Untitled Document


Click here for IPRA Calendar or Submit an IPRA meeting or event JUNE 6/15 IPRA Board of Directors Business Meeting 6/16 Senior Committee Meeting 6/23 Facility Management Section Meeting 6/24 Camp Counselor Challenge 6/27 & 29 IPRA Day at Six Flags Great America 6/30 Group Fitness Classes-To Punch or Not to Punch JULY 7/3-7/9 Western Open Volunteering 7/5 Kane County Cougars vs. Dayton Dragons 7/7 Senior Committee Meeting 7/12 & 13 & 15 IPRA Day at Six Flags Great America 7/13 Schaumburg Flyers vs. Gary Railcats 7/17 Kane County Cougars vs. Lansing Lugnuts 7/17-21 Six-County Senior Olympics 7/18-20 NPSI Course & Exam 7/20 Recreation Section Meeting 7/20 Chicago Cubs vs. Houston Astros 7/26 Chicago White Sox vs. Minnesota Twins 7/28 C&M Section Meeting and Social AUGUST 8/3 & 5 IPRA Day at Six Flags Great America 8/5 IPRA Lifeguard Games 8/9 IPRA Overnight Teen Canoe Trip 8/18 Senior Committee Meeting 8/18 Facility Management Section Meeting 8/19 Park District Conservation Day 8/24 ITRS Lunch Meeting SEPTEMBER 9/6 Museum and Nature Center Roundtable 9/7 IPRA Board of Directors Business Meeting 9/12 C&M Section Board Meeting and Roundtable Discussion 9/14 School Age - Day Camp Committee Meeting 9/15 Senior Committee Meeting 9/16 "Oh I Wish I Had Said..." Powerful Communication Workshop 9/19 Aquatic Facility Operators Certification Course 9/19 CPRP Study Night 9/21 Recreation Section Meeting 9/22 2nd Annual Park Pursuit 9/26 HR Manager's Luncheon 9/29 Sprecher 5,000 Golf Classic OCTOBER 10/3 Supervisor Symposium: Piecing Professionals Together 10/5 Participant Services Division of ITRS Meeting 10/6 Facility Management Section Mtg. 10/10 NRPA Congress & Exposition Read In The News @ ILipra.org or better yet Comment on these @ The Blog Spot JUNE 6/6 Margaret Resnick Podcasts the Keys to Great Event Planning 6/2 OSLAD funding Increased to $31.8 million MAY 5/23 Final Request for Park District Entertainment at the Illinois State Fair 5/19 LWCF Funding Down...Obesity Up 5/18 The Revenue Diversification Workshop Had Value For All 5/18 Nominations Being Accepted For 2007 Board of Directors 5/17 Win $2000 In Film Contest For National Neighborhood Day (September 17) 5/8 McHenry County Conservation District Introduces New Executive Director 5/3 IPRA's Phone System Down On May 3 5/1 Post Your Resume and Get Discovered! Submit your news releases to IPRA Order your plate TODAY Advertise Here 2005 March April May May extra June June extra July August August extra September October November December December extra 2006 January February February extra March April May	NPSI Certification Course Added For This Summer July 18-20 at the Lesnieski Community Center of the Lemont Park District 1.2 CEUs offered for the 3-day workshop Click here for registration information. COURSE CONTENT According to the Consumer Product Safety Commission, 205,000 children are treated for playground accidents annually, with approximately 15 resulting in death. Of these, 70% occurred at public parks and schoolyards. Does your equipment measure up? How many preventable injuries occurred in your parks? Sponsored by the Illinois Park and Recreation Association (IPRA) and the National Recreation and Park Association (NRPA), this course is the most comprehensive training program offered on playground hazard identification and risk management methods. Advanced reading and ten hours of training will prepare you to take the Certified Playground Safety Inspector (CPSI) Exam, which will take place on the last day. The National Playground Safety Institute (NPSI) promotes children’s rights to play and the importance of play in a child’s development. The course provides the most current comprehensive training program on public playground safety, including the development and distribution of playground training and safety products. NPSI provides input to help develop a responsible public policy which guarantees the safety of our children. At the same time, NPSI advocates sound fiscal responsibility to provide resources for the ongoing maintenance and support of the policy. WHO SHOULD ATTEND? Administrators, Supervisors, Public Works Departments, Building and Grounds Maintenance Staff, Engineers, Architects, Playground Equipment Representatives, Operators and Caretakers of Playgrounds in Parks, Schools, Summer Camps, Day Camps, Hotels/Resorts, Day Care Centers, Agencies such as YMCA/YWCA, Head Start, Boys and Girls Clubs, Police Athletic Leagues, Others responsible for playgrounds Group Fitness Classes - To Punch or Not to Punch July 30 from 11:30am-2pm at the Schaumburg Park District CRC 1.2 CEUs offered for the 3-day workshop Click here for registration information. Announcing an IPRA Facility Management section roundtable planned for your professional growth. Join other fitness managers and group fitness coordinators to discuss the pros and cons of offering punch cards or registration for group fitness classes. The registration fee is $15 for members or $20 for nonmembers. Lunch is included in registration. Do You Hold the Key to Unlocking the PDS Code? IPRA's