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LITERATURE » OF PLAY AND PLAYFULNESS »
This book is about play and playfulness, and specifically about how one organization has explored and promoted this valuable, yet all-too-often forgotten component of human activity. For the past fifty years, professionals and lay people have been coming together several times a year with the express purpose of playing. Under the name of Eastern Cooperative Recreation School, this organization of individuals has given thousands of people an in-depth experience in joyful and refreshing interaction. ECRS is concerned with recreation in the broad sense, recreation that allows us all to step back from the grind, take a deep breath, and make room for lighthearted playfulness. The rewards can often reach far beyond the enjoyment of the moment.
This book, long overdue, is an attempt to present a glimpse of the philosophy and underlying theoretical approach which make up ECRS and which is its unique contribution to recreation. It is an attempt to collect under one cover a variety of activities which reflect this philosophy. It is a sampling, by no means a comprehensive manual. The book presents multiple perspectives. It is not "ECRS In A Nutshell." But we hope it will be a useful tool for those who know ECRS well, and an exciting glimpse, taste or flavor for those who are as yet unfamiliar with the activities and the approach.
Why the need for yet another collection of activities? Most of those cited here can be found in numerous songbooks, gamesbooks and craft manuals or on records. It is through the choice of activities and the analysis of their potential for a wholesome and playful experience for participants that the ECRS approach becomes more apparent.
Why now? The book was inspired as a living memorial to Ed Moyer, in recognition of his longtime participation in ECRS as a student, staff member and member of the Board of Directors. Much of Eddie's presence permeates the book, although it is not intended to be a testimonial. Over the years, many of us have worked with Ed and learned from him. In his philosophy and actions he exemplified the following core essences of ECRS:
- An abiding commitment to cooperative organization and the democratic process. Ed served on the Board of Directors innumerable times, often as chairperson, and ceaselessly promoted the organization and the annual events to other recreation professionals, community leaders and neighbors.
- Sound leadership and the development of leadership in others. Ed's primary focus as a leader was to provide the opportunity for people to play, to discover the possibilities, to interact with each other. He believed that the leader's responsibility was to set up the structure, provide the basic instructions, and then let the group develop. In Small Scenes, in Recreation for Special Groups, and in the Intensive Leadership Course, Ed worked to help students develop their leadership skills, so that they could be in a position to provide these opportunities for others.
- A love and appreciation of high quality material, much of it traditional: games, play parties, square dances, informal dramatics and small scenes.
- Commitment to make recreational activities available to people in the community. In every community that the Moyers lived in. Ed led games and dances. He was particularly concerned with the lack of opportunities for play for handicapped, disabled and elderly people. He understood the need for sociable interaction and he understood the activities so well that he could adapt them without losing their inherent values. He was keenly aware of peoples capabilities: he treated people with respect.
It is true that the best way to learn to play is by doing it. The same seems to he true of developing leadership skills. ECRS events provide a wonderful, supportive context for these kinds of learning. This volume cannot replace the real thing, but we hope that it can provide an important reinforcement and reminder for people who have experienced ECRS, and that it will be of use to all who are interested in promoting good, community-building recreation.
The many contributions in the book have been solicited from ECRS members, and they represent a variety of focuses, from anecdotes and personal experiences (  ) to specific games or dances, to passages about theory and leadership (  ). Some of these (  ) are excerpts from prior publications. We thank all those who have submitted material and ideas. Each signed article represents the perspective of the writer, and the editors assume responsibility for all unsigned material.
We also want to acknowledge those no longer with ECRS who have made vital contributions to the organization as students, board members and staff over the past 50 years. Some of their writings have also been included in this volume.
We have arranged the contents so that you should be able to skip from here to there according to your current needs and interests. We hope that this will be a resource book that will be well-worn, dog-eared, and marked with your notations, the kind of book you will go back to again and again.
As for "...and Snacks at Ten," we find at ECRS events that snacks near the end of an evening of recreation is a delightful activity in itself, and cannot be forgotten in this handbook. We leave the materials and preparation to your imagination!
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