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To: CRPD Board of Directors <br />From: Doug Nickles, CRPD Board Chair <br />Date: November 29, 2021 <br />Subject: Recommendation to terminate District membership with the National <br />Recreation and Park Association (NRPA) <br /> <br />Recommendation <br />1. Terminate District membership with NRPA. <br />2. Terminate District participation in any NRPA conferences, programs, or events. <br />3. Terminate reimbursement, financial support, or paid time for any Board or staff <br />members to attend or participate in NRPA conferences, courses, certifications or <br />events. <br />Background <br />I was recently made aware of an article published by The Daily Wire entitled, “Don’t Call <br />People ‘Americans’: Leading Parks Group Debuts Woke Guide.”1 The article briefly <br />reviews some key terms in the Equity Language Guide2 published by the National <br />Recreation and Park Association (NRPA). <br />After reading the article I also read the NRPA guide and found that it claims to include <br />content intended to “inspire more inclusive communication.” To the contrary, rather than <br />being inspirational and inclusive, I found the guide and its contents to be very offensive, <br />inflammatory and divisive. Of primary concern, regarding the term “Americans,” the <br />guide states in red lettering, “Use caution with this word.” Though recently amended, the <br />guide still recommends avoiding the use of the term “Americans.” <br />We live in America. I am proud to be an American. My father and father-in-law both <br />served in World War II to ensure that my freedom as an American was preserved. Many <br />of my family members and friends have also served and fought in recent wars to protect <br />our freedom and liberty – including being called “Americans.” I took an oath of office to <br />defend our Constitution, and I find this type of rhetoric a threat to the very foundation <br />upon which our country was built. <br />The position of the NRPA is inexcusable, especially as they purport to represent the <br />national interests of recreation and park professionals, and instead are promoting an <br />anti-American agenda. The recommended caution and avoidance in use of the term <br /> <br />1 https://www.dailywire.com/news/dont-call-people-americans-leading-parks-group-debuts-woke-guide <br />2 NRPA Equity Language Guide, https://www.nrpa.org/siteassets/nrpa-equity-language-guide-october-15-2021.pdf