3 minute read
The Association Report
Dustin Jordan Jim Headley
by Dustin Jordan, SCRPA President & Jim Headley, SCRPA Executive Director
Strength Through Partnerships
We hope your spring programs went well and the beginning of the summer months are already well planned and going smoothly. I know it may seem tireless, and sometimes even monotonous, but the trainings each of you go through/put on for your summer day camps and water parks/pools are extremely vital in preparing for a safe and fun summer. The Association continues to put into place the plans we made at the start of the year. Our branches have delivered some outstanding education sessions already. The Parks Maintenance Institute and The Programming Summit continue to build upon their post Covid momentum, with training opportunities specific to the interests of their branch members. The Executive Level Management Branch hosted the 31st Annual Southern Leisure Management and Trends Institute. We devoted a great deal of time to workforce development and hopefully most walked away with ideas to curb some of the pressures of recruitment and retention. This year, our Sports Management Institute will be held in Rock Hill at the Sports and Event Center, on December 8th & 9th. At the board retreat, we outlined our goals and made sure the calendar was filled with many professional development opportunities. Three of our four districts have held trainings geared for the front-line staff and have seen some good success! Inside the pages of this issue, you’ll find inspiring highlights of how our members are working together with peers and community organizations to help the greater good. Each of us is challenged with this everyday in our jobs. In our world of public parks and recreation we all must partner in order to provide services for our citizens. SCRPA is no different. SCRPA has formed numerous partnerships with many organizations, state agencies, and groups in order to help promote each of you and our profession. A new partnership that is still in its infancy is the SC Trails Coalition. While nothing tangible has been laid out, the concept and purpose are beginning to come together. South Carolina needs an overall trails master plan. For this purpose, trails also include walking paths. Many of you may recall that when SCRPA rebuilt the www.sctrails. net website we purposefully included walking paths. While not initially embraced by the trails community, it is an excellent resource for the general public, especially those looking for a less strenuous outdoor exercise option. SCRPA is one of five Trails Coalition partners. The others are SC Palmetto Trail, Palmetto Cycling Coalition, Kids in Parks and SC PRT. The website will soon be hosted by The Palmetto Trail and the Palmetto Conservation Foundation. Due in part to grant funding, when finished, the site will feature a statewide trail map, as well as an overlay of what each agency has planned for future trails and walking paths in their regions. The purpose would be two-fold. One, we want the general public to know where great trails/walking paths are located. Two, we want each of you to realize what could be and is going on near you. We hope this will bring more connectively across city and county lines where it’s feasible. Please stay tuned as we continue to nurture this partnership. Please be on the outlook for our 77th Annual Conference on Hilton Head Island! We have some really exciting things planned for you and some great sessions scheduled. We continue to be thankful for everyone’s contributions to the association and look forward to keeping 2022 going strong!
Be Seen!
UPCOMING SCRPA MAGAZINE DEADLINES
Fall 2022 Issue - Deadline: June 18, 2022 (Issue includes Member Directory & Buyer’s Guide)
Winter 2022 Issue - Deadline: September 15, 2022
Spring 2023 Issue - Deadline: January 15, 2023 Summer 2023 Issue - Deadline: April 13, 2023
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