Provided the minimum time frame has been adhered to, the membership is ongoing and can be cancelled, provided notice is received on or before a specified date. Term members … should be penalized a set percent for a request for a refund. Both requests for additional refunds can be handled in a number of ways, such as, ‘We have guaranteed your place and, as a consequence, had to turn away other potential members.’”

Yet another respondent agrees that it is a contract versus month-to-month issue, however, this person allows for some exceptions: “This is the first step toward ending up as a pay-per-use facility. We need to explain to members when they join that this type of business operates on monthly revenues. Let them know that this entitles them to use the facility as little, or as much, as they like. I believe the only exception should be if the member moves away temporarily, such as going to college in another state.”

Other respondents also think that there should be some exceptions: “Yes, a member should be required to pay dues for any months that they signed up for, with the exception of the member relocating out of the state or of a corporation making it impossible to use its fitness center. I think it’s extremely important that the terms of the contract are specifically explained so that a member clearly understands them and has the opportunity to ask questions….”

Another agrees: “Yes, they [should] have to pay unused monthly dues in order to run an accounts received on contract or month-to-month accounts. [The exception is if] they are under a doctor’s care with a written notice.”

The next respondent offers more specific advice on what to do with members who move or need medical leave: “If your club policies are … gone over with each joining member, and it is in writing, it should be enforced.

If the contract does not contain this information, the member should have the right to not pay…. If [members] move, [they] must leave the club a forwarding address, or dues will continue to be deducted from [their] account. [The contract should] also state that [members] must show a doctor’s note on letterhead before [they] will be able to cancel. You may put a membership on hold, but [they] will still have to pay half of what [their] dues are. You can put medical leave on hold for only six months.”

Hanging low and riding high — It’s normal for one testicle to hang lower than the other. It’s also normal for your testicles to retract or ride up high in your scrotum when you are cold — that’s a normal protective reflex.

Your Genital Care

Practice good hygiene — cleaning your genitals daily with a mild cleanser. If you are uncircumcised, be sure to pull back your foreskin, clean the head of your penis, then place your foreskin back in its normal position.

Wear proper protective equipment during sports.

Examine your testicles once a month and see your doctor if you feel any abnormal testicular lumps or bumps.

Engage in responsible sexual behaviors and use condoms if you are sexually active.

Get yearly medical checkups, during which your doctor should examine your genitals

Seek medical care if you have:

Rashes, bumps or sores on your genitals.

Swelling, pain or redness of the testicles or scrotum.

Discharge from your penis.

Pain or burning when you urinate.

Never be too embarrassed to tell your parents or a doctor about a genital problem — your private parts are too important.

Genital Skin Problems in Boys

Pearly penile papules are tiny bumps that may appear around the corona (raised ridge where the head of the penis meets the shaft of the penis). They are normal and do not need to be treated. Your doctor can make the diagnosis just by looking.

Poor hygiene can lead to build-up of a cheesy substance called smegma under the foreskin (if you are uncircumcised). This should be removed by regular washing, otherwise irritation and possibly an infection can develop. Pull the foreskin back, clean the head of the penis, then place the foreskin back in its normal position.

Balanitis is inflammation of the head of the penis caused by trauma or poor hygiene. The area is red, swollen and tender. Treatment is with warm compresses and an oral antibiotic.

Eczema is a dry, itchy, scaly rash. Eczema of the scrotum can be intensely itchy with thickening and darkening of the scrotal skin. Treatment is with a mild skin cleanser, moisturizer and a mild topical steroid.

Contact dermatitis is an allergic reaction. One common cause is poison ivy, which you can get on your hands and spread to your genitals by touch. Your doctor can treat you with a mild topical steroid or, for a severe case, a short course of an oral steroid.

Psoriasis is a chronic (long-term) skin disorder with scaly plaques anywhere on the body, including the penis and scrotum. Your doctor may treat you with a moisturizer and a mild topical steroid.

Yeast infections can cause scaly red rashes on the penis and/or the scrotum. Certain conditions, such as diabetes, can make yeast infections more likely. It is treated with a topical anti-yeast medication.

Jock itch or tinea cruris is an itchy fungal infection along the upper inner thighs and groin. It is treated with a topical anti-fungal medication.

