DEPARTMENT OF RECREATION

1954-2000

ADMINISTRATIVE HISTORY

Montgomery County's recreational program began in 1943 under the management of the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission (MNCPPC). The Commission established twenty-six playgrounds in park areas and schoolyards, and a special recreation tax, levied only in the more heavily populated down-County areas, was authorized by the State General Assembly to finance a program in those areas.

In 1951, the General Assembly of Maryland authorized the establishment of the County's Department of Recreation. It became an operating Department on June 1, 1953, with the transfer of responsibility for recreation from the MNCPPC. The Department administered a year-round program of activities, coordinated by a full-time staff of six, designed to promote simulating and healthy recreation for communities throughout the County. The recreation tax was maintained, and the Department continued to operate playgrounds and provided advice and assistance to groups providing community services. The Department also managed the Sligo and Glenbrook public golf courses and worked with parents and volunteers to sponsor sports leagues and tournaments.

The Department is charged with providing recreation services to all Montgomery County citizens regardless of age, race, sex, or creed. In 1980, the Therapeutics Section was established in an attempt to reach residents with disabilities. This approach of integrating disabled individuals, rather than segregating them, led to the development of a general philosophy of "mainstreaming" for all recreation and leisure services, signaled by the hiring of a Mainstreaming Supervisor and the issuance of a policy statement on mainstreaming in 1984.

Local governments, including the County and the Cities of Rockville and Gaithersburg, began providing public aquatic facilities in the late 1960s. By the early 1990s the Recreation Department operated five large outdoor pools, two major indoor pools, and one school pool. In order to avoid duplication of services and the undermining of existing community or private pools, public pools were intended to serve those who could not afford to join private pools, as well as citizens seeking additional programs and activities available through local recreation departments. To the present day the Department of Recreation continues to sponsor community centers and local sports leagues, and provides swimming facilities and aquatics programs for all County residents.

PROCESSING PROCEDURES

General processing procedures consisted of discarding duplicates, unnecessary binders, and routine transmittals. Oversized documents and photographs were removed from the original location in their assigned series and placed in separate containers. Separation sheets were inserted in the original location within the folder to indicate the new location of any records placed elsewhere.

Preservation copying of newspaper clippings was performed whenever feasible. Records in folders were arranged, unless otherwise indicated, in forward chronological order, with undated records appearing at the end of the folder.

PROVENANCE

The collection is a combination of material given to the Archives by Daryl Lofgren in 1998, and printed material culled from various accessions.

SCOPE AND CONTENT NOTE

This collection comprises 1 cubic foot of material generated by the Department of Recreation from 1954 to the present. The collection generally consists of printed reports, studies, and planning documents for recreational facilities throughout the County.

The collection is arranged as two series:

Series I: Subject Files

Series II: Printed Material

SERIES DESCRIPTIONS

Series I: Subject Files, 1978-1998 (0.15 cu. ft.)

This series documents the provision of several aquatic facilities in the 1980s and 1990s. It also contains posters, invitations, photographs and brochures related to community center and aquatic facility openings.

The series is arranged alphabetically by subject.

Series II: Printed Material, 1954-2000 (0.85 cu. ft.)

This series contains reports and studies done by, and about, recreation programs in the County. Included here is the Department's first annual report, a report relating to the policy of mainstreaming which was implemented in 1984, reports regarding a possible merger of the Department with the MNCPPC, and general Departmental planning studies.

The series is arranged alphabetically by subject.

BOX INVENTORY

Series I: Subject Files

Box 1

Aquatic Facilities Study, 1986

Montgomery Aquatic Center at North Bethesda, 1989, 1991-1992, n.d.

Olney Indoor Swim Center, [1993], 1995

Special Events and Brochures, 1978-1998, n.d.

Wall Local Park Swim Center, n.d.

Series II: Printed Material

Annual Report 1953-1954, 1954

Swimming Pool Report and Recommendation, 1954

Round of Activities, c. 1972

Master Plan for Aquatic Facilities and Recreation Complexes, 1974

Montgomery County Performing Arts and Civic Center Feasibility Study, 1975

Report on the Feasibility of the Corby Mansion Site, 1975

Report of the Study of Spotlighting for Tennis and Basketball Courts and Recommendations for

Montgomery County Use with Cost Estimates, 1976

Olympic Sports Study, 1977

Tennis Lighting of Four-Court Complex, Second Report, 1979

Community Recreation for Disabled Individuals 1981-1982, [1981]

Corby Mansion Renovation: Abridged Study Phase Report, 1981

Parks-R-Us: A Report on the Parks and Recreational Facilities of Montgomery County, 1983

Feasibility of Contracting Out Outdoor Aquatics Program, 1984

Outdoor Recreation Facility and Park Use in Montgomery County, 1984

Modification of Montgomery County Parks for the Use of Elderly and Physically Disabled

Individuals, 1985

Outdoor Recreation Facility Needs of Senior Citizens, 1985

Guide to Recreation and Leisure Services, 1986

Mainstreaming: A Total Perspective. A Guide to Mainstreaming in the Montgomery County

Government Recreation Department, 1986

Montgomery County Senior Center Evaluation, 1987

Features, 1988

Leisure Education Curriculum, 1988

Update on the Status of Park Schools in Montgomery County, Maryland, 1988

Facilities Maintenance Plan for Community Centers and Aquatic Facilities in Montgomery

County, Maryland, 1990

Facilities Maintenance Plan for Community Centers and Aquatic Facilities in Montgomery

County, Maryland, 1991

Guidelines for Recreational Amenities in Residential Developments, 1991

FY 92 Annual Report Building Services and Five Year Plan, [1992]

Maryland National-Capital Park and Planning Commission and Montgomery County Department

of Recreation Draft Merger Report, 1992

Parks and Recreation Merger Report, 1993

Park, Recreation and Open Space Master Plan Update, 1993

Summer Camp Directory, 1993

Community Recreation Centers Long Range Plan FY 1977-FY 2010 (Draft), 1994

Guide to Recreation, 1994

Holiday Park Hi-Lites, 1994

Senior Citizen Resource Guide, 1994

Senior Management Service Task Force Report, 1994

Aquatic Facility Plan FY 1997-2010, 1996

Park, Recreation and Open Space Survey for Montgomery County, Summary Report, 1997

Recreational Facility Development Plan FY 1997-2010, 1997

Summary of the Public Hearing Draft: Park, Recreation and Open Space Master Plan Update,

1998

Guide to Recreation and Leisure, 1999

Guide to Recreation and Leisure, 2000

Black Rock Mill: Restoration Feasibility Study, n.d.