EYE ON THE PROFESSION
A CLOSER LOOK AT TRENDS AND ISSUES IN THE PARK AND RECREATION PROFESSION

Sometimes, the Price Isn't Right

William J. M. Wald IPRA Chief Executive Officer The Western Open relies upon the skilled volunteers IPRA provides and, frankly, we're a major part of the reason this nationally televised event is so successful.

Ever notice how we Americans tend to quantify everything we do, see or touch down to the nearest fraction?

When consumer prices rise, we cite bread and milk costs as benchmarks of escalation. In the film "21 Grams," viewers learn that the tide refers to the amount of weight each of us loses at the exact second of our death. And of course, each time a journalist attempts to explain the impact of a pending tax increase to homeowners, that figure is pared down to a number consumers can tie to the family budget.

Statistics. Figures. Percentages. Some as huge as the Enron debacle and others as small as the figure one actuary arrived at when he or she was calculating the exact worth of a volunteer based on today's wages. In case you're wondering, that figure is $16.54 an hour.

Volunteers steer our committees, spend countless hours on the phone trying to mobilise their colleagues and we won't even begin to calculate the number of times many of our volunteer leaders have crisscrossed the state to attend section and committee meetings.

In light of the Herculean amounts of weight a volunteer hoists when measured against the collective impact each one has on projects undertaken by organizations such as IPRA, the figure seems ludicrous. $16.54 is lunch. A good-sized dinner ham. These days, it's not even a movie, popcorn and a beverage - unless you're getting the senior rate and haven't super sized the snack order.

Think back to the volunteers you've counted on over the years to keep your agency running, your committees functioning and your professional life ticking along. Personally, I think the decimal point should be moved two places to the right.

Since its inception in 1944, IPRA has owed its very survival to its irreplaceable volunteer force and the importance of such an army can't ever be minimized. Volunteers steer our committees, spend countless hours on the phone trying to mobilize their colleagues and we won't even begin to calculate the number of times many of our volunteer leaders have crisscrossed the state to attend section and committee meetings.

They're a tireless lot, dialing when they can't physically appear in person and flooding cyberspace with e-mails to tie up the details.

That said, I must confess that vague references don't wash with me. Not putting names to the volunteers that buoy IPRA is like trying to explain how a wind chill factor will feel on your ears. So, let me put three faces on the landscape: George Bryant. Tracey Crawford. Dave Lambert.

If you attended the IPRA annual meeting on January 23rd, you saw the stunned look on George's, Tracey's and Dave's faces when our outgoing chair, Liz Kessler, tapped each for a 2003 IPRA Chairman's Award.

George was given kudos for his tireless work on IPRA's behalf in downstate Illinois, a region that's becoming more accessible as technology advances, but still faces a distance factor.

8 | Illinois Parks and Recreation

George was cited for his warm communication skills and the positive attitude he conveys regardless of the complexity of the issue.

George's colleague, the inimitable Tracey Crawford, was so stunned when her name was called she could barely rise to accept her award. It was given for the deep, heartfelt influence she has interjected over the years, tirelessly advocating on behalf of diversity, the disabled, the newly enfranchised Ethnic Minority Section and countless other issues.

Dave Lambert shook his head in disbelief when he was given the third Chairman's award. It's his style. Dave doesn't have the time or inclination to seek glory or recognition, but the energy he's given every committee and issue he's been involved with is remarkable.

If you know George, Tracey and Dave, you understand that this unstoppable trio share common characteristics that transcend distance, perspective and experience. Need someone to chair an effort? You don't have to ask, because they offer their help before you have the chance to make the request. Want someone loyal to spearhead an issue? It's likely they've already championed it and are ready to go to the mat for the cause. Seeking someone to mediate a situation that looks hopeless without a concentrated effort - an issue that will take time and energy to wade through? Call any of the three and you'll get the full measure of their hearts.

Volunteers like George, Tracey and Dave are, happily, in great supply in our industry. Frankly, I don't know how we got so lucky Team IPRA has survived social, fiscal and distance challenges that other associations might have found insurmountable. But because of volunteers like these three, the legacy of volunteerism hasn't just survived - it's thrived.

You're probably wondering why I'm waxing poetic about our volunteers (aside from the fact that George, Tracey and Dave deserve these sentiments and more) since my focus in this issue is supposed to be about golf. Well, I'm not without my ulterior motives here. Shamelessly using George, Tracey and Dave as examples of professional lives well lived, I'd like to enthusiastically pitch a volunteer effort many of you have experienced and some haven't: the Western Open. This annual golf tournament relies upon the skilled volunteers IPRA provides, and we're a major part of the reason this nationally televised event is so successful.

I won't kid you. It's hard work — and the weatherman usually gifts us with a healthy dose of sweltering heat. But it's an experience you'll share with other IPRA volunteers, and the memories you'll make are irreplaceable.

Have you volunteered your services for the 2004 Western Open? Planners have made our collective lives easier by scheduling the tournament early this year, so you needn't worry about your agency's 4th of July celebration. The Open launches on Monday, June 28th and by the time the fireworks are set to go off at your venue, this landmark tourney will be nothing but history.

Can I offer you a money-back guarantee that your $16.54 per hour will be returned if you're not satisfied? Not really. But come by the food tent at Cog Hill during the Open and I'll be glad to buy you lunch and tell you how fortunate IPRA is to have you as a volunteer.

March/April 2004 | 9