520 PARKS 



division of recreation in performing its functions is to a very large degree 

 the measure of the success of the entire department. 



In a sense it is a misnomer to speak of a recreation division within a 

 department; that is, of a "recreation department." The activities of the horti- 

 culturist, the director of the zoo, the botanical garden, the arboretum, 

 the aquarium, the conservatory, are just as truly recreational as are the 

 plays, games, sports, music, dramatics and social activities of the division 

 of recreation. This contradiction could be overcome by splitting the recrea- 

 tion division into functional divisions, e.g., the division of children's play- 

 grounds, the division of community athletics, the division of community 

 music, the division of community dramatics and others, as is done in some 

 departments organized as separate recreation departments. Where there is 

 a unified department of parks and recreation the general superintendent or 

 chief executive is, in point of fact, the superintendent of recreation just as 

 truly as the superintendent of the separate department of recreation is a 

 superintendent of recreation. (For a detailed discussion of the organization 

 and conduct of the functions comprehended under the general term recrea- 

 tion, see Chapter XIII, pages 708-746.) 



8. Miscellaneous divisions. The fact has already been mentioned that 

 forestry, conservatories, botanical gardens and arboretums are sometimes 

 carried as separate and independent divisions in some large park systems. 

 This is also true of zoological gardens and aquariums. These are educational 1 

 recreational institutions requiring special technical knowledge and skill in 

 management and as such may quite properly be carried in the genera] 

 executive organization as separate divisions. 



In some park systems certain types of services of a public utility char- 

 acter, extensively and highly developed, are classified as separate divisions. 

 Thus in the park and recreation systems of Minneapolis and Hartford the 

 management of the refectory service is organized as a separate division. 

 Golf courses in some systems are similarly managed, although there appears 

 no special reason why golf courses and all other organized active recreation 

 facilities should not be grouped under one general division. 



The foregoing outline of the divisional organization of a park execu- 

 tive organization should be taken in a diagrammatic sense only. In actual 

 practice there are as many modifications of this divisional organization as 

 there are systems. In order to show examples of actual practices through- 

 out the country in executive organization a number of organization charts 

 of park executive organizations are presented in the pages immediately 

 following. 



