December 2009 - Parks & Recreation - 19

H. Douglas Sessoms

Karla Henderson

parks movement was becoming well established on the local, state, and national levels and many communities were
aware of the need to provide recreation
as a public service. However, parks with
their forestry/natural resource base and
recreation from an activity perspective, had not been directly connected.
Parks, especially, were becoming places for active recreation and not just lovely garden-like sites. At the same time, the

National Recreation Association (NRA)
was a strong citizen movement (since its
establishment in 1906 as the Playground
Association of America-see Charlie
Hartsoe's book, Building Better Communities). Many people were advocating
for parks and recreation that seemed to
have similar interests and it was clear
that one voice was needed to make the
advocacy efforts strong.
N R PA was a combination of four

organizations coming together. The
mission was a major debate from the
beginning. Could an advocacy group
and organizations focused on professional development come together?
NRPA was an experiment in developing
a dual mission based on both advocacy
and professional development and also
a way to combine the foci of parks and
of recreation. The combinations were
not opposite and they had a great deal
in common, but the organizations that
came together to form NRPA had different approaches to meeting their respective missions and these had to be
negotiated to affirm one " voice " and one
organization.
The book discusses the first two
years and the issues surrounding how
the organization should function. Many
negotiations were needed. NRPA was
structured as a nonprofit organization
with a public mission (advocacy), so the
board has always consisted of a majority of citizen members. Other interesting
compromises were made-for example,
the organization is called National Recreation and Park Association while its

July1956

1924

1938

1954

National Conference on
Outdoor Recreation held

Society of Recreation
Workers of America formed
(later known as American
Recreation Society)

National Association of
Recreation Therapists
(NART) and Council for the
Advancement of Hospital
Recreation formed

1926
National Recreation
Association (NRA) established

1956

1932

NRA creates the International
Recreation Association,
which later becomes the
World Leisure and Recreation
Association (now known
as World Leisure).

First International Recreation
Congress is held in
Los Angeles, Calif.

The Wilderness Society
1935π
Wilderness Society formed

1937
American Recreation
Society (ARS) formed

1940π
Federal recreation services
established to meet needs
of military and defense
workers. National Industrial
Recreation Association formed
(now known as National
Employee Recreation and
Services Association)

√1956
President's
Council on
Physical
Fitness
established

www.NRPA .ORG

SUN

MON

TUE

WED

THU

FRI

SAT

1956π
National Recreation
Month established

1958
Outdoor Recreation
Review Resources
Commission (ORRRC)
established

1962®
Civil Rights Act
passed prohibiting
discriination at public
and commercial
recreation sites.

DECEMBER 2009

Parks & Recreation

December 2009 - Parks & Recreation

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of December 2009 - Parks & Recreation