BYLAWS
INDIANA PARK AND RECREATION ASSOCIATION, INC.
Amended and Adopted November 13, 2025
ARTICLE I: IDENTIFICATION
The name of this organization shall be the Indiana Park and Recreation Association, Incorporated, herein referred to as the “Association” or “IPRA”. IPRA is an affiliate of the National Recreation and Park Association, herein referred to as “NRPA”. The Association is a nonprofit organization, designated as 501(c)(3), composed of park and recreation professionals, concerned citizens, individuals, groups and industry related corporate members.
ARTICLE II: MISSION AND VISION
Section 1: Vision Statement: The IPRA is the premier source of support and advancement for parks and recreation providers.
Section 2: Mission Statement: The IPRA advances healthy life styles and environmental stewardship by providing education, professional development, resources and advocacy.
ARTICLE III: STRATEGIES AND GOALS OF THE ASSOCIATION
Section 1: Promote the values of parks and recreation to a larger audience.
Section 2: Focus on legislative monitoring as a primary benefit for IPRA member agencies.
Section 3: Provide training and education opportunities with measurable outcomes.
Section 4: Maintain an effective organization structure and efficient operations.
Section 5: Actively market member benefits for the purposes of new member recruitment and retention of existing members.
ARTICLE IV: MEMBERSHIP
Section 1: Membership in the Association shall be open to those individuals or groups, who are willing to uphold the mission, vision, goals, subscribe to the Bylaws and are eligible through one of the following classifications of membership.
Section 2: All membership classifications shall have the right to vote on (a) the election of the Board; (b) any amendments of the Articles of Incorporation (“Articles”) or these Bylaws that substantively affect their rights; and (c) any other issues as required by state or federal law.
Section 3: Membership fees, benefits and privileges for each membership opportunity shall be determined by the Board (see Article VI). The Board shall not increase membership fees more than twenty-five percent (25%) per year.
Section 4: The Association shall maintain a Roll of Members including, at minimum, the name, address, phone number, e-mail address, and number of votes each Member is entitled to cast at the meetings. The Association shall also maintain a current list of Members entitled to vote, but not entitled to notice, if any. The Roll of Members shall be updated the same day the notice for a meeting is provided to the Members, which shall be the Record Date after which any Members that may be added to the Roll of Members are not entitled to notice.
Section 5: Membership Classifications – Individual Opportunities. Individuals are entitled to one vote.
a. Professional – provided to any person who currently is employed full-time in administrative, leadership or education services in the park and recreation profession, or to any person employed in a related professional field.
b. Elected/Appointed Official – provided to any person who serves in an elected or appointed position.
c. Associate – provided to any person who is currently employed or volunteers on a full-time basis in supportive services or to any person interested in supporting the park and recreation movement but not eligible to hold any other type of membership.
d. Student – provided to any person enrolled in a park and recreation program or related field as a student on a full-time or part-time basis.
e. Emeritus Professional – provided to any person who previously held a Professional, Elected/Appointed Official or Associate membership in IPRA and has left the field due to retirement.
f. Distinguished Life Membership – permanent membership status provided to persons who are chosen to receive the annual award for their outstanding contributions to the park and recreation movement in the State of Indiana.
Section 6: Membership Classifications – Group Opportunities (“Group Members”). Agency Members are entitled to two votes and shall appoint two representatives to vote on behalf of the Member. Corporate and Organizational Members are entitled to one vote and shall appoint one representative to vote on behalf of the Member.
a. Agency – provided to a park and recreation group publicly active in the delivery of leisure services and having either professional, elected/appointed officials and associates listed among its staff, employees, volunteers and Boards or Commissions.
b. Corporate – provided to businesses, industries or corporate entities interested in supporting the mission, vision, goals and wishing to establish a business relationship with the Association.
c. Organizational – provided to academic institutions, military installations, hospitals, foundations, nonprofit entities and other organizations providing park and recreation services not covered under other membership classifications.
Section 7: Resignation from Membership. Any Member may resign at any time by giving written notice of such resignation to the Board. The acceptance of a resignation shall not be necessary to make it effective.
Removal from Membership.
a. Any member may be removed as a Member for cause, including, but not limited to, the failure to fulfill all of the requirements to be Member, failure to pay all Membership dues, and committing one or more actions that damage or jeopardize the Association. Removal shall require a majority vote of the Directors at a regular or special meeting of the Board called for the purpose of removing such Member.
b. Written notice of the meeting of the Board at which removal will be considered must be given to the Member not less than fifteen (15) days prior and must include the reasons for such removal. If written notice is provided by mail, then such shall be provided by first class or certified mail sent to the last address of the Member shown on the Association’s records.
c. The Member shall be provided with an opportunity to be heard by the Board, orally or in writing, not less than five (5) days before the effective date of the removal.
