BULLETIN

All members of the Academy are leaders. Our leadership skills have been developed from our years of service to our agencies, universities, businesses, local civic or religious organizations, and state and national professional organizations. In fact an individual is not qualified for Academy membership until he or she is a proven leader. We are experienced in public speaking often making presentations to groups of 10 or 10,000.

We hope to answer that question through the Academy's Millenium Task Force, chaired by Ellen O'Sullivan. The purpose of the Millenium Task Force is to identify the future direction of the Academy. The goal is to develop a strategic vision and plan that will carry us for the next 3 to 5 years.

The questions is how do we capitalize on the creative energy of our members using new technologies to advance park and recreation administration in a fast changing and competitive world? It is obvious we cannot rely on traditional thinking. In an article in The Futurist magazine in May 1998, "Thinking Like a Genius: Eight Strategies Used by the Supercreative, from Aristotle and Leonardo to Einstein and Edison," Michael Michalko asked "How do geniuses come up with ideas? What characterizes the thinking strategies of the Einsteins, Edisons, da Vincis, Darwins, Picassos, Michalangelos, Galileos, Freuds, and Mozarts of history?"

There are eight strategies that are common to the thinking styles of creative genius in history, art, science, and business.

2. Geniuses make their thoughts visible. Use graphs or diagrams to view the problem.

3. Geniuses produce. Edison's personal quota was one minor invention every 10 days and a major invention every six months! Einstein published 248 other papers besides his famous paper on relativity. Out of massive quantity comes quality.

4. Geniuses make novel combinations. A genius constantly combines and re-combines ideas, images, and thoughts in their unconscious and conscious minds.

5. Geniuses force relationships. They are able to make juxtapositions between dissimilar subjects. They connect the unconnected to see things others do not see.

6. Geniuses think in opposites. It is believed that if you hold opposites together, then you suspend your thought and your mind moves to a new level.

7. Geniuses think metaphorically. The idea is to see resemblances between two separate areas of existence and link them together.

Recognizing and applying these eight strategies will help the Academy be creative and productive. Recognizing and applying these eight strategies by individual Academy members may do more than anything else to advance the profession! So, tack this list next to your phone, on your bathroom mirror, on the dashboard of your car, or next to your computer.

Think like a Genius

1. Look at a problem in more than one way.

2. Make your problem visible before you solve it.

3. Produce!

4. Combine and re-combine ideas, images, and thoughts.

5. Connect dissimilar issues.

6. Hold opposite thoughts.

7. Think metaphorically.

8. Be open to changing direction!

You can help. You can make a difference. Below are several methods to consider in being a successful advocate for parks and recreation.

. Invite your legislator to tour local park facilities and natural areas (especially those funded through the Land and Water Conservation Fund).

. Include legislators on invitation lists for anniversary celebrations, dedications, community festivals, parades, tree plantings and other noteworthy events.

. Arrange to have your legislator join you in a game of golf or other recreational activities using local park and recreation facilities.

. Take them to lunch.

. Keep legislators on your mailing lists for the Parks and Recreation magazine, brochures, annual reports and "The Benefits Are Endless" information.

. Publicly recognize a legislator who assists you and your agency in reaching a goal.

. Work for candidates who support park and recreation legislation. Or, enlist citizens from your community to work on their behalf.

. Make sure your agency is a good advertisement for parks and recreation. If your legislators believe that their local parks merit support, odds are that they will support local, state and even national issues important to our field.

On a simpler level, citizen volunteers can help your referendum campaign, coach youth sports, volunteer for clean-ups and other programs.

To help you involve more citizens locally, the National Recreation Foundation and the Illinois Association of Park Districts have produced a video that highlights volunteer opportunities for citizens. Including examples of citizen volunteerism throughout the United States, the 9-minute video is designed to motivate and recruit volunteers in local communities. The video is available to all NRPA members and can be tailored with a message at the end from your local agency.

To help our cause on the national level, use NRPA's Friends of Parks and Recreation program. The Friends program promotes the field with a "friendly" newsletter and opportunities to advocate for parks and recreation. But we need to do more and we need your support.

