About Us

CLUB MATTER

November 2009

by Cathy Grygar

The Dallas Figure Skating Club is proud of its high school members who have diligently built a solid junior board over the past few years. The junior board was established to give these skaters an opportunity to develop leadership skills and provide service to others.

The teenagers learn responsibility and the meaning of volunteerism, while enhancing positive character traits, strengthening friendships and becoming effective and active members of the Dallas FSC.

(l-r) Dallas FSC Junior Board members Alicia Warren, Becky Du, Steven Evans and Ali Smith help mentor young skaters, including 6-year-old Polina Letova (bottom of photo).

The Dallas FSC Junior Board elects a slate of officers annually and conducts monthly business meetings. Its meetings are held the day prior to the Dallas FSC Executive Board meetings so that the results of its agenda items may be shared with the executive board. The junior board's officer positions are president, vice-president, treasurer, secretary and historian. There are also several member-at-large positions.

Caring for others is a significant theme of the many varied activities that the junior board conducts. It hosts several annual club parties around holidays. With these parties, there is a charitable theme for supporting local organizations such as a canned food drive. At the summer's annual Dallas FSC Skaters and Family Picnic and Awards Ceremony, the junior board organizes games and activities for the younger skaters.

Members of the junior board also provide a service that shares their passion for skating. They mentor children in the club's Basic Skills program. The teens "adopt" younger skaters and become a big brother or big sister to them. They encourage them at competitions and take them under their wing at club events and parties.

Naturally, any organization functions best with funds in the treasury. Junior board members sell popcorn, candy bars and water at skating competitions at our local rinks. With these funds, they are able to support and provide fun for visiting skaters and home club members.

The junior board recognizes club members skating at regionals, sectionals and U.S. Championships with small gestures of good luck. Board members get together at each other's homes to bake cookies and prepare goodie bags, and they make banners and gather signatures and well-wishes to hang up at for those members who skate at the highest- level competitions.

The junior board advertises itself by wearing unique T-shirts and by placing flyers and photos on all the Dallas club rinks' bulletin boards. It has a link on the club's web site to post photos of junior board activities.

It is our hope that the achievements of our junior board will inspire other clubs to develop such an opportunity for their high-school-aged skaters and club members. For information on starting your own junior board, contact Cathy Grygar at 03coralt@tx.rr.com.

Cathy Grygar is co-sponsor of the Dallas FSC Junior Board.