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       It has been our ECRS philosophy that every program should have a plan, both at ECRS and in the communities in which we lead, and therefore Program Planning is an important part of every recreation leader's training. We have also stressed that "plans are made to be changed." That is, flexibility to change is an essential requirement of leaders.
       Many factors must be considered when a program is planned, be it for 15 minutes or an entire day. Physical environment, group size, age, sex, goals/purposes of the group, experience with each other, and experience with recreation are just a few factors to be dealt with in advance. Judgments of group needs, individual needs, pace, climate, enjoyment, tastes, learning style and rate must often be made on the spot, and programs modified accordingly. Materials need to be examined for what they contribute to a rounded experience. Timing, pacing, preparation of equipment, and anticipation of problems are all part of programming; so are beginnings, development, flow and endings, and how these relate to making people feel at ease or to giving a challenge. These are considerations which differ for "one night stands" and for special groups of the community.

       The following suggestions may be helpful in making programs work, and are applicable to most group activities.
       Consider your program as an organic whole, with a beginning, a middle and an end: a flow in which activities build, blend and merge. You have the power to create an environment which can be warm, rowdy, mellow or sad, risky, comfortable, or exhausting.
       Every program has a pulse of its own. Through the wise choice of lighting, location and succession of activities, a mood, a setting, and a tone can be established. You can plan the evening to start slowly and work up to a high point, or you can simmer it down to a mellow ending with singing around the piano.
       In a group activity spectators tend to make those who are participants feel self-conscious and on display, I try to encourage on-lookers by making them feel welcome to join in. It takes some folks a long time to feel comfortable and to be ready to join the group. Some find it difficult to enter into the fun; others lack self-confidence and trust. A good maxim would be to encourage but not to push people to join in!
       Always plan more material than you will need. The best laid plans will have to be revised for a variety of reasons: no electricity, a slippery floor, an inadequate or non-existent room, an unworkable ratio of men to women when you planned a social dance evening, etc. Have some alternatives in the wings for such occasions, or have an idea book available for quick reference. Keep a file of activities that work in such situations - you never know when they will come in handy. The larger your repertoire (and the greater your experience) the more comfortable you will be in meeting unpredictable events.

       Upon entering a group, most people feel hesitant, anxious and unsure of themselves. Will the group he the same as last time? Will I stand out like a sore thumb? Will anybody notice or talk to me? Beginning activities therefore should be easy, inviting, and designed to create feelings of belonging, warmth and sociability. Long silences with people sitting around waiting for something to happen are deadly, and can spoil the tone of an entire program. Plan to involve early birds in putting final decorations around the room, stapling pages together, or otherwise being helpful. When enough people have arrived, start with activities that are undemanding and non-threatening, and which invite newcomers to join. Avoid lengthy explanations and try to get people moving quickly. Help them to meet each other and to learn names if they are strangers. This is the time to break down feelings of non-inclusion and isolation.

       People should be feeling more comfortable with each other now. Begin to introduce material which is more complicated to teach, which offers challenge and greater involvement. Keep the program dynamic and full of surprises by varying the pace of personal and interpersonal risk, order and confusion (the latter often affords space for people to relax and let go) large and small group activity, active and quiet games, sitting, standing and running activities.
       Plan one activity to lead into the next, grouping games or dances which require the same formation (circles with or without partners, lines or informal groups, with or without chairs) to minimize confusion and loss of time. If couple events are used, plan how people will pair off. Provide frequent opportunities for changing partners or teams, and intersperse vigorous activities with slow ones. Arrange for breaks and breathers!
       Don't be afraid to repeat some activities with ongoing groups. The same game, craft or dramatic experience will be used differently at different stages in the group's development. Familiarity with each other, personal growth, and group maturity will each affect outcomes.
       The climax or high point of the program should come about 3/4 of the way through the program. This may be a song or dance, a comedy routine or simply the high spirits generated by an evening of fun.
       Consider the serving of refreshments as part of the program plan, and place it consciously where and when you want it. Eating is an important coming-together activity! It can also interfere with a planned activity!

       The last part of the program should tone down or build up the group depending on the objectives of your program design. In an activity group the latter part should be relaxing, require less energy and involve less complicated directions. People are beginning to get tired now. If you are dancing you will want to reduce the amount of formal instruction and minimize partner changing to enable people to remain together if they wish.
       The concluding activity should be a special song, dance or game which will create mellow feelings. This activity should gather the group together where they can see and experience each other's presence. A circle activity is a natural for this. Recreating the sense of group and feelings of community can be an important reinforcement before people break up to go their separate ways.

- From Action and Interaction, Connecting People Through Play, by Lanie Melamed.

