FLORIDA INSTITUTE OF PARK PERSONNEL, INC.

A BRIEF HISTORY

A very lengthy and extensive search of all records available in relation to our organization has given us an interesting and factual history of Florida Institute of Park Personnel, Inc.  The following information is presented for the interest of the members, and to give in one place a capsulated history of the organization as a base on which more detailed information can be built.

Florida Institute of Park Personnel, Inc. is the offspring of basically the same organization that has been called by two (2) other names since its inception.

1947, January 19^th:  The Florida Institute of Park Executives was organized at a meeting held in the City Hall Council Chambers at Orlando, Florida.

The purpose of the organization was stated thus:  “The object of the institute shall be the gathering and dissemination of facts and information with reference to public parks, gardens, reservations and recreation, and to establish a friendly cooperation of all agents directing and controlling the same.”

The Preamble of the Constitution of the Florida Institute of Park Executives:  “That we, the Florida Institute of Park Executives, may better serve our people and engender a spirit of cooperation between all agencies relating to our common cause, that we may promote the establishment, the improvement, and the proper use of public parks, gardens, reservations, and recreation grounds; and that we may meet together at regular intervals to exchange ideas and study each other’s problems, for the individual betterment of ourselves and the general betterment of our service to our communities.”

The officers of this organization were President, Vice-President, Secretary-Treasurer and three (3) directors.

1949:  A committee composed of Nash Higgins, Lewis Scoggin, Milton Link and A. D. Barnes met with Dean Riley of the University of Florida at Clewiston, Florida to formulate the plans for an in-service program.

1949, September 20-23:  The F.I.P.E. was granted affiliation with the American Institute of Park Executives at the latter’s meeting held in Detroit, Michigan.  The application was presented by Milton Link, Superintendent of Parks, Miami Beach, who became our first President.

1950, May 16:  Dean Riley of the University of Florida had assigned Dr. Robert L. Fairing to assist with the educational needs of the Institute.  The first program was held on this date at Highlands Hammock State Park, and was called the “Florida Park and Recreation Training Institute Meeting.”  An educational program has been offered annually since that time.

1950:  The Annual Winter meeting of our organization began in St. Petersburg, and was called the “Mid-Winter Meeting.”

1954:  The 5^th Annual Park Short Course was held at O’Leno State Park and met there annually until 1977.

1955:  The “Florida Park and Recreation Training Institute Meeting” was renamed “The Park Short Course.”

1958, December 6:  A new constitution and By-laws were approved at the Mid-Winter Meeting and became effective on March 30, 1959 at the following Park Short Course.  One provision of the constitution changed the name of the organization to “Florida Association of Park Personnel.”  Affiliation with the American Institute of Park Executives, Inc. was continued.

1962:  A revision of the Association constitution and By-laws was adopted to implement five (5) operating Districts and a Chairman for each District.  The first District Chairmen were:  Bob Baylor, John Rogers, Jim Work, Harold Danforth and Jack McCormack.

1963, April 15-18:  An amendment to combine the offices of secretary and treasurer was made at the Park Short Course to be voted on by the membership at the Mid-Winter Meeting.

1963, November 7:  At the Mid-Winter Meeting, which was held in Tampa, the membership instructed the Executive Committee to adopt a completely new Charter and By-laws in order to incorporate the organization.

1964, February 11:  The new Charter changed the name of the organization to FLORIDA INSTITUTE OF PARK PERSONNEL, INC.  A certificate of incorporation was granted by the Secretary of State of the State of Florida.

1964, February 29: The new name and the new Charter were adopted by the Executive Committee at West Palm Beach, Florida.  It became effective on April 27, 1964 at the Park Short Course held at O’Leno State Park.

The new Charter lists the purpose of the organization as follows:

“The purpose for which this corporation is organized shall be to gather and disseminate facts and information with reference to public parks and recreation areas, facilities, and all correlative programs.”

“The further purpose for which this corporation is organized shall be to encourage the establishment, improvement, perpetuation, and proper use of parks toward a more expressive life for all people through recreation and engender a spirit of cooperation among all agencies related to our common and basic program.”

The officers of the corporation were:  President, President-Elect, Past President, Secretary, Treasurer, three (3) Directors, and five (5) District Chairmen.  All offices were two year terms except Directors, who were elected for three year overlapping terms.  (The Treasurer was an appointed position, anticipating the eventual hiring of an Executive Director, who would be named as the Treasurer.)

National affiliation for the F.I.P.P. was changed to the National Recreation and Park Association (which resulted from a merger of the American Institute of Park Personnel and the National Recreation Association) or “any national organization that becomes successor to the National Recreation and Park Association, and continues the same high purpose and objectives.”

All members in good standing of the Florida Association of Park Personnel on the date of incorporation, February 11, 1964 of Florida Institute of Park Personnel, Inc. became Charter Members of the Florida Institute of Park Personnel, Inc.

1964:  The fall meeting was held at Palm Beach and the name was changed from the “Mid-Winter Meeting” to the “Annual Meeting.”

1968:  At the Annual Meeting at Clearwater, Florida October 31, there were numerous amendments to the By-laws such as the classification of Fellow members and the title of President-Elect was to Changed to Vice-President, and the terms were changed to one year.

1976:  The parks magazine is named “Park People.”

1977, January 1-4:  Terms of office were changed back to two years, the Vice President again became the office of President-Elect, one district added making a new total of six districts.

1977, January 7^th:  The Executive Board voted to move the Short Course location to central Florida with newer and larger facilities.  The 28^th Annual Park Short Course was held thereafter at Wekiwa Springs State Park until 1981.

1980:  At the fall meeting in Homestead, the name of the “Annual Meeting” was changed to the “Annual Conference,” and a new “Statement of Purpose” was added.

1981:  the membership voted to have the Annual Park Short Course alternating every two years between O’Leno State Park and Wekiwa Springs State Park.

1988:  By-laws were amended to increase the number of districts to ten (10).

1994:  By-laws were amended to decrease the number of districts to nine (9).

1999, November 10^th:  Executive Board directed that there should be a Code of Ethics. The project was lead by Bob Perkins.  Existing State and National Codes were researched and compiled by Bob Rope.  All was taken and written up by Dick Jones.  The Code of Ethics was passed and adopted at the Fall Conference.