ioo8 PARKS 



examinations are given, leadership qualities tested, observation trips taken 

 and frequent individual interviews are had with students by faculty mem- 

 bers and local recreation leaders. It is the intention to add to the subjects 

 already included in the course elementary instruction in horticulture, land- 

 scape design and construction as related to the development of parks and 

 other recreation areas. 



Importance of Training in "Human Engineering" 



The foregoing statements of suggestions concerning the training of 

 modern park and recreation executives represent two basic lines of approach 

 two major emphases. The Committee on the Training of Park Execu- 

 tives of the American Institute of Park Executives and the institutions of 

 higher learning mentioned, approach the problem of training largely from 

 the landscape gardening, construction engineering phases of the problem. 

 The National Recreation School of the Playground and Recreation Associa- 

 tion of America and other educational institutions training recreation 

 workers approach it from the human use or human engineering side of the 

 problem. A well-balanced course of training for park executives would 

 appear to lie between these two extremes, especially when the executive is 

 expected to head a unified park and recreation system. However, even 

 where there is a park department and a recreation department in the same 

 community it is important that the park executive know something tech- 

 nically of the social-recreational functions of his department and the recrea- 

 tion executive know something technically of the landscape design and 

 engineering functions of his department. 



It is vital, therefore, that in the training of park superintendents more 

 attention be given the human engineering problems involved. For the past 

 twenty-five years the development of community park service has tended 

 more and more toward a very broad human service, demanding of the chief 

 executive of a department great executive ability as a business organizer 

 and administrator and as an organizer and leader of the people in a range 

 of activities and services which run almost the whole gamut of human 

 interests. All the other forms or phases of his executive duties are funda- 

 mentally related to his functions of interpreter, organizer and leader of the 

 people in leisure time activities whether these activities be characteristically 

 active or characteristically passive. Efficient business organization is solely 

 for the purpose of securing maximum returns for money and energy expended 

 in terms of service to the people. Landscape gardening is defined as "the 

 art of arranging land or landscape for human use, convenience and enjoy- 

 ment, 11 or, "the art of arranging land for human use with a controlling regard 

 for beauty" Construction engineering is the handmaid of landscape archi- 



