Mission
The mission of the Hingham Recreation Commission is to provide high quality, affordable recreation programs as well as maintain safe and accessible fields and facilities throughout the Hingham community. Our program offerings will strive to assist all Hingham residents in enhancing their physical, social and emotional well-being.
Vision
Be a recognized leader among recreation programs within the region, helping as many Hingham people as possible to live healthier and happier lives.
Provide recreation access and choices for all Hingham residents in a fair and balanced way to all ages throughout the year.
Support the Recreation Commission's independence and direct responsibility to the citizens of Hingham, by being self-sustaining, not reliant on taxpayers for operational expenses, with the management and control of all recreation assets and facilities.
2011 Annual Report
The Hingham Recreation Commission is a five member elected board which oversees the operations of the Recreation Department. The mission of the Recreation Commission is to provide high quality, affordable recreation programs as well as maintain safe and accessible fields and facilities throughout Hingham. It is the vision of the Recreation Department to be a recognized leader among recreation programs within the region, helping as many Hingham people live healthier and happier lives by providing recreation access and choices for residents of all ages in a fair and balanced way. The Recreation Department's program offerings strive to assist all Hingham residents in enhancing their physical, social, and emotional well-being.
The Hingham Recreation Department offered a wide variety of child and teen programs in 2011, perhaps the most successful being the Recreation Summer Program. The Summer Program which consists of three age-determined programs, namely Preschool, Playground, and Teen Extreme served more than 1300 Hingham children in the summer of 2011. This high attendance rate is the result of the Recreation staff's continued efforts to improve and expand the scope of the Summer Program. These efforts were materialized in 2011 through the introduction of a half day preschool option for three year olds as well as the return of the Teen Extreme program which serves children in grades six through nine. In addition to expanding the scope of eligible residents, the Recreation summer staff further enhanced the program by introducing a number of new and exciting entertainers, including yoga, dance, and martial arts instructors.
The goal of the Summer Program is to provide Hingham children with the opportunity to meet new people, make new friends, enjoy old friends, take part in new activities, improve social skills, and foster a sense of belonging. Additionally, the program allows residents to take full advantage of all Rec Center facilities including the numerous Cronin athletic fields, the indoor basketball gymnasium, the interactive arcade-style game room, and the child care room which serves as a summer arts and crafts classroom. While the Recreation Department's facilities are a large part of the program's appeal, the program's continued success is owed in large part to the dynamic group of Hingham teens who serve as summer counselors. With top notch facilities and an experienced and energetic staff, the Recreation Department looks forward to further improvements and expansions for the summer of 2012.
Other highlights from the summer included the 53rd annual running of the Hingham 4th of July Road Race, one of the town's finest traditions. In recent years, in an attempt to accommodate the growing number of runners, the Recreation Department employed a new starting configuration. The staggering of runners based on ability and the relocation of the starting line from the Middle School driveway to Main Street has helped to eliminate starting line backups and/or injuries. These simple modifications allowed for a safe and exciting start to our Independence Day celebrations. The Recreation Department would like to thank all those who make this annual race possible. Thanks to Hingham Striders, who have cultivated and reshaped this growing race into the event we know today. Through their entrepreneurial innovation, dedication to community, and sustainable fundraising legacy, race proceeds continue to generate seed money to subsidize quality, affordable programs, finance special events, and fund capital projects.
While the summer of 2011 was a great success for the Recreation Department, the winter was no less exciting with numerous changes to the Hingham Striders Fitness Room falling into place. Per customer request, the Recreation Department expanded its Fitness Room hours to accommodate early morning workouts. In addition, the Recreation Department introduced its new monthly membership option which allows Hingham residents to enjoy all the amenities of a Striders Fitness Room membership without the worry of a long term commitment. The monthly membership option has proved to be quite popular amongst Hingham residents and the Recreation Department looks forward to increasing its member base even further in 2012.
New changes and expansions to Recreation programs and facilities, like those mentioned above, are made possible by the adoption of new Recreation software. By digitizing its registration process, the Recreation Department was able to eliminate the Summer Program lottery system for the summer of 2011, a feat which proved convenient for both staff and customers alike. Additionally, the introduction of online registration has increased the Department's ability to manage its growing number of programs and has made communication with customers simpler and more efficient.
Frank Jones, Chair
Paul Paget, Vice Chair
Tom Belyea, Secretary
Budd Thorne
Bob Keyes
Mark Thorell, Director of Recreation
|
