From the desk of:

Executive Vice President

By Eugene Berghoff

GENE BERGHOFF

Your 1973 Illinois Park and Recreation Conference is now history. It will be recorded as a success establishing records for attendance and participation.

The total attending was 1815. The breakdown on attendance is as follows: Commissioners/ Trustees and Board members 388; Staff 640; Students 377; Exhibitors 204; Speakers and Panelists 56; Guests 145.

We had a total of 72 Commercial Exhibits and 31 Education Exhibits. The increase over 1972 was 174.

As I have mentioned on many occasions this is your conference and any comments on this year's program, hotel, exhibits, and etc., would be appreciated. This information will then be referred to the 1974 Joint Conference Committee for their consideration to assist them in improving next year's meeting.

I wish to commend and express my appreciation to every individual, committee, host district, the boards and officers of the Illinois Association of Park Districts and the Illinois Park and Recreation Society, speakers and panelists, exhibitors and to all whose united efforts contributed to the success of the 1973 Illinois Park and Recreation Conference.

My only disappointment was the fact that only 51 districts were represented by official delegates at the IAPD Annual Business Meeting. Many important decisions effecting your Association are decided at this meeting. I hope that each member district will be represented in 1974.

Illinois Parks and Recreation 3 January/February, 1974