Who this Policy Applies To
This policy applies to all Advanced CanSkate and STARSkate skaters registered with the Cochrane Skating Club. Where noted, it also applies to “out of club” skaters who may wish to register for a program or drop in on ice where the registration has not reached capacity, and the attendance has been approved by the STARSkate Director.
Fees
Fees for each program are indicated in the club’s skater registration and administration system (Uplifter) and may vary based on the day or time of the program. Advanced CanSkate to Intermediate STARSkate sessions are group coached unless otherwise noted. Coaching fees are invoiced directly by coaches for all Senior and programs listed as “All STARSkate Levels” . Skaters are responsible for ensuring their coach is aware of lesson requirements and for arranging for coaching from the club’s coaching team.
Skate Canada Fees
All skaters are required to have a valid Skate Canada membership that is valid between September 1 and August 31 each year. The Skate Canada fee is $58.65 per skater and is broken down as follows:
- Skate Canada - $28
- Skate Canada Alberta/NWT/Nunavut Section - $2
- Safe Sport Fee - $5.00
- Insurance - $0.65
Fees can be paid via Visa, MasterCard, or eTransfer. Fees may be paid in installments: Enrollment, October 1; December 1 and February 1.
CSC Member Drop-In Fees
Drop in fees for registered participants (skaters) in the Cochrane Skating club is $25/session for all regular season programs. Drop in fees are $30/session for Spring sessions. Note: Drop-in fees for any other special programs may be higher and will be noted in the program description for the registration.
Skaters must qualify for the level requirements on the session they wish to skate on and have permission from the STARSkate Director or coaching staff.
Out of Club Registrations and Drop-In Fees
Skaters who are not registered members with the Cochrane Skating Club must receive approval from the STARSkate Director to drop in on Cochrane Skating Club scheduled ice times. Skaters who are approved to drop in must pay $30 in advance for the drop in.
Out of club skaters who wish to register for a program will be subject to a $200 out of club surcharge which must be paid in full with the program fees prior to skating. The surcharge will be manually invoiced by the Office Manager for the club.
Any skater registering in two or more programs is considered a member of the Club is required to volunteer and participate in fundraising for the club. In this case the $200 out of club surcharge does not apply as the skater is then considered a member of the club. Gift Certificates and Credits
Withdrawals Prior to Program Start
Cochrane Skating Club members may withdraw a skater/participant registered for any Cochrane Skating Club programs prior to the first session. The request to withdraw must be in writing (email will suffice to the office@cochraneskatingclub.ca ). The club will refund all program fees less a $25.00 skater administration fee and the Skate Canada fee.
Withdrawal from Programs in Progress
Advanced CanSkate and STARSkate participants requests to withdraw must be sent in writing to the Club President (president@cochraneskatingclub.ca ) indicating the date and reason for withdrawal. A pro-rated refund of program fees will be granted less the Skate Canada fee, the club’s Skater Administration Fee and a $200 withdrawal fee once the regular season has commenced.
In the event of a major illness or injury that will prevent the skater’s return to skating for the duration of the program, or that will result in the skater missing programs where the pro-rated combined total of those programs would exceed $200 the member shall receive a credit to their skating account for the fees that would exceed the $200.
All major illnesses or injuries that will require the skater to be withdrawn must be in writing to the club President and must be accompanied by a doctor’s note.
Refunds or make up sessions will not be offered for sessions missed due to minor illness (colds, flus, including but not limited to COVID-19), vacations, competitions, tests, management disputes or due to skater suspension or expulsion by the club. All other special requests by members are subject to board approval.
Spring and Summer (weekly registration programs) are non-refundable once in progress. A participant can withdraw prior to the start of the program for a full refund.
Program Cancellations
The Cochrane Skating Club Board of Directors has the authority to modify, restrict, postpone or cancel training sessions of any kind, whether on or off ice.
Refunds for program cancelled by the Club will be on a pro-rated basis for missed classes only and will be refunded to skater accounts (or at member’s request to credit card (for payments made by credit card) or by eTransfer for payments made by eTransfer).
Timeline for Refunds
All refunds will be processed by the club within 30 days of the request to withdraw subject to the terms and conditions above.
Accounts in Arrears
The Cochrane Skating Club is a non-profit organization and requires all member accounts to be in good standing at all times. Any member with an account in arrears or past due will be contacted/reminded through the Cochrane Skating Club’s skater registration and administration system and reminded that their account (or installment payment) is past due.