Effect of Resignation or Removal. If a Member resigns or is removed pursuant to Art. II, Sections 5 or 6 above, then such Member shall return to the Association any and all means of Member identification in such Member’s possession and such Member is not entitled to a reimbursement of their Membership dues.
Section 8: Meeting of the Members.
a. An annual meeting of the Members shall be held each year within the State of Indiana or elsewhere at such dates and times as designated by the President. The Annual Meeting can be part of an Annual Conference.
b. Special meetings of the Members may be called by the President, by the Board, or by ten percent (10%) of the Members.
c. At any meeting of the Members, a quorum shall consist of at least five percent (5%) of the Members in good standing in person or by proxy and, except as provided in Art. VII, the affirmative vote of the majority of the Members present or represented by proxy shall be necessary to pass any Member vote.
d. Annual or special meetings of the Members shall be called to order and presided over by the President, the Vice President, if the President is absent, or any other Principal Officer, if the President and Vice President are absent.
e. All meetings of the Members shall be telephonic, in person, or via other user-identified means (webcams, digital uplinks, e-mail, etc.).
f. If notice is sent by means other than first class mail, notice shall be sent not less than thirty (30) days and not more than sixty (60) days prior to the meeting. If notice is sent by first class mail, it shall be sent not less than ten (10) days prior to the meeting.
Section 9: Action by Written Consent. Members may take an action without a meeting if eighty (80) percent of the Members agree to take such action and such action is signed, dated, and delivered to the Board.
Action by Written Ballot.
a. Any action that may be taken at a regular or special meeting of Members may be taken without a meeting if the Association delivers a written ballot to every Member entitled to vote on the matter.
b. Such written ballot shall set forth each proposed action and provide an opportunity to vote for or against each proposed action.
c. Approval by written ballot shall be valid only when the number of votes cast by ballot equals or exceeds the quorum required to be present at a meeting for such action, and the number of approvals equals or exceeds the number required to take such action.
d. A solicitation for votes by written ballot shall include all of the following: (a) the number of responses needed to meet the quorum requirements; (b) the percentage of approvals necessary to approve each matter other than election of directors; and (c) the time by which a ballot must be received by the Association in order to be counted.
ARTICLE V: APPLICATION FOR MEMBERSHIP
Section 1: Membership applications shall be submitted to the Association office with the appropriate dues. The type of membership shall be selected by the applicant and shall be approved by the Association office as prescribed by Article IV.
Section 2: Membership and services shall be on the fiscal-year basis of the Association. Any changes in dues schedules will require approval by the Board.
ARTICLE VI: BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Section 1: The Board of Directors, previously and herein referred to as the “Board” of the Association shall consist of the President, President-Elect, Past President, Secretary/Treasurer, two (2) representatives from each District and the Representative from each Interest Section, up to two (2) Corporate Member representatives, one (1) Elected/Appointed Official member, one (1) Young Professional member, and the Executive Director (ex-officio) (collectively, “Directors”). At no point shall more than two (2) park professionals who are both employed by the same employer serve on the Board at the same time.
The Board, as prescribed above, shall be elected or appointed annually.
Section 2: The Board shall be the governing body of the Association with the power to carry out the mission, vision, strategies and goals of the Association.
Section 3: All Directors are required to be voting Members in the Association.
Section 4: The President of the Association shall act as the presiding officer of the Board and shall be elected for a one (1) year term with a two (2) consecutive term limit.
Section 5: The President-Elect shall function as the Vice-President of the Board, shall be elected for a one (1) year term with a two (2) consecutive term limit and be the single nomination for President of the Association the following year.
Section 6: The Secretary/Treasurer shall be elected for a one (1) year term with a two (2) consecutive term limit.
Section 7: In the event there is a vacancy for the office of President and no President-Elect available to fill the office, the Board shall hold a special meeting and elect, by a majority vote, an acting President to fill the President’s unexpired term, as well as elect, by majority vote, a new President-Elect to fill the unexpired term of that office.
Section 8: The office of Past President shall be filled by the President of the Association at the end the President’s term.
Section 9: Two (2) representatives from each District, and the representative of each Interest Section shall serve on the Board for a one (1) year term with a two (2) consecutive term limit.
Section 10: Up to two (2) individuals affiliated with a Corporate Member shall be elected by the Association membership, to serve on the Board for a two (2) year term with a two (2) consecutive term limit and shall hold a corporate membership status.