       The party is over, but lest you are inclined to sit back and relax, consider the next, and perhaps the most important part of your job. This is the time for improving your skills in teaching and group leading, a time to reflect and to think through the events of the session and what you have learned. What went well? What could have been improved? What do you need to work on regarding method and style? Which activities were most successful? Why? If you plan to lead this group again, what will you review, what activities will follow naturally from those you led? Which people seem to need special help? Did the evening build well? Was there good group feeling? Do you think people will want to come back?
       A good way to organize your thoughts is to divide your evaluation into three parts: a) the activities, your choices and teaching methods, b) the group and its spirit, cohesiveness and ability, c) your leadership.
       This is also the time to set up a tentative program for your next event. Doing this while you are in touch with your feelings about the session will save time and be lots easier than attempting, weeks later, to recall what happened. Keep a notebook or folder of your programs with notes on each. What were your strong points and what were your weaknesses? Recognizing these is central toward finding direction for your own growth and change. An honest examination of our failures are often the most powerful motivation we have for growthful change. The more data we can generate about our own teaching and leadership, the more we have to work with toward improving our skills. The struggle to meet that challenge has joyful and powerful rewards.

-From All Join Hands, by Lanie Melamed.

1. Did the plan work well? Overall view.
   1. high points
   2. low points
   3. special problems
   4. other

2. Did the program meet the needs of the group for:
   1. recognition
   2. new experience
   3. security
   4. fun
   5. other

3. Did the program flow smoothly?

4. Were all the participants involved?

5. Leadership skills: Each activity leader speaks about his/her own experience re:
   1. clarity of presentation
   2. formation of group
   3. length of activity
   4. position of leader
   5. enthusiasm
   6. human relations skills
   7. demonstration and practice
   8. enforcing the rules; demands made of group
   9. stop activity while interest is high

6. Material used:
   1. quality
   2. variety
   3. suited to size of group
   4. beginning and ending of program

7. "We" feeling developed.

8. Problem solving opportunities for
   1. group
   2. individuals

9. Coordination of program
   1. communication
   2. decision making
   3. teamwork
   4. sharing of responsibility

       My first contact with ECRS was in the summer of 1946, when I attended summer school at Randolph Center, Vermont. I had only been in the country for five years and at first was a little apprehensive of exposing myself to a rather new experience, and doing it alone. Chuck, who had been to ECRS, encouraged me to go. I had a first look at how democracy functions. Some students and members of the staff felt strongly that we should have a period of silence before meals, while others felt equally strongly that we should not have it. A good part of this session was spent in larger and smaller groups discussing this situation. It was not too long ago when in one of the schools this was still being discussed. Coming from a country which was ruled by a dictator, it was amazing to me to see that this was discussed with all the students, instead of the leaders making this decision.
       At this, my first ECRS school, I took "Hog-calling" with Jim Norris (quite an experience when you are still trying to learn English!) and Games with Ruth Norris, two past great leaders.
       While the family was growing up, we attended ECRS now and then. I have never felt ready to take an active leadership part at the ECRS gathering but have used what tools I have received there whenever I was placed in situations calling for me to exert leadership. I learned a great deal from observing the evening programs and how smoothly they ran. I became aware of three important steps in program planning: each program must have a beginning, a middle and an end. I don't believe I would have handled outside small group organization and direction without my exposure to ECRS.

       Different types of activities require different degrees of trust, interaction, and group integration. All are of value. During a lifetime, people need different levels of interaction with play at different points in their lives. And persons who are deeply involved in ongoing groups as part of their recreation experience also are likely to take part in small group activities with a short-term commitment, or to enjoy solitary activities such as reading and crafts.
       A leader aware of the continuum can help groups or individuals select activities at a level of interaction appropriate for them, be it solitary, casual, intensive, or long-term. In choosing play activities for a group (whether for one evening or over several weeks) the leader needs to consider the level of interaction that each activity will demand from the participants. It is often wise to introduce activities requiring less interaction at the beginning, moving to higher levels of social interaction and greater integration when trust and commitment have developed within the group.
       The leader can also provide opportunities for movement and growth toward greater interaction. For example, a leader in a crafts class in which people are relating primarily to materials could encourage participants to share knowledge and skills with other group members, creating more personal interaction than there had been. Or people who meet casually and occasionally for singing or dancing could be encouraged to meet regularly and to assume responsibility for arrangements, such as time, place and refreshments.
       The Social Interaction Scale as it appears here is an expansion of a 6-item scale which appears in Neva Boyd's Play and Game Theory In Group Work. It is a sequence of development from solitary activity to longterm involvement in an ongoing group. At ECRS, Ruth Norris used the original scale in the theory class to deepen our understanding of the play activities we offer. Ed Moyer expanded it and used it in formulating a theoretical base for his work in therapeutic and community recreation. The editors have added some descriptive material.

1. The individual relates to objects or materials - toys, craft materials, books, nature.

2. The individual relates primarily to activity in the presence of other people - hiking, swimming, skating, craft groups, cooking classes. Casual, short term interaction is possible but not essential to a successful experience.

3. The individual is an auditor or spectator of TV, sports events, concerts, plays, listening to stories, acting alone yet feeling part of a larger whole. The joy of the activity is enhanced by sharing it with others.