Professional Development School has been set for November 5-8. Attendance at this year's PDS will help you unlock the creativity, passion and innovation needed to excel in parks and recreation. Registration information will be available online beginning July 3. Save 50% on your registration fees by correctly naming the mysterious face on the PDS flyer! Correctly guess the face and your name will be put into a drawing for 50% off registration fees! Click here to Unlock the PDS Code and then email your guess! Supervisor Symposium 2006 - Piecing Professionals Together Make sure to save the date of October 3-4 to attend this important two-day workshop, hosted by the Recreation section and Facility Management section. The Supervisor Symposium utilizes two different tracts to provide park and recreation professionals with the tools and resources to grow as professionals. One is geared toward professionals that have recently started in their roles as supervisors, and the other is for individuals that have experience and are searching for new tools to take them to the next level. Several areas of discipline will be covered in the curriculum including topics on recreation, facility management, self improvement/job enhancement, finance/business and marketing. Registration information will be available in the July eNewsletter. Got Ideas? Dina Kartch, Education & Conference Director, is looking for some great educational ideas for this Fall and Winter. Email Dina with any ideas you have for workshops. It's your membership...get the training YOU want! IPRA Leads the Pack...and We're Not Stopping! As the current IPRA membership of over 2,700 park and recreation professionals and the commercial members serving the field grows it has become apparent that the website is the place to go. From January through May of 2006 the IPRA website has received OVER 6.1 MILLION HITS from members and non-members around the world! IPRA strives to be leaders in both the park and recreation field as well as the association world when it comes to providing its members with user-friendly, cost-effective, technological ways of communicating and doing business. Whether you're using the comprehensive IPRA website, the interactive weblog (The Blog Spot), the entertaining podcasts (WIPRA-The Voice), section list serves...or this eNewsletter you're reading today, IPRA appreciates the support and willingness from its membership to adapt to change. DID YOU KNOW IPRA is the only state park and recreation association to have both a weblog and a podcast show! We're also one of the few associations in the U.S. to offer these Web 2.0 services to its members! Need proof? Continue to advance with IPRA. Thanks for helping make this year such a success so far! Over 180 Resumes Posted in One Month ! IPRA’s park & rec JOBS has received over 180 resumes this past month and agencies are taking advantage! Agencies, did you know that when you post a job opportunity on the website you have the ability to access and view all the candidate's resumes? Professionals, did you now that when you post your resume you have the opportunity to apply for jobs directly online by using your saved resume...and allow for hiring agencies to view your resume and contact you? Everyone benefits from the park & rec JOBS! Click here to begin! Need to fill a position? At approximately 1/10th the cost of an ad in the Chicago Tribune, we’ll get you qualified applicants in record time! Want agencies to contact you? Post your resume and cover letter online and watch the job opportunities come your way! You can also apply for jobs directly online with your saved resume and cover letter. Looking for a new job? Search the online job postings and see if there’s something for you. This is the place to find your next career move. Get Your IPRA News Sent Directly To You Via Email Don't want to wait for the monthly eNewsletters? Simply don't have the time to check out IPRA's weblog, The Blog Spot, every day? Now you can get all the IPRA news sent directly to your email account! Stay informed of IPRA news, local stories from the park and rec scene, and trends affecting you by subscribing to The Blog Spot's postings! If we don't post anything...you don't get anything. It's really simple to sign-up and it's really nice to know what's going on in your professional association. If you haven't been to The Blog Spot in a while you have a lot of catching up to do. For those of you who don't know what a blog is...who cares! Think of it as a webpage where you as the reader have the opportunity to comment back on the news. Agree with what's being said? Disagree? We can all learn from each other and The Blog Spot lets you, the member, share your voice. Check out The Blog Spot and sign-up to receive your email notifications. IPRA Seeks Four Open Positions on the 2007 Board of Directors Nominations are being accepted for IPRA members wishing to fill open positions on the 2007 Board of Directors. All nomination forms are due on June 12. Open positions include: - At-Large Board Member (2 positions available) - Northern IL Regional Representative - Chicago Metro-North Regional Representative Click here to download the Nomination Form. Listen Up! WIPRA-The Voice Features Great Guest Speakers Show #6: IPRA Chairman of the Board, Bill McAdam discusses the future of IPRA Show #8: Rich Grodsky, Elmhurst Park District, discusses legislative issues Show #9: Revenue Diversification workshop discussed on-site Show #10: Margaret Resnick, Bolingbrook Park District, talks event planning Click here to visit the podcast page on the IPRA website. If you're interested in coming to the IPRA office for your own podcast show email us and we'll schedule a show. IPRA's Cooperative Purchase Program Coming Soon Each year, IPRA coordinates a Cooperative Purchase Program on behalf of park districts, municipal recreation agencies, forest preserves, conservation districts, special recreation associations and private agencies throughout Illinois. The program, the only one of its kind in the field of parks and recreation, is an excellent way for your agency to save staff time and valuable tax dollars by purchasing with other park and recreation agencies in bulk. The savings is an obvious benefit of the program, however, the Co-op program offers other benefits as well. You save time comparing quotes and products. Freight and delivery charges are included in vendor’s bids, so there are no surprises when it’s time for delivery, and Vendors abide by the “Local Government Prompt Payment Act” allowing agencies 30 days from receipt of invoice to have it approved and 30 days after approval to have it paid. Online registration and ordering will begin mid-August...stay tuned for specific dates. Recently Certified Professionals! Click here to learn more about becoming certified! Certified Park & Recreation Professionals (CPRP) Cynthia Babicz, Streamwood Park District Kari Drew, SRSNLC Pamela Zeid, Skokie Park District Associate Park & Recreation Professionals (APRP) N/A Provisional Park & Recreation Professionals (PPRP) N/A Early Registration for Park Pursuit Ends June 30! The Park Pursuit, modeled after the hugely successful Amazing Race game, allows for the members of IPRA to engage in a day-long race where team building, healthy competition and recreation take center stage. Participants of the Park Pursuit, made up of teams of four, will be challenged both physically and mentally as they race through the streets and parks of Lincoln Park. Clue cards will direct teams to various Lincoln Park landmarks where tasks will be performed to continue on in the race. Not only are bragging rights at stake but participants will get a true sense of unity while learning to work better as a team. Click here for registration information. Early registration ends June 30...don't wait and pay more! Thank you to our 2006 Park Pursuit sponsors: * Premier Sponsor * Camp Counselor Challenge June 24 at the Bensenville Park District Cost: $65 for IPRA members Registration deadline is June 16 Click here for registration information. Do you have great camp counselors? Do you want to motivate them to do their best? Camp counselors will have the opportunity to compete against other teams of counselors throughout the area to be the “Best team of counselors.” A team is comprised of 4 counselors. Hurry and get your team ready for some fun! "Category 5" Fun at Hurricane Harbor The new Hurricane Harbor water park at Six Flags Great America is making waves this summer! Join us on June 27, June 29, July 12, July 13, July 15, August 3 or August 5 for IPRA Days. Plan a group outing for your day camps this summer and have a ton of fun. Tickets are purchased on consignment and your agency will not be billed until a final count is determined on August 17. Tickets are only $28 versus the regular gate price of $56. Click here to get registered Lifeguard Games Aug 5 at Bensenville Water Park Cost: Early Bird Fee of $70 per team if you register before July 15 Registration deadline is August 28 Click here for registration information. The IPRA Lifeguard Games is a competition for park and recreation agency lifeguards and junior lifeguards. Teams of 4 (2 male and 2 female or 1 male and 3 female) will compete in a series of events to test their lifeguard skills, strength, speed, endurance and their ability to work as a team. This is a friendly competition that encourages each guard to rise to challenges, practice their craft, learn from other guards and have fun. Teen Canoe Trip Aug 9-10 in Sauk City, WI Cost: $55 per person or $26 per SRA participant Registration deadline is August 28 Click here for registration information. The Teen Canoe Trip is set on a 21-mile scenic stretch of the Wisconsin River northwest of Madison. On the first day, we will canoe approximately 12 miles and set-up camp along the river. The second day will consist of packing up and paddling the final 9-mile stretch. A special schedule is planned for SRAs with a reduced fee! Registration is first come-first served. There is an agency maximum of 10 participants including staff. The trip maximum is 150 participants.
Copyright © 2006 Illinois Park & Recreation Assoc. IPRA Website

