Southwest Service Area January Workshop

2015 VRPS Annual Conference Awards: Recognizing Excellence in 2014

2015 Annual Conference Photos

Enjoy these albums courtesy of Virginia Beach Parks & Recreation.  There's multiple pages - so scroll through!

VRPS 2015 Annual Conference

VRPS 2014 Awards, Presented at VRPS 2015 Annual Conference

Reston Funds Virginia Senior Games Athletes

Virginia Quit Day 2015

In preparation for Virginia Quit Day; the Virginia Department of Health's celebration of the Great American Smokeout, the resources below are provided to help support the launch of Countdown to Quit Day.  The Countdown begins October 20, and Virginia Quit Day is November 19.

Each day during the month leading up to Virginia Quit Day, a “quit tip” will be posted on the VDH Facebook page and sent out via the VDH Twitter account.

Please share the Facebook posts and retweet the tweets during the Countdown. Encourage your community partners to follow VDH on Facebook and Twitter and share our quit tips.

The VDH homepage (http://www.vdh.virginia.gov/) will also feature information about Virginia Quit Day and the Countdown, including a countdown clock and a downloadable pledge to quit tobacco.

Carowinds Great Pumpkin Fest

2016 Leadership Training Institute

Thank You Foundation of VRPS Members

NSA Workshop: Interpretation as a Management Tool

Thank you to our highly talented member pool!

2015 VRPS - ARG Virtual Lifeguard Games

VRPS/DCR Webinar Series #2: Ecotourism and Outdoor Recreation

VRPS Membership affords you many benefits, including the following:

Virginia Department of Conservation & Recreation:  Ecotourism and Outdoor Recreation Webinar Series

Part 1:  Wednesday, May 27, 2015, 11-11:45am:
Introduction & Trails - Janit Llewellyn Allen and Jennifer Wampler

Part 2:  Wednesday, June 17, 2015, 11-11:45am:
Scenic/Water Trails & Conclusion - Janit Llewellyn Allen and Lynn Crump

• This webinar series is FREE to VRPS members.  .1 CEUs are available for purchase - you must attend both webinars in their entirety to be eligible for CEUs.  Viewers will be prompted with 3 questions/webinar which must be submitted.  These answers, along with attendance reports, confirm attendance and thereby CEU eligibility.
• Attendees may view the webinar recordings if they are unavailable at the live presentation.  The same CEU requirements remain:  Answers to eligibility questions and viewing reports will be used as attendance confirmation.
• Learn more about the speakers at www.vrps.com/EducationEvents/Webinars (you must login to the VRPS website to view the information).
• Register at www.vrps.com - webinars are free, CEUs are available for purchase.

VRPS - April Update from the President

Friday, April 24, 2015

On behalf of the entire VRPS board, I am writing to thank you for your continued support and to share with you some of the activities of the first quarter of this year.

I have been your President for nearly four months now and have learned a tremendous amount regarding how members view VRPS, the great traditions and services we must maintain, some areas needing improvement, as well as the aspirations for VRPS’ future and the future of our profession. 

Based on this, professional experiences and my 16 years as a fellow VRPS member, I want to share with you some of the board’s initiatives for the upcoming months.

A couple of weeks ago, your Board of Directors came together for a day-long retreat. Here, we explored the best practices of non-profit boards and gained a great deal of insight into where we exceed standards, as well as identified some opportunities for improvement. Listed below are two of the areas where we will focus our efforts in the upcoming months:

1. Create greater transparency though increased communication

·         Board meeting packets available online, in addition to board meeting minutes

·         Communication from the President to the members following each board meeting

·         Annual budget available online

2. Build a strategic plan 

·         Engage members in the collection of feedback and input at multiple stages

·         Identify five strategic initiatives for VRPS in the plan

·         Establish a timeline to allow for sharing draft plan at VRPS Annual Business Meeting

Last month, you received the VRPS magazine and next month the President’s Newsletter will arrive in your inbox. Along with these electronic bulletins, which are full of great member initiatives and exciting VRPS information, your weekly E-update gives you a plethora of great up-to-date news. Please take the time to check out these resources. As members, these are our primary vehicles for sharing information with you.

