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EYE ON THE PROFESSION A CLOSER LOOK AT TRENDS AND ISSUES IN THE PARK AND RECREATION PROFESSION
As Time Goes By
A look back at the year 1928 and changes in the field over time
As we glance back at the establishment of the Illinois Association of Park Districts (IAPD)—our sister association—it's hard not to be impressed by the myriad changes that have taken place in the world since sixteen park districts came together in 1928 for the betterment of their agencies and the people of their communities. Amsterdam hosted the 1928 Olympics. The American Olympic Committee president General Douglas MacArthur addressed our athletes with the following directive: "We are here to represent the greatest country on earth. We did not come here to lose gracefully. We came here to win—and win decisively." Our athletes did, indeed, deliver the MacArthur promise, easily topping national standings for the third Olympiad in a row. In our neck of the woods, voters elected to the 71st U.S. Congress Chicago City Council member Oscar DePriest, making him the first black representative to head for Washington D.C. from a northern state. And, speaking of Oscar, Hollywood decided the time had come to reward outstanding movies and performers by holding the first ceremony of its kind in 1928. The golden statues handed out were dubbed. Oscars and the nickname stuck. In March, Oscar will join IAPD to celebrate its own 75th landmark. Federal spending in 1928 was $2.96 billion. The cost of a first class postage stamp was 2 cents. The Yankees won the World Series and Walt Disney produced "Steamboat Willie," his first cartoon with sound. On the health front, the treatment of infections was revolutionized by the discovery of penicillin. The pregnancy test was developed and to complete the cycle, food prepared and jarred exclusively for babies appeared on shelves under the brand name of Gerber.Those babies could look forward to a new treat once their teeth came in; a candy called Milk Duds made its debut that year! From the important to the insignificant, 1928 represented a year of innocence. The stock market crash would impact the entire nation one year into the future, but for the park districts seeking a unified body of representation, finances, baby food and awards took a back seat to establishing an independent offshoot of the Illinois Municipal League in Springfield that year. Over time, its mission has expanded and so has its membership base, but the association's devotion to the land and to the citizens of Illinois remains unwavering.The results of the associations early efforts live on in today's expanding universe of community centers, wildlife preserves, nature trails, aquatic centers and more.
Yet perhaps the most radical changes witnessed by IAPD have been social ones. Park and recreation agencies have evolved from dirt playgrounds to epicenters of entertainment, from sparse outdoor venues to huge and dramatic community centers, and from places of sport to centers for social change. There is as much going on under roof as there is out on the ball field. Like our world, agencies have expanded and evolved, meeting the wishes and needs of its neighborhoods as quickly as funds, talent and technology will allow. Has the world improved since 1928? Yes and no. We're healthier, wiser, savvier and more sophisticated than we were 75 years ago. But we're also universally more jaded, frightened and overwhelmed. Where once 8 Illinois Parks and Recreation AS TIME GOES BY
we could hustle up a few dozen kids for a round of sandlot baseball without giving the effort a second thought, we're now inundated with safety, insurance, budgetary and legal constraints. We won't even touch upon the topic of out-of-control parents. But look how we've grown. Despite all of the referendum stand-offs, personnel and industry changes and associated setbacks, the park, recreation and conservation profession has stood tall. We've built our state-of-the-art facilities, added cutting-edge classes, expanded our program offerings and designed places where all members of the community can come to leave behind their cares, worries and responsibilities. Here's how important we are. When a New York City reporter surveyed rescuers following that city's September 11 tragedy, firefighters, police and medical volunteers overwhelmingly responded "we headed for the parks" when asked where they went once there was enough time to take a breath. They headed for the parks. They headed for the pools. They hiked and hiked and breathed in the air. Hopefully, that's exactly what our patrons will be saying about our facilities 75 years from now, in times of peace and in times of turmoil. Will there be problems? Rest assured, there will be plenty. But will we prevail? No doubt about it. We are an integral part of the lives of our citizens and we are the memories our children carry to adulthood and beyond. How do you envision the Illinois park and recreation network in the year 2078? Will our personnel still be as enthusiastic and innovative? Will our program offerings be as varied, inventive and inclusive? Will there be a place for men, women, children, seniors and people of all disabilities to come and leave their worries, cares and concerns at the door? Its going to be up to all of us to make sure that legacy lives on and becomes more dynamic in the future. Given that optimistic perspective, I've taken the liberty of composing a short wish list for the next 75 years at a time many of you are contemplating your own New Years' resolutions. If a genie came out of a container of Scott's Turf Builder, here's what I would wish for: • A strong, steady interest in our profession on university campuses; • Leaders who willingly invest themselves in parks and recreation for the long haul; • Better understanding between our elected officials and agency staffs; and • A cadre of retired park and recreation professionals guiding our future. The list easily could be expanded to include economics, but the secret of our vitality is—and always has been—the people who have driven our movement forward. When those park district representatives sat down to hammer out their own identity back in 1928, it's likely they wished for plenty, and its also likely they never dreamed our network would become the strong, thriving entity we take pride in today. As LAPD enjoys a year of retrospection—and as IPRA prepares for its 60th anniversary in 2004—let us remember that our strength is in our history, in our people and in the proud traditions we share. Above all, let us remember that long after we began to take for granted the Gerber baby food. Milk Duds, penicillin and winners of the 1928 Olympiad, our bravest men and women elected to visit "our places" to restore their souls and to soothe their aching spirits when given an infinity of choices. Driven by their mandate, we blaze into the future in the spirit of the park district commissioners who began so great a mission over seven decades ago.
The Illinois Park and Recreation Association congratulates LAPD on its 75th anniversary and wishes its staff, commissioners and supporters another 75 years of success.
January/February 2003 9 |
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