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Karl Floitgraf
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Post by Karl Floitgraf » Tue Jan 11, 2005 6:28 am

Right now I am working to get a school sponsored longboard club at my highschool. I doubt they will approve it but I'm gonna give it the effort anyway.

My question is does anyone have any advice on how best to approach schools and organizations to start clubs.

Also another question. I'm not on any of the school teams or anything but I think I should be able to use skating in events and starting my own organization in my college applications. Has anyone done that before and know anything about it?
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Matt Grant
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Post by Matt Grant » Tue Jan 11, 2005 3:15 pm

I don't know if this might help or not but maybe getting together some professional looking documentation relateing to what you want to do. It should probably be in non-skate speak explaning your objectives and experiences. Also maybe talking to skateshop/park owners and other motivated skaters on how they may be able to help your cause.

Best of Luck

Matt

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Go KARL!!!

Post by Matthew Wilson » Tue Jan 11, 2005 7:22 pm

Great to hear your idea, Karl!

One thing that you have to remember is that the school is going to be concerned with mainly ONE thing: lawsuits as a result of lack of insurance.

The success of your pitch will depend on how well you cover the bases of giving the school a way out if someone gets hurt.

Mandating helmets, pads, and permission forms from parents will probably serve your goals well.

Also, establishing a place will be a biggie. Cruising the streets will probably not go over big and you might get shot down. Remember, you are involving your school and asking them to be at your back in this endeavour. In most cases, schools put up a little dough for these things too.

So, scope out some spots and look into whether or not your crew can skate there. Your school will want to make sure that you did your homework..so to speak.

That is pretty much all I know. Though I am sure there is more. Ask your guidance counselor if the school has a handbook of rules for the forming of school groups and activities.

Skateboarding is never a fun word for school admins to hear. They usually step away, but I think that you could sell it if you create a setting and place, and that you cover all the safety bases.

Good luck.
slalom is good

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Post by Carsten Pingel » Wed Jan 12, 2005 8:50 am

Hi Karl,
please contact Chris Hart from Airflow, Switzerland !! The swiss guys used to support schools around Zurich for years !
They have a huge quiver of boards which can be used by the students for free.
C.

Pat Chewning
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Skateboard club

Post by Pat Chewning » Thu Jan 13, 2005 8:19 am

You might want to leverage the ski or snowboard club or race team (if you have one). They might be interested in using skateboarding as a training tool for ski racing.

You could also leverage their insurance/permission forms....

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Post by Jim Weatherwax » Fri Jan 14, 2005 1:32 am

Karl
A few guys here at the University of Northern Colorado have started an official, school recognized club, The UNC Boardriders. They get together every thursday night at 11pm and either pile into cars and go bomb residentail hills, Cruise campus or we set slalom courses if I feel like staying up late. The guys who run the club are also youth outreach and campus crusade coulselors and leaders, but the group isnt preachy and any/all are welcome. I am helping them organise a slalom race/skate jam session in the spring to raise money for the club and bring more awarness to what they do. The first few weeks they met there was about 10 guys, by week 5 there were over 40 showing up to skate...
Ill get Tim's e-mail and send it to you off line, I am sure they would be more than happy to help you get started

Karl Floitgraf
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Post by Karl Floitgraf » Fri Jan 14, 2005 2:46 am

Well I'm gonna submit the paper work soon.

This is the proposal I typed up and will be submitting soon
The Needham Longboard Club is an organization that was formed to make getting together and acquiring equipment easier.

What is it? Longboarding is a form of skateboarding more influenced by surfing and ski racing than traditional ‘street’ or ‘vert’ skating. In most other forms of skating the goal is to perform tricks or stunts, not in longboarding. The boards tend to be longer (44 inch and above). Unlike other forms of skateboarding, longboarding involves no loitering or damage of curbs or stairway rails of any kind. Longboarders are actually known to sweep the vacant areas they use. So often the location is left in a better condition than it was found in. Longboards are an environmentally friendly transportation method that many students use to commute to school everyday instead of cars. The main idea of longboarding is to cruise and enjoy the simple pleasure of rolling down a hill.

Safety: Like any other sport like hockey or football, there are risks involved. We require all riders to wear helmets and safety pads at all times. We also have professional skateboarders come in and teach safety protocol and the safe way to have fun.

