Government's Role in Leisure: A Historical Overview

• History of government involvement in leisure services; laws, government evolvement, history of national park service.

1906 American Antiquities Act

• First act about government involvement in leisure

The Great Depression

• By 1932, 15 million people, a third of the workforce, were unemployed
• Concerns arose that the absence of recreational facilities could foster idleness

Franklin D. Roosevelt's New Deal

• The New Deal included the Work Projects Administration and the Civilian Conservation Corps

FDR and the CCC

• A bill passed March 31, 1933, aiming to revitalize the economy and uplift society
• It provided jobs for 3 million young men; The government paid them roughly $30 a month
• All races were allowed to work in the CCC
• Projects included building roads, parks, dams, campgrounds, swimming pools, bandstands, post offices, and gymnasiums
• The CCC was the most influential development of parks and recreation spaces

CCC in Texas

• Texas focused on enhancing state parks, employing 2,620 men out of the 18,000 nationwide
• By the end of 1933, the federal government had invested over $1 million in Texas State Park System
• Projects were implemented across the state

The Great Depression & the Arts

• Working projects were established, mainly for more mature adults

• Four WPA Arts projects were established: Federal Music Project, Federal Art Project, Federal Theater Project, and Federal Writer's Project

• The Federal Government has over 70 agencies dealing with recreation or park systems

• State governments have similar agencies, but on a smaller scale

National Park Service

• The NPS has been America's primary preservation agency since 1916
• It began with the 2.2-million-acre Yellowstone National Park, which was the first national park in the U.S. founded in 1872
• It has expanded to include 63 parks, 85 million acres, and over 423 facilities
• Yosemite in California, was the first state park in 1864 and became a national park in 1890

Preservation of Public Land

• 1864: Yosemite Park in California was established as the first state park and later became the second national park
• 1872: Yellowstone became the first National Park
• Balancing preservation, public use, and political mandates remains a key challenge

National Park Service: Areas

• Includes National Military Parks, Wilderness Areas, and National Monuments
• Legislation established National Recreation Areas, National Historic Sites, National Trails, and National Memorials

El Camino Real de los Tejas National Historic Trail (Louisiana and Texas)

• Encompasses 2,500 miles from colonial Mexico City through Texas, ending in Natchitoches, Louisiana
• The trail provided the primary overland route from Mexico across the Río Grande to the Red River Valley
• Designated as a National Historic Trail in 2004
• Many sites along the trail are listed in the National Register of Historic Places
• The best-known cluster of missions along the trail is part of the San Antonio Missions National Historical Park

Jobs with federal government in National Park Services

• Park guides welcome visitors, answer questions, and conduct educational programs
• Park rangers (Interpretation) plan and conduct interactive programs to educate visitors
• Park rangers (Protection) enforce laws and ensure visitors respect and preserve park resources
• Recreation Fee Clerks and Technicians provide administrative support
• Visitor services assistants greet park visitors and offer support

U.S. Forest Service

• Established with the Forest Reserve Act of 1891

• Manages timber development and production, mining operations, open grazing, and recreation facilities

• Focuses primarily on conservation and wilderness preservation

• The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers focuses on improving and maintaining rivers and waterways for navigation and flood control

• It manages most facilities and leases some to state and local governments

• It also provides recreation and leisure facilities

Other Federal Agencies in the Leisure business:

• The Bureau of Indian Affairs enhances the quality of life, promotes economic opportunity, and protects trust assets of American Indians, Indian tribes, and Alaska Natives
• The Department of Agriculture provides leadership on food, agriculture, natural resources, and related issues
• Fish & Wildlife Services are responsible for conserving, protecting, and enhancing fish and wildlife and their habitats
• The Department of Transportation coordinates federal transportation projects and sets safety regulations
• The Department of Housing and Urban Development is responsible for national policy and programs that address housing needs
• The National Endowment for the Arts funds and promotes the arts and arts education
• The President's Council on Physical Fitness promotes healthy eating and physical activity

Authority for State Government Involvement in Leisure Services

• The 10th Amendment gives states responsibilities not specifically delegated to the federal government

Legislation

• Enabling Laws grant local communities the right to establish, organize, administer, and conduct recreation and park programs; They are permissive, not mandatory
• Regulatory Laws regulate, control, license, or supervise recreation activities in the best interest of public health and safety; They cover hunting and fishing seasons, health, and sanitation codes
• In Texas, fishing from the shore at State Parks does NOT require a license
• Everyone 17 and older requires a license to take fish from public waters

Playground Movement

• It began as a social response
• 1880s: Boston Sand Garden with supervised play
• 1887: First playground opened at Golden Gate Park in San Francisco
• 1904: Los Angeles Playground Commission
• 1906: Playground Association of America
• Luther Gulick, Camp Fire, 1st president; Joseph Lee, "Father of Am. Playground Movement"

