_{Applying the "language" of personal, social, economic and}

_{environmental benefits of parks and recreation within our}

_{organizations is part of the art of weaving the benefits of parks}

_{and recreation into the fabric of our organizations. This year's}

_{CP/RA conference in Charlottetown is a good example of how this can}

_{be done. How? This conference was divided into the four streams -personal,}

_{social, economic and environental. To reinforce the}

_{important message of the benefits we are, or could be delivering,}

_{all workshops and keynotes were organized among these four areas.}

_Marketing

_{Perhaps one of the least expensive, and yet most effective}

_{strategies for educating people about the importance of parks and}

_{recreation, is incorporating it into our marketing tools. The first}

_{step may be as simple as using the benefit statements in our}

_{brochures and directories. The parks and recreation departments of}

_{the City of York, the City of Vaughan and the Town of Elliot Lake}

_{in Ontario have all reproduced the benefit statements within their}

_{directories. As well as publishing the benefit statements in their}

_{directory, Estevan, Saskatchewan publishes a newsletter every two}

_{months called "Leisure Discovery". The front page is always a}

_{"benefits" message. They've also reserved pages for their strategic}

_{allies - those dealing with health and social issues. The Benefits}

_{Committee encourages all organizations and departments to do the}

_{same and asks that copies of the finished product be forwarded to}