Scabies is caused by a mite that burrows into your skin. It can cause itchy red bumps on your scrotum and on other parts of your body. Treatment is with an anti-scabies medication and a topical steroid for itching.

Phimosis is when the foreskin is so tight it can’t be pulled back over the head of the penis. This can cause pain with erections. Phimosis can be treated by circumcision (removal of the foreskin).

Paraphimosis happens when the foreskin is pulled back over the head of the penis but can’t be pulled back down into its normal position. This leads to pain, swelling and discoloration of the head of the penis. This is an emergency that needs medical attention and correction immediately.

Many other skin problems can occur in the genital area so if you have a genital rash don’t be afraid to tell your parents and to see a doctor.

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Your genitals develop throughout puberty and can be described by their sexual maturity rating:

These stages can occur at different ages in different boys and it can take from two to five years or more to reach SMR 5.

Of course, your genital development is only one part of puberty. Other parts include your growth spurt, growth of body hair, deepening of your voice, growth of muscle mass, and your emotional and psychological maturation.

Normal Things and Common Concerns

Wet dreams — wet dream is an involuntary ejaculation that occurs during sleep.

Masturbation — Masturbation is common and normal during puberty.

Erections — Erections are common during adolescence.

Fertility — Mature sperm are usually not in your semen until about a year after you first ejaculate. However, they can be present right away in your first ejaculation so it may be possible to get a girl pregnant as soon as you are able to ejaculate.

Locker-room worries — Since puberty starts at different ages in different boys, you may notice in the locker room that some boys are more developed than you. Don’t worry — you will catch up in your own time.

Penis size — Penis size is something that seems to worry most guys when it shouldn’t. Some guys may even relate their feelings of self-worth to their penis size.

You should know that the size of your penis does not determine your manliness or your ability to have a satisfying sexual relationship or father a child.

However, just like some men may have a preference for breast size in women, some women may have a preference for penis size in men.

So what’s normal? The average adult penis is between 5 and 7 inches when erect. That means most guys are in that range; some are smaller and some are bigger.

Don’t be fooled by ads selling devices or methods to enlarge your penis. You will waste your time and money as these do not work and may be dangerous.

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One respondent felt that having members only pay for the months they used was a punishment for the facility: “Why should clubs be ‘punished’ for lack of member usage? I think clubs should have programs in place to assist in member retention. But if we withhold income from a club based on attendance, too many clubs will have to close…. During months when members may be on vacation or working extra hours and are not making the commitment to themselves, it is not the fault of the facility.”

Some respondents took the question as a month-to-month versus contract situation. Says one such person, “I believe all clubs should operate on a contract basis, and members should pay the months under contract even if they don’t use them….By maintaining regular hours, upkeeping equipment and providing service, we have fulfilled our part of their contract. In order to save grace with our members, we do have an extension clause in our contracts. If a member informs us if they are going out of town or has a medical emergency, and as long as they pay the dues as stated in their contract, we will give that time back to them. Regulation is the key, and only members who inform us in writing ahead of time have the ability to use this option.”

Another facility operator also sees this as a contract situation: “…I have watched as major club operators have jumped on the month-to-month bandwagon. I feel it has been a detriment to our industry. The major reason is the ‘low ball’ price tag for their programs.

They cannot be selling the benefits of exercise; it is price-motivated! Of course, I know I will get a lot of detractors to my position, statements like, ‘With a month-to-month membership, you have to earn the members’ business every day, etc.’ But that is equally true with a term membership, especially if you are competing against a company selling the month-to-month. Why? Because 50 percent of all new sales come from member referrals….For us, [term contracts] just make good business sense.”

Successful programs at fitness centers are designed to anticipate and meet members’ needs. Since club members read magazines and surf the web for health and fitness information, program managers need to do the same.

This will allow you to think ahead of members’ basic expectations to bring them services and programs before they even know that they exist.

In the case of indoor cycling, you have probably already decided whether this is the right program for your club and if it will boost your membership. Following are some promotional details to help you launch an indoor cycling program, and some ideas to help ensure that your program will be a success.

