Energy Short Recreation— "The Current Realities"

By Richard E. Johns
Superintendent Glenview Park District

The energy crisis—probably the biggest topic of concern and conversation in the nation; for each of us, daily, is feeling the crunch of energy short living. We worry about shortages and how we can "make do." There is an old saying, "The only thing worse than being all dressed up and nowhere to go is to have a car and no place to go." With gasoline shortages, the only place people will have to go will necessarily be close by.

The park and recreation agency at the local level is going to play a very dynamic role in the era of energy short recreation, since this agency represents the "closest to home" recreation concept. We can all expect a pressure build up on local programs and facilities and we need to prepare for it.

It has been said that very few completely new events really happen, and if we look back in history we will find concepts to guide us in the future. During this century, two major occurrences can relate to the present energy crisis and its effects on people's recreation pursuits on the local level.

This will be a people in the parks year. Old-fashion water fight brings people to a Glenview park for a special 4th of July event.

Just as during the past 10 year period, the decade before the depression of the '30's brought a tremendous expansion of both public and private recreation. During the 30's the economic balloon broke and commercial recreation had the rug pulled out as people no longer had the price of admission to roller rinks, theaters or bowling. However, the strides to be made in public recreation programs and facilities became a giant step. Increased and enforced leisure made the needs for recreation heavier than could be met. The government stepped forward with "make work" programs to provide facilities and other funds for recreational leadership to organize and supervise programs. During this era, recreation became recognized as a definite need to be met by our society. The second major event during this century that challenged the recreation field was World War II. On the home front, the lack of day care and recreation centers was felt. Again, the federal government came to the rescue. There was recognition that recreation was not only a positive, preventive action to delinquency and social tensions, but that it had therapeutic values.

Both of these monumental, national crises— the depression and World War II—challenged the recreation field and caused, by public demand, that the recreation field improve itself to meet societies' needs that a national crisis causes.

Some of the salient points during the depression and the war that may provide guidelines for us today in the face of an energy crunch are as follows:

1. Travel not possible because of lack of gasoline.

2. More leisure available.

3. Need for close at home and inexpensive, or free, recreation.

4. Local, close to home, recreation facilities were not adequate to meet the changing demand of the public.

Illinois Parks and Recreation 4 May/June, 1974

Both children and the community benefit from nature and ecology study in the local parks.

5. Food shortages—or very high prices.

6. Public tensions developed causing negative effects on the population.

7. Shortage of materials.

8. A resultant shortage of public funds to meet recreation needs locally.

9. Funds being required from other governmental levels.

Today, we are at the critical point of challenge for the local recreation agency because locally is where the action is going to be. Overall, and most importantly, we are at the threshold of a change in the American lifestyle. How well we assess that lifestyle change and gear up to meet it, will be the measure of our worth to society in the future. Our positive action programs must be ready to be put into effect when they are needed. There are several areas which relate to those of us with local recreation responsibilities:

1. Conservation: We must provide leadership to enable the citizen to take the action necessary to save available open land. Raw materials are becoming short, and we must finally learn that Mother Nature is not inexhaustible.

2. Energy Shortages: Energy shortages will undoubtedly cause the greatest change in life-style— and that may not be all bad. Development of a personal feeling of self sufficiency; that walking, hiking, bike riding have some real benefits, with travel at a minimum or completely out of the question, the citizen, must find his own community exciting—and he will want to stay involved.

3. Money and Leisure: In 20 years, the leisure spending will go from today's 80 billion to an annual 400 billion. There may be some realignment of jobs and some temporary turndowns, but employment will continue on an upward trend. As this relates to the changing lifestyle, people can afford admission charges to recreation facilities that are conveniently located. The lack of travel for vacations and even the one day trip, will, however, greatly increase available leisure within the community.

4. Shortages: We must get over our national love affair with our supercharged automobile and find other things to cherish—like our 10-speed bike. Wastefulness must cease and miserliness become a way of life.

The above mentioned changes of lifestyle will have great impact on our programs. We must use our imaginations as future guesses gradually become current realities. How about exploring the following ideas and expanding upon them?

1. Neighborhood Parks: If you don't have them, get them! The key to our successful involvement will be recreation on a walk-to basis. Develop exciting programs and involve the residents of the neighborhood in the plans.

2. Mobile Recreation: Used either as a supplement to the neighborhood park or in a blocked street or parking lot. It can add impact in this day of walk-to recreation.

3. Conservation: Nature education is a must! Provide programs of conservation education at the local playground and a quality day camping experience. Watch for an interest growing in fishing and boating—stock that park pond. Be in the lead on the interest in gardening. The victory garden will be back.

More than ever before your facilities will feel the "crunch" of over-crowdedness.

4. Promote Car Pool and Public Transportation: Everything cannot, of course, be on a walk-to basis, so let your voice be heard about the need for dependable public transportation. Arrange car pools; consider using school busses.

5. Use of School Buildings: If you are not using schools, you had better start, and if you are using schools, get ready for an increase in that use. We need to verbalize our needs so that energy allocations don't cause these valuable community assets to be unavailable for holidays, weekends or after school hours.

6. Provide Community Demonstration of Your Involvement: Is that gas powered golf cart necessary? How about starting a mulch program, and while you're at it, turn off your decorative lights.

7. Trails: Put some impetus in developing bike trails. If you haven't investigated Hosteling

Continued, on Page 23

Illinois Parks and Recreation 5 May/June, 1974

ENERGY SHORT RECREATION

Continued from Page 5

Clubs, they are a great means of promoting good bicycle use. We need education programs for bicycle care, use and safety. Promote back-packing and hiking with positive programs and education for this expanding leisure interest.

8. Pressure on Facilities: Our closeby parks and special use facilities are going to experience a mounting pressure. Operating patterns may have to be changed to accommodate more people—like 24 hour per day operation. Recreation facility expansion on the drawing boards better move rapidly into construction and use.

9. Internal Problems: This is the time for some in depth self evaluation. We need to do our part in this crisis and honestly evaluate the values of what we do in relationship to shortages. We should car pool to work. Do our parks have to be mowed quite so often? Can Custodial work be done in the daytime to conserve lights? How about turning down the heat a few more degrees? Do we really have to heat the water in our outdoor pools? We are faced with a serious dilemma on public bidding in the face of material shortages. We have never bothered to establish a supplier-customer relationship and we may now find very little interest in our business. This may become a serious enough problem that we may need statutory relief from bidding requirements. Our key is to plan ahead and together raise our voices for needed allocations of short materials.

10. Funding: What do we do about financing? During our other national crises, the federal government saw the needs could not be met and came to the rescue. We need, now more than ever, a direct pipe line to revenue sharing, both on the federal and state level.

In summary, we are on the eve of a great challenge to our field. To meet this challenge we need to evaluate all of our services and strive for the greatest efficiency possible. We need imagination, flexibility and foresight. Lastly, we need to unite our efforts so that we can gain the support we need from all levels to meet the challenge for local recreation at its very best.

Illinois Parks and Recreation 23 May/June, 1974