was previously allocated to Figure Skating is not in the best interests of any Club Member.  In actuality, taking in non-club member revenue does not benefit either the Jr. or Sr. Hockey players or the Figure Skating members.  The only benefactor of replacing existing Figure Skating member ice time with new non-member revenue is the Skating Rink.

Another serious implication of this new reduction in ice time is the drastic cut to the number of students our valued coaches will be able to teach during the 1 hour only session afforded on only 3 afternoons.  Whereas coaches used to be able to see anywhere from 3 to 4 skaters an afternoon for lessons on at least 4 days a week, they will now only be able to take 2 students per day on 3 days a week.  They will now have to tell skaters they were already instructing at Wissahickon to go to other rinks for their lessons because there isn't enough time at Wissahickon to fit in all their students.  Wednesdays were the busiest days for instruction at Wissahickon, and that is the one day that the Club decided to cut out.  Now the instructors will need to go elsewhere to seek their revenues and the students (i.e. our club member figure skaters) will need to follow their coaches to other rinks offering longer blocks of time for their instruction.  Again, this cut does not benefit coaches, skaters or anyone at the Club other than the Rink itself.