We need hundreds of thousands of citizens to lobby Congress and share the message that our park and recreation agencies do make life so much more livable: as stewards of the environment, in reducing healthcare costs, addressing social issues and boosting economic vitality.

For more information about the video and Friends of Parks and Recreation, contact Pat Cartwright at (217) 523-4554; fax (217) 523-4273.

1) Referendum - As basic tax dollar support for land acquisition and facility restoration and new improvements diminishes, success stories or learning experiences should be shared to describe how to gain public support at the polls and garner new funding sources.

2) Senior Citizen Discount Programs - As this population continues to increase, how are agencies dealing with political demands and influences for reduced fees for all types of facilities, programs and services? Where non-tax revenues and enterprise facilities are required to balance or supplement budgets, how are agencies coping with keeping significantly lower rates for seniors.

3) Natural Resource Preservation -Challenges facing land managers have grown in scale and complexity. Newer environmentally sustainable approaches in our field include "green" park operations, native plant landscaping, low-impact outdoor recreation and eco-tourism. Watershed and ecosystem management requires regional approaches and partnerships. The public wants hands-on involvement through vounteer conservation and citizen science. Controversy has arisen regarding use of herbicides and pesticides and management of exploding deer populations. Control of non-native and invasive species makes increasing demands on land managers. Environmental educa- tion and public information need to increase in sophistication to build public understanding and support for management of natural resources.

I look forward to receiving your responses to these important issues this year and sharing them with the Academy membership through this column.

Please send responses to me by March 19, 1999 at the following:

Steven K. Messerli

Executive Director

Lake County Forest Preserve

2000 North Milwaukee Avenue

Libertyville, IL 60048

Phone: (847) 367-6640

Fax: (847) 367-6649

E-mail: forestpreserves@co.lake.il.us

Internet:

http://www.co.lake.il.us/forest/ index.htm

This task force was established by President Jane Adams as a way to prepare the Academy for our own version of Y2K and the results of this task force are scheduled to be ready for this coming Congress.

Core Purpose - identification of re-affirmation of basic purpose and goals of both the organization and individual members.

Strategic Directions - compilation of general trends, financial patterns, opportunities and challenges facing the profession and membership organizations.

Programs and Services - reveiw of existing programs, services and activities of the Academy.

Soon you will be receiving materials from the Membership Committee for 1999 nominations to the Academy. This year we have openings for 1 educator and 14 practitioners.

These include that the nominee is a leader in the park and recreation field either as practitioner, commercial or private sector professional, educator or as an outstanding contributor in the private commercial sector for not less than fifteen (15) years; the nominee has demonstrated a record of participating in state, regional and national professional organizations; and the nominee has contributed through writing and public speaking appearances or through design of equipment, landscaping or facilities.

Please remember the above items as you think about selecting nominees. Also, you need to submit complete nomination applications. Don't do a disservice to your nominee by submitting an incomplete application! Nominations cannot be submitted from any individual on the Membership Committee or on the Board of Directors. As you will recall, all candidates recommended by the Membership Committee must receive two-thirds vote of support by the Board of Directors of the Academy.

The American Academy Foundation shows considerable gains at the 1998 year end report. The assets have climbed to nearly $28,000, since our beginning in 1992. The trustees wish to thank all of you for helping the foundation move forward.

Once again, a reminder to all members is that the Foundation belongs to you, and your cash contributions, memorials and any beneficiary designation will serve to help the Foundation grow faster to enable the trustees to provide a base fund that will year by year support financial needs for projects sponsored by the academy. We are a small group (the academy) with definite goals. Also, we are supporters of the very active NRPA development fund and rightly so, however this does not hinder our academy efforts to support your Foundation in helping reach a solid financial foundation.

At our annual meeting two new trustees were elected for a three year term. They were Vern Hartenburg and Eddie Hueston. We welcome these gentlemen. Our sincere thanks to Ray Kisiah who was one of the original founders of the foundation, and Robert Frazer who completed 4 years as a trustee for the fine leadership in getting the Foundation off to a great start. Besides Hartenburg and Hueston, Ford Hughes, Bob Reid, Bob Toalson and Lou Twardzik remain on the trustees.