Land conservation history

• The Boston Common, designated as a public open space in 1634, is considered the nation's first city park
• 1850s: NY Central Park, the 1st architecturally designed City Park by Olmsted & Vaux

Programs of the State Government related to Leisure Services

• Department of Travel and Tourism
• State Parks and Wildlife Department: Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) which has 13 Divisions
• The division oversees more than 640,000 acres of land owned or leased
• It also has 89 state parks, historic sites, and natural areas
• Also includes State Hospitals/Schools, Zoo Management, and Museum Management
• The average executive museum director salary in Texas is $133,172

Sample Salaries - TPWD

• The average salary for a Fish and Game Warden in Texas is around $85,000 per year
• The average Park Ranger salary in Texas is $58,000 per year
• Park Ranger I Interpreter is an entry-level position
• Park Superintendent: salary and housing

LOCAL Governmental SERVICES

• An urban phenomenon
• Over 80% of the U.S. population lives within metropolitan districts (85% in Texas)
• Local parks and recreation departments have responded to the needs as a result

Types of Local Governments

• Municipalities - Cities
• Special Recreation or Park Districts
• County Recreation & Park Services
• Public School Systems

Typical provisions include:

• Recreation Centers
• After-school programs
• Parks, Playgrounds
• Sports Fields and Leagues
• Trails, Swimming Pools
• Special Events

Funding Local & State

• Property & Sales Taxes
• Bond Issues
• Fund department's capital development projects (facility & land acquisitions)
• Special Recreation Tax
• Fees and charges
• Contracts
• Fundraising Events
• Financial Assistance; grants, gifts
• Federal assistance
• Partnerships

Salaries in municipal government

• City of Austin has $20.00 minimum wage, starting

• Lifeguards, Front Desk Attendants,

• Activity Specialists or Inclusion and Adaptive Specialists must be at least 18 years of age with a High School diploma/ GED; No experience required

• Recreation Program Coordinator (Aquatics Division) $24.56 - $28.80 an hour - Full-time; Bachelor's degree with major coursework in Recreation

• Park Ranger position in Travis County Parks pays $64,600 - $89,422 a year - Full-time

• High school diploma or G.E.D., AND two years of experience in public safety situations requiring immediate decisions

• Certification as a Texas Peace Officer issued by the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement (TCOLE)

• Bachelor's degree preferred

• National Recreation and Park Association Report on the Economic Impact of Local Parks, (January 4, 2024)

• In 2021, the shared impact of operations and capital spending by U.S. local park and recreation agencies resulted in nearly $201 billion in economic activity

• The spending created more than 1.1 million jobs that paid salaries, wages and benefits totaling $63 billion

• Parks lead the way in health, wellness, equity

• They also drive significant economic activity

Top 5 states with the highest economic impact

• California: $21 billion
• Florida: $15 billion
• Texas: $14 billion
• New York: $10 billion
• Illinois: $8 billion

Citizen Involvement in Local Services

• Policy and Advisory Boards & Commissions
• Citizen representation interprets the value of parks and recreation to the political structure
• They influence programming views; Several people are involved in policy decisions
• Members are appointed or elected

National Recreation & Park Association (NRPA)

• The NRPA promotes awareness of the values of recreation and parks in individuals' lives
• It provides services that contribute to the development of its membership
• Affiliate groups include Therapeutic Recreation and Inclusion, Armed Forces, Park Resources, Students, Commercial Recreation and Tourism, Leisure and Aging, Aquatics, and Minorities in Leisure Studies

Texas Recreation and Park Society

• A non-profit 501(c)3 professional and educational organization
• It advances the field of parks, recreation, and leisure services in Texas
• It fosters networking and promotes information sharing
• It has over 2,000 professional and citizen-advocates
• Two affiliate partners include the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) and the Texas Amateur Athletic Federation (TAAF)

Broad Categories of Leisure Services

• Governmental

• Not-for-Profit

• Commercial/ For-Profit

• There is some intermingling; A governmental agency may have a not-for-profit advocacy group

• A commercial agency might have a philanthropic not-for-profit

• ALL may work together to promote an area

• Governments might grant Commercial agencies tax breaks or hire Commercial agencies to provide contract services

Governmental

• Provide recreation and park services that benefit society, ALL citizens, conserve the environment, enhance economics, and improve quality of life
• National, State, and Local governments included
• Financed by Governmental funding from taxes, fees from services, grants from not-for-profits
• CAN make a profit from services but money goes to other services and might offer fee waiver/sliding scale with need
• Includes: Federal, State, and Local government agencies

Reasons for government involvement in leisure delivery:

• Financial resources, authority of eminent domain, continuous and permanent nature, volume decreases costs, only agency supported by and for all people, and legal precedent

Functions of Government Involvement

• Management of land, provision of technical assistance, financial assistance, direct service delivery, enactment and enforcement of regulations

Not-for-Profit Recreation as a Social Service

• Typically provides services for a select clientele
• Finances: Fees for services, grants/funding from other not-for-profits
• May offer some programs that lose money or scholarships/sliding fee to people who can't afford the fee for service
• CAN make a profit from services, but profits go back to other services
• Providing leisure for a select clientele

Commercial

• Selling leisure for a profit
• Earn profits by making money; Provide whatever leisure service that will result in a profit to the owner
• Finances: Fees for services
• Direct service workers might make low wages, and no benefits
• Might offer reduced fees as marketing angle
• Typically, do not consider themselves leisure professionals
• Goal is to sell is Leisure experiences or supplies

WHAT ARE NOT-FOR-PROFIT AGENCIES?