Section 11: One (1) elected/appointed official may be elected by the Association membership, to serve on the Board for a two (2) year term with a two (2) consecutive term limit and shall hold an elected/appointed official membership status.
Section 12: One (1) Young Professional representative shall be elected by the Association membership, to serve on the Board for a two (2) year term with a two (2) consecutive term limit who shall hold a current membership status and be age 35 or younger.
Section 13: Regular meetings of the Board shall be held at least four (4) times each year. Special meetings of the Board may be called by the President of the Association or by written request of a quorum of Directors upon two (2) days’ notice. All meetings of the Board shall be in person, telephonic, or via other user-identified means (webcams, digital uplinks, etc.) whereby all Directors may simultaneously hear each other during the meeting.
Section 14: Any action required or permitted to be taken at any meeting of the Board may be taken without a meeting if a written consent describing the action is signed by each Director and the written consent is included in the minutes or filed with the corporate records. The Board may adopt procedures to allow Directors to sign a written consent by electronic means. Action taken under this section is effective when the last Director signs the consent unless the consent specifies a prior or subsequent effective date.
Section 15: Any vacancies on the Board shall be filled by a representative of the constituency that the vacancy represents and is appointed by the President, or otherwise filled by the Board until the next Member vote if, required.
Section 16: Directors shall not be absent from more than two (2) regular meetings per year. Said absenteeism may cause the Board to declare the seat vacant to be filled as stated above.
Section 17: The Board shall make an annual report to the Association either orally or in writing.
ARTICLE VII: EXECUTIVE AND BOARD ADVISORY COMMITTEES
Section 1: There shall be an Executive Committee of the Board consisting of the President, President-Elect, Past President, Secretary, Treasurer, and Executive Director (ex-officio). They shall have the authority to act on behalf of the Board between regularly scheduled meetings. The full Board shall be notified of any actions taken by the Executive Committee within 7 days. As the Indiana Park & Recreation Association was formed to support park professionals and promote leadership in the parks field, service as an officer on the Executive Committee is reserved for park professionals employed by a public park department.
Section 2: At the discretion of the President, there may be a Board Advisory Committee consisting of the President, President-Elect, Past President, Secretary, Treasurer, the Executive Director (ex-officio), and one to four (1-4) members of the Association appointed by the President, approved by the Board at its first meeting of the year.
Section 3: The President of the Association shall act as the Chair of the Executive Committee and Board Advisory Committee.
Section 4: Meetings of the Executive Committee and Board Advisory Committee shall be at the call of the President of the Association.
Section 5: Any vacancies of the Executive Committee shall be filled by a majority vote of the Board.
Section 6:
It shall be the duty of the Executive Committee to carry out the policies, mission, vision, strategies and goals of the Association, and to conduct official action with limits as prescribed by these Bylaws.
Section 7: The Executive Committee shall make recommendations regarding Board actions required.
ARTICLE VIII: EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, OFFICE STAFF AND DUTIES
Section 1: The Board may hire an Executive Director to serve the Association and Board without the right to vote on Board Actions.
Section 2: Duties and compensation of the Executive Director shall be set by the Personnel Committee and reviewed on an annual basis.
Section 3: The Executive Director shall select appropriate staff to perform duties as assigned by the Association and Board.
Section 4: The Executive Director shall represent the Association on the NRPA Council of Executive Directors.
ARTICLE IX: DISTRICTS
Section 1: The State of Indiana shall be divided into two (2) Districts.
a. Northern District shall consist of the counties north of and including the counties of Fountain, Montgomery, Boone, Hamilton, Madison, Delaware, and Randolph. A total of forty-two (42) counties.
b. Southern District shall consist of the counties south of and including Vermillion, Parke, Putnam, Hendricks, Marion, Hancock, Henry, Wayne. A total fifty (50) counties.
Section 2: Districts representatives shall be responsible for serving on the IPRA Professional Development Committee to plan the calendar and events for the dissemination of information and education of the IPRA membership. The Association shall provide appropriate resources and staff if available to assist with this responsibility.
Section 3: Duties of District Representatives shall be to represent their respective District, foster goodwill, provide assistance to their constituency, promote the recruitment of new members, serve as a liaison between the Board and the District, express views and present needs of the District to the Board for appropriate action, distribute and disseminate information and policies of the Board to the District membership.
Section 4: Districts may hold an Annual Meeting. The District Annual Meetings may be scheduled at the Association annual conference.
Section 5: The Board may disband a District or restructure the Districts by majority vote of the Board.
