Summer rec head says improvements needed
Director: Swimming site, air conditioning would boost program
BY KATHY BARATTA Staff Writer
Manalapan's summer recreation program for youngsters is in need of a major overhaul if it is to successfully continue.

That was the message contained in a report from summer recreation program coordinator Lawrence Richmond, who is retiring after 35 years of heading up the summer program.

Richmond had many criticisms about the turn of events that has left the summer registration numbers dwindling, as well as the number of counselors needed to staff the program.

He said he believes that part of the problem of the program's not having been able to recruit enough counselors for the summer program, especially those who are reliable, is due to the fact that there is not an extensive enough training program for counselors, and because reliance is put on the mentoring program that has staff members meeting with prospective counselors during the winter and spring.

Richmond told the members of the Manalapan Recreation Advisory Board that the mentoring program is a "waste of time."

In a report he delivered and explained to the board at its Sept 17 meeting, Richmond told the members, "We must train, not mentor, our counselors, immediately before the beginning of the (summer) program."

He said incentives such as a competitive wage are also needed to attract counselors.

Another problem that Richmond said could account for the dwindling summer recreation registration numbers was that the camp brochure was not available early enough for parents to review.

Richmond said parents need as much lead time as possible to decide what summer recreation program they are going to enroll their children in.

It was also noted in the discussion among the advisory board members that the municipal recreation program is also competing with private camps in the area.

Said Richmond of the 751 youths who registered for the 2007 summer recreation program, a number that was down by 50 from 2006, "I believe that registration numbers would have been significantly higher if our camp brochure, which was completed in January, arrived home earlier than on May 1, two months later than in previous years."

Something else that is needed to boost registration, according to Richmond, are water activities such as a municipal pool or a water facility at the Manalapan Recreation Center.

Richmond said trips to locations such as the Franklin Institute, the Museum of Natural History and a zoo continue to be a highlight of the program, however, he said they are not enough to make up for the lack of water activities or a lack of air conditioning in facilities used by the recreation program.

Speaking about the lack of swimming this past summer, Richmond said the program administrators found out in April that the Stonehurst pool in Freehold Township was not going to be available as planned because it was undergoing repairs.

He said an agreement was eventually reached with the Monmouth Heights pool club in Manalapan, but swimming did not begin until the last two weeks of the summer program "because the lawyers could not agree on the language of the contract."

Richmond gave several suggestions for the advisory board members to consider adopting into policy in order to improve the quality of the summer recreation program and the staff.

He said along with developing some type of water activity at the recreation center, the program should only use air-conditioned facilities. He said if the summer program continues to be held at the recreation center, back-up facilities for inclement weather or extremely hot days should only be air-conditioned structures.

Richmond also called for reconfiguring the summer program into three building sites; a move he said would help to improve the areas of supervision as well as building availability and viability.

He said these changes should be accompanied by an increase in supervisors salaries due to the added responsibilities that paring the program would mean.

Richmond said all staff members should be re-interviewed to gauge their interest in working in the 2008 summer program and said that the best use of the supervisory staff should be re-evaluated. He advocated establishing a merit system in determining the rehiring of counselors and said the system should be developed to help in determining salary increases for returning counselors.

Richmond also called for placing the program's security coordinator in the supervisor's pay scale because, he said, it is one of the most important responsibilities in the summer program.

Richmond suggested freezing or lowering the program's registration fee. He said it is his experience that parents believe the $500 registration fee coupled with the additional costs of trips are "excessive for a township program."

He said the kindergarten campers should only attend local trips because the activity of the trip combined with the long bus ride is exhausting for the younger children.

Among the advisory board members to comment on the matter was Butch Budai, who said he toured the program during the summer and was struck by the lack of medical personnel on premises.

"The medical kit consists of a box of bandaids and there are no medical staff on premises," Budai said.

Richmond said Manalapan's emergency personnel do a great job responding to the recreation program when their services are needed

Helene Johnson, noting that Marlboro's summer recreation program pays for an emergency services technician to be present at each facility, suggested that the advisory board members consider incorporating a first aid certification for certain summer recreation staff members.

Glenn Essner suggested providing an additional stipend to staff members who receive the first aid certification.