DEAR BARRIE SKATING CLUB MEMBER:

Welcome to the 57th Year of the BARRIE SKATING CLUB! A special welcome to all our new members, it promises to be a great year.

The Barrie club has a highly qualified and dedicated coaching staff who have skaters competing at local, national and international competitions. We are very fortunate to have this high calibre of coaching in our club to help your children.

As a non-profit organization, the Barrie Skating Club is dependent on volunteers for its many programs, special events, test days, competitions and shows. Without volunteers, the club could not function. When you are called upon to help, please do not decline — remember, your child’s skating experience depends on your support.

Communications was viewed as one of our weak points last year and with that in mind we are committed to turn that around. We will be publishing a monthly newsletter this year and if anyone has anything they would like to see in the newsletter please let us know and if we have enough participation it should be very interesting and informative.

When you are at the arena, please note the large Bulletin Board inside the blue rink doors. The Bulletin Board and this website will continue to be a major communication vehicle and will also be updated as required as the season unfolds. Please check both regularly for ice cancellations, events, test days, competition announcements, etc.

We will once again be asking for volunteers to be ice captains as this will be yet another vital link in the chain of communication between the board and the members. Returning Canskate parents are essential in mentoring parents of new skaters.

The Barrie Skating Club website has been updated and will continue to be updated throughout the year as things progress, please continue to check the website. www.barrieskatingclub.com.

Skate Canada has a great website for information about the sport, the programs available and a wealth of other information, please check it out! www.skatecanada.ca. The Skate Canada COS (Central Ontario Section) website if full of information regarding competitions, results and general interest, please visit often. www.skatecanada-centralontario.com.

For those members starting the year in the Junior level there will be an information session on October 17 at 5:15 in the blue rink classroom. Parents are encouraged to attend as the program is quite a change from Canskate.

The board of directors wishes everyone a safe, and most of all, fun year of skating. We are here for the development of our young skaters and wish them all the best in the coming year. Please keep in mind that all our board members are also volunteers and most have full time jobs as well as their families to attend to. They will attend to your questions and concerns as quickly as possible, but please be patient.

We also have a number of fundraising events throughout the season and ask that you support them.

Your Board of Directors