As I reflect on years gone by, having recently retired after completing 32 years as an employee of the National Park Service, I have often wondered where I would be in my life and career had it not been for ANPR.
In 1979 I heard discussions about a newly formed ranger association planning a "Rendezvous" near Shenandoah National Park. Being a relatively new permanent park ranger and working in Shenandoah at the time, I decided to attend my first Rendezvous. It was truly one of the best decisions I made in my career.
While at that Rendezvous at Graves Mountain Lodge, sitting in an apple-packing shed on apple crates for chairs, I listened to discussions of topics of the day by many of the founders of this organization. I experienced "the family" atmosphere of the NPS first hand, along with the knowledge sharing and camaraderie generated by ANPR members.
I had already been hooked on the NPS as a career. After attending my first Rendezvous, I was also hooked on ANPR for nurturing the friendships and family experiences that I had always heard were the heart and soul of the NPS. I had heard about NPS employees being dedicated to the green and gray but really didn't know what that meant until meeting ANPR members.
I knew few people in the Park Service and used those early years attending the Rendezvous to develop lasting friendships with many NPS employees from other areas. Since 1979 I have missed only four Rendezvous events, the last in 1989.
Looking back over the years I can't imagine where my career would have been without the contacts and friendships made through ANPR while attending Rendezvous and serving 12 years on the ANPR Board of Directors and the past 10 years as Rendezvous coordinator.
ANPR has changed over the years as all organizations tend to do, but so has the NPS as an agency. The priorities of both work and family have necessitated those changes to a great extent.
However, ANPR has not changed with respect to the friendships, knowledge sharing, career and social enrichment that are the cornerstones of this organization. For that reason I have never regretted my early decision to become a life member of ANPR and can honestly say that my career and life have been better for it.
~ Dan Moses
ANPR Third Century Life Member
