For our club members, memberships in both the Bismarck Figure Skating Club and in U.S Figure Skating are required in order to take lessons and skate in our Learn to Skate and Advanced programs. To apply for membership, go to our Join Our Club page and follow the instructions.
We use the EntryEeze website to manage all our memberships, lesson purchases, and test sessions.
Memberships are renewed each year in May/June with summer ice registrations, no matter what time of year you join. Take that into consideration especially if you are joining our club to skate in a Spring session.
For Advanced-level nonmembers who want to skate on our club’s ice time, see Associate Membership and Advanced Walk-On Membership below. Learn to Skate nonmembers, please contact us with requests to skate on our club’s ice time.
Membership Types and Costs:
Learn to Skate Membership
(and Learn to Skate – Hockey) – $18/year for Learn to Skate USA membership + the cost of lessons
Formerly called Basic Skills, Learn to Skate is the U.S. Figure Skating (USFS) program for beginner figure skaters of all ages.
The $18 membership fee includes the $17 USFS Learn to Skate fee + $1 to cover fees. Skaters also pay the group or private lesson fees during active sessions (see Year at a Glance). They also need to purchase their own skates and equipment, clothing, and competition outfits.
An annual fundraiser supplements the program and helps pay for coaches and the program director. Our LTS program receives funding from Bismarck Parks and Recreation to cover the cost of ice rink rental for our youngest skaters, and the Club receives nominal financial support from the Bismarck Public School District.
Advanced Membership:
- Advanced Introductory: $90/year for first-year Advanced members only; includes $50 BFSC annual fee + $40 half-price USFS annual fee ($35 for subsequent family members)
- Advanced: $120/year for 1st family member, $85/year for subsequent family members; includes $50 BFSC annual fee + $70 USFS annual fee ($35 for subsequent family members)
The $50 annual club fee paid by Advanced members helps defray the cost of administration (i.e. accounting, legal, and technical expertise), rink time, and supplies, and helps to avoid having too many fundraisers.
Advanced program fundraisers, in general, pay for bringing certified judges to Bismarck for competitions and test sessions, as required by USFS. In addition to the BFSC and USFS fees, Advanced members must pay for their own ice time, private coach fees, skates and clothing, testing fees, and travel expenses for out-of-town competitions.
Collegiate Membership
$100/4 years for USFS membership + the cost of ice time
Skaters who are 18 years of age or older in the Advanced Skating Program with BFSC AND attending college can be Collegiate members. Typically, our Collegiate members are skaters who were BFSC members before graduating from high school, are now in college, and want to continue skating.
The $100 fee covers their USFS membership for 4 years; BFSC does not charge Collegiate members a club membership fee. Collegiate members also pay separately for their own ice time and private coach, if they choose to have one.
Associate Membership:
$85/year for BFSC membership + the cost of ice time
Associate members are advanced skaters who are members of another skating club who want to purchase our Club’s ice contracts at the same package rates as BFSC members. They pay $85 for their BFSC Associate membership and also pay separately for their own private coach and their home club and USFS membership fees
Advanced Parent
$70/year
The “Advanced Parent” membership is a full USFS membership for parents who are not skaters but who are required to have the membership for serving in a position such as team manager, team mom, or test session chairperson.
The fee of $60 is discounted to the subsequent family member fee of $24 if another family member has paid the full $70 USFS membership fee.
Discounts do not apply if other family members have the Advanced-Introductory (which is already discounted) or the Learn to Skate memberships. BFSC does not charge the $50 club fee for this membership.
Guest Member
On occasion, we may have guest members for participation in, for example, seminars or other club-sponsored events. This membership is not for skaters who want to purchase ice time during our contract sessions.