An association is only as good as the members who make it work. In the column next to my report please find a list of the IPRA Board members who are responsible for the 1981 operation of IPRA. These people are your representatives. You should feel free to contact them with your ideas, comments, and complaints.

Board meetings are open to all members. The following is a list of upcoming meetings: Jan. 20, 1981— Park Forest; Feb. 20, 1981—Palatine; March 16, 1981—Urbana; April 7,. 1981—Springfield (Happening); May 13, 1981—Elmhurst; June 10,1981— Palatine. If you wish to attend call IPRA office for exact locations, times and confirmation of the date.

Board minutes are sent to the directors of all local agencies in the state and they are asked to circulate them to their staff. Please check your agency to see if you are receiving them. IPRA is your professional association and you should take it upon yourself to become interested and informed as to what is going on.

The Board at their November meeting approved the hiring of an additional staff person for the IPRA office. It is hoped that by February 1, IPRA will have a membership service director to handle services, public relations, and additional fund raising.

Some exciting IPRA and section activities/projects to look for in 1981 are: a new commercial, a membership directory, a cultural arts manual, a salary survey, joint purchasing, research on the work force and more management training to name just a few. One of the big dates to mark on your calendar is the Happening 81. It will be held April 5-7 in Springfield. The committee will combine management workshops, educational sessions, stress management training, and information on the legislative process with a full range of social and recreational activities. We hope to see you there, so mark your calendar today.

All professional members received a notice from the Admissions and Standards Committee to complete their Continuing Education forms and return them to the IPRA office. Since this is one of the requirements of professional membership, anyone who does not return the form or who does not attain the 7 CEP's will be placed on probation for one year.

Over 75% of the membership has paid their 1981 dues. If we have not received this payment by mid January, the member will be deleted from our roster. It is important to pay dues as soon as possible since we have begun to prepare the 1981 membership directory. In January, all paid members will receive a verification sheet of the data we have on file for them. You are asked to return the form correcting all the necessary information. We hope to make the directory as accurate as possible and are counting on your assistance.

The leisure problem is fundamental. Having to decide what we shall do with our leisure is inevitably forcing us to re-examine the purpose of human existence, and to ask what fulfillment really means. . . .

Julian Huxley

Illinois Parks and Recreation 25 January/February 1981