- National Park Travelers Club
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The National Park Travelers Club (or NPTC) is a non-profit 501(c)7 social club organization[1]. Its mission is to provide networking and recognition opportunities for visitors to America's National Park System. This Club acts to support and expand appreciation of the U.S. National Park System.
National Park Travelers Club (NPTC) 
Type Non-profit social club Founded 2004 Location USA Key people John Giorgis, NPTC President Mission To provide networking and recognition opportunities for visitors to America's National Park System[2] Members nearly 800 Website http://www.parkstamps.org Contents
Description
The NPTC was founded in 2004, at the second meeting of a small group of National Park enthusiasts. Since then, it has grown to nearly 800 dues paying members (dues are $10 for the first year, and $5 per year after that[3]), and over 4000 members of the free online site www.parkstamps.org. Paying dues gives members access to the master list and master map of all known national park passport stamp locations, in addition to voting in club elections. The online site features trip reports and hints for visits to parks, information on legislation impacting parks, and a message board for park related topics. The membership meets yearly at the NPTC Annual Convention and also arranges smaller group meetings at events such as park dedications or important park anniversaries. Additionally, awards are given out to members meeting visitation criteria, such as visiting certain numbers of park units within a year, or over a lifetime. The NPTC publishes a quarterly newsletter called The Stamp Pad.[4]
Conventions
The NPTC has hosted 9 annual conventions at various National Park units.[5] These meetings serve as an opportunity for club members to socialize, share trip stories, hear keynote presentations from National Park Service rangers, and take group guided tours of the area. Attendance at the meeting is free and open to the public.[6] A special official national park passport stamp is produced for each convention, and only available during the convention.[7]
- 2003: Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area
- 2004: Rocky Mountain National Park, the NPTC was formally chartered at this convention
- 2005: Mammoth Cave National Park
- 2006: Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore
- 2007: Olympic National Park
- 2008: Lowell National Historical Park[8][9]
- 2009: Sequoia National Park[10]
- 2010: El Malpais National Monument[11]
- 2011: National Mall[12]
The 2012 convention will be held at Apostle Islands National Lakeshore.[5]
Awards
The NPTC awards travelers for lifetime achievement, as well as for annual visitation of the parks.
Lifetime Achievement Awards[13]
- Bronze: visiting 100 park units
- Silver: visiting 200 park units
- Gold: visiting 300 park units
- Platinum: visiting all current National Park units, currently earned by 19 members who had visited 394 places each as of June 2011 (the opening of Martin Luther King Jr. National Memorial made it 395 on August 28 2011).[12]
Annual Master Traveler Awards[14]
- Special Achievement: collecting 20 national park passport stamps from 10 park units in 2 geographic regions
- Clean Sweep: visiting a park unit in each of the 9 geographic regions within a year
- Bronze: collecting 50 stamps from 25 units in 4 geographic regions
- Silver: collecting 75 stamps from 35 units in 5 geographic regions
- Gold: collecting 100 stamps from 50 units in 6 geographic regions
Other Awards
- Ten Most Wanted: for finding a park passport stamp that has been exceptionally difficult to locate[15]
- Surprise Park: for visiting a park selected each year by the President of the Club for having an anniversary of historical importance
Club Recognition
In addition to the articles referenced below, the club has been recognized by various organizations, including:
References
- ^ "501(c)7 Acceptance Letter". IRS. http://www.parkstamps.org/e107_files/public/irs_4_page_letter.jpg. Retrieved August 13, 2011.
- ^ "National Park Travelers Club Mission". NPTC. http://parkstamps.org/join2.php. Retrieved August 13, 2011.
- ^ "NPTC Membership Form". NPTC. http://www.parkstamps.org/files/NPTC_Membership_Form.pdf. Retrieved August 13, 2011.
- ^ "The Stamp Pad". NPTC. http://www.parkstamps.org/NPTC/Newsletters/Current/index.php. Retrieved August 13, 2011.
- ^ a b "National Park Travelers Club 2012 Convention Preview". NPTC. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aeXN_OHEwbs. Retrieved August 13, 2011.
- ^ "2010 Convention Agenda". NPTC. http://www.parkstamps.org/e107_files/public/nptc_2010_convention_agenda_1.pdf. Retrieved August 14, 2011.
- ^ "Master List Page". NPTC. http://www.parkstamps.org/page.php?11. Retrieved August 14, 2011.
- ^ "National Park Travelers Club Coming to Lowell National Historical Park". NPS.gov. http://www.nps.gov/lowe/parknews/national-park-travelers-club-coming-to-lowell-national-historical-park.htm. Retrieved August 13, 2011.
- ^ "Next Stamp... Lowell!". Lowell Sun. http://www.parkstamps.org/e107_files/public/1218285181_27_FT6800_nptc_article_-_lowell_ma_-_the_sun_04aug08.pdf. Retrieved August 13, 2011.
- ^ "Travel club sets sights on Three Rivers and Sequoia National Park". The Kaweah Commonwealth. http://www.kaweahcommonwealth.com/07-24-09features.html. Retrieved August 13, 2011.
- ^ "Passport Stampers Convene At El Malpais". NPS.gov. http://www.nps.gov/applications/digest/headline.cfm?type=Announcements&id=9456. Retrieved August 13, 2011.
- ^ a b "Group celebrates 'obsession' with national parks". USA Today. http://travel.usatoday.com/destinations/dispatches/post/2011/08/ken-burns-has-nothing-on-these-national-park-fanatics-theyve-visited-394-sites----and-counting/414312/1. Retrieved August 13, 2011.
- ^ "Lifetime Achievement Award". NPTC. http://www.parkstamps.org/nptc_awards/LAA/laa_mountain.php. Retrieved August 13, 2011.
- ^ "Master Travelers Award". NPTC. http://www.parkstamps.org/nptc_awards/MTC/travelers.php. Retrieved August 13, 2011.
- ^ "Most Wanted Stamps". NPTC. http://www.parkstamps.org/nptc_awards/most_wanted/most_wanted2.php. Retrieved August 13, 2011.
External links
- National Park Travelers Club Official Website
National Park Travelers Club Conventions 2003: Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area • 2004: Rocky Mountain National Park • 2005: Mammoth Cave National Park • 2006: Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore • 2007: Olympic National Park • 2008: Lowell National Historical Park • 2009: Sequoia National Park • 2010: El Malpais National Monument • 2011: National Mall • 2012 (planned): Apostle Islands National LakeshoreCategories:- National parks of the United States
- Travel-related organizations
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