October 2018 - Parks & Recreation - 76

N R PA U P DAT E

Hot Topics
The NRPA Annual Conference wasn't the
only place buzzing with hot topics in the
field. NRPA Connect has more than 61,000
park and recreation professionals discussing the latest news. Take a sneak peek below of what is trending this month:
Memorial Plaques and Gardens - Agencies are often approached with requests for memorial plaques, benches and
trees in the park in dedication to loved
ones. What policies and procedures do
NRPA members currently have in place for
their memorial areas? One idea is an entire
garden dedicated as a memorial.
Professional Credentials - Did you
know that CPRP and CPRE are ranked
first and second as the most possessed
professional certifications offered by NRPA?
What do you think is keeping your colleagues
from earning a professional certification?
Share your experience with becoming a
certified professional or what is holding you
back from obtaining a certification.
Field Fees for Little Leagues - Do you
charge Little Leagues to use your municipal fields? Do you charge a light fee or just field
fees? Your colleagues are finding that their
Little Leagues are saying we are charging too
much for fields, so they would like to see what
is being done by other agencies.
Movie in the Park Screens - Movies
in the park are always a popular event
and a reoccurring hot topic among NRPA
members. One member is looking for recommendations for screen that are sturdy
but also easy to set up and take down.
What type of screens does your agency
use to host this popular event?
Have questions about using Connect or
getting started? Email Hayley Herzing at
hherzing@nrpa.org or visit https://
connect.nrpa.org/home to join the
conversation today!

Parks & Recreation

Save Hours of
Administrative
Time with ePACT

ny organization managing
youth recreation programs processes stacks of participant paperwork every year. With an average of
more than 20 minutes required per form
for distribution, photocopying, collecting, filing and following up on outstanding inquiries, managing paper costs organizations hundreds of hours each year.
ePACT's centralized, cloud-based system helps staff streamline registration
and information collection processes.
From a single dashboard, staff can easily
collect data from families, keep track of
submissions and outstanding items, and
easily remind parents to complete and
share their ePACT record, prior to the
start of programming.
Families now have a secure way to
share critical details, like health information and emergency contacts, and
only have to fill out their ePACT record
once before sharing it across registration for any program. With the ability
to keep information up to date in real
time, staff members can be confident
they have all the information they need
at their fingertips.
Overall, park and recreation agencies
across North America enjoy increased
administrative efficiencies by moving
paper forms to ePACT. Staff no longer
has to rely on manual systems to collect
critical information and can proactively manage that information for participants. ePACT helps organizations support their members in any emergency,
whether it's a flood at the community
center or a medical situation, making
ePACT a key part of your safety planning. To learn more visit www.nrpa.org/
epact/ or call 855.773.7228, ext. 3.

| O C T O B E R 2 0 1 8 | W W W. PA R K S A N D R E C R E AT I O N . O R G

ePACT saved us 20 hours
of administrative time
every week at each of
our eight branches! The
ability to easily track
submissions and send
reminders throughout
our busy camp season
was invaluable.
- Jennifer Lentz, Business
Manager, YMCA of Greater
Brandywine

NRPA members receive a discount on
ePACT's services. Don't miss ePACT's
free webinar, " Time Out! Let's Talk
About Sports Safety " (https://learning.
nrpa.org/products/time-out-lets-talkabout-sports-safety, Monday October 15,
where we uncover the impact your dayto-day processes have on the well-being
of your participants and common challenges that can impact safety in the event
of an emergency.

October 2018 - Parks & Recreation

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of October 2018 - Parks & Recreation