Greetings!

Message from the Executive Director

Dear Members,
The time period since the beginning of May 2007 has been extremely busy with a wide variety of activities as well as some unanticipated crises like the one with Key 93. We seem to have survived, and I'm looking forward to smoother sailing through the remainder of this fiscal year.

While we have continued to issue WebNews announcements often, the full Update Newsletter has been absent due to these other demands. It is has now returned and gives me a chance to bring you up to date on various Society activities.

With an enjoyable ceremony and luncheon, The Fred and Ann Coombs Library was officially dedicated on May 15th as part of the PRPS Headquarters to honor one of most esteemed members and his wife as well as to establish the education and learning center in the building. The dedication was followed up with an announcement in the local Town and Gown publication, and copies are available for review in the Library.

Also, in May the Pennsylvania Recreation and Park Society Endowment Fund was permanently established within the Centre County Community Foundation when we reached the $25,000 goal.

In late June and early July, in partnership with a coalition of other conservation organizations, PRPS was played a key role in protecting the Keystone Recreation, Park and Conservation Fund (Key 93) from an effort to divert up to $40 million annually from the primary funding program available to recreation and park agencies, state parks and forests, land trusts, libraries, and historic and museum facilities in Pennsylvania. The effort continued as the PA General Assembly returned to Harrisburg in late September, but to our pleasant surprise, there seems to be agreement among the parties concerned not to continue the effort to raid the Keystone Fund for HSCA. We are remaining vigilant, and will work with DCNR to continue to educate legislators about the Keystone Fund.

As you may recall, our first Youth Sports Summit was held in January 2007 and the next is scheduled for January 2008 in State College, PA. Through the hard work of our Youth Sports Task Force lead by Kim Woodward and Doug Lowery, we have completed the PA Youth Sports Tool Kit with 2000 copies on CD now in the distribution pipeline. A complementary effort to pass stronger background check legislation in PA is also underway.

I also want to report that Doug Lowery, an Army reservist, will be absent from PA for the next 14 months or so while doing a tour of duty in Iraq. He joins Kathy Brill as PRPS members that we know of who are serving in Iraq.

The latest in our series of technical assistance publications in partnership with the PA Department of Conservation and Natural Resources is "Creating Sustainable Community Parks" which provides the latest information on park management utilizing more environmentally friendly approaches with more native plants, reduced mowing, and the like. The 80 page, color handbook is free to communities and organizations in Pennsylvania. Next in line for printing is the recreation programming handbook.

So far in 2007, we've held several very successful multi-day conferences. In March, we had the 2007 PRPS Annual Conference in Hershey with over 800 attendees, our second largest, and in May we held the 3rd Annual Greenways and Trails Summit in Greensburg with 220 attendees, the largest for that event.

In June we held the 39th Annual PA Therapeutic Recreation Institute with approximately 230 attendees, a respectable number for that event; and achieved our budget net revenue goal of $11,000 for the first time in many years! We look forward to more of the same in 2008.

In September, we coordinated the first ever Pennsylvania Wilds Conference in Williamsport for about 280 attendees. The last conference was an interesting opportunity to work with both DCNR and our PA Department of Community & Economic Development on a recreation and tourism based initiative in northcentral Pennsylvania.

The Fall Mini-Conference scheduled for October 15- 16, 2007 at Grantville is being completed as this message is prepared with good attendance in all sessions.

Upcoming in November 2007 is our Fourth Annual Urban Recreation Institute for which the registration guide may be found on our PRPS website, www.prps.org.

Pennsylvania held a Governor's Conference on the Outdoors in March 2007 with a series of follow-up regional meetings. I'm on the Governor's Task Force that is preparing the recommendations for state action on this hot topic. The report is anticipated in early 2008.

We had our annual audit visit on September 27th from the staff of Goldberg & Balthaser. Much work remains until we receive the final figures for 2006-2007, but we appear to be in the black by about $17,000 for that year. Thanks to all of our members who contribute to conferences, workshops, ticket sales and other efforts that help us to stay financially healthy.

The old 1997 PRPS van, the infamous "Red Tomato", is gone and was replaced in early October by 2007 Dodge Grand Caravan, also red in color.

I completed the agreement with the Valley Forge Convention Center for the 2011 PRPS Annual State Conference for March 18-23, 2011.

We are continuing the landscaping efforts for the PRPS Office grounds with assistance from Kurt Uhler, John Mikowychok and other members of the Park Resource Branch. We have planted 25 of the 33 new trees required by Ferguson Township and most are surviving despite the very dry summer. The next field day at the PRPS Office scheduled by the Park Resource Branch is Friday, October 26th. Others are invited to join us at the office on the 26th. Let us know if you plan to be there, and bring your work gloves!

The next Membership Directory is at the printer thanks to the efforts of Emily and Kim.

I was fortunate to receive the Gary W. McQuaide Memorial Award at the annual Hershey's Track and Field Games Program National Banquet in early August on behalf of PRPS and the members and staff who have supported the Hershey's Program for the past 30 years particularly Tracy Robert, Larry Best, Darrell Lovelette, Helen Griffith, Gene Eubert, Bob Ayer, Jeff and Carmen Williams, Tonya Brown, and the many others who volunteer for our very enjoyable State Meet. Steve and Sue Landes also lent their support at the banquet.

There will be a new NRPA National Recreation & Parks Leadership School beginning in August 2008 at Ogelbay Park, West Virginai, which is focused on developing better recreation and park directors. It will be a two- year school like Maintenance Management and others. PRPS will be the agent to offer a limited number of scholarships to the school for directors in PA agencies in western Pennsylvania which are funded by Pittsburgh based foundations through the Ogelbay Foundation. More information will be forthcoming this fall.

The PRPS Fall Membership Meeting is coming soon on Wednesday, November 14, 2007 at the Harrisburg East Holiday Inn. I hope to see you there!

Best regards,