RE: "Grandfathering"

[Black Sheep]

I got this message from the test chair of the club where I passed my Intermediate MITF last week:

Congrats on passing your test! I noticed in the USFSA online system you do not have results from either a Juvenile or Adult Gold moves test. Because of that, your intermediate test results are on hold.

Can you please let me know what club you took one of the above tests at, when, and who the test chair is (if you know) so I can clear the hold in the system

I replied:

I never took the Juvenile or the Gold Moves test because I passed the Adult Gold Freeskate test with the Windy City FSC on December 16, 2001--nine months before the Adult Moves were instated in Sept. 2002.

This is called "grandfathering" into the Intermediate Moves. I now have the option to take the Intermediate FS test so I can skate the Adult Masters levels (not that I want to).

I know I am not the only one who's done this sort of thing, so I know my passing the Intermediate is legit and legal.

Who's right??

[Clarice]

You're right, as far as I understand it. I did the same thing at the Silver level - passed the Silver FS test just before the Adult MIF structure was implemented. I've since taken and passed my Gold MIF, but that was the first Adult MIF test I ever took. I had passed through Pre-Juv on the standard track, though.

Was the Intermediate MIF test the first Moves test you ever took, or had you done standard track MIF testing as well?

[sk8er1964]

You are right. They'll get it straightened away there, I'm sure. I was grandfathered into Gold moves and freestyle because I took through silver before the rules changed.

[Black Sheep]

Was the Intermediate MIF test the first Moves test you ever took, or had you done standard track MIF testing as well?

I passed the Pre-Prelim and Prelim MITF tests on the standard track, per a Synchro-Team requirement. That was also before the Adult MITF track was instated.

No matter how you slice it, Intermediate MITF should STILL follow Adult Gold FS, I believe! ;)

[Black Sheep]

I checked my test records in the "Members Only" spot on the USFSA site, and my Intermediate MITF test clearly shows "Passed" in my Testing section! :halo:

[jskater49]

All the test chair needs to do is email the memberservices and explain the situation and they will clear the "hold" In fact YOU can email the memberservices and ask them to do that. My experience is that they take care of this very quickly.

I had the same situation when I tested Bronze moves because I passed pre-bronze FS before they had adult moves tests. They put my test on "hold" - I emailed memberservices, explained the situation and that day they removed the hold.

joelle

[jskater49]

I checked my test records in the "Members Only" spot on the USFSA site, and my Intermediate MITF test clearly shows "Passed" in my Testing section! :halo:

But you may find it says "hold". They do that if there's some kind of descrepency. As I said above, it can be fixed very easily.

j

[CoachPA]

All the test chair needs to do is email the memberservices and explain the situation and they will clear the "hold" In fact YOU can email the memberservices and ask them to do that. My experience is that they take care of this very quickly.

Yes, I've dealt with the US FS membership services several times (via e-mail) and agree that they really do make an effort to respond and remedy a concern quickly.

[Skittl1321]

I passed the Pre-Prelim and Prelim MITF tests on the standard track, per a Synchro-Team requirement. That was also before the Adult MITF track was instated.

No matter how you slice it, Intermediate MITF should STILL follow Adult Gold FS, I believe! ;)

oooh- I'm interested to know what you hear back from USFS. I wonder if these tests are what is throwing off what should be fairly standard. Because when you took these tests, what you should have taken was Intermediate-since that was technically your next test, so perhaps by taking these tests you declined the grandfathered into the MITF status (without knowing it). And since you did take them, you might need all the ones in between, I wonder.

That's just my guess.

[Clarice]

Nah, I don't think it's anything that complicated. Black Sheep's test sequence is correct, and they'll clear the hold as soon as it is pointed out to them.

I asked about prior MIF testing because I thought it would be an amazing accomplishment to have passed Intermediate MIF without ever having done a MIF test before. It's still an amazing accomplishment - kudos to you, Black Sheep! It's the next MIF test I have to take, too, but I'm putting it off for awhile to do some dance and figures.

[pairman2]

The grandfathering circumstance discribed is based on traditional interpretation but is not actually written in the rule book. There has never been an explicit rule written to grandfather in 'freeskate' tested adults prior to the inception of adult moves. If anybody knows of one, feel free to look it up and post the exact text here.

I beleive, over the years, various skaters, test people and maybe even some people at 'headquarters' have extrapolated other related grandfathering clauses and applied it to this situation. The result is that an unwritten precedent has been established. However, as I do not beleive it is in writing, it is vulnerable to a more strict interpretation.

Prequalifications are addressed in section TR 19.00 of the test rules book (page 10)

p.s. officials must go by rules currently in publication for the skating year

[Black Sheep]

Lola Johnson from USFSA Member Services told me this morning! :D

[Skittl1321]

YAY! Glad it is cleared.

[flying~camel]

I asked about prior MIF testing because I thought it would be an amazing accomplishment to have passed Intermediate MIF without ever having done a MIF test before.

techskater passed Int. MIF without ever having tested MIF previously!

[techskater]

Thanks F/C - yes I did!

[doubletoe]

Thanks F/C - yes I did!

And I am still using those CW back power 3's as my warmup at the beginning of each session, thanks to your suggestion. ;)

[Kim to the Max]

And I am still using those CW back power 3's as my warmup at the beginning of each session, thanks to your suggestion. ;)

Oh doubletoe....when are you testing those moves again so that you can officially move on????

[techskater]

Hey, it WORKS! I've been using the moves I HATE from the Novice test EVERY DAY as a warm up for FS. Yes, it takes up 15-20 minutes, but the moves are improving...:??

[Kim to the Max]

Hey, it WORKS! I've been using the moves I HATE from the Novice test EVERY DAY as a warm up for FS. Yes, it takes up 15-20 minutes, but the moves are improving...:??

I do the same thing...although, since I skate between 2-3 sessions a day, I generally complete the whole Novice test, which takes between 20 minutes on a good day and 45 minutes on a bad day (especially when the second pattern, the rocker/choctaws are acting up!)....I am a big advocate of this...I find that many of the kids at the rink where I skate barely work on moves, yet find themselves passing the higher levels :(

[techskater]

Yeah, I see that too. :roll:

[doubletoe]

Oh doubletoe....when are you testing those moves again so that you can officially move on????

Ha ha! I am taking passive-aggressive pleasure in the fact that I don't *have* to move on! I think I'll take the Intermediate MIF test again someday when Novice MIF are starting to feel comfortable and I am really bored . . . :P