Dear Member,
COVID-19 Update
We again had no reported cases of COVID-19 at the Club this past week. We also continue to have no evidence of any transmissions of the virus at the Club. To repeat from emails of the last few weeks, if you are now fully vaccinated and would like to supply Cheri Rigby (cheri.rigby@scboston.org) with a copy of your vaccination card, it will exempt you from needing to show the Club a negative PCR test after having flown (in a plane).
With the recent update from the Governor regarding the easing of restrictions in the Commonwealth through this month, Club management also met with Cheri to discuss our plans regarding the Club’s own guidelines. In general, we are going to continue to err to the conservative side in our practices because that has proven to serve our community well. That being said, we are making some adjustments, as follows:
- The current health questionnaire required for admission is being edited and reduced in length. Its completion will still be a requirement for admission so that we can readily contact trace the membership should we have a COVID-related incident at the Club.
- Masks will be required inside the Club, at least through the end of the season on June 30, 2021. We are following the lead of U.S. Figure Skating in this regard.
- But beginning May 29th, skaters on the ice will no longer be required to wear a mask while skating. They must still wear a mask while off the ice though, even if their skates are still on.
- We recommend that skaters who have not been vaccinated still wear a mask at all times. But that is only our recommendation.
- Every skater has the option to wear a mask while on the ice. There will be no mask shaming at The Skating Club of Boston. I certainly plan to continue to wear a mask for the near future. It is a personal choice.
- The Club is dropping the social distancing requirement. You are now free to move about the facility. Let’s agree that it has been near impossible to uniformly enforce this policy, and we have still managed to have no transmissions within the community.
- Locker rooms will remain closed for now, and until we evaluate any effects from the easing of these restrictions.
- Masks are no longer required while outside the Club facility.
- Masks are STILL required for The Studio.
- Eating is now allowed throughout the building. Please continue to clean up after yourselves.
- The Micheli Center will determine their own guidelines for working out and treatment in The Micheli Center. It is likely to follow the Commonwealth’s hospital guidelines, and the Club readily supports that. But they will post their own policies. Please do not request exceptions to them.
- The Club continues to encourage everyone in the Club community to get vaccinated, while recognizing that it is a personal decision and that every family has their own circumstances to consider.
As always, please contact Cheri Rigby directly if you have any questions regarding COVID-19 or in understanding the Club’s safety protocols. She can be reached at cheri.rigby@scboston.org.
Weekly Planner
As the end to my weekly emails draws closer, please remember that the Club’s weekly planner which comes out every Saturday morning is the most important resource for following Club events, schedule changes, opportunities for this and that, and more. We instituted the planner so that we could reduce the number of emails we send to the membership. We always have lots going on at the Club, and we don’t want to fill up everyone’s inboxes with Club emails. It makes much more sense to establish a single resource that is accurate and updated weekly for the convenience of the Club membership. But this plan only works if members choose to open the weekly planner email and give it a quick scan for information that is of relevance or interest. The click rates for opening it are disappointingly low. I don’t want to abandon the weekly planner by any means, so I thought it best to reinforce its purpose and importance. Please don’t rely upon individual emails to keep you notified. We may not keep sending them. But we will keep including all Club information in an organized fashion suitable for fast review in the weekly planner.
Annual Meeting
The Club’s annual meeting will be at 6:30 pm on Friday, June 11th. A formal notice will be forthcoming with a link for registration. No surprise, we will host the meeting again in a virtual format requiring your advance registration to access the proceedings. For those of you who are new to the Club, the annual meeting is akin to a state of the union address. The Club’s leadership will review the state of affairs with the Club, including its finances and the Club’s most recent audit. We will also talk about plans for the coming year, take questions, and of course, have the election for the Club’s Board of Directors. The election is uncontested this year, but there will still be the formality of the Club Secretary casting a vote on behalf of all the members. At this year’s meeting, there will also be an announcement of special recognition for members receiving gold pins and honorary memberships.
Thank you, everyone! With Spring finally sprung and pandemic restrictions lifting everywhere (to varying degrees), it actually feels like we can actually be optimistic again. Let’s do it!
Sincerely,
Doug Zeghibe
Executive Director