One of our goals is to try to improve our assets to a $50,000 level by the end of year 2000. Reaching this goal would provide the academy with a modest sum each year for projects that the academy may wish to pursue in the new millennium. It is also our hope that with a step at a time our future may surpass the goals we are now trying to achieve.

After forty years in the field of leisure, Dr. Joseph J. Bannon has found his own leisure niche. "Golf, running and my grandkids," answers Bannon when asked how he spends his leisure time. But do not look for Bannon to retire anytime soon in order to enjoy more leisure time.

Bannon came to the field of parks and recreation in 1958 as a graduate student in the Department of Recreation and Park Administration at the University of Illinois. Under the tutelage of Dr. Alan Sapora, he soon became "hooked" on the field.

"I graduated with a degree in Physical Education from Ithaca College in New York. After graduation, I was looking at graduate programs at Indiana University and Illinois and one of my instructors pushed me to work with Dr. Charles Brightbill and Dr. Sapora at Illinois" explains Bannon.

"I thought I would teach P.E. during the school year and then work in parks and recreation during the summer; I was looking for something to do. But after arriving at Illinois I was no longer interested in physical education at all."

After leaving Illinois in 1958 with his M.S. in hand, Bannon started his career as a practitioner in Leonia, New Jersey, as the Superintendent of the Leionia Recreation Commission.

"In Topeka we had more resources. I worked at developing art programs and we built a number of swimming pools while I was there - there was a lot of building," says Bannon of his Topeka tenure.

However, Illinois soon came calling. "When Al Sapora became the department head he asked me to return as the Chief of the Office of Recreation and Park Resources, " says Bannon. "I couldn't turn him down." Thus began the second phase of Bannon's career, that of an academician.

Bannon's tenure at Illinois spanned from 1966 to 1991 during which time he earned his Ph.D. and served as the Department Head. While serving as the department head, Bannon worked on changing the name of the department from Parks and Recreation to Leisure Studies.

"We went to the faculty senate with a proposal to change it to "Leisure Science" but we knew the physics and biology guys wouldn't go for that, all along we knew we would be happy with 'Leisure Studies' so we used that as our bargaining chip," says Bannon.

In 1984 that something new was an idea hatched in a family room - Sagamore Publishing. While Bannon had served as the President of Management Learning Laboratories (MLL) since 1974, by 1984 he was ready to take on the publishing world.

"We started with one publication, Management Strategies, which today has a subscription base of 6000 practitioners. We saw a need for texts in this field as bigger publishers, facing money crunches, quit publishing within our field. We aimed to fill the gap."

And fill the gap they have. In 1987, Sagamore started a trade book division which concentrates primarily on sports books for the popular market. Today, the company has been broken into two distinct companies - Sagamore Publishing and Sports Publishing, Inc.

Along the same lines, Bannon would point to his philosophy on educating future practitioners as a good piece of advice for everyone in a position to teach. "Don't tell students what to do but why do it, otherwise they will be lost as a practitioner."

Bannon lists fairness as the most important lesson that he himself learned in his career. "I always tried to be fair in each part of my career" he says. "While not everyone always agreed with my decisions, if I could go home and sleep having been fair and honest I felt that was an accomplishment."

Besides fairness, Bannon can certainly point to a number of other accomplishments that he has achieved over the past four decades. Bannon is a founding member of the American Academy of Recreation and Park Administrators and a founding fellow of the Academy of Leisure Sciences. Among others, Bannon has also received the J.B. Nash Scholar award, the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Mid-America Publishers, an Appreciation Award from the State of Illinois, the Narional Distinguished Professional Award from the National Recreation and Park Association, and the Distinguished Fellow Award from the Society of Park and Recreation Educators. The list of awards is impressive. However, the accomplishments that Bannon points to himself as the most important are raising his two sons and being a grandparent.

Major concerns were expressed about privatization of public park and recreation facilities in no less than six sessions at the recent International Congress for park and recreation administrators in Melbourne, Australia, October 18-23, 1998. I am continually perplexed that we (U.S.A. park and recreation practitioners) are not paying enough attention to this potentially insidious invader of the public domain. The message in Melbourne was clear, we can and must learn from other's experiences in this arena or be willing to accept the consequences of reduced influence of our services at all levels of government.

