IAPD highlites By Dr. Theodore B. Flickinger Executive Director

Mark your calendars now for the upcoming 4th Annual IAPD Legislative Conference & Reception to be held on April 21, 1982 at the Springfield Hilton Hotel. The Legislative Conference is designed to provide you with first-hand, up-to-date information on the Association's Legislative Advocacy Program. We need a great turn out to show our legislators we care.

A special visitor well-versed in Washington politics will be our luncheon speaker for the day. He is a real Washington "insider". Our speaker is known to be very close to high level political figures and is well qualified to give an assessment of the Washington scene, as well as some good insight into parks and recreation. The identity of this gentleman will surely surprise everyone in attendance.

We would like to have a park district represented for every legislative district in the State of Illinois. If attendance is based on last year over 65% of the Senators and nearly 50% of the Representatives attended the IAPD Legislative Reception. Let's put our best foot forward and show up to meet with our legislators at the Reception. You might also want to schedule dinner with your favorite legislator to follow the IAPD Reception. You should contact his/her offices as soon as possible and confirm their attendance at the Reception and, if you desire, make reservations for dinner that evening.

The 16th Annual Commissioner/Board Member Educational Seminar (spouses encouraged to attend) will be held in Peoria, Illinois beginning on Friday evening, May 21, 1982, with a riverboat excursion down the beautiful Illinois River on the Julia Belle Swain, one of the few steamboats operating in Illinois. Educational sessions will begin on Saturday morning. May 22, 1982, at 9:00 a.m. at the Ramada Inn, including luncheon, and conclude at 4:00 p.m. with a tour of the Wildlife Prairie Park. The evening program features a pig roast and square dance at the Ravina Lake Resort.

For additional information and registration contact the IAPD offices.

Dues Check-off Program Off to Great Start

We are happy to announce that the outstanding park districts of Illinois are offering their support for the legislative program by endorsing the voluntary dues checkoff project. As Don Brown wrote in a letter to the IAPD, "Skokie Park District is proud to be a part of the strongest park and recreation system in the country and are most pleased to be able to provide continued support for our state Association." Ralph Cianchetti, President of the Park District of Highland Park in offering their support of the dues check-off wrote, "On behalf of our board we wish to express our appreciation to you and your staff for the fine work you are doing on behalf of park districts in Illinois."

A proposal has been submitted to the Board of Directors of the IAPD to designate these funds for the purchase of a computer to plug into the Legislative Information Service offered by the State of Illinois. We will also be able to make quick references to our legislative districts and park districts and develop a statistical program identifying the type and number of resources available for the park and recreation movement in Illinois.

Won't you help us in our effort to improve the IAPD services and the legislative program?

Illinois Parks and Recreation    19    MarchlApril 1982