Also, I feel it important to express the Board’s full support for our VRPS central office staff. Small, yet mighty may be the best way to describe the three-person staff who support our 1,100 members and the programs and events in which we are engaged. Jim Stutts, Executive Director, has been VRPS’ rock solid asset for over three decades, leading us fearlessly through innumerable challenges including the Board and Society restructuring, important legislative initiatives, and countless conference and workshop negotiations. The compliment of Nancy Turnage, Membership Director, and Lori Haislip, Administrative Assistant, brings a positive customer service experience and great organizational efficiencies to the office. This team serves us, the members each and every day, and I thank them for all that they do.

The diversity of our membership and the opportunities we share are the heart and soul of our organization!  From Senior Games to the theme park ticket sales program, from service area and resource group workshops to the statewide legislative platform, VRPS continues to be the foundation for our profession here in Virginia.

On behalf of the board, we look forward to keeping you up to date on these initiatives. Please don’t hesitate to provide your input on these areas or any other activities and services of VRPS. I invite you to come to a Board meeting or attend a service area meeting.

It is my distinct honor to serve you as your President. Please know how much the entire board and I value your continued support and commitment to VRPS.

Sincerely,

Marcy G. Durrer, MS CPRP

2015 VRPS Board President

Recreation Program Director

Hanover County Parks & Recreation

13017 Taylor Complex Lane

Ashland, VA 23005

804-365-4697

mgdurrer@hanovercounty.gov

2015 VRPS Board of Directors

Margaret Thorne, Vice President

LaTanya Turner, Treasurer

Rita Miller, Lay Member

Michael Kalvort, CPRE

Katey Legg, CPRP

Aaron Reidmiller, CPRP

Blythe Russian

Bill Sgrinia

Kim Turner, CTRS

Jim Stutts, CAE, CPRP, Executive Director

E-Update

The VRPS E-Update is the weekly electronic newsletter that is published each week and informs members of Society business.

Looking for a summary of submitting article blocks for Eupdate?  Below is what was provided in information packets for 2015 VRPS Leadership Orientation.

James K. Cole Scholarship

Developed in memory of James K. Cole, a Parks and Recreation Professional from the City of Virginia Beach, who was dedicated to the profession.  As a memorial to his life's work, an academic scholarship was established in his name.

The Foundation for the Virginia Recreation and Park Society is receiving scholarship applications through COB June 1, 2015.

Scholarship Purpose:

Designed to assist junior, senior and graduate students majoring in the Leisure Service field who can demonstrate a need for financial assistance.

Scholarship Award:

$1500 towards the cost of undergraduate or graduate education.

Scholarship Eligibility Requirements:

• Must have a current grade point average of at least 3.0.
• Must be have achieved sophomore or junior status at time of application or be a graduate student.
• Must be pursuing a major in the Leisure Service Field.
• Must be a resident of the Commonwealth of Virginia at the time of application.
• Must, through follow-up documentation, demonstrate financial need.

Criteria for Selection:

• Past course work in leisure service field.
• Financial need.
• Volunteerism and professional involvement.
• Quality of reference.

Scholarship Deadline:

All applications must be submitted before close of business on June 1, 2015.

The Foundation of the Virginia Recreation and Park Society, a 501(c)3 organization, operates exclusively for the benefit of, and to carry out the purposes for, the leisure movement in Virginia, by: promoting and improving leisure opportunities and amenities in Virginia; furthering the course of research and development in all areas of leisure in Virginia; providing scholarships on a non-discriminatory basis to worthy students and professionals in the parks, recreation and leisure services profession or related field; and promoting leisure awareness among the general public of Virginia.

The Foundation:

• Informs the public on critical concerns affecting parks and recreation.
• Educates the public as to the benefits of healthy leisure pursuits.
• Educates the public as to the importance of proper use and preservation of our natural resources.
• Supports students in an accredited park and recreation curriculum through a continuing scholarship program.
• Provides professional scholarships to practitioners in the field of parks and recreation through appropriate scholarships and grants.

2015 Management Conference: Early Bird Deadline Extended!