About TRAPS

The Texas Recreation and Park Society (the Society) is a non-profit professional and educational organization founded over 70 years ago to advance the profession of parks, recreation, and leisure services in Texas. A state affiliate member of the National Recreation and Park Association (NRPA), the Society also maintains professional affiliate relationships with several state universities, athletic and civic organizations, recreational entities, state agencies, and commercial vendors who provide services or programs related to parks, recreation, and leisure service management.

The Society serves as a clearinghouse of information and resources to help with a wide range of challenges facing park, recreation, and leisure service professionals. These include: programming, grant and aid applications, coordinating events, promoting projects, advocacy and legislative awareness, job postings, and marketing products and services used everyday by our members. Our membership database contains information on the hundreds city and county park and recreation departments around the state, as well as colleges and universities with parks and recreation curricula, state agencies, river authorities, and non-profit and educational entities

Mission

To provide professional development, advocacy and resources to all who enhance the quality of life through parks, open spaces and recreation.

Vision

To set the standard for excellence and innovation in parks, open spaces and recreation.

Core Values

The Texas Recreation and Park Society is a non-profit (501c3) professional and educational organization founded over 70 years ago to advance the profession of parks, recreation, and leisure services in Texas. TRAPS has an IDEA; we value and are about:

Governance

The Society is governed by a 25 member Board of Directors. An Executive Committee comprised of the President, Past-President, President-Elect, and the Executive Director help to manage the administrative functions of the Society. In addition, many dedicated members chair or serve on committees that provide important services to accomplish the Society’s mission.

The Board of Directors is comprised of the officers listed above, and each of the nine Society regions elects a director to represent them on the Board. In addition, the president of each of the eight branches of the organization, an Academic Director, and two at-large directors are voting Board members. Two of our strongest affiliate partners, the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department and the Texas Amateur Athletic Federation, have ex-officio seats on the Board.

The Board meets quarterly at pre-determined locations around the state, and meetings are open to any member interested in attending. One Board meeting is held in conjunction with our Annual Leadership Institute and Trade Show each spring. We invite you to contact any Board member or officer for more information or to volunteer to serve on a committee. You can also complete the Committee Interest Form and return it to TRAPS.

The Board adopted a new Strategic Planfor 2008-12 at the March board meeting.

State Office

The Society's administrative office is located in Jonestown in a beautiful two-story, limestone building. Dr. Michal Anne Lord, Executive Director, and Julee Rosales, Membership Services Manager, have offices at this location.

You can contact the TRAPS office via telephone at 512-267-5550, via fax at 512-267-5557, mail at P.O. Box 5188, Jonestown, Texas 78645 or e-mail at traps@traps.org .

Membership

Currently, there are over 2,000 state and national members of the Texas Recreation and Park Society. Members primarily consist of park and recreation department professionals from across the state but also include professionals and citizen advocates in therapeutic recreation, church, camps, conservation, military, private enterprise and school districts. To become a member, please print out and complete the New Member Form.

Type or print legibly, and send the form, with payment, to the Texas Recreation and Park Society, PO Box 5188, Jonestown, TX 78645. Payment must be received in order to process. No PO's will be accepted. We gladly accept Visa and MasterCard. Sorry, we do not take American Express or Discover.

Board Meeting Minutes

2008
Saturday, March 29 Board Meeting

2009

May 8 2009 Board Meeting
August 2009 Board Minutes
October 2009 Board Meeting Minutes

Texas Recreation & Park Society