4. Two persons in casual face to face interaction - cards, couple dancing, table games, horse shoes. Interaction is short term, but each person is dependent on the participation of the other.

5. Small groups in casual social interaction with a short time commitment - group singing, games using equipment such as cards, quoits and board games. Group success depends on the contribution of each participant.

6. Intensive inter-personal interaction in social groups -athletic games, social games, square and folk dancing, singing, dramatics.

7. Socially integrated groups with a commitment over a period of time - social club, dramatics group involved in play production, football team, chorus, square dance club.

8. Ongoing federated groups - sports leagues, federated clubs, environmental protection organizations.

       Boyd points out that a well integrated, ongoing group can provide successful experiences at every level of the scale - opportunities for the observer, the enthusiastic one-time participant, as well as for the head of three standing committees.
       An understanding of these levels of social interaction and group integration and the implications of each can be a constructive tool for a recreation leader.

       The theory class is a little different than most ECRS classes in that it is largely a discussion class. Although leadership and ECRS philosophy are discussed to some degree in many of the classes. Theory class is where participants can look in more depth at the whole banana, the structure as a whole. The class offers an opportunity to look at the several aspects of ECRS: leadership, material, program, and the environment, and to see how these elements work together and support/complement each other. There isn't any one thing that we do that isn't done somewhere else: games, folk dancing, crafts, good leadership. But it is the combination, the way they are put together that creates a very special environment and a unique total experience.
       In Theory class, one can explore the interplay and effects of each element. Although it is a discussion class, the leadership techniques and philosophy are the same as in the other classes. People have the opportunity for self expression, for group development, problem solving, and gaining a sense of accomplishment in a safe, supportive environment.
       What is discussed in Theory is never the same any two times. Content and direction depend largely on the needs and interests of the group.
       We can look at what is happening here during this week, trying to understand what made a particular experience happen the way it did or what makes a particular activity work.
       We ask: Why do we use the material/activities that we do? What are the criteria for being a "good" leader? How do I take this back to my home community?

• Knows material well enough to share it.
• Breaks activity into appropriate steps.
• Can judge learning of student (participant) by feedback of behavior.
• Gives demonstration of activity with minimum of language.
• Shows genuine interest in sharing materials.
• Presents a variety of materials (mood, structure, creativity.)
• Presents material at the level of the participants.
• Presents a combination of new and old materials in a time period.
• Starts program with adequate preparation.
  • Plan of action (a main theme)
  • Equipment ready regarding sound system, record player, chairs, etc.
  • Supplies on hand regarding records, balls, paper, etc.
  • Plenty of space, light and heat.
  • Creates a friendly, accepting climate of players.
• Creates a feeling that anyone can learn.
• Changes program to meet needs of participants.
• Plays with participants.
• Aware of fatigue level of group and individuals.
• Creates a "we" feeling among participants.
• Emphasis on group centered leadership, not ego centered.
• Recognizes leadership as a functional activity shared by membership.
• Quality of material is important in selection of activities.
• Seeks help when needed.
• Communicates enthusiasm.
• Planning and thinking is focused on the group experience.
• Reacts to own tensions, conflicts and prejudices so as not to interrupt the play experience.
• Knows the values in various activities.
• Is able to accept reasonable criticism of leadership role.
• Recognizes the need for achievement.
• Maintains a sense of humor and spirit of fun and enjoyment.

       Lately I have been working in a program called "Alternatives to Violence" in the New York State Prisons. This program consists of workshops held in the prisons. These take place, for a minimum of 22 hours over one weekend. Twenty inmates participate voluntarily. I've never been more convinced of how important playing, or not playing, is to humans, young and old. The workshops are intense, with exercises, role play and discussions. To break the intensity, games are played. I soon realized that they are the same kind of games we play at ECRS. The workshop participants really enjoy them; they rate high on the evaluations. Remarks like "It's good to find the boy in the man again," and others much the same are frequently heard.

       Excitement! The class is always composed of searching minds, eager to hear, evaluate, discuss, challenge and nourish each other through the thinking process. A special chemistry releases a surge of great energy leading toward discovery for staff and participants.
       The leader is not limited to any style of teaching. One of my approaches is through music and singing. I began most classes with a song or a round. I prefer the first class in the morning so all of us could welcome the day seeing the fog rising out of the lake and the sunshine begging to be seen. Our hearts, bodies and minds were awakened by the surroundings and each other.
       Often a theory class lists objectives for the week. The fun and excitement in this class as well as many other situations lies in transferring the objectives into our daily life patterns. Here are some ways to succeed in this:

• Have an expectancy of "good".
• Define goals clearly.
• Be willing to keep an open mind to new ideas.
• Have measurable goals.
• Set a time for accomplishment.
• Break down main goal into workable parts.
• Recognize ongoing benefits of group process.
• Affirm growing confidence, individually and as a group.
• Plan to work hard.
• Appreciate the surprises.