DARK AND CEMETERY. 
101 
OFFICIAL COMMUNICATIONS 
JAMES B. SHEA, Boston, Mass., President 
AND CONTRIBUTIONS 
J. J. LEVISON, Brooklyn, N.Y., Sec.-Treas. 
The Denver Convention. 
The American Association of Park Su- 
perintendents is making an active cam- 
paign for more members and a good at- 
tendance at the annual convention in Den- 
ver, August 25, 26 and 27. 
Arrangements for the program are 
nearly completed and the meeting at Den- 
ver promises to be one of the most inter- 
esting and valuable in the history of the 
organization. The meeting is to lay espe- 
cial emphasis on practical outdoor dem- 
onstrative work. It will be almost en- 
tirely devoted to real work outdoors, and 
every park man in the country, whether a 
member of the organization or not, is 
urged to be present. 
Monday, August 25. 
A. M. — Business meeting. Address of 
welcome by J. S. Macbeth, president of 
Park Board, and other city officials. 
Noon — Lunch at City Park. 
Afternoon, 1 :30 P. M. — Outdoor meet- 
ing of association on lawn at City Park. 
Papers and discussions'. 
3:30 P. M. — Auto ride of portion of 
parks and parkways. 
6:30 P. M. — Dinner, Montclair Civic 
building. 
8 to 10 P. M. — Attend band concert, 
moving pictures, and electric fountain, City 
Park. 
Tuesday, August 26. 
A. M. — Papers rnd discussion at head- 
quarters. Lunch at headquarters. 
1 :30 P. M. — Auto ride to Washington 
Park, to attend outdoor meeting on lawn. 
3 :30 P. M. — Auto ride over city, inspect- 
ing narks and playgrounds. 
7 :30 P. M. — Auto ride to Eliteh’s Gar- 
dens. to attend performance of stock com- 
pany. 
Wednesday, August 27. 
8:30 A. M. — Take auto ride to Mountain 
parks. 
Noon — Lunch on Genesee Mountain. 
1 :30 P. M. — Short papers and discus- 
sion. 
2:30 P. M.- — Trip back to Denver, via 
Bear Creek or Turkey Creek. 
Note. — A question box will be placed at 
headau.arters, where members of the as- 
sociation may ask questions that they would 
like to have discussed by the association. 
Entertainment will be provided by the 
ladies during business meetings. 
Following is a list of the speakers and 
the subjects to be treated in the addresses 
and discussions : 
Paper on* "Playground and Recreation 
Facilities and 1 heir Management," by 
Edw. De Groot, general secretary, Play- 
ground Association of Chicago. 
Lecture on "The New York Idea of a 
Zoological Park,” by Herman W. Merkel, 
forester, New York Zoological Park. Il- 
lustrated with lantern slides. 
Lecture on "The Care and Planting of 
Ornamental and Shade Trees,” by J. J. 
Eevison, M. F., forester, Brooklyn Park 
Department. Illustrated with lantern 
slides. 
Informal discussions on “Municipal Nur- 
series,” led by Messrs. Boddy and Alber, 
and on "Boulevard and Road Surfaces 
Suitable for Both Pleasure and Traffic,” 
by Ralph R. Benedict. 
“Field Demonstration of the Flora in 
the Vicinity of Denver,” by Mr. John 
Berry. 
Following is a copy of a communication 
announcing the Denver meeting that is 
being mailed to a large number of park 
commissioners throughout the country : 
“The next meeting of the American As- 
sociation of Park Superintendents, to be 
held in Denver, Colo., August 25, 26 and 
27, 1913, promises to be even more fruit- 
ful than any of those held heretofore. It 
will deal with live problems, the very ones 
confronting you today. They will not be 
theorized upon ; they will be discussed by 
park men from all over the United States 
and Canada, men who confronted these 
problems under various conditions and 
under numerous difficulties. There will be 
demonstrations in park development and 
park problems exemplified in one of the 
most progressive park systems in this 
country. Read the enclosed circular and 
be convinced on this point. 
If you are progressive you should have 
your superintendent and associates there 
and, if possible, be there yourselves. Your 
superintendent will, of course, contribute 
his share, but he will return with informa- 
tion far more than the cost of the trip. 
It may save you thousands of dollars and 
dozens of years. You will not be able to 
read it up afterwards because it will be all 
discussion and demonstration in the field — 
things to be seen and be impressed with 
and not to be described. If you have a 
problem, bring that along, too, and profit 
by the experience of others. 
Can you afford to miss this? You de- 
cidedly cannot, and we therefore urge you 
to consider this at once and see that you 
are represented at our next meeting. 
If you decide to send your representa- 
tive or be with us yourself, please notify 
the secretary, so that he may post you on 
further particulars at a later date. 
Very truly yours, 
Jas. B. Shea, 
President." 
THE PLAYGROUND MOVEMENT 
IN UTICA. 
By E. M. Swiggett, Supt. of Parks, 
Utica, N. Y. 
The playground movement in Utica 
(population of 77,000) has grown gradu- 
ally and has been the outgrowth of years 
of interest taken by a few private parties 
who formed themselves into a citizens’ or- 
ganization bearing the name Utica Play- 
ground Committee — now Playground and 
Recreation Association. 
This organization has for a number of 
years raised funds to promote playgrounds 
by subscription and otherwise and carried 
on playground work long before the pur- 
chase of the first municipally owned and 
operated ground in 1903. 
In 1907, when an act was passed creat- 
ing the park board, public playgrounds 
came under the control of the Utica Park 
Board, which has since directed the man- 
agement of them. 
But the local association has maintained 
their interest in the playgrounds and con- 
tinued to raise funds for the addition of 
equipment, employment of special teachers 
of “folk dancing,” etc., and are now taking 
up the “social center” idea. 
Initial steps in the promotion of social 
center work were taken two years ago by 
a member of the City Library staff, who 
organized children's clubs at one of the 
branch libraries with a high degree of 
success. 
The superintendent of parks, superin- 
tendent of schools, public librarian, one of 
the local editors' and others have taken 
great interest in the civic improvement and 
children’s garden movements. One highly 
successful children’s garden has been car- 
ried on for two years, and it is probable 
that the institution of school gardens will 
follow soon. While this is a separate 
movement from the playgrounds, it has 
such an important bearing on the general 
idea of training useful citizens that, as an 
auxiliary of the playground movement here 
it cannot properly be omitted. 
The Utica playgrounds have been opened 
for the school vacation period of eight to 
ten weeks only and the following staff of 
instructors has been employed by the park 
board each season : Three regular instruc- 
tors, one man and two ladies, for each of 
three playgrounds, now in operation, be- 
sides teachers of sewing and “folk” danc- 
