November 2005 Newsletter

NEWSLETTER
North Iowa Figure Skating Club
PO Box 1381
Mason City, IA 50402

Pam Schmitz, President November 2005
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REMEMBER TO CHECK THE NIFSC BULLETIN BOARD AT THE ARENA FOR UPDATES AND CHANGES THROUGHOUT THE SKATING SEASON!!

STRUT YOUR STUFF
On Sunday, December 4th at 5:00pm we will hold our annual holiday show: "Strut Your Stuff".(there will not be lessons on this night) Strut Your Stuff is a show dedicated to showcasing our badge and advanced skaters in an informal show. We encourage skaters from all levels to participate in this show. This is a fun show for the skaters. A cookie and hot cocoa reception follows the show in the mezzanine. Each participating skater's family should bring one dozen cookies to share. There will be a small admission fee of $2.00 per adult and $1.00 per child (ages 3-12).
Skaters can perform alone or in groups. Snowplow and Badge 1 skaters will perform as a group directed by their instructors. Check with your instructor for additional information. Find some fun music-the show has traditionally had a holiday theme, but your selection does not have to be limited to holiday music. You will need to cut the music to 60-90 seconds and put on a blank tape. A costume with a holiday flare or to go with your music is appropriate. You can borrow from an extensive collection of our club's costumes, or come up with something on your own. We will have some of the club's costumes available on Sunday, November 20, 2005 from 5pm-6:30pm in the mezzanine. If anyone has costumes they would like to try and sell, please bring them on the 20th.
Sign up and more detailed information is posted on the bulletin board in the concession area. The more skaters that participate, the better the show. Any questions, call Kristine Enabnit 357-7888.
We need help with decorating, selling flowers, taking admissions, setting up the cookie reception, etc. There is a sign-up sheet on the bulletin board, please be generous with your time.
The raffle drawing for the NIFSC fleece blanket will be during the show, be sure to purchase your ticket for a chance to win! $1.00 each or 8/$5.00.

CLUB MEMBER SKATES
Just a reminder that any NIFSC member may skate on Sunday evenings from 6:15pm-7:00pm and Thursdays from 5:35pm-6:30pm as part of your membership fees. This is a great time to practice your skills or just have fun skating with your friends.

BALANCES DUE
Just a reminder that remaining ice fee balances are coming due no later than January 1, 2006. Payments should be mailed to Jayne Jessen, 2 Field Road, Mason City, IA 50401.

WE NEED YOU HELP
The NIFSC needs your help to offset the operating expenses of the club. Without your support, registration fees would not be affordable. The only source of revenue for the club are memberships, donations and sponsorships. Registration fees alone only cover about 50% of our annual operating expenses. No taxpayer dollars are used to support the programs or facilities utilized by the NIFSC. Your tax-deductible donation will help the NIFSC continue to provide a quality figure skating program while offsetting the rising cost of providing these programs to interested North Iowa youth. The North Iowa Ice Sports Association (Mason City Youth Hockey) also solicits donation for arena expenses, however these monies donated to the NIISA do not directly benefit the NIFSC with our general operating expenses. Please consider a donation directly to the NIFSC. Please see the enclosed Contribution Form. Feel free to make additional copies of form to pass along to employers, family or friends. We thank you for your continued support.

COMPETITIONS
We are entering the time of the season when other clubs offer competitions. Cost associated with competing are difficult to answer as each competition varies, but here are some general cost.
BASIC SKILLS LEVEL:
First event entered- $30-40
Subsequent events-$15-25 with total cost $45-65 for application only
FREESTYLE 1 LEVEL AND ABOVE:
First event entered-$50-65
Subsequent events-$25-35 with total cost $75.00 -$100 for applications only
A charge for cutting music will be assessed by the professional through private lesson fees ($45+/hr). You will be required to pay for any additional lessons with the professional if needed before competition. Costume prices range from $25-$100+. Expenses for the professional will be split between all the skaters for that competition (which includes transportation and lodging). There will be additional charges for working with the skater during competition and practice ice instruction. These fees can range from $50-$85. If interested in competing, please get in touch with Toni Swiggum. She is at our arena Thursdays after school, Friday early morning, and Friday after school.

TESTING
The instructors are continually assessing the skills of each skater as they progress through each element of each Badge level. We are not scheduling "test dates". Instead, as the instructors find the skaters have mastered the elements necessary to advance and have signed off in the Badge Books the skater will be advanced to the next level. Badges for those who have advanced to the next levels will be given out following Strut Your Stuff, please be sure to have instructors sign your books in order to receive badges. Similar presentations will be announced throughout the remainder of the season.

IMPORTANT DATES
November 20th-Costume Exchange- 5:00pm-6:30pm-Mezzanine
November 24th-Thanksgiving-No lessons
November 25th-no regular lessons, but there will be club skate during our normal ice time,
parents must stay to monitor your skater while skating during this time.
December 4th-Strut Your Stuff-5:00pm
December 25th- No Classes until January 1st. (Classes resume on January 2nd)
(Watch the bulletin board for practice ice or additional private lesson times)
March 11 & 12th Spring Show-7:00pm on Saturday & 2:00pm on Sunday.

CANCELLATIONS
It will soon be that time of year again when the weather can make our normal schedules difficult! A good rule of thumb is if Mason City schools are cancelled, more than likely our lessons will be too. We will make every effort to have the announcement made on KLSS, KGLO & KIA radio stations. Please keep in mind we do not want anyone to risk it if you feel the weather is too bad outside to chance it. Your safety is most important. Please contact a board member if you are unsure if lessons are on or not. We will work to communicate our decision with the arena staff should the lessons be cancelled.

QUESTIONS, CONCERNS, IDEAS?
If at any time you have a question, a concern, or an idea, please do not hesitate to contact a Board member. We would prefer to tackle any problems or concerns when they happen rather than wait until it is too late to fix the problem. If you have any ideas that might benefit the club, please feel free to share with a Board member. We are volunteering our time to the club and would like to hear other people's opinions and ideas.

SKATERS OF THE WEEK
If you have not picked up and filled out the forms from the bulletin board, please do so as soon as possible. We want to feature each and every skater in our club. Please return form along with your picture to a Board member or put it back in the envelope on the bulletin board. Please be sure to put your name on the back of your photo so it can be returned to you.

SOUVENIR SPRING SHOW SWEATSHIRTS/T-SHIRTS
Watch the bulletin board at the arena for order forms for the souvenir spring show sweatshirts and t-shirts.
They are printed with the show logo on the front and the names of all the skaters on the back. They are an excellent souvenir of the spring show. The logo is currently being designed based on our theme of "Skate-2-Clips 2006".

Please contact us with any questions at nifscinfo@yahoo.com