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Increasing the public's awareness of leisure services rates as one of IPRA's top goals for the year. So far the committees and special interest sections have been hard at work trying to accomplish this important task. The last issue of the magazine carried a list of all the IPRA Days at various professional sports games, i.e.. Cubs, Sting, and White Sox. This is one way that we use to attain more visibility for parks and recreation with the general public. At the same time the "Days" provide a good special event offering for an agency. Connie Skibbe, Chairperson of the IPRA Public Awareness Committee, reports that two TV commercials have been completed and a third one is in the planning stages. We will use these as public service announcements and will be distributing these to television stations statewide. The first commercial concerns the services of parks and recreation agencies in general. The second one centers on therapeutic agencies who program for the handicapped. The third commercial will address the importance of park districts in providing leisure services. Within the last 5 years, IPRA has expanded its services beyond those tangible ones such as publications, workshops, and conferences, to include the intangible ones of public awareness, recognition, and legislation. Although it is hard to place a specific value on these type of activities, they are essential to effective promotion of the profession. The IPRA Board at their April meeting voted to change the dues structure to that of a sliding scale based on salary. After several months of study, it was found that the sliding scale would be a more equitable type of structure. It would also help the association keep in touch with inflation without necessarily raising the dues. In order for the proposed structure to take effect a bylaws change in membership categories was proposed. In effect, this change would add the category of para-professional to our membership. Professional and associate would be the only categories to have the sliding scale. All voting members will be receiving more information on this later. Because dues income represents less than 30% of the total income of the association, IPRA relies heavily on other types of fund raising activities. To date both the Great America and Six Flags ticket programs have been very successful. We currently have over 25,000 tickets on consignment to agencies throughout Illinois. If you have not received information on our special ticket prices to these amusement parks and would like it, please just give the IPRA office a call 312/297-6261. IPRA is sponsoring a special "Playground and Camp Day" at Great America on August 1. We have arranged for special group prices for this day only. We also will be conducting special activities throughout the park. If you have not received information on this event, please let us know. Approximately 50 women in the field gathered together in May for a special luncheon/educational program planned by the IPRA Affirmative Action Committee. Carol Kleiman, author of the book Woman's Network addressed the group on the purposes of women's networks and how they can help advance a woman's career. More activities of this type are being planned for the future.
Keith Frankland, chairman of the IPRA Conference Committee, reports that the 1980 educational program is complete and will be printed in the next issue of the magazine. The theme "Proud Past—Challenging Future" will provide the delegates with some new exciting educational programs. We do hope all members will mark November 13-16 on their calendars. The conference will be held once again at the Hyatt Regency O'Hare in Rosemont. Hope to see you there.
Illinois Parks and Recreation 30 July/August, 1980 |
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