The Marceline Recreation Board was formed under the auspices of the City Council and appointed by the Mayor to provide recreational facilities and activities for the people of Marceline.
The Recreation Board was first formed in March of 1962 and the Mayor appointed Bob Murray, Paul Johnson, John Klumb, Eugene Crippin and Sondra Lake to be the members of the board. The organization was set up and financed by the city. $1,200 was provided from the general fund and another $1,100 was donated by the various organizations of the city for the first year’s operation.
The Marceline Recreation Board took as their model the Marshall, Missouri, plan. The purpose is to provide recreational activities for all ages as the opportunity arises.
In the first year of operation the Recreation Board hired a coordinator to supervise the recreational program, the Little League, Pee Wee League, Pony League, and American Legion Junior League baseball programs were taken over. A recreational Softball league for men, and a City Men’s Baseball team were formed. The swimming lessons at the Municipal Swimming pool were expanded by the Recreation Board in order to provide some of the advanced instruction they felt was desired by the children of Marceline. A fishing derby, majorette class, horseshoe court and tournament were summer activities last year.
This fall the Golden Age club was started under the direction of the Recreation board. This group meets once a week, on Friday, to visit or play games. Anyone who desires may participate; however, it is designed for those people who are over 50 and have leisure time, or those who are already retired and wish to keep up the acquaintances they have had for several years or to meet new friends. Attendance for this group is between 25 and 35 and many more people attend on occasion. Since there is an increasingly larger number of retired persons in the Marceline Area, this club will continue to grow.
A class in Ceramics was started in the spring of 1963. These people meet once a week in the high school art department and are learning to make clay figures and how to fire the kiln. This is becoming an excellent leisure time activity for many Marceline residents.
There is a program for Saturday mornings for children of all ages. These groups may participate in basketball, volleyball, and other indoor games. A supervisor is in attendance at all times. This provides an excellent activity for the children.
Marceline has excellent recreational facilities with the Lions Field, Country Club, Walt Disney Park, Bowling Alley, in addition to the recreational facilities of the school system. The Recreation Board is attempting to correlate all of these facilities in order that more people can have the benefit of unified effort for recreation.