NPSI Certification Course Added For This Summer
July 18-20 at the Lesnieski Community Center of the Lemont Park District
1.2 CEUs offered for the 3-day workshop
Click here for registration information.

COURSE CONTENT
According to the Consumer Product Safety Commission, 205,000 children are treated for playground accidents annually, with approximately 15 resulting in death. Of these, 70% occurred at public parks and schoolyards. Does your equipment measure up? How many preventable injuries occurred in your parks?

Sponsored by the Illinois Park and Recreation Association (IPRA) and the National Recreation and Park Association (NRPA), this course is the most comprehensive training program offered on playground hazard identification and risk management methods. Advanced reading and ten hours of training will prepare you to take the Certified Playground Safety Inspector (CPSI) Exam, which will take place on the last day.

The National Playground Safety Institute (NPSI) promotes children’s rights to play and the importance of play in a child’s development. The course provides the most current comprehensive training program on public playground safety, including the development and distribution of playground training and safety products. NPSI provides input to help develop a responsible public policy which guarantees the safety of our children. At the same time, NPSI advocates sound fiscal responsibility to provide resources for the ongoing maintenance and support of the policy.

WHO SHOULD ATTEND?
Administrators, Supervisors, Public Works Departments, Building and Grounds Maintenance Staff, Engineers, Architects, Playground Equipment Representatives, Operators and Caretakers of Playgrounds in Parks, Schools, Summer Camps, Day Camps, Hotels/Resorts, Day Care Centers, Agencies such as YMCA/YWCA, Head Start, Boys and Girls Clubs, Police Athletic Leagues, Others responsible for playgrounds

Group Fitness Classes - To Punch or Not to Punch
July 30 from 11:30am-2pm at the Schaumburg Park District CRC
1.2 CEUs offered for the 3-day workshop
Click here for registration information.

Announcing an IPRA Facility Management section roundtable planned for your professional growth. Join other fitness managers and group fitness coordinators to discuss the pros and cons of offering punch cards or registration for group fitness classes.

The registration fee is $15 for members or $20 for nonmembers. Lunch is included in registration.

Do You Hold the Key to Unlocking the PDS Code?
IPRA's Professional Development School has been set for November 5-8. Attendance at this year's PDS will help you unlock the creativity, passion and innovation needed to excel in parks and recreation.

Registration information will be available online beginning July 3.

Save 50% on your registration fees by correctly naming the mysterious face on the PDS flyer! Correctly guess the face and your name will be put into a drawing for 50% off registration fees!

Click here to Unlock the PDS Code and then email your guess!