Like X-ray glasses and anti-gravity boots, pre-IPO “quiet periods” seem to defy the laws of nature. Normally, startups will do anything to grab attention. Short of dressing a CEO in a chicken suit, no gimmick is too extreme if it generates brand-building buzz and helps a young company stand out.

Curiously, all this changes once a company announces plans to go public. In the months leading up to a stock market debut, swarms of PR consultants are replaced by teams of tight-lipped lawyers-at the very moment when the company may become the focus of intense investor interest. It’s a period of self-imposed silence that remains in place from the moment an “organizational meeting” occurs between the investment bankers who plan to take the company public and counsel until 25 days after the pricing of the IPO. It typically lasts three and a half months.

“You let the lawyers walk you through what you can and can’t say, and then you just sit tight,” says Brian Ek, vice president of corporate communications at Priceline.com, which went public last spring. “Once you enter the quiet period, you just stop talking.”

Surprisingly, however, the Securities and Exchange Commission does not explicitly prohibit a company from speaking to the media in the weeks or months before a stock begins trading. And there is no law that formally mandates that a quiet period must go into effect. “The quiet period is a matter of industry practice, rather than regulation,” explains SEC spokesperson John Heine. “Given that the United States has this thing called the First Amendment, we can’t go around simply ordering people not to talk.”

Instead, it is the securities lawyers who counsel their clients to keep quiet-mostly because SEC regulations that spell out what a company can and cannot disclose before it begins selling shares are so broad. The lawyers also advise their clients to say nothing so the SEC or shareholders will not interpret any seemingly innocent statements as an improper offer to sell securities by stimulating interest among potential investors. At the heart of both these worries lies the most crucial document in any securities offering: the prospectus.

Under the Securities Act of 1933, any company that wants to issue stock to the public must base its offer upon a written prospectus that outlines business fundamentals and potential risk factors that may affect the company’s future financial prospects. Because the prospectus on file with the SEC is meant to serve as the primary means for potential investors to obtain information about a securities offering, company representatives must avoid making public statements that could be construed as either amending or-even worse-contradicting information contained within the prospectus. This means management and employees must watch what they say during pre-IPO registration-not just to the media, but also in corporate brochures, or while speaking at conferences and trade shows.

Ordering prepaid calling cards can help you control your telephone bills profitably, wisely, and they’re extremely convenient.

“People ask me all the time, ‘Francis, how do I know if this is the right man for me?’” says Ray. “Well, love is a walk of faith. For a relationship to work you’ve got to put the other person’s interests first — it’s all about giving. And there’s got to be trust. You’ve got to know when you roll over in bed, he’ll be there. When you’re upset, the sound of his voice will calm you down. Those kinds of relationships exist. And when you’ve got that, no matter what happens, you’ll cling together.”

Marlene Bellan, 32, a third-grade teacher in New York City, agrees. She says she wasn’t really looking for romance in a relationship. She was looking for honesty and sincerity — but she got all three in her fiance, Craig, 34.

She says Craig often surprises her with random acts of caring like getting up early to make breakfast for her on the weekend and having a special tourmaline ring made for her birthday.

“He really has his moments,” she says. Like the way he proposed to her.

“We went shopping together and picked out my engagement ring but he didn’t give it to me right away,” she recalls. Instead, he proposed to her on a special date. “We went for a horse-and-carriage ride in Central Park, then he took me to the place we met and from there he took me on a tour of all the places we’d gone on dates. It was very romantic.

“I wouldn’t say he’s romantic all the time,” she says. “So when he does something really sweet, it’s very meaningful. Flowers and gifts are great but they’re not a substitute. I think some men figure if they do the superficial stuff that women expect, then they won’t have to do the real thing. I never took anyone seriously until Craig. But with him I found honesty, sincerity and real friendship. I trust him with my soul. He’s the person I want to grow old with.”

Video is probably one of the most effective tools used in the world of big business. For example, you’ll often find large organizations distributing marketing, promotional, training or support videos on VHS tapes. Unfortunately for small business, the cost to assemble such a professional video has long been far out of reach.

That is, until now. I’ve spent the last few months immersed in the world of digital video editing, and in doing so, have managed to create my own promotional video for a relatively low investment.