Skater accounts fees are due within 30 days of the date set for payment (enrollment, October 1, Dec 1 or Feb 1) or will be considered to be in arrears. Any member with an account in arrears will be deemed to have terminated their club membership and will not be permitted to skate with the club (including partaking in test days, competitions etc.) until the account is in good standing. No refunds will be given for classes missed while accounts are in arrears.
Membership Partial Session Registration
Skaters/participants who wish to only register for part of a session may request to have fees pro-rated by submitting a request in writing to the Office Manager prior to the start of the session. Requests to pro-rate will only be considered where the skater is able to attend more than 50% of the session (or portion of based on sessions remaining) otherwise the drop in fees will apply.
Open Invoices and Gift Certificates
The club utilizes “open” invoices which are created by the Office Manager or Bookkeeper of the club for any skater who incidental fees such as drop in fees, fees for assessments, club team wear or other items.
Open invoices are due at the end of December and end of April each season. Fees will accumulate on the skaters open invoice and members are asked to pay in December and April when notified by the club’s Treasurer. Any gift certificates/credits that have accumulated through fundraising, consignment sales etc. will be applied.
Skater Accounts will be created for any Advanced CanSkate or STARSkate participant who may have monies owed to them (e.g. from the sale of consignment items, volunteering at casinos, from fundraising activities etc.).
The credit can be applied directly by the member to new invoices for new program registrations, products or subscriptions.
Gift certificates will be applied to balances owing by the Office Manager and/or Bookkeeper throughout the year as new invoices are created for test fees, competition fees, or other invoices as applicable.
Important Note: Monies owed in the skater accounts will not be paid out in cash unless for a program refund. If a member leaves the club and has money in their skater account, the member may request the funds be transferred to another existing club member to or the money can be donated to the club. Skater accounts for members leaving the club will not be kept active upon their departure from the club.
Volunteering and Fundraising Commitments
Volunteer Requirements
The Cochrane Skating Club (CSC) is a non- profit organization and is run by parent/member volunteers. While the club asks for a volunteer bond as described below the club would appreciate your volunteer time instead of your money. Without enough volunteers the club simply cannot operate. If the club is required to hire staff to run the club that will significantly increase fees for all members of the club.
CSC requires the following volunteer commitment per skater:
- Advanced CanSkate Skaters – 8 hours
- Junior STARSkate – 10 hours
- Intermediate STARSkate – 15 hours
- Senior STARSkate – 20 hours
Each hour is valued as $25 (so for a Senior skater the volunteer commitment per year is 20 hours or $500). Hours will be tracked per family and if the volunteer commitment is incomplete at the end of the year the fees will be charged to your Uplifter account and will need to be paid prior to next season’s registration.
Important note: a volunteer doesn’t have to be the parents of the skater – they can be grandparents, neighbors, relatives etc. (must be over the age of 16).
Volunteer commitments can be filled through filling a position on the Board of Directors, volunteering on event committees such as Carnivals; helping out at assessment (test) days; taking on a role supporting the board e.g. with consignment/team wear; working at a casino; leading fundraising events; supporting board members such as the chair welcoming CanSkate during their first week; and many other ways.
The CSC Board sets out how many hours are allocated for each volunteer role in the CSC Board and Supporting Roles Position Description document.
Health and Safety Volunteer Requirements
For any season additional volunteer requirements over and above what is noted above may be mandatory for all members to assist with Health and Safety requirements (e.g. playing music, health screening, etc.), should it be required. Hours will be determined and communicated separately by the Club.
Fundraising Bonds
In order to avoid significant increases to STARSkate (and Advanced CanSkate) program fees, fundraising is necessary for our non-profit organization. The club relies on funds that come from a casino as a major source of fundraising (every 3 years – which the club then divides in thirds and allocates to a given year until the next casino). However, this only provides roughly 1/3 of the fundraising fees in a given year for the club. The rest of the fundraising must come from grants, competitions/events, raffles or other fundraising activities by all club members.
All STARSkate and Advanced CanSkate skaters are required to contribute toward fundraising activities for the club and will be invoiced a $200 fundraising bond per skater at the beginning of the season.
The skater’s fundraising bond can be reduced by participating in club fundraising activities which will include, and may not be limited to: Meat Fundraisers, Pizza, Chocolates etc. The fundraisers for the year will be announced at the September parent meeting held each year.
It is important to note that the fundraising bond will not cover the club’s entire fundraising commitment for a given year. Club members are still required to participate in other fundraising activities as needed by the club for which volunteer hours would be granted.
Questions
If you require clarification on any of the Cochrane Skating Club’s policies please contact our Club President at president@cochraneskatingclub.ca