Henry Deihl

CRISIS or OPPORTUNITY by Henry C. Deihl, Jr. Commissioner, Salt Creek Park District

One has only to read the newspapers, magazines, and hear the television commentaries to realize the majority of the thinking is that the energy crisis is not something of short duration. As President Nixon said in one of his news conferences, "The crisis is over, but the problem remains."

The crisis has just begun for the park and recreation field to take up the slack of the mobile Americans who have now been grounded and are looking and turning to their local park and recreation commissions to facilitate and fulfill their recreational needs.

A time of crisis is also a time of opportunity, opportunity to meet the challenges that are being pressed upon us. The professional recreators, in most cases, are working at near capacity and will need assistance and guidance from the board of commissioners in an unprecedented way. New ideas, programs and activities not only for individuals and specialized age groups, but also for the family as a unit, must be developed and made accessible. These programs are going to have to be designed and located so that the cost is nominal and traveling is kept to a minimum. Programs, such as, breakfast in the park, family night at the local bowling alley, ice rink, or roller rink, indoor gym in the local high school or grammar school, a trip to a farm, ice cream socials, hayrides, hobo picnics, scavenger hunts, Las Vegas nights, and songfests, are but a few suggestions.

Innovative ideas and dynamic programming that the professional staff, as well as members of the board of commissioners, present must be considered and reviewed carefully, for it is too easy to turn something down because it has never been used or practical before. Unprecedented times call for unprecedented leadership on the part of the elected and professional representatives in the park and recreation field.

The scheduling of programs must be tightened and so arranged that parents are not running to four or five different locations to get the family into activities. The plans that require transportation may be solved by the park renting a bus rather than having the individual use the family car.

We are in the midst of a resurgence of the past, the good old days. Some research into the programs, activities and events that were taking place during the Great Depression and World War II when shortages and the lack of money created a climate of self-reliance and innovation may be very fruitful. Stop for a moment and consider. Why do people travel? To get back to nature? To sing around the campfire? to swim and fish? To cook and eat out? To meet and enjoy other people? Certainly a park district could never provide all the joys travel brings, but could we not provide a number of these things people are looking and traveling for? Let your mind wander and creativity run rampant. Perhaps you could provide a package vacation plan filled with park district activities for those families who are vacationing at home. How about discovering your community instead of discovering America? What community does not have ethnic locations, ethnic foods and pagentry, landmarks and historical sites? Even the night-life of a community can not be totally explored. Have you become aware of the new private recreational facilities that are accessible to your community within the last five years? Don't forget the friendly library, and tours of local businesses and industry.

Revenue is an even greater problem as long as this shortage remains in existance. The cities, townships, and counties have revenue sharing monies that have been channeled into other areas of need. The energy crisis requires a re-evaluation of the allocation of these funds. These political groups must be appraised of the situation; made to feel the pressure and demands of the people for recreation and open space.

This is a grand opportunity for the park district to demonstrate through leadership; to win even greater respect and worth in the eyes of the people. The time is right, the need is great, the leadership potential is there, and we have accepted the challenge.

Illinois Parks and Recreation 10 July/August, 1974