 The latter organization was patterned after the Royal Humane Society; the original purpose of the club was to patrol outdoor skating areas around the city of Philadelphia, 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.