16,
DISCUSSION PAPER ON .
"THE PROMOTION OF A SWIMMING POOL"
By
J, P, Thompson
Portland Cement Association

In promoting a nev swimming pool the first major activity is to develop
favorable public sentiment. This can generally best be accomplished through
one or more civic organizations such as Chamber of Commerce, American Le zion,
Kivanis, Rotary or Lions, Possibly several of these may cooperate. Hovever,
as with any project, most of the ~ork must be done by one or two persons or at
least the responsibility and active leadership mst be in the hands of someone
vith considerable initiative. ‘

While a community can be made conscious of the need of a swimming pool
by the use of only zenerel information, a complete job of selling to obtain
definite action requires at least a preliminary plan, estimate and method
financinaz, These are so interrelated that they mst be developed tozether. i
Local conditions vill determine ~hich ~ill carry the most ~eight and which ~ill
be the easiest to establish first.

Possibly the easiest vay is to determine the apvroximate size of pool
desired, obtain a roush estimate of cost for such a pool and then see if it can
be f'nanced satisfactorily. ‘hen a ce aagponae dd balance has been obtained be-
tween desirable size and funds available, a fairly complete desigm and estimate
should be prepnered and a detailed method of finencing determined.

At least a reasonable plen should be complete before any idea as to
the size or cost is given to the public. It is bad psychology to edvenee a
frandiose scheme and then find that the available funds make it necessary to
reduce the scheme very matcrially. Hovever, to command attention and obtain
support, the advance nublicity should be based on as pretentious a seheme as
may reasonably be expected to be folloved,

The importance of prover dcsi2n end equipment ill be diseussed in the
next portion of the prosram, but I want to join Mr. Roos in emphasizinz the
necessity of obtainine qualified personnel in mekinz the preliminary vlens as
well as in malting the finel desien.

Pools have been financed in several wavs and the method selected vill
depend upon local conditions. Durins the last few years practically all public
pools have been built as ~ork relief projects either through the “PA or the
PYA, This has materially reduced the direct cost to the sponsoring body.
Horever, most of the methods used in vast years of raisins funds for the entire
project can still be applied to obtainin= the money needed for the sponsor's
share,

A. properly desisned and operated pool is not a drain on the public
treasury. By charzine= reasonable fees, the pool may be made not only self
supporting but also self-liouidatine, When considerinz the orizinal financine,
it must be decided how much of the oxnense of operation and of initiel cost
is to be obtained from the income of the nool.

Many public bodies consider a svimminz pool as a health ond recreation
service to the comminity the same as public carts, playzrounds, etc., and exnect
the pool to vay only its overnting costs and sometimes only part of these.

In other cases the public's financial condition is such that the returns from
the pool mst also retire the initial investment, These different conditions
will be reflected both in the schedule of admission charzes and in the financing,