Supervisor Symposium 2006 - Piecing Professionals Together
Make sure to save the date of October 3-4 to attend this important two-day workshop, hosted by the Recreation section and Facility Management section.

The Supervisor Symposium utilizes two different tracts to provide park and recreation professionals with the tools and resources to grow as professionals. One is geared toward professionals that have recently started in their roles as supervisors, and the other is for individuals that have experience and are searching for new tools to take them to the next level.

Several areas of discipline will be covered in the curriculum including topics on recreation, facility management, self improvement/job enhancement, finance/business and marketing.

Registration information will be available in the July eNewsletter.

Got Ideas?
Dina Kartch, Education & Conference Director, is looking for some great educational ideas for this Fall and Winter. Email Dina with any ideas you have for workshops. It's your membership...get the training YOU want!

IPRA Leads the Pack...and We're Not Stopping!
As the current IPRA membership of over 2,700 park and recreation professionals and the commercial members serving the field grows it has become apparent that the website is the place to go. From January through May of 2006 the IPRA website has received OVER 6.1 MILLION HITS from members and non-members around the world!

IPRA strives to be leaders in both the park and recreation field as well as the association world when it comes to providing its members with user-friendly, cost-effective, technological ways of communicating and doing business.

Whether you're using the comprehensive IPRA website, the interactive weblog (The Blog Spot), the entertaining podcasts (WIPRA-The Voice), section list serves...or this eNewsletter you're reading today, IPRA appreciates the support and willingness from its membership to adapt to change.

DID YOU KNOW
IPRA is the only state park and recreation association to have both a weblog and a podcast show! We're also one of the few associations in the U.S. to offer these Web 2.0 services to its members! Need proof?

Continue to advance with IPRA. Thanks for helping make this year such a success so far!

Over 180 Resumes Posted in One Month !
IPRA’s park & rec JOBS has received over 180 resumes this past month and agencies are taking advantage!

Agencies, did you know that when you post a job opportunity on the website you have the ability to access and view all the candidate's resumes?

Professionals, did you now that when you post your resume you have the opportunity to apply for jobs directly online by using your saved resume...and allow for hiring agencies to view your resume and contact you?

Everyone benefits from the park & rec JOBS! Click here to begin!

Need to fill a position? At approximately 1/10th the cost of an ad in the Chicago Tribune, we’ll get you qualified applicants in record time!

Want agencies to contact you? Post your resume and cover letter online and watch the job opportunities come your way! You can also apply for jobs directly online with your saved resume and cover letter.

Looking for a new job? Search the online job postings and see if there’s something for you. This is the place to find your next career move.

Get Your IPRA News Sent Directly To You Via Email
Don't want to wait for the monthly eNewsletters? Simply don't have the time to check out IPRA's weblog, The Blog Spot, every day? Now you can get all the IPRA news sent directly to your email account!

Stay informed of IPRA news, local stories from the park and rec scene, and trends affecting you by subscribing to The Blog Spot's postings! If we don't post anything...you don't get anything. It's really simple to sign-up and it's really nice to know what's going on in your professional association.

If you haven't been to The Blog Spot in a while you have a lot of catching up to do. For those of you who don't know what a blog is...who cares! Think of it as a webpage where you as the reader have the opportunity to comment back on the news. Agree with what's being said? Disagree? We can all learn from each other and The Blog Spot lets you, the member, share your voice.

Check out The Blog Spot and sign-up to receive your email notifications.

IPRA Seeks Four Open Positions on the 2007 Board of Directors
Nominations are being accepted for IPRA members wishing to fill open positions on the 2007 Board of Directors. All nomination forms are due on June 12.

Open positions include:
   - At-Large Board Member (2 positions available)
   - Northern IL Regional Representative
   - Chicago Metro-North Regional Representative

Click here to download the Nomination Form.

Listen Up! WIPRA-The Voice Features Great Guest Speakers
Show #6: IPRA Chairman of the Board, Bill McAdam discusses the future of IPRA
Show #8: Rich Grodsky, Elmhurst Park District, discusses legislative issues
Show #9: Revenue Diversification workshop discussed on-site
Show #10: Margaret Resnick, Bolingbrook Park District, talks event planning

Click here to visit the podcast page on the IPRA website. If you're interested in coming to the IPRA office for your own podcast show email us and we'll schedule a show.

