The rebellion was over. As night fell, Boudica abandoned the glorious bronze chariot that had served her well. She grabbed her two teenage daughters by the hand and together the three of them ran through the darkness, returning home to their palace along hidden paths and back roads. Once home, they knew they would be captured and brought to Rome to be displayed in chains to the jeering crowds at the Coliseum. Instead, Boudica decided to end her own life by drinking a cup of poison, and her princess-daughters took the same route. It is said that when her closest relatives entered the palace, they found Boudica wearing her legendary tunic of brilliant colors, covered with a deep auburn cloak, her flaming red hair still untamed.
Roller Skating
THE FIRST ROLLER SKATES, created in the 1700s, resembled today’s in-line skates: a single line of metal wheels. Even in the next century, the first patented roller skate design followed the alignment of three wheels in a row. It wasn’t until 1863 that a man named James Plimpton revolutionized the design by inventing a skate with two pairs of wheels set side by side, also known as a quad skate. The new skate quickly became the standard, due to its greater control and ease in turning, and even more refinements were made: ball and cone bearings helped improve the skate’s maneuverability, and the toe stop was patented in 1876. Roller skating increased in popularity and reached its heyday in the US during the 1970s and 80s; in the 90s a modern inline skate design, the Rollerblade, took the lead as roller rinks gave way to outdoor skating. But roller skates are still made, and the fun to be had on skates is everything it used to be.
If you’ve never skated before—and even if you have—it’s a good idea to get used to your new skates. Find yourself a smooth, flat, safe, traffic-free place to skate, and before you do anything else, practice the skills of starting, turning, and stopping. And even if you’re not a beginner, wear protective gear, including knee pads, wrist guards, elbow pads, and a helmet.
STARTING OUT
* * *
Before you skate, find your balance and get comfortable in your skates by walking on a flat, grassy, or carpeted surface. First, just stand, feeling the sensation of your weight distributed evenly over the middle of your skates rather than in your toes or heels. Do not lock your knees. Then, stand with your feet in a “V” position, your heels together and your toes apart. Bend your knees slightly, put your arms out at your sides, and then march slowly, right, left, right, left, to get a feel for your skates. When you feel comfortable with this, move to a paved surface and try to balance on your skates. Bend only at the knees, never at the waist.
FALLING
* * *
It sounds funny, because a fall should seem like something to avoid, but falling is one of the most important things to practice. When you fall forward on skates, your skate stops but your upper body keeps going. Practicing falling forward on your bed or another cushioned surface can prepare you for how it feels to fall, so that if a fall occurs your reaction can be reflexive and you can minimize injury. When falling forward, drop to your knees (which should always be protected with kneepads) and sit on your backside and thighs—avoid putting your arms down or falling forward onto your hands. When falling backward, try to regain your balance by leaning forward and resist the urge to flail your arms or put your arms out to break your fall.
SKATING FORWARD
* * *
Begin with your feet in a “V” position, your heels together and your toes apart. With slightly bent knees and your arms held out to steady you, lean onto your right foot and coast forward, pushing off lightly with your left. Bring your left foot to meet your right foot, again in a “V” with your heels together, and as you place your left foot down, lean to the left, gliding on your left foot and pushing off lightly with your right. Repeat, alternating feet. Remember to relax, keep your knees bent, and lean your body in the direction of the foot carrying your weight.
STOPPING
* * *
It’s possible to use the toe-stop to stop yourself by pointing your toe and dragging the rubber stop on the ground, but that can be a little tricky. A surer way is the four-wheel “T” stop: Gliding on your forward skate, lift your back skate and bring it behind your front skate at a 45-degree angle, creating a “T.” Gradually let the rear skate touch the ground and create a drag to slow you to a stop. Another method of stopping is to simply lean into a turn. If you keep leaning in the same direction, you will gradually spin to a stop.
STROKING
* * *
Begin with your feet close together, shift your weight to the right foot and push off to the side with your left. Glide forward on your right foot with your left foot off the floor. Be careful not to bend at the waist, turn or twist your shoulders, or swing your arms. Bring your left skate alongside your right one and place it on the floor. Now shift your weight to your left foot and glide forward the same way. Keep repeating these glides, swaying right and then left, and remember to look ahead of you in the distance, not down at your feet. Gradually make each glide or stroke longer as you build up speed.
STEERING/TURNING
* * *
To steer yourself into a curve, lean in the direction of the curve. For a left turn, lean left; for a right turn, lean right.
