EXECUTIVE ORGANIZATION OF A PARK DEPARTMENT 549 



a music club or similar group, to assist. He may, with the approval of 

 the governing authority, desire certain amendments to the laws. This is 

 likely to involve a campaign of education in which he will of necessity take 

 an active part and ultimately result in establishing contacts with leading 

 legislators. 



It is impossible to enumerate all the many kinds and occasions of con- 

 tacts an active, able, broad-visioned superintendent will make with the 

 public. Their nature and extent will vary as widely as conditions in dif- 

 ferent communities vary. In a great many instances these contacts will be 

 actually carried out through subordinates under the general supervision of 

 the superintendent. It may be wise in some instances to use the services of 

 individuals entirely outside the departmental organization. After all, the 

 mark of a genuine executive is his ability to utilize the services of other people. 



In all this broad field of public contacts there are certain rules or 

 principles that the executive should keep in mind. An executive, especially 

 a new executive, should be exceedingly careful not to push himself forward 

 too rapidly. He cannot escape public contacts, but when the opportunity 

 does come, either by invitation or by necessity, it is desirable that his attitude 

 be more reticent than forward, and that all his dealing with the public be 

 marked by a frankness, sincerity, clearness of statement and soundness of 

 judgment that will at once inspire confidence. Too many words do not 

 make truth. They more often serve to cause confusion in thinking and to 

 cover up truth. In all publicity resulting from public contacts or arising 

 from the activities of the department, the executive should be very careful 

 not to permit the entire credit to go to himself. In publicity resulting from 

 public contacts or from interest in activities growing out of the efforts 

 of the organization, credit should be given to the department or to members 

 of the governing authority or of the staff, if they deserve the credit. Some 

 otherwise good executives have raised a host of enemies and limited their 

 own usefulness in their communities by appearing too frequently in the 

 public eye. 



EXECUTIVE ORGANIZATION IN SMALL COMMUNITIES AND 

 LARGE COMMUNITIES 



Much that has been said heretofore in this chapter applies only to 

 executive organization in large park and recreation systems involving divi- 

 sional or departmental organization with various types and grades of 

 subordinate executives. However, with respect to the relations of the super- 

 intendent to the governing authority, to individual members of the staff 

 and to the general public, the general principles that have been stated apply 

 equally as well in a small system as in a large one. 



