News and Events

News: June 12, 2009

• The CSKLS Board of Directors meeting of June 12 approved the next two conference hosts and dates: June 10-12, 2010 at Calvin College, June 9-11, 2011 at College of the Ozarks.
• Online Journal of the Christian Society for Kinesiology and Leisure Studies call for papers initiated at this year's annual conference with one journal issue to be published each year with the first in the Spring 2010. Editors will be Dale Connally, Baylor University and Val Gin, Gordon College. Eight members have been approved for the editoral advisory board: Johy Byl, Redeemer University; Dale Adkins, Western Illinois University; Paul Heintzman, University of Ottawa; Jennifer Livengood, UNLV; Glen Town, Westmont College; Glenn Van Andel, Calvin College; Peter Walters, Wheaton College; and Nick Watson, York St. John University.
• The CSKLS Annual Business Meeting of all members held at the annual conference included recognition of retiring board members and installing newly elected new board members and officers for 2009-2010, membership and treasurer's report, vision and plans for 2009-2010, and suggestions for Board consideration by the membership. 

News: June 10, 2009

• The CSKLS Board of Directors met for a special board meeting for strategic planning and discussed six tensions, mainly positive, that represent the ethos and constituency of CSKLS: pluralism/diversity of Christianity, nationalism and culturalism, value to members, educational philosophy, diversity of membership and leadership within CSKLS, and balance representation across disciplines. 

News: September 17, 2008

• The 2009 conference at the University of Ottawa will celebrate the 20th anniversary of the CSKLS conferences and the board is working on various means to celebrate this anniversary.
• One of the foci of this year's board meetings is to engage in a strategic planning process for CSKLS.

News: June 13, 2008

• Next year's conference will be held on June 11-13, 2009 at the University of Ottawa with Paul Heintzman serving as the conference host.
• The call for presentations/papers/posters will go out in September.
• On-line journal "pilot edition" will be submitted to the board this fall for approval.

News: May 6, 2008

• Keynote speaker is Dr. Loren Wilkinson who will focus on a holistic approach to health with emphasis on our connectedness to a broken creation. Responders are Dr. Kathleen Braden, Professor of Geography at SPU and Dr. Bob Drovdahl, Professor of Educational Ministries at SPU.
• Election ballots are being sent out to members to vote on two board members-at-large and a president-elect.
• Registration for the conference has been extended to June 1.
• Next year's conference will be held on June 11-13, 2009. The host institution is yet to be decided.

News: April 4, 2008

• A detailed conference schedule with links to presentation abstracts will be posted on the CSKLS website in the near future.
• Nominations for Literary Award and Glen VanAndel Distinguished Service Awards are open until April 15 and should be submitted on special forms linked from the CSKLS homepage, Awards, that states the qualifications.
• Host for the 2009 CSKLS Conference is not yet decided and those interested in hosting next year's conference should contact Julie Walton, email: jwalton@calvin.edu as soon as possible.

News: February 12, 2008

• Nominations are requested from the membership for president-elect and two members-at-large (three year terms) for the board of directors for CSKLS. Your nominations should be sent to Tom Visker, Bethel College, 1001 W. McKinley Ave., Mishawaka, IN 46545 or by email:viskert@bethelcollege.edu.
• Deadline for call for presentations for the 2008 CSKLS Conference at Seattle Pacific University, June 12-14 has been extended to March 17, 2008.
• Call for host for the 2009 CSKLS Conference. Contact Julie Walton, email: jwalton@calvin.edu.

News: December 6, 2007

• Online journal will become an annual publication beginning in 2009 with a call for papers beginning in June 2008.
• The board focused on student involvement in CSKLS and is asking members to encourage students to submit proposals to present at each of the annual conferences.
• Nominations for President Elect and two Member-At-Large positions are requested from the membership to replace Bud Williams, Valerie Gin, and Dickie Hill who will be completing their terms at the 2008 annual conference.

News: November 8, 2007

• Christian Paths to Health and Wellness, begun in 2000 with strong encouragement by CSKLS, written by six contributing experts, and edited by two highly respected Christian college instructors and CSKLS members, Peter Walters and John Byl, is now in print. The book was written for introductory health/wellness/fitness courses at Christian Colleges and Universities with solid input from members of CSKLS. For more information on this book plus ordering information link to the following Human Kinetics website:http://www.humankinetics.com/products/showproduct.cfm?isbn=9780736062275

News: October 23, 2007

• Online journal initiative has moved foward by initiating an editorial board with suggestions for nominees to be sent to Dale Connally at Baylor University who is heading up this initiative.
• Call for presentations was upgraded and is online at the CSKLS homepage with deadline for proposals set at February 1, 2008.

News: June 18, 2007

• 2007 CSKLS Conference wrapped up at noon on Saturday with written evaluation and optional walking tour of Chicago following with evaluations indicating that this conference was one of the best as to worth to conferees, quality and number of sessions, and materials shared.
• CSKLS Business meeting on Friday afternoon: Glen Van Andel was recognized for his vision in initiating CSKLS eighteen years ago and servant-leadership over these years as he finished his three year term as past president of CSKLS.
• New board members/new positions on board were installed by Glen Van Andel.
• 2007-8 board members: Julie Walton - President, Dale Connally - President-Elect, Bud Williams - Past-President, Tom Visker - Secretary/Treasurer (Appointed), Val Gin (Member-At-Large 2005-8), Jim Gustafson (Member-At-Large 2006-9), Paul Heintzman (Member-At-Large 2006-9), Dickie Hill (Member-At-Large 2007-8).
• President Julie Walton shared her vision for CSKLS: promote annual conference, discuss development of position papers, increase visibility of CSKLS, initiate student chapers, develop procedures manual, develop CSKLS archives.
• Member suggestions were: panel discussion/round tables on current issues, pod casting presentations, academic scholarship for high school or college freshmen, Master's thesis/Doctoral dissertation award, student honor societies.
• By-laws revisions were unaminously approved by the membership in an email vote in early June.