The premise of digital, or PC-based, video editing is simple. First, you need some video material to work with, either from VHS tapes or from a camcorder. You then spend time to transfer selected portions of that video into your computer, using a “video capture/playback card,” a new technology for PC’s that is proving to be one of the hottest sectors in the computer industry. Once you have captured a variety of video sequences or “clips” into your PC, you can use sophisticated video editing software to assemble your video into a desired sequence. Add a few special effects, titles and a soundtrack, and you’ll have assembled a reasonable quality video for the fraction of the cost of a professional production.

Why should a small business explore this path? Video is one of the most underused applications in the world of small business but which perhaps has the greatest potential when it comes to marketing, promotion and support. If you distribute a product that involves some tricky installation issues, an accompanying video might help to reduce support costs. Or, if you sell something that is visually oriented, video is the perfect marketing vehicle.

I quickly discovered that it would cost me at least $10,000 to have a professional production company create the type of video I needed, a sum that didn’t quite excite me. Since I often look for a technological solution to a problem, I discovered earlier this summer that the time was ripe to create my own video on a PC. I obtained a video capture/editing card from Matrox Graphics; a private Montreal based company which is in the forefront of the video editing revolution. The package included a pretty sophisticated video editing program.

In essence, for the cost of a few hundred dollars, I was able to obtain a device that let me transfer various video clips to my PC and assemble them in a way that told a story. I added a variety of special effects and then played it back to my VCR with almost no loss in the quality of the image. I’m my own James Cameron!

My 20 minute production can now be distributed on a VHS tape or CDROM for a cost of less than $2 per. Not only that, but I’ve put the video up on my Web site as well, letting me distribute it for free, a sum that brings cries of joy to my small business heart. I have saved money mastered a new skill, and have another effective means of promoting my own small business activities.

There are a few caveats with this new technology. Video production uses huge amounts of disk storage, so you’ll have to be prepared to buy a few extra hard disks for your PC. The technology is still maturing, so you might find some frustrations along the way. The speed of your computer is critical as well, since digital video editing is a horrendously complex computer application.

And finally, the world of video production on a PC will mirror the experience that many people have had with desktop publishing. You might be able to produce your own video, but you won’t necessarily have the artistic and creative skills that professionals have. You might discover that you really do need a professional.

Having said that, the time is ripe for any entrepreneur to add video production to their suite of skills.

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“I think real romance is when a man understands you and your needs and does things that make you feel special,” she says.

Ella Mae Wright figured that out years ago. She and her husband, Morgan, 70, have been married almost 44 years and live in Boynton Beach, Fla. She says neither one of them has ever really been the “mushy” type. “Morgan’s not a big romantic in the traditional sense, but he’s always been very caring,” says Wright, 69. “And that’s more important to me than anything.”

Ella Mae and Morgan met at a church choir potluck when a mutual friend played matchmaker and invited Morgan along as her guest. “I wouldn’t exactly say he swept me off my feet,” she recalls.

“After dinner, Morgan offered to carry my dish to my car and we talked a little,” she says. “Then he asked me if I’d like to go for a drive. So we went driving and talked some more. We got to know each other and found that we had a lot in common — even though I’m a musician and he’s an accountant. We’d talk on the phone umpteen times a day and became really good friends. Then things started to develop. He’d usually call me before he came to pick me up for our dates and we’d often wind up talking on the phone so long my mom would finally say, `Why don’t you two hang up so Morgan can come over here and take you out?’

“We’re very big on sharing — we were then and we still are,” she says. “It’s been that way throughout our marriage. We’re really interested in each other and can’t wait to tell each other about our day. Romance is about a lot more than gifts and flowers — anyone can buy you those. But only certain people really care about you and want you to be happy. And when that happens, that’s romantic.”

That, too, is the fundamental appeal of romance novels, says award-winning romance novelist Francis (cq) Ray. “Women think with their hearts and their emotions. We love the idea of connecting with someone who loves us and cares for us above all others.”

Some critics dismiss romance novels as titillating “bodice rippers” and literary candy but consider this: Romance novels comprise 53 percent of all mass paperback sales. Romance novels are a billion-dollar industry. That means they have a huge and devoted following.

