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This article is about the season one episode of Arthur. You might be looking for My Music Rules, an episode with a similar name.

"My Club Rules"
Season/Series: 1
Number in season: 29A
Original Airdate: United States November 14, 1996[1]
Canada February 13, 1997[2]
Germany January 22, 2002[3]
Credits
Written by: Joe Fallon
Storyboard by: Gerry Capelle
Episodes
Previous
"The Scare-Your-Pants-Off Club"
Next
"Stolen Bike"
Read transcript

"My Club Rules" is the first half of the twenty-ninth episode in the first season of Arthur.

Summary

The kids can't agree on the rules for Arthur's new club, and suddenly, the gang is starting their own clubs.

Plot

The episode starts with Arthur saying that whatever team or club you join, there has to be rules. Then he provides examples, such as what will happen if there were no rules while playing soccer. The next example is at a library that has only one book left on the shelves. He says that if you want to join a library, you must agree to return the books back to the library on time, otherwise, it's not a library. At the swimming club, he narrates that to join the club, you have to know how to swim. Binky then says that it's a waste of time to learn, so he jumps into the pool and thinks he is drowning. He starts yelling for help, only to discover that he's in a shallow part of the pool. Then, in the next example, Arthur is riding his bike until he stops at the Tibbles' house because the Tibble twins and a tree branch are blocking his path. The twins tell Arthur that, in order to pass, he has to pay $1 and hop on one foot. Arthur then says that rules are important...sometimes.

My Club Rules 

Mr. Ratburn and Mr. Haney tell the class about The Strawberry Festival parade, and that they all have three weeks to complete their costumes and float. Mr. Ratburn tells them that he will wear a strawberry shortcake with real strawberries and Mr. Haney says he will be the king of a desert island. Francine tells Arthur they have to start working on their float, and he says he has already invited everyone to the tree house.

At the tree house, they all talk about their ideas, and they all seem to agree to use Brain's idea about wearing their baseball uniforms. Then, D.W. climbs up to the tree house and wants to be in the parade as well. Francine suggests to Arthur that the tree house is used by "The Parade Float Club" and only members are allowed. D.W. asks how to be a member and Francine passes Arthur a note which says you have to kick a ball out of the yard.

In the yard, Muffy and Francine give D.W. a bowling ball to kick. But she complains that she might break her foot. D.W. asks everybody else to follow their own rules and kick the ball also. Francine passes Arthur a note which says to cancel the kicking rule and that the new requirement to join the club is to draw a funny picture of Mr. Ratburn.

In the living room, everybody participates in this rule. D.W. finishes her picture first. She shows her picture of Mr. Ratburn, but everybody is quiet. Francine speaks for everybody and says that the picture must be funny to qualify. But then Buster starts to laugh. Arthur reads a note from Brain saying that you have to be a third grader to be in the club. Francine and Binky question why Brain waited so long to provide a suggestion.

At the tree house, they think of their success in shooing away D.W. Muffy and Francine suggest they implement more rules such as: Buster not eating all of the snacks, keeping the tree house clean, and money to repair the tree house. Muffy says to raise funds everybody should start paying $1 every week which shocks everybody including Francine, who only gets 50¢ every week. Muffy kindly offers to take care of Francine but nobody else. Arthur protests and says that the tree house has always been free. Muffy plans to build her own club and Buster starts agreeing with some of the ideas Muffy and Francine mentioned before leaving as well.

Muffy officially opens the Muffy Club Headquarters. Inside the Muffy Club there is a TV, refrigerator, microwave oven, basketball net, and bookshelves. Muffy says dues are $1 for her and Francine and $2 for Buster. When he asks why he has to pay more, Francine tells him it's because "he eats like a pig", which he thinks is not fair; he then quits the club.

Buster then tries to go back to the tree house, but Sue Ellen tell him he's not welcome because he was "a dirty traitor" for joining Muffy's club. At his condo, Buster opens "The Reading Comic Books Under the Blanket club". At school, the friends are playing soccer but despite being in the same team, the clubs they made makes them lose the game, as Francine refuses to pass the ball to any member of Arthur's club. It also affects eating together at lunch, as Muffy only allows members of her club to eat together. Buster says that anyone in his club can sit with anyone else. Arthur tries to stop Sue Ellen from going with Buster, and she tells him that she quits the Parade float club, since being in the club means she can't talk to Buster.

At the tree house, Brain is bored because a rule in Buster's club is to read comic books all the time, so quits along with Binky, which leaves Arthur alone. At Muffy's house, Muffy makes Francine resign from her club because she failed to show up the previous day. Francine says it was because was sick, but Muffy threatens to call the cops on Francine if she does not leave the property immediately.

At Buster's club, Sue Ellen complains that they are getting no air under the blanket. Buster says they have to remain where they are because it's The Reading Comic Books Under the Blanket Club. Sue Ellen quits. At the club Brain has formed, he talks about a germ he is examining under a microscope, but Binky is much more focusing on scratching his ear. Brain asks Binky if he is having fun, and Binky says no. Angrily, Brain yells that Binky has to have fun because it is The Fun Club.

At school, Arthur invites Francine to come to The Sugar Bowl, but she has a club meeting. He tries with Sue Ellen, but he has interrupted her "Reading And Walking Club" meeting.

Everybody has split up. D.W. is puzzled that everybody has abandoned the tree house and also The Parade Float Club. At the other clubs, everyone seems to be bored. Muffy presses her remote. Brain plugs and unplugs his lamp. Buster gasps for air and realizes that Sue Ellen was right about the lack of it.

Arthur throws a baseball at the tree house tree. When he comes to retrieve the ball, he hears some humming from the tree house and goes up only to see D.W. reading his comic books. She asks Arthur where all his friends are. He says that he does not know.

Gradually, Buster, Muffy, and everyone that used to be part of the old club all come back to the tree house, and play cards. When all eight people are in the tree house, Brain asks what the name of their club is. D.W. sternly says that she was there first so it is her club. She has taken over the tree house and also The Parade Float Club. She says there is only one rule to follow: that her idea for the float for the parade must be used.

At the parade, Mr. Haney's 60 foot fake tree is nearly falling, Mr. Ratburn's float is getting eaten by birds, while D.W.'s float is of an ancient Egyptian queen (herself) sitting on a big chair with Arthur, Buster, Muffy, and Francine holding it. Muffy and Francine love the float and wonder why Arthur excluded D.W. in the first place. Arthur is upset and is grumbling about being tricked by his sister.

Characters

Major

Minor

Cameo

Trivia

  • At the end of the 2000 rerun intro on PBS Kids before this episode, Arthur’s crashing sound remains the same.
  • Binky is the only member of the group to not form a club of his own.
  • This episode and the next episode were encoded to work with ActiMates Arthur and D.W. on June 29, 1998
  • This is one of the few episodes where Molly's eyes can be seen (when she is wearing goggles in the introduction).
  • Francine seems to be especially keen to get rid of D.W. Normally, she is one of Arthur's friends who tries the hardest to get along with D.W. (e.g. "Francine Frensky, Olympic Rider", "D.W.'s Very Bad Mood").
  • Binky saying "Go! Go, Go!" is recycled from Arthur's Eyes.

Episode connections

Errors

Production

  • A boy, a cream dog with floppy ears, appears as a student in Mr. Ratburn's class. In other episodes he is in the 4th grade.
  • The band music heard during the parade is partially recycled from the scene in My Dad, the Garbage Man where Ed Crosswire and a four-piece band welcome Mr. Ratburn's class to Crosswire Motors. The first two notes of the violin solo played while Ed feigns crying can also be heard before the music changes to a library stock track of circus music.

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References


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