Box 21, Folder 35, Document 13

Box 21, Folder 35, Document 13

CITY OF ATLANTA

CITY HALL ATLANTA, GA. 30303
April 14, 1967 Tel, 22-4463 Area Code 404

IVAN ALLEN, JR., MAYOR
R. EARL LANDERS, Administrative Assistant

MRS. ANN M. MOSES, Executive Secretary
DAN E. SWEAT, JR., Director of Governmental Lialson

MEMORANDUM

To: MayorIvan Allen, Jr. ‘
From: Dan Sweat

Subject: Your Meeting with Vice President Humphrey

Cliff Henry of the U. S. Conference of Mayors telephoned me
Thursday and said that the Vice President had invited the mayors
of ten cities to meet with him in Washington to discuss summer
recreation needs. The Conference of Mayors had been asked to
provide information to the Vice President's Office which would

show:

1. The number of new programs scheduled by these cities for
the ghettos during summer1967. °-

2. How much additional local money is going into these programs,
3. How much federal money is going into these programs.

4, How much additional money is needed in order to carry out
the desired program during the summer months in these

areas,

The following information was furnished to Mr. Henry for the
consolidated report:

1. Itis difficult to place a number on the programs we anticipate.
However, we told Mr. Henry we would carry out a Playlot
Program, which has been expanded from 7 to 21 Playlots, and
that we hope to have a similar program to last year's Operation
Champ provided we utilize school grounds and the larger parks
Mayor Allen
Page Two

_ April 14, 1967

for activities. We hope to continue our recreation program
with the elderly in the high rise public housing project and
also add to the Community School recreation program during

the summer.

2. We explained that we are providing $61, 350 for the Playlot
Program by taking from other parks programs. $48,000
had to be made up‘as a result of funds cut by OEO from last
year's Playlot Program, Last summer we received
$145, 000 from OEO for recreation EpSay ate We have
none of this at present,

3. At the present time we have no assurances of any federal
money although we have applied for funds under Title I of
the Elementary and Secondary Education Act for Community
School recreation during the summer and we are looking for —
other sources of federal money.

4, To carry on the desired program for the summer we need
a total of $418,778. This would include funds for the Playlot
Program, the Summer Recreation Program (Operation
Champ), recreation for the elderly, Community School
recreation, and funds to operate our peeposed Wilderness
Camp at Lake Altoona.

The Wilderness Camp is one of the most imaginative proposals we
have and would certainly fit into the overall concept of youth
opportunity and recreation being pushed by the Vice President.
We would anticipate utilizing some 800 boys during the summer
months (100 each week) to help begin developing our Altoona Park
property according to our master plan. They would be paid for

a half day each day and would get instruction in wildlife, camping,
hiking, be qualified as Red Cross swimmers, etc. We think
$96,000 would allow us to run an adequate camp at Altoona for
two months during the summer.

I am attaching a Summary of Atlanta's Youth Opportunities Campaign
and Summer Recreation Program for 1967. Iam furnishing you with
Mayor Allen
Page Three
April 14, 1967

extra copies of this and the attachments which I am sure you will
want to leave with the Vice President and his staff. Cliff Henry of
the Conference of Mayors, who will probably be at the session,
also would like some copies.

A real interest seems to be stirring in the private sector with regard
to youth opportunity, especially in employment and recreation. The
attached newspaper clippings indicate some of this, especially the
Jaycees effort in Summerhill-Mechanicsville with which you are
familiar, and most recently the efforts of the Juvenile Delinquency
Sub-Committee of the Metropolitan Commission on Crime and
Juvenile Delinquency in cooperation with the Atlanta Youth Council
(see Mr. McGovern's remarks in recent address to Kiwanis Club).

A lot of this appeal is being made on the premise that funds
previously available from the Federal Government may not be
available this summer and that more and more we must condition
ourselves to greater financial and personal involvement and
commitment at the local level. Certainly we would not want any
announcement of emergency federal grants to stifle this local
initiative, therefore, this partnership idea with the private
section should be a positive part of our approach and plans.

For example:

The $59,000 grant requested under Title I to fund Community
Schools for summer 1967 will provide programs in 12 schools.
Programs are actually needed in 6 additional schools, and efforts
are being made now to secure local support from the private
sector to help in this effort.

The Neighborhood Playlot Program cannot stand still at 21 Playlots
and even if the $106, 680 should be forthcoming to fund this program,
its expanding needs will require help from the private sector. We
are making an appeal to help in providing needed equipment, noon-
time snacks, portable swimming pools, etc., for this program,

and there are strong indications that the private sector will

respond,
Mayor Allen
Page Four
April 14, 1967

The Wilderness Conservation-Recreation Proposal would depend
greatly upon the help and material support of public and private
agencies, business, civic clubs, etc., in providing necessary
equipment and consultant assistance.

Private citizens, groups, churches, etc., are indicating an ever-
growing awareness of the tremendous need for more and better
youth programs, in hard-core slum areas and in the more affluent
neighborhoods, as indicated by the project of the Wieucca Road

Baptist Church (see clipping).

To sum it up, we do not want to give the impression that we expect
Washington to solve all our problems nor do we want local support
to be squelched by the sudden availability of emergency federal
funds. We need help from both directions.

In conclusion, we should make a strong appeal that if help is forth-
coming, let it come soon, while there is time to plan, to recruit
personnel and to develop maximum cooperation between the
various agencies involved and the private sector.

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