IPRA's Cooperative Purchase Program Coming Soon
Each year, IPRA coordinates a Cooperative Purchase Program on behalf of park districts, municipal recreation agencies, forest preserves, conservation districts, special recreation associations and private agencies throughout Illinois. The program, the only one of its kind in the field of parks and recreation, is an excellent way for your agency to save staff time and valuable tax dollars by purchasing with other park and recreation agencies in bulk.

The savings is an obvious benefit of the program, however, the Co-op program offers other benefits as well. You save time comparing quotes and products. Freight and delivery charges are included in vendor’s bids, so there are no surprises when it’s time for delivery, and Vendors abide by the “Local Government Prompt Payment Act” allowing agencies 30 days from receipt of invoice to have it approved and 30 days after approval to have it paid.

Online registration and ordering will begin mid-August...stay tuned for specific dates.

Recently Certified Professionals!
Click here to learn more about becoming certified!

Certified Park & Recreation Professionals (CPRP)
Cynthia Babicz, Streamwood Park District
Kari Drew, SRSNLC
Pamela Zeid, Skokie Park District

Associate Park & Recreation Professionals (APRP)
N/A

Provisional Park & Recreation Professionals (PPRP)
N/A

Early Registration for Park Pursuit Ends June 30!

The Park Pursuit, modeled after the hugely successful Amazing Race game, allows for the members of IPRA to engage in a day-long race where team building, healthy competition and recreation take center stage.

Participants of the Park Pursuit, made up of teams of four, will be challenged both physically and mentally as they race through the streets and parks of Lincoln Park. Clue cards will direct teams to various Lincoln Park landmarks where tasks will be performed to continue on in the race. Not only are bragging rights at stake but participants will get a true sense of unity while learning to work better as a team.

Click here for registration information. Early registration ends June 30...don't wait and pay more!

Thank you to our 2006 Park Pursuit sponsors:
*** Premier Sponsor ***

Camp Counselor Challenge
June 24 at the Bensenville Park District
Cost: $65 for IPRA members
Registration deadline is June 16
Click here for registration information.

Do you have great camp counselors? Do you want to motivate them to do their best? Camp counselors will have the opportunity to compete against other teams of counselors throughout the area to be the “Best team of counselors.”

A team is comprised of 4 counselors. Hurry and get your team ready for some fun!

"Category 5" Fun at Hurricane Harbor

The new Hurricane Harbor water park at Six Flags Great America is making waves this summer! Join us on June 27, June 29, July 12, July 13, July 15, August 3 or August 5 for IPRA Days.

Plan a group outing for your day camps this summer and have a ton of fun. Tickets are purchased on consignment and your agency will not be billed until a final count is determined on August 17.

Tickets are only $28 versus the regular gate price of $56.

Click here to get registered

Lifeguard Games
Aug 5 at Bensenville Water Park
Cost: Early Bird Fee of $70 per team if you register before July 15
Registration deadline is August 28
Click here for registration information.

The IPRA Lifeguard Games is a competition for park and recreation agency lifeguards and junior lifeguards. Teams of 4 (2 male and 2 female or 1 male and 3 female) will compete in a series of events to test their lifeguard skills, strength, speed, endurance and their ability to work as a team. This is a friendly competition that encourages each guard to rise to challenges, practice their craft, learn from other guards and have fun.

Teen Canoe Trip
Aug 9-10 in Sauk City, WI
Cost: $55 per person or $26 per SRA participant
Registration deadline is August 28
Click here for registration information.

The Teen Canoe Trip is set on a 21-mile scenic stretch of the Wisconsin River northwest of Madison. On the first day, we will canoe approximately 12 miles and set-up camp along the river. The second day will consist of packing up and paddling the final 9-mile stretch.

A special schedule is planned for SRAs with a reduced fee!

Registration is first come-first served. There is an agency maximum of 10 participants including staff. The trip maximum is 150 participants.