• Characteristics of tax-exempt (Not-for-profit) organizations
• Legally/formally constituted, file forms with IRS, that are private, not governmental
• Non-profits ARE NOT municipal/State agencies, are not profit-distributing, has Board of directors are usually volunteers, are self-governing, and are of public benefit

Urbanization (19th century)

• There was a move away from farm life
• Less physically demanding jobs, with a workweek of around 70 hours
• Sports became considered entertainment: Rutgers University & Princeton played the first game of intercollegiate football on Nov. 6, 1869
• The 1st basketball game with paid players was at the Masonic Temple Hall in November 1896
• Inner city crime/crowding increased because of immoral commercial amusements

Organizations:

• 1850's YMCA
• 1860's Boys and Girls Clubs
• 1880's Hull House—Settlement Houses; Jane Addams and Ada McKinley
• American Scouting; Boy Scouts William Boyce, 1910

What makes a not-for-profit Tax-exempt?

• Organizations under these statuses DO NOT PAY TAXES
• 501(C)(3): The ONLY status that allows non-profit organizations to receive TAX-DEDUCTIBLE gifts from individuals
• Must be organized & operated exclusively for religious, educational, scientific, or other charitable purposes
• Purposes and activities may not be illegal or violate fundamental public policy
• Non-profits in the U.S. fall into two categories: Public serving (Frequently 501 (C-3), Typically, provide direct services) with Funding (United Way, Government Support, Grants, Fees, Private Giving
• Member-serving organizations such as social clubs, labor unions, political parties, employee recreation clubs
• Non-profit Recreation Services (besides those already mentioned)
• Typically, Public Serving, such as those focused on 'Special' populations (Easter Seals, Special Olympics, Paralympics, Senior Games)
• Arts compose the 2nd largest # of recreation-based non-profits: such as Theater, Bands/orchestras/symphonies, Museums, art galleries, zoos
• The 3rd largest # of non-profit recreation-based organizations include :Public radio and television stations

Outdoor/Conservation

• World Wildlife Fund sends 82% of WWF's spending is directed to worldwide conservation activities
• Other conservations are Residential Camps, Sierra Club/Audubon Society

What is a 501(c)(7) social club?

• Membership organizations primarily supported by funds paid by their members
• Must include; Limit membership, be organized non-profitable purposes, provide an opportunity for personal contact amongst members, cant hold itself out as providing goods and services to the general public
• Examples are; College fraternities and sororities, Country clubs, Amateur hunting, fishing, tennis, swimming, Hobby clubs, Yacht clubs

Member Serving Organizations

• Provide a service for a particular group of people; Not profit seeking but may make a profit on some services OR be funded by the government agency

• Employee Recreation & Fitness Programs; Recreation services for employees of a particular company (and maybe retirees)

• The beginning of Employee Rec in the US was with War Camp Community Services (World War I )

• Why do Employers Support Rec Programs

• These Programs offer: Great recruiting strategy, Reduce absenteeism, Employee assimilation, reduces Insurance costs

• Management provides all facilities that offers all facilities, staffing, and all operational costs to employees at little to no cost

• Management provide money to support for all recreation activities

• They provide leadership and conduct the programs

Professional Organizations for Employee Rec

• Developed during WWII; Includes NISRA - National Industrial Recreation Association

Churches against Recreation

• Puritan New England (~17th century)
• Ordinances against leisure activities (Protestant Work Ethic)
• Blue Laws guarded the ‘sabbath', Leisure is a vice and corrupting
• Modern churches are now a healthy connection to the community offering Opportunity for members to fellowship

WHAT IS Campus recreation?

• Recreation opportunities offered by higher education institutions to their students, faculty, and staff
• Typically funded through combination of University/state budget and fees, offers historically offered free or reduced cost programs in high-quality facilities
• Rationale: Maintain campus morale, promote positive student growth, campus cohesion
• Common offerings; Aquatics, Personal Fitness, Sports Clubs and Outdoor recreational programs
• Potential Careers include Internships and Grad assistantships
• Advertised on Bluefishjobs and NIRSA

Recreation in the Military

• Morale, Welfare, and Recreation's mission is to contribute to the well-being of military personnel and their families
• Serves Active duty members, Reserve Members, Duty & Retired Families
• Finances consist of; Appropriated Funds (APF), or Non-Appropriated Funds (NAF)