CROSS-FRONT
* * *
After you are comfortable with stroking, you can practice the crossfront. Glide forward, your weight on your left foot, with knees bent and close together. Swinging from the hip, cross your right leg over your left and step your right foot as close to your left as you can. Continually crossing over in front is one way to navigate a turn.
SKATING BACKWARD
* * *
Start with your feet in an inverted “V,” with your toes together and your heels apart. Press down on the inside of the left foot while lifting your right foot off the floor. Point your right toe down and shift your weight to the right. Lean slightly forward, bend your knees, and look back over your shoulder while you push off with your right foot and glide backward on your left. Bring your right foot backward and alongside the left. Push off your left foot and glide backward on your right. Your balance foot is in front of you. Bring your left foot alongside the right and start over. Another technique for skating backward is to move your skates in an hourglass shape without lifting your feet off the ground. Start with a wide stance, your skates far apart, and then apply pressure on the inside edges of your skates to roll them close together. Once they’re close, apply pressure to the outside edges, making your skates roll away from each other. Try this going forward, too!
SKATING A FIGURE EIGHT
* * *
Build up speed by stroking, then skate on your right foot only and lean in to the circle; when you complete the circle, switch from your right foot to your left foot and lean in to finish.
Boys
WITHOUT A DOUBT you have already received many confusing messages about what, if anything, you should be doing with boys. Some girls are led to believe that being liked by boys is important above all else. Some girls are told that boys are different, and that girls should adapt themselves to be like the boys they like or take care not to be too threatening—learn about sports if a boy likes sports, or pretend to be stupid about subjects a boy likes to excel in. Some girls are encouraged to think of boys as protectors, or, alternately, as creatures that need protecting. It may seem to some girls that suddenly boys matter a whole lot more than they should; still others wonder what all the fuss is about.
Many things are said of boys: Boys like sports, boys are messy, boys don’t have any feelings, boys like trucks, boys don’t like girly things, boys like to run around and eat gross food. Whatever the specific generalization, the point of these notions about boys is to set them apart from girls as being entirely different.
Similar statements are made about girls: Girls like pink, girls like flowers, girls are neat and clean, girls are frivolous, girls are emotional. Are any of these things true about all girls? Of course not. But it’s easier to think abo
ut boys and girls as being entirely different than it is to think about boys and girls as having lots of common ground.
As concerns boys themselves, you have several options. The first, of course, is to ignore them until you (and they) are 19. Or 21. Or 25.
Alternately, you could make a boy your best friend. Boys can be excellent friends. In general, they like to do things, and that makes them rather fun.
Of course a third option is romance. Some girls might be interested in this kind of thing (you will recognize them by their doodles of their name and a boy’s name in a heart on their science homework); other girls might think that would be too icky to even imagine. If you are in the latter group, don’t worry, you have plenty of company.
If you are in the former group, there are two main things to keep in mind. One, if a boy doesn’t like you the way you are, the problem is him, not you. And two, don’t try to make a boy change for you—it’s important to appreciate people for who they are.
Wherever you fall on the spectrum of how you feel about boys, do treat all your friends, boys and girls, with kindness. This has gone out of fashion, and that’s a sad mistake.
Overall, the truth is that there’s no great big mystery about boys. Boys are people, and like all people, they are complicated. And that’s what makes being friends with other people interesting: you get to learn about how other people think and act, and, in the process, learn a little bit more about yourself.
Robert’s Rules
IN 1863, Henry M. Robert had been an engineer in the Civil War, shoring up the defenses of ports in Washington, Philadelphia, and throughout New England. He had improved rivers in Oregon, developed the harbors of Green Bay and Oswego, and constructed dams and locks on the Tennessee and Cumberland rivers. But his greatest challenge came when he was asked to preside over a church meeting. With no knowledge of how a meeting should be run, he bravely attempted to take charge, only to end up embarrassed and thoroughly humbled by the proceedings. He resolved never to attend another meeting until he knew something about parliamentary procedure—the set of rules of conduct at meetings that allows for decisions to be made fairly and without confusion. His Pocket Manual of Rules of Order for Deliberative Assemblies, first published in 1876 and known today as Robert’s Rules of Order, is the result. You and your friends can use these rules to run your own clubs and meetings.
THE BASIC RULES OF PARLIAMENTARY PROCEDURE:
The rights of the organization supersede the rights of individual members
All members are equal and their rights (to attend meetings, make motions, speak in debate, nominate, vote, hold office) are equal
A quorum must be present to do business
The majority rules
Silence is consent
One question at a time and one speaker at a time
Debatable motions must receive full debate
Once a question is decided, it is not in order to bring up the same motion or one essentially like it at the same meeting
Slurs, comments, and personal remarks in debate are always out of order
RUNNING A MEETING
BEING THE CHAIRPERSON
* * *
The chairperson is in charge of the meeting and has a gavel, like a judge. She should prepare an agenda, an outline of a meeting that lists the items to be discussed or acted upon. Here is a typical example, with a basic script to follow:
1. Roll call of members present
This is done to determine a quorum—making sure there are enough members present to run the meeting. The secretary reads member’s names from a list and members respond.
