LITTLE KNOWN FACTS, LEAST OFTEN REMEMBERED EVENTS, AND INFREQUENT TOPICS
OF CONVERSATION OF THE HISTORY OF THE AMERICAN RECREATION MOVEMENT

By George Welton
Cal-State University, Northridge

Would you like to belong to a professional recreation association that would be comparable to the Bar Association for lawyers or the Medical Association for doctors? If you worked in the field of recreation during the 1930's you might have had an opportunity to belong to such an association. But, membership requirements were demanding. Only those who had graduated from an approved college and had two years of graduate work or those who had a combination of education and relevant working experience totaling a minimum of nine years were eligible.

This organization was called the American Association of Leisure Time Educators (A.A.L.T.E.) and was founded in 1933 as an outgrowth of the Association of Directors of Boy's work. C.E. Ward, President of A.A.L.T.E. reported that:

The Association grew out of a felt need for a professional fellowship that would cross-cut agency and institutional lines and draw together, for study and development, men and women engaged in supervising, directing and leading all forms of leisure time education and recreation programs. The basic purpose is to develop a professional organization for this field of human service comparable to the Bar Association for lawyers and the Medical Association for doctors. Annual membership fee was $1.00 which included a subscription to the Association's monthly bulletin, Leisure: The Magazine of a Thousand Diversions. The National Headquarters were located in Nashville, Tennessee and its Executive Secretary was Walter L. Stone.

The A.A.L.T.E. attempted to promote cooperation and understanding among professional recreation agencies at the national and local level. For example, in 1937 at the national level A.A.L.T.E. helped formulate the Eastern Association of Recreation Workers to represent recreation workers in New York City. It lobbied for a "recreation section" within the American Physical Education Association, a branch of the National Education Association. And, its representatives attended the National Recreation Congress on May 17th of that year to argue the need for an organization of Professional Recreation Workers.

That same year the A.A.L.T.E. published the Directory of National Leisure Time Education and Recreation Organizations. It listed over 40 national associations including the American Institute of Park Executives, and the National Recreation Association.

Local chapters, which were particularly active in the southern states, attempted to develop networks of recreation oriented human service agencies such as Boys Club, Girl Scouts, churches, public libraries, settlement houses, YMCA's, public schools, parks and playgrounds and W.P.A. recreation division. Representatives would meet periodically to share ideas and resources. Often these meetings would include presentations on relevant topics. Below is the 1937 program adopted by Nashville, Tennessee chapter.

January — Government materials, federal and state, for leaders in the field of leisure time education and recreation.

February — Trends in camping for youth and for adults.

March — Plans for southwide leisure time conference.

April — The hobby resources - leaders, materials, and groups in and around Nashville.

May — Possibilities in drama

September — Sharing summer experiences

October — The leisure guidance program of the Nashville schools.

November — A study and evaluation of the programs of the federal government for youth.

December — A study and evaluation of the federal government's programs for the leisure time of adults. By 1940 the A.A.L.T.E. had ceased to exist.

Replacement by other organizations was soon to follow.

Illinois Parks and Recreation 16 January/February 1982