SDPRA Committee Assignment Descriptions

President — Person serving the Association for one year as the leader. All official communications will be done through this person. This person will write agendas for all quarterly board meetings and annual meeting. Also need to write the annual report and present at the annual meeting of the membership. Lead all meetings as president and set dates and locations for those meetings. Attend Regional Council meetings at the Midwest Region conference held in the spring and the NRPA Congress held in the fall. Vote on all issues relating to South Dakota on the regional and national level. Serve as the contact for federal and state legislation issues.

President-elect — Person serving on the board as an assistant to the President for a period of one year. Gaining knowledge of the organization and how the board meetings function and serve the President in making decisions. Gain information on each branch and committee function for the Association. Gain information on the budget process and communication to members.

Past-President — This person serves as an obvious resource for Board history, continuity and insight. They can also be used to facilitate special projects at the discretion of the Board.

Secretary/Treasurer — Take accurate notes and produce secretary report for the quarterly board meetings and the annual meeting held at the fall SDPRA conference. Store all past history correspondence and finances of the organization. Maintain the SDPRA budget by tracking all revenue and expenditures, pay all bills, and track all investments. Produce quarterly reports of year-to-date expenses/revenues with the help of a CPA. Project and develop with the president and president-elect the proposed budget presented and adopted at the annual meeting by the membership.

Member-At-Large - This is a two year elected term. During this term the Member-At-Large represents the members of SDPRA. He or she will attend board meetings and give their opinion on issues brought up in the meetings, along with introduce new issues. This person also has the ability to vote on motions brought up at the meetings. The Member-At-Large will assist in other duties or projects brought on or introduced from the board or a committee. The Member-At-Large is primarily a representative position that gives insight, direction, and assistance to the SDPRA.

Constitution/Legislation Committee - This committee prepares constitutional and by-law changes proposed by the board and insures that the proper procedures are followed in the constitution to bring proposed changes to the membership for a vote. Legislative duties of the committee include monitoring significant state and federal parks and recreation legislation, keeping the board informed on legislation that will affect SDPRA and its members and coordinate lobbying efforts sanctioned by the SDPRA board.

Membership Chairperson — Chairperson is responsible to provide accurate, up-to-date membership information via an annual membership directory, utilizing the separate-category format. Contact annual conference chairperson for list of attending members. Forward all information to the Communications Chairperson for publication on the website. Promote SDPRA membership benefits to members and non-members through news articles found on the website. Provide certain requested items, such as membership mailing labels, to related organizations (i.e. NRPA, conference chairperson) for communicating information to the membership. Provide an annual membership report for the annual meeting at the fall conference.

Certification/Registration Chairperson — Chairperson is responsible to the membership to inform them of changes in the NRPA National Certification Board policies and functions. Turn in annual report to the NCB for registration and to the SDPRA membership for information to remain certified or want to become certified in the profession of parks and recreation. Maintains the state plan with the NCB and acts with the State Professional Certification Board on applications for re-certification and new certifications. Sends out all notices for renewal of certifications and informs the membership of CEU credits available whether credits are state or nationally sponsored institutes, conferences and schools.

Awards Chairperson — Chairperson provides nomination information to the communications chairperson for publication and access for all awards and officer nominations. After receiving nominations from the membership, the committee of awards chairperson, president and past-president make the selection of award winners. Chairperson must then order plaques, do additional research, contact the nominating person to arrange for the presentation of the award, arrange for photos to be taken for use on the website and any press release information needing sent after the presentations. At the annual meeting, assist with the presentation of the nomination slate of officers and conducting the election of officers. Serve on the Midwest Region of NRPA as the awards liaison from South Dakota in making sure all state award winners are submitted for the regional awards.

Communications Chairperson — Chairperson is charged with the upkeep of the SDPRA.com website as the official communication tool for the membership. Look for articles and ways to further communication among the membership. Write, edit or research information pertinent to the membership. Solicits vendor participation on the website as a means of funding the website and other communication costs. Train others on the committee to be able to take over after chairperson steps down. Monitor the website for security problems or virus contamination.

Student Branch Chairperson — Chairperson is a student elected by all students in the branch to sit on the board and vote on issues. Student representative also assists the conference committee chairperson in presenting information of interest to students at the conference. Student representative is the liaison to the board for assistance on issues related to the educational levels offered at the University level and a way for the board to disseminate information about the profession.

Cemetery Branch Chairperson — Chairperson acts as liaison and contact person for cemeteries throughout the state; keeps cemeteries updated on reports and relays board and meeting information; promotes the branch and encourages membership; schedules tours and programs for the annual conference; and handles any concerns that may arise.

Activities Committee Chairperson - Chairperson acts as liaison and contact person for recreation departments throughout the state. The Activities Committee goal is to promote the SDPRA through activities and events around the state. Our main events are the Hershey Track and Field Games, Family Entertainment Tour, and currently working on the Healthy SD initiatives. Chair duties include communication to committee members and their communities regarding board meeting information, up to date information on issues that may affect them, promotes the branch, encourages membership, schedules committee meetings with tours and programs throughout the year.

Community Recreation Centers Chairperson - Chairperson act as liaison and contact person for all Recreation Centers through out the state and near by states who want to be part of SDPRA. The goal of the communities Recreation Centers is to promote yearly conferences, workshops, educational meetings, training and individual networking among our group. As a relatively new branch of SDPRA, we are still developing or goals for networking and educational programs. "We are committed to promoting and supporting SDPRA though membership and service on various committees.

Scholarships/Special Projects Chairperson - Chairperson acts as liaison and contact person for university/college park and recreation departments throughout the state. The chairperson’s goals are to inform students of SDPRA scholarship opportunities and assist in selecting the recipients of those scholarships available to them. The chair will also develop and/or assist in projects and scholarly activities related to park and recreation/leisure disciplines.