THE VOCABULARY OF ROBERT’S RULES
Agenda: A list of items to be discussed at a meeting
Appeal: A motion to object to a ruling
Ballot Vote: A secret vote, written on a piece of paper
Bylaws: Written rules for governing an organization
Carried: To adopt a motion
Debate: The formal discussion of a motion
Dilatory Tactic: The misuse of a parliamentary procedure (such as repeatedly using division or appealing previous decisions)
Division: To call for a recount of a vote
Floor: To be given permission to speak at a meeting (As in “to have the floor”)
Minutes: The official written record of a meeting
Motion: A proposal that some action be taken or an opinion expressed by the group
New Business: New matters brought for consideration
Nominate: Formally name a person as a candidate for election or office
Order of Business: The schedule of business to be considered
Out of Order: Not correct from a parliamentary standpoint
Pending: Questions that are under consideration
Point of Order: An objection made for improper procedure
Preamble: The introduction to a resolution that begins with “whereas”
Putting the Question: Placing the motion before the group for a vote
Quorum: The number of members that must be present for business to take place
Recess: To take a short break during a meeting
Resolution: A formal written motion
Unfinished Business: Matters from a previous meeting that were postponed or brought over to the next meeting
Yield: To give way when you have been assigned the floor
2. Call to order
“Welcome. A quorum being present, the meeting will come to order.” (Bang your gavel once, for good effect.)
3. Read the minutes of last meeting
“The first business in order is the approval of the minutes of the previous meeting. Will [the secretary who keeps the minutes] please read the minutes of the last meeting? Are there any corrections to the minutes? There being no corrections, the minutes are approved as read.” (If there are corrections, they should be noted and recorded by the secretary.)
4. Officers’ reports
“The next business in order will be the reports of the officers.” (Call on those officers you know to have reports.)
5. Treasurer’s report
“The treasurer, [call by name], will give her report.” After the report is read: “Are there any questions? There being no questions, the report will be filed for audit.”
6. Committee reports
“The next business in order will be the reports of committees.” After reports have been made: “Thank you. The report will be filed with the minutes of this meeting.”
7. Special orders
This is any business previously designated for consideration at this meeting.
8. Unfinished business
Only announce this if there is business that has been postponed from the last meeting to the current meeting. “The next business in order will be the [whatever the unfinished business is] that was postponed to this meeting.”
9. New business
“The next business in order will be new business. Is there any new business to come before the group?”
10. Announcements or program
If there are announcements to be made but no program at the meeting: “If there is no further new business to come before the group, the secretary will read the announcements.”
If there is a program at the meeting: “If there is no further business to come before the group, [the program chair] will introduce today’s speaker.”
11. Adjournment
“If there is no further business and there is no objection, the meeting will be adjourned. There being no objection, the meeting is adjourned.”
BEING THE SECRETARY
* * *
The secretary of your group is responsible for several things: sending out notices of upcoming meetings; maintaining the organization’s records, including the membership list, lists of all committees and their members, and an up-to-date version of the group’s bylaws; and, most importantly, writing the minutes of the organization. The minutes should be written as concisely and precisely as possible, as
they constitute the official record of everything that takes place within your group.
The format for writing the minutes is as follows:
FIRST PARAGRAPH
Include the kind of meeting (whether it’s regular or a special meeting), the name of your organization, date and place of meeting, presence of the president and secretary or the names of substitutes, presence of a quorum, time the meeting was called to order, and whether the minutes of the previous meeting were approved or corrected.
BODY
List the reports given, including the name of the reporter and any action taken; all motions; all points of order or appeal; important announcements; if there is a program, the name of the speaker and the topic of the program.
FINAL PARAGRAPH
Record the adjournment and the time of adjournment, and sign and date the document.
When writing minutes, be sure to record all adopted and defeated motions, the name of the person who makes any motion, names of all members who report, names of anyone elected or appointed, and the number of votes on each side in a ballot or counted vote. Do not write down your personal opinion of any discussion, motions that are withdrawn, or entire reports that are given at a meeting. (Instead of transcribing the report, write: “[Person’s name and title] reported on [topic]. The report is attached to the original of these minutes.”)
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