516 PARKS 



an annual report to the city council or to the county board of commissioners 

 as the case may be, and only comparatively few of these reports are ever 

 printed and made available for general distribution. A well-organized plan 

 of educational activity would be extremely valuable from two viewpoints: 

 it would more nearly give the governing authority a true and up-to-date 

 insight into the public needs and desires, and at the same time acquaint the 

 people more fully with the facilities and services now available. This sub- 

 ject is discussed in detail in Chapter XIX, "Educational Publicity." 



Executive Organization. 



The creation and maintenance of an executive organization is without 

 doubt one of the most important acts of government by a park governing 

 authority. The success or failure of the governing authority will largely 

 depend upon whether it does or does not recognize the value of expert 

 service and sets up an executive organization manned with trained officials. 

 This principle applies to small as well as to large communities. Indeed, 

 because of the versatility demanded of the one or the few executive officials 

 in a small organization, there is even greater need of more widely trained 

 leadership in small communities than in larger ones. Unfortunately this 

 need does not always harmonize with the financial resources available in 

 small communities. 



The personnel of an executive organization will comprise a chief execu- 

 tive or superintendent, subordinate officials, the number depending upon 

 the size of the community and the functional services definitely and sepa- 

 rately organized, and laborers. From the viewpoint of major functions there 

 is no marked difference between a small park executive organization and 

 the executive organization of a large one, but there is, of course, a vast 

 difference in the number of definite functional divisions into which the 

 departments, respectively, may be organized. 



DIVISIONAL ORGANIZATION OF A PARK EXECUTIVE ORGANIZATION 



The following diagrammatic outline of the divisional organization of 

 a park and recreation department will serve to visualize some of the various 

 functions which any department, small or large, will perform. 



DIAGRAMMATIC OUTLINE OF A PARK EXECUTIVE ORGANIZATION 



General Park Governing Authority 



Chief Executive 



