11:30 Tuesday, March 14 -- Pat Rooney, Field Representative of the

National Recreation Association.

National Recreation Association acts as a clearing house for all
community recreation problems.

Community recreation fits into the picture of American life - it

is nothing new to America. The movement started in 1870 in Boston.
All such movements are first started off because somebody felt
they were good and necessary. The movement is then .usually taken
up| by an organiced club or group; next, into the hands of a group
@. little more highly organized, with part-time leaders; then into
full-time leadership. Community recreation has moved through
this evolution.

Community recreation is today recognized as one of the necessary
functions of government - is as necessary in a cormunity as an
adequate sewage system, or an adequate water supply.

In 1942 1500 communities operated a program of some sort - playgrounds,
swimming pools, etc. Out of this number, 500 had a full-time program
under trained professional leadership.

These trained leaders - and school teachers - complement each other.

Classes of activities in community recreation;
1. Playgrounds (the keystone) oF

Not alone for eHildren. Should be located in neighbor-
hood within easy reach of people living there - a focal
point for all activities in that neighborhood - two to =

. five acres.
This is where most communities start out in the develop-
ment of their community recreation.

2. Centers
Some are built expressly for the purpose of serving
leisure time - art centers, gymasiun, auditoriun,
craft rooms; or - centers being operated part time,
such as schools, when community recreation takes over
after school hours, using indoor facilities; teen-age
centers - about S500 at present time.

Se Service
Training for betterment of people - volunteer training.

4. Leagues and tourmaments
Should cover more than athletics.

5e Special events ? 3
‘Uniting community in celebration of a particular event -
Easter Egg Roll, 4th of July celebration, etc. - oppor-
tunity to bring people together - do not Yet those events

slip by.

The above are the five great fields in any good community recreation
programe