One of the most insightful addresses I have heard in years by a lay person was given at this Congress. The Honorable Marie Tehan MP, (Victoria's Minister for Conservation and Land Management) commented about how Victoria's park managers would learn and benefit from the exchange and cross pollination of ideas taking place at the IFPRA Congress. She was also anxious to have their park managers teach others about the complexities and solutions to park management issues which they face on a day to day basis. This, in essence, is what international conferences are all about.

Six academy members were in attendance at this, the 18th World Congress of the International Federation of Park and Recreation Administration. They included: former IFPRA President Roger Brown and program participants Bob Toalson, Tony Mobley, Ken Winslade, Monty Christiansen and Jim Peterson. Dr. Anne Binkley, former faculty member at Indiana University now at Victoria University, Footscray College in Melbourne was program chairman for the Congress.

The Congress was held in partnership with Australia's first National Park and Leisure Australia Conference; altogether there were 513 delegates from 23 countries.

Optional daily technical tours included the Royal Botanic Garden, Fitzroy Gardens, and the famous Melbourne Cricket Grounds. With the spring season just arriving "down under" the parks were budding out all over.

The week long post congress technical tour was outstanding. Forty-eight IFPRA delegates representing 13 countries were privileged to explore and investigate public and private park and recreation facilities in Ballarat, Bendigo, Canberra, and Sydney. A special behind-the-scenes tour of the 2000 Olympic grounds in Sydney was just one of the highlights. Most participants took advantage of being in the Southern Hemisphere to visit some of the unusual and scenic sites throughout Australia and New Zealand.

The Asia Regional conference will be held in Hangzhou City, China in 1999 and Singapore in 2002. The next European Regional Conference will be held in Torino, Italy in the year 2000. The next World Congress (they are held every three years) will be in South Africa in 2001 and in Hamamatsu City, Japan in 2004.

Please let me know, Fax 812-339-3911, e-mail japete @indiana.edu, of your interest and I will put you in touch with the appropriate individuals. It's a terrific way to become involved at the international level.

Parks staff headed by Maintenance Supervisor Michael Andryshak visited some of the Pocono Mountain skiing and tubing resorts, while Tom Quinlisk, Recreation Supervisor, checked out Hunter Mountain's tubing.

They all returned with glowing reports and recommendations for the snow grooming equipment required to make "the tracks" to control the tubes and a tow lift.

The County Ski Area, which opened in 1965 with a T-Bar lift, had the infrastructure for snowmaking.

The County Executive Joseph G. Rampe and Legislative leaders embraced the idea of providing snow tubing for residents and tourists.

The cost to introduce the program on the broad ski hill was estimated at $150,000 with projected annual revenue at $39,900.

Five year energy costs for diesel fuel and electric were pegged at $25,500. Compressors were annually leased for two months for ski area snowmaking, which would continue.

The Legislature approved the bonding of the estimated $150,000 project, which also included the purchase of 100 lined tubes.

A public bid for groomer came in at $115,000, while the tubing tow lift was $19,900. Tubes were $75 each.

Park's personnel with County Public Works engineering assistance installed the lift in October of 1998.

Cold weather for snowmaking finally swept Orange County in late December. The five track-tubing hill opened December 30.

Three two-hour sessions were scheduled for Saturdays, Sundays and school holidays.

The 9:30 am session drew an average of 60 tubers per day including adults and children.

Many families were turned away and advised to register for the first session. An additional 10 tubes were ordered to service more happy users. One person is permitted on a tube at a time.

A member of the National Ski Patrol and volunteers are on duty for the public's safety.

Safety is the key factor for parks personnel who control the start of tubers once the track is clear.

Park's staff also hitches the tube leashes on the tow handles to give the thrilled participants a smooth ride up the hill.

County officials anticipate meeting/exceeding revenue projections if seasonal wintry weather conditions continue.

The immediate popularity of snow tubing at the County Parks, has encouraged the installation of night lighting on the tubing hill. Two 90-minute tubing sessions will be extended into the night.