The Club: The Needham Longboard club has been a non-school activity for several months now. Over two-dozen students have participated in the past and countless others have shown an interest in the future of the club. We have found a Faculty Advisor, Mr. Hutton who is willing to help us organize several events in the future. The Needham Longboard club wishes to become the Needham High School Longboard Club. We hope that we can then use the campus to hold informational meetings and workshops as well as having representatives at the Oracle. Forming this club has been a reflection of the schools three guiding values; to think: we have put a lot of thought and effort into the club; to respect, it gives a chance for all students to try something new in a welcoming group and to communicate; the club was formed with the single purpose of making communication among members easier. We hope that the school can support us.


Sincerely,



Karl Floitgraf
President




Mr. Hutton
Faculty Advisor
The Oracle is the club show at my school.
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John Gilmour
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Post by John Gilmour » Thu Feb 17, 2005 5:43 pm

all you need are two clubs to have a competition- sounds like...
One good turn deserves another
john gilmour

Henry Julier
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sounds like..

Post by Henry Julier » Thu Feb 17, 2005 10:33 pm

What john's been preaching ever since I held my shindig at Deerfield, launching several young skate star's careers... sort of! Karl, IM me because I had a good experience working with my school about running an event.

henry

Karl Floitgraf
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Post by Karl Floitgraf » Fri Apr 01, 2005 6:26 am

My school approved it today! I now have one of (if not the first) high school sponsored Longboarding/Slalom Clubs in the US! I am so excited about this.
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Pat Chewning
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Post by Pat Chewning » Fri Apr 01, 2005 6:42 am

Karl,

Tell us more about the process you used and how the club is organized and run. Other people might be able to use your ideas to start their own clubs.

-- Pat

Karl Floitgraf
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Post by Karl Floitgraf » Fri Apr 01, 2005 6:56 am

We'll a couple things I did was just skate a lot and started skating with my friends. After a while we had enough people and a lot of people knew that we did it and what it was. I found a cool ex- rock n' roll teacher to be the advisor and then I typed up this proposal.
The Needham Longboard Club is an organization that was formed to make getting together and acquiring equipment easier.

What is it? Longboarding is a form of skateboarding more influenced by surfing and ski racing than traditional ‘street’ or ‘vert’ skating. In most other forms of skating the goal is to perform tricks or stunts, not in longboarding. The boards tend to be longer (44 inch and above). Unlike other forms of skateboarding, longboarding involves no loitering or damage of curbs or stairway rails of any kind. Longboarders are actually known to sweep the vacant areas they use. So often the location is left in a better condition than it was found in. Longboards are an environmentally friendly transportation method that many students use to commute to school everyday instead of cars. The main idea of longboarding is to cruise and enjoy the simple pleasure of rolling down a hill.

Safety: Like any other sport like hockey or football, there are risks involved. We require all riders to wear helmets and safety pads at all times. We also have professional skateboarders come in and teach safety protocol and the safe way to have fun.

The Club: The Needham Longboard club has been a non-school activity for several months now. Over two-dozen students have participated in the past and countless others have shown an interest in the future of the club. We have found a Faculty Advisor, Mr. Hutton who is willing to help us organize several events in the future. The Needham Longboard club wishes to become the Needham High School Longboard Club. We hope that we can then use the campus to hold informational meetings and workshops as well as having representatives at the Oracle. Forming this club has been a reflection of the schools three guiding values; to think: we have put a lot of thought and effort into the club; to respect, it gives a chance for all students to try something new in a welcoming group and to communicate; the club was formed with the single purpose of making communication among members easier. We hope that the school can support us.


Sincerely,



Karl Floitgraf
President




Mr. Hutton
Faculty Advisor
The Oracle is the club show at my school.
BOSTON BAKED BEAN
HONORARY TEXAS OUTLAW

Claude Regnier
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Sk8 @ School

Post by Claude Regnier » Fri Apr 01, 2005 4:01 pm

Congrats Karl!

This is great that you were able to pull it off. We know how much work it would have taken.

We implemented a Sk8@school program last year and things are slowly picking up. We travel to schools and give a clinic and give instruction and education on all styles of skateboarding.

Some school heads outright refuse while others have responded to the project being groundbreaking.


We are just starting to plan for a year end Competition with area schools competing against each other just like in other sports. Times are changing.

Good Luck and continued success with the club.
Many Happy Pumps!

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