News: May 16, 2007

• Dale Connally was elected by the membership as president-elect.
• Dickie Hill was appointed by the board to complete the remaining one year of the three year Member-At-Large term on the board currently held by Dale Connally.
• Emily Oosterhouse (Calvin College) is the 2007 recipient of the Student Presentation Award.
• Bud Williams, Jim Gustafson, and Tom Visker will serve as the Nominating Committee for board positions for the 2008-2009 year for the positions of president-elect and board member-at-large (Dickie Hill's term). Members are encourage to submit candidates for these positions to any of the above Nominating Committee members for the election that will take place April 2008.
• The 2008 CSKLS Annual Conference will be hosted by Seattle Pacific University June 12-14 (Bob Weathers - host).

News: April 11, 2007

• By-laws were revised which included the addition of a student board member from the host institution to serve for a one year appointment commencing after the previous conference and terminating after the conference hosted by the student's institution. Revised by-laws will be voted by the society membership in June at the annual meeting.
• On-line peer-reviewed journal proposal assessment of need suggests that it be strongly considered and further explored.
• Awards committee submitted the results of membership nominations for the Glen Van Andel Distinguished Service Award and the Literary Award to be presented at the annual conference in June.
• Schedule for the conference with accepted blind peer-reviewed presentations has been finalized.
• Nomination committee has been appointed to seek candidates for president-elect for 2007-8 year. Chair is Glen Van Aldel.
• Host institution for the 2008 conference is being explored.

News: March 20, 2007

• Dr. Don DeGraaf, a member of CSKLS and a full professor and the department chair of the Health, Physical Education, Recreation, Dance, and Sport Department at Calvin College in Grand Rapids, Michigan, was as the 2007 winner of the J. B. Nash Scholar Award, one of the most prestigious awards in the recreation profession, awarded annually by the American Association for Physical Activity and Recreation and based on professional commitment, leadership, service, research and publication. He was formally presented with the award on Friday, March 16 at the American Alliance for Health Physical Education Recreation Dance and Sport national convention held in Baltimore, Maryland. He delivered the 2007 J.B. Nash Scholar lecture entitled "From Servant Leadership to Social Entrepreneurship: Becoming Hopeful Travelers.

News: January 29, 2007

• Extended the deadline for presentation proposals to March 1st.
• Glen Van Andel will coordinate the leisure track of the pre-conference workshops and Julie Walton will coordinate the wellness preconference track.
• Leland Ryken will be the keynote speaker for the 2007 conference.
• Saturday afternoon group activity will be a walking tour of Chicago attractions.
• Jim Gustafson will coordinate the wellness room at the conference.
• A second book edited by Paul Heintzman and Glen Van Andel on leisue is in process with manuscript scheduled for publisher by August.
• Peer reviewing of proposed presentations for 2007 conference is underway with reviewers selected.
• Online journal undergoing needs assessment.
• Call for nominations for Glen Van Andel Distinguished Service Award and Literary Award for 2007 has been initiated.
• Cost of conference registration, housing, and meals will be waived for outstanding undergraduate and graduate paper proposals selected for presentation at the 2007 conference.

News: October 24, 2006

• Approved a revised schedule for the 2007 CSKLS conference at Trinity International University.
• CSKLS By-Law Revisions were accepted unanimously by our membership.
• Discussed several options for keynote speakers for the 2007 conference.
• Identified the procedures for calling for and evaluating student presentations.
• Brain-stormed on how to promote our organization and annual conference.
• Agreed to have Wellness Resource Room at the annual conference so members could share resources.
• Approved new membership cards.

News: August 8, 2006

• The 2007 will be hosted by Tim Voss at Trinity International University, Deerfield, IL from June 14 - 16.
• The preconference will begin Thursday morning, June 14, with the first round of regular conference sessions beginning that afternoon.
• The keynote speaker and opening dinner will be Thursday night.
• A revised edition of the first book published by CSKLS, Christianity and Leisure: Issues in a Pluralistic Society, was released in July by Dordt Press.
• One graduate and one undergraduate student will be waived registration fee for the conference based on their paper being being judged as the best submitted for the opportunity to present at the conference.

News: June 28, 2006

• The 2006 CSKLS Conference at Gordon College was well hosted by Val Gin assisted by several outstanding leisure and recreation majors.
• The conference was applauded as the best ever by conferees with quality and challenging presentations, excellent fellowship and sharing, and opportunity for networking and support of one another for the coming academic year.
• The focus of this conference and of each of the past conferences has been on bringing a Christian worldview perspective to chosen topics by focusing on faith and learning connections and/or Christian ethical concerns related to our kindred disciplines.
• An awards program was initiated under the leadership of Dickie Hill with the following recipients: Glen Van Andel Distinguished Service Award - Dr. Glen Van Andel; CSKLS Literary Award and Presidential Award - both awarded to Dr. John Byl.
• An online peer-reviewed journal is being considered to provide a more timely method of publishing papers presented at the conference and submitted by members.
• A student paper competition will be included in the next annual conference.
• Elected board members for June 2006-7 are President - Bud Williams (Wheaton College), President Elect and coordinator of annual conference - Julie Walton (Calvin College), Past President - Glen Van Andel, Secretary-Treasurer (appointed) - Tom Visker, Members-at-Large - Paul Heintzman (University of Ottawa), Jim Gustafson (Messiah College), Dale Connally (Baylor University), Val Gin (Gordon College).
• Next year's annual conference will be at Trinity International University in Deerfield, Illinois, June 14-16, hosted by Tim Voss.