ARTICLE X: INTEREST SECTIONS
Section 1: Interest Sections may be established by a group of Association members that number twenty-five (25) or more having a common interest or affiliation. A group of twenty-five (25) members shall petition the Board through the Membership Committee. A 2/3 vote is required to install an Interest Section based on the recommendation of the Membership Committee.
Section 2: Current Interest Sections Include:
a. Aquatics
b. Natural Resources, Trails and Greenways
c. Recreation and Programming
Section 3: Interest Sections shall be responsible for serving on the IPRA Professional Development Committee to plan the calendar and events for the dissemination of information and education of the IPRA membership. The Association shall provide appropriate resources and staff if available to assist with this responsibility.
Section 4: Duties of section Representatives shall be to represent their respective Interest Sections, foster goodwill, provide assistance to their membership, promote the recruitment of new members, serve as a liaison between the Board and the section, express views and present needs of the section to the Board for appropriate action, distribute and disseminate information and policies of the Board to the section membership.
Section 5: Interest Sections may hold an Annual Meeting. The Interest Section Annual Meetings may be scheduled at the Association annual conference.
Section 6: The Board may disband an Interest Sections by majority vote of the Board.
ARTICLE XI: STANDING COMMITTEES
Section 1: The Standing Committees of the Association shall be Executive, Conference, Advocacy, Professional Development, Membership, Personnel and Young Professionals.
a. The President of the Association shall serve as the Chair of the Executive Committee as prescribed in Article VII.
b. The Past President of the Association shall chair the Personnel Committee. The Committee consist of the President, President-Elect, Secretary, Treasurer and Past President of the Association, and any other member/s appointed by the President.
c. The President of the Association shall appoint the Chair of the Advocacy Committee, Conference Committee, Professional Development Committee, Membership Committee and the Young Professionals Committee.
Section 2: A Standing Committee Chair may establish a sub-committee to carry out its functions.
Section 3: The President of the Association and Executive Director are ad hoc members of all Standing Committees.
ARTICLE XII: SPECIAL APPOINTMENTS AND/OR COMMITTEES
Section 1: Additional special appointments and/or committees deemed necessary in the interest of the Association may be appointed by the President of the Association with the approval by the Board. All special appointments and/or committees shall be for a prescribed purpose and pre-designated timeframe.
ARTICLE XIII: ELECTION PROCEDURES
Section 1: The Association shall conclude elections no later than July 15st of each year.
Section 2: The President of the Association, in conjunction the Executive Director and Association staff, shall determine each year the distribution methods and media used for elections.
Section 3: The election process shall consist of making ballots available to all Association members with voting privileges. If electronic ballots are used, members who do not have access to electronic ballots can request that paper ballots be mailed to them.
Section 4: The nominee receiving the highest number of votes for each position shall be declared elected. In a case of a tie the Board will decide the winner by a majority vote.
Section 5: The Executive Director shall confirm the results by August 1st of each year to the President of the Association in a written report. The Executive Director shall notify in writing those on the ballot of their election or non-election to the position they are seeking. The Executive Director of the Association shall announce the results of the elections to the membership as soon as all nominees have been contacted
Section 6: Nominations will be accepted for the following positions: President-Elect of the Association, Secretary, Treasurer of the Association, representatives of the Districts, Interest Sections, and when the term is due the Corporate Representative, the Elected/Appointed Official, and the Young Professional. Positions for which there are no nominations will be filled by appointment by President of the Association, to be approved by the Board.
ARTICLE XIV: MEETING QUORUMS
Section 1: Quorum for the meetings of the Association shall be as follows:
a. Board – majority of the Directors
b. Executive Committee – majority of the Executive Committee members
ARTICLE XV: ASSOCIATION FISCAL YEAR
Section 1: The fiscal year of the Association shall be from January 1 to December 31 of each year.
ARTICLE XVI: BYLAW AMENDMENTS
Section 1: These Bylaws may be amended, by a two-thirds (2/3) vote of the Board, at any duly called meeting of the Board, subject to Membership approval if required.
Section 2: The Executive committee shall review the Bylaws annually.
Section 3: Bylaws shall automatically renew annually unless changes are deemed necessary by the Board of Directors.
ARTICLE XVII: STATEMENT OF NONDISCRIMINATION
Section 1: The Association its Board, Districts, Interests Sections, and Committees shall not discriminate in any manner against any person by reason of race, color, sex, sexual orientation, national origin, disability, religious or political affiliation.
ARTICLE XVIII: DISSOLUTION OF THE ASSOCIATION
Section 1: In the event that the Indiana Park and Recreation Association, Inc. is dissolved for any reason, all assets shall become the property of the Indiana Park and Recreation Foundation, Inc.