Westmeath & District Recreation Association

A DISCUSSION OF RECREATION MANAGEMENT ISSUES &

FUTURE PLANNING IN WHITEWATER

October 10, 2011

“Questions are fateful. They determine destinations. They are the chamber through which destiny calls.”

Godwin Hlatshwayo

QUESTIONS POSSIBILITIES

Conversation One: ROLE, MANDATE & VISION

Currently:

What is the role of a recreation association?

What is the mandate of a recreation association?  

Possibilities:

What VISION do you have for Whitewater Recreation

Associations in the future?  

Conversation Two: SWOC

 Currently recreation is organized and managed in

Whitewater through the Recreation Associations. How’s that working for us?

 S StrengthsW WeaknessesO OpportunitiesC Challenges

 Strategic Implications for Recreation Planning in

Whitewater?

Conversation Three:PARTNERING

The untapped “Power of Partnering”. What we are unable to do alone, could we successfully do together? What are the possibilities?

Conversation Four:SOCIAL CAPITAL

Community well-being has to do with the quality of the relationships, the cohesion that exists among its citizens. This is social capital.

SOCIAL CAPITAL:Are we working hard

enough to maintain our social capital?

 Are we working to create

connectedness for the newcomers and maintain connectedness for the other citizens?

 

Can recreation associations be the catalysts for building social capital?

Sense of BelongingParticipationFeelings of Trust &

SafetyCitizen Power /

ProactivityBonding/Bridging

NetworksValues & NormsDiversityReciprocity

Conversation Five:OWNERS VS CONSUMERS

A citizen is defined as someone who produces a future: owner/builder.

Consumers allow others to define their needs.

Out of “ownership” comes nurturing. People will engage and will care for organizations and ventures they feel they own. Consumers don’t feel any need to nurture.

  

OWNERS VS CONSUMERS A “Volunteer Managed” transitioning to a “Civil Servant

Managed” model.

How is social capital impacted by moving from local Recreation Associations to a Municipal Recreation Department?

 Moving from “owner”-based to consumer-based

recreation management?

Conversation Six: VOLUNTEER STAFFING IN A REGULATED

WORLD

Pieces of LegislationRegulations and CodesInsurance RequirementsRisk Management IssuesPossible Litigation How many regulations can

volunteer staff be expected to be on top of......How much is too much?