North Suburban
Special Recreation Association

The Northern Suburban Special Recreation Association, or the N.S.S.R.A. for those who tend to be tongue-tied, is involved in an inter-community venture in order to provide comprehensive recreation programs for children of all disability areas.

Having begun operation in June of 1970, the N.S.S.R.A. functions in a unique fashion. As a result of the passage of Illinois Senate Bills 745 and 746 in March of 1969, park districts and municipalities of less than 500,000 are now allowed to join with other such park districts and municipalities to provide recreational programs for the handicapped. These agreements are renewed every three years. This legislation was proposed by Earle Hodgen, assistant superintendent of the Highland Park Recreation Department, with the cooperation of Charles Panzer, Supervisor of EMH and TMH programs for the Northern Suburban Special Education District.

The N.S.S.R.A. is the only association to have been formed since this legislation has been passed. There are however, many other park and recreation districts who have expressed interest in or already have some programs for the handicapped of their population.

At this time, nine communities from the north shore of Chicago are members of this association. They each contribute .003 percent of their total assessed valuations for the operation of the association. The board of directors of the association is made up of superintendents of the nine park or recreation districts. These men and their respective districts are—Don Pil-ger, Deerfield Park District; Walt Johnson, Glencoe Park District; Richard Johns, Glenview Park District (a gold medal park district) ; Earle Hodgen, Highland Park Recreation Dept.; Ozzie Mazzetta, Highwood Recreation Board; Frank Kelley, Kenilworth Park District; Joe Doud, Northbrook Park District; Tom Hall, Wilmette Recreation Department; and Ken Wesenberg, Winnetka Park District.

As mentioned before, the N.S.S.R.A. serves all children of all handicaps in the above geographical area. At the present time the program consists of three day camps in the summer, and such after school activities as bowling, arts and crafts, woodworking, yoga, Kennedy fitness program, photography, horseback riding, square and folk dancing, teen recreation nights, and roller skating. Supervisors for these programs consist of special education teachers and college students majoring in special education, with assistance from student volunteers from the local high schools. With the popular mentality having been sensitized to the needs of the handicapped population, there is no trouble finding qualified staff for the programs.

The role that each participating park and recreation district plays in the program is a diverse one. Their financial contribution is only the beginning of the ways they are and can be useful. In addition to the N.S.S.R.A. activity brochures, each district includes a blurb in their respective brochures, indicating that there are programs available to the handicapped in that community, and how these residents can notify the association and receive help in registering their child in suitable activities. In turn, with the cooperation of each district, the association has the opportunity of placing some of the youngsters who come to us back into programs in his own community wherever this is possible. This "exchange" insures that every child has available to him programs that will meet his or her individual needs.

In terms of providing sites, equipment, and suggestions for various new activities, the participating districts are invaluable. Having already made countless contacts with the schools and businesses in their communities, it has been much faster and less complicated to secure activity and day camp sites through a particular district than for N.S.S.R.A. as a new entity, to secure these sites. The districts also can and do make their own facilities available to the association.

Illinois Parks and Recreation    22    May/June, 1971

At this point, it might be appropriate to interject that the N.S.S.R.A. does not see itself as a "special" or an "extra" program, but rather a completion of the commitment of each district to provide comprehensive recreation programs for their total population. And for this reason, it is only appropriate that Deerfield Park District, Highland Park Recreation Dept., Highwood Recreation Board, Glenview Park District, Glencoe Park District, Kenilworth Park Board, Northbrook Park District, Wilmette Recreation Board, and Winnetka Park District be commended for their vision and direct action in meeting this commitment. The encouragement, enthusiasm, and professional insight of the superintendents of these districts have been integral to the conception and operation of the N.S.S.R.A.

Finally, with respect to the diverse roles of the district, the Wilmette Recreation Board has freed one of their program supervisors to be hired by the association for two days a week. Sally Stewart, who earned her master's degree in recreation therapy, has been invaluable in her role as program coordinator. This sharing of professional expertise is essential in getting an association of this size and complexion off the ground.

The coordinating and carrying out of the administrative and financial responsibilities is done by the Executive Director of the association, who was hired by the board of directors in May of 1970. The association makes its home in the Stratford Center in Highland Park. This center was just constructed by the Northern Suburban Special Education District, which provides the administrative services for special education programs for 23 school districts in the north shore area. They provide the association with space, a phone, and secretarial help on a time and materials basis.

As a result of being housed in Highland Park, the Highland Park Recreation Department serves as the administrative district for the association. Earle Hodgen of Highland Park also serves as the elected chairman of the board of directors. Before moving to Highland Park in January of this year, Tom Hall, Superintendent of the Wilmette Recreation Board, provided the association with an office home. Tom is presently serving as the elected secretary of the board of directors.

In assessing the need for recreational programs for the handicapped over and against the financial and administrative abilities of individual park and recreation districts to provide adequate programs, it becomes obvious that smaller communities cannot afford or justify running separate programs for their limited populations of variously handicapped individuals. Thus an association of the nature of the N.S.S.R.A. seems to be a logical alternative. The need is obvious. The N.S.S.R.A. has an eligible population of about 600 handicapped individuals.

As for justifying recreational programs for the handicapped on human grounds — there are no handicapped children; only children with handicaps.

Fred B. McGlone III is the Executive Director of the North Suburban Special Recreation Association.

Illinois Parks and Recreation    23    May/June, 1971