“Romance novels are good medicine when you’re feeling blue. A good one will take you away for a while and give you a happy ending,” says Ray, 52, a happily married native Texan who works as a nurse practitioner in the Dallas Public School System by day and writes love stories by night. “They speak to the romantic in us and transcend life’s problems and limitations. In a romance novel, life can kick you in the teeth but, in the end, the good guy is rewarded. Romance novels put you in touch with the possibilities of life and the idea that if you work for the things you want, you can achieve them.”

Ray has written 13 romance novels. Her 14th book, “Della’s House of Style,” is scheduled for release in July by St. Martin’s Press. Her best-selling “Incognito” is in its second printing and was recently made into a movie for the Black Entertainment Television cable network.

Ray says she read her first romance novel in 1986. “I just couldn’t put it down,” she recalls. “And I devoured the next two books I read. By the third one, I thought ‘I could do this.’”

“There is a place you can touch a woman that’ll drive her crazy,” she tells a 12-year-old boy curious about sex. “Her heart.”

So what is it about romance that women crave — and men just don’t seem to? By definition, romance is the act of trying to influence someone or curry favor by lavishing him or her personal attention, gifts or flattery. Put in those terms, it sounds fairly superficial.

But we know there’s a lot more to real romance than some winks and smiles, a box of candy and a compliment or two.

Isn’t there?

Absolutely, agrees Robert Billingham, a professor of human development and family studies at Indiana University. “But to explain it, let’s first try substituting the words ‘caring’ or ‘nurturing’ for ‘romance,’” says Billingham. “Because that’s what women really crave.

“For women, romance is the dance of trust,” Billingham says. “At her core level, a woman understands that real sexual intimacy involves giving of herself. During sex, she allows herself to be physically invaded by the man, who is larger and stronger. This involves a real psychic investment. Real sexual intimacy is very emotional and takes a lot of trust on the woman’s part. In fact, prostitutes say sex is very different with a boyfriend than with a customer because when they’re working, there’s no emotional investment involved. They simply detach.

“When a man romances a woman — he’s showing he cares for her and can provide for her needs. He’s saying, ‘I find you attractive. I mean you no harm. You can trust me,’” says Billingham. “And that’s something a woman needs to hear to fall in love — and stay in love. On the other hand, men don’t make that kind of emotional investment and don’t have the same needs for sex intimacy. All a man really needs is an erection and a target.”

Neuroscientist Dr. James Olds agrees that, yes, women really do crave romance, but he says it’s because women’s brains are actually programmed to respond positively to it.

“The reason for falling in love is the deep-seated drive to reproduce — to make genetic copies of ourselves,” says Olds, the director of the Krasnow Institute for Advanced Study at George Mason University in Virginia.

“But men and women view reproduction differently,” he says. “Men have an unlimited number of sperm and are biologically programmed to spread that sperm around — that maximizes their chances of making as many copies of their DNA as possible. Women, however, possess a limited number of eggs and are genetically programmed to protect them. Women’s brains view male partners as potential daddies for their eggs — so they watch for signs.

“Romantic or caring behavior by a man is seen favorably by the woman as evidence that he can help her make a nest, can provide for her and can help her rear children,” says Olds. “Our brains, you see, are imprisoned by our own biology.”

So, scientifically speaking, that means even if we think we’re immune to romantic cravings and even if we don’t exactly go weak in the knees over blatant shows of traditional romance, real, on-target romantic attention from the right person will make us feel safe and loved and trigger our desire to make a home and raise a family.

“There’s probably something to that,” says Linda Hahn, 39, a New York City television commercial producer who’s now at home with 7-month-old daughter, Georgia.

“I was never a sucker for romance,” she says. “I’m not a fan of romance novels or chick flicks. I never dated anyone who was romantic. I don’t think I ever got flowers on Valentine’s Day. Before I met Fred, romance didn’t seem like a big deal. But when you experience the real thing — boy, oh, boy — there’s nothing like it.”

She says she fell for Fred, 38, an exercise instructor with his own gym, “hook, line and sinker.” They’ve been together for 6 1/2 years. “From the moment we met, he was just so genuinely and spontaneously romantic — that’s probably why I fell in love and married him,” she says.