The Philadelphia Skating Club and Humane Society is the oldest

figure skating club A figure skating club is a local organization of figure skaters, often centered on a single ice rink. Typical club activities include arranging practice ice time, hosting test sessions and competitions, and producing an annual ice show in which clu ...

in the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

History

The predecessor organization, called "The Skater's Club of the City and County of Philadelphia", was founded in 1849, and merged with the assets of the Humane Society of Philadelphia in 1861. The latter organization was patterned after the

Royal Humane Society The Royal Humane Society is a British charity which promotes lifesaving intervention. It was founded in England in 1774 as the ''Society for the Recovery of Persons Apparently Drowned'', for the purpose of rendering first aid in cases of near dro ...

; the original purpose of the club was to patrol outdoor skating areas around the city of

Philadelphia Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Sinc ...

, such as the Schuylkill River, in order to rescue skaters who had fallen through the ice. Club regulations still require members to carry a reel of stout twine for lifesaving purposes while skating outdoors. In 1921,the Philadelphia Skating Club and Humane Society was one of the seven original clubs which formed the

United States Figure Skating Association U.S. Figure Skating is the national governing body for the sport of figure skating in the United States. It is recognized as such by the United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee "USOPC" under the Ted Stevens Olympic and Amateur Sports Act an ...

. It is one of the few clubs in the United States that owns its own rink, located in

Ardmore, Pennsylvania Ardmore is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) spanning the border between Delaware and Montgomery counties in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. The population was 12,455 at the 2010 census and had risen to 13,566 in the ...

, which opened in 1938. Today, the Philadelphia Skating Club and Humane Society retains its traditions of both on and off-ice social events and activities while offering year-round recreational and competitive figure skating. Notable skaters who have represented the club over the years include Dick Button, Scott Hamilton, and ice dance partners

Kimberly Navarro Kimberly Navarro (born April 26, 1981) is an American former competitive ice dancer. With partner Brent Bommentre, she is the 2008 Four Continents bronze medalist and a two-time (2008 & 2009) U.S. national bronze medalist. Personal life Nava ...

and

Brent Bommentre Brent Bommentre (born May 10, 1984) is an American former competitive ice dancer. With partner Kimberly Navarro, he is the 2008 Four Continents bronze medalist and a two-time (2008 & 2009) U.S. national bronze medalist. Personal life Bomment ...

References

External links

* Figure skating clubs in the United States Sports venues in Philadelphia 1849 establishments in Pennsylvania Clubs and societies in Philadelphia {{Pennsylvania-stadium-stub