Assignment 2: Analysis of the YMCA, AAA Travel and Insurance, and the ARC.

Our team has decided to further analyze the following three organizations: The YMCA, AAA Travel and Insurance, and the ARC. Each of these three companies exhibits a different form of leisure service that was discussed throughout the semester. Throughout this blog we will further discuss several aspects of these three companies. A few key topics that will be addressed will be the goals and purposes of each agency, how the company is funded so that it can go about achieving its goals and purposes, who the agency serves and how it is unique and distinguished among other agencies its type. Additionally, we will focus on the positive and negatives of each company and will determine whether or not each company is fully achieving their purpose. By further expanding on these topics, one will be capable of attaining a greater understanding of the different forms of leisure services.

The goals and objectives of AAA Travel and Insurance (tourism and hospitality industry) are mainly to provide a relaxing, worry-free, and overall enjoyable vacation for their customers. The YMCA's (nonprofit organization) goals are to provide leisure for people who share their values and instill good will as well as health and wellness. The Arc (campus recreation) goals are to provide health whether it be physical or mental to students. Their goal is also to provide relaxation to students who are stressed out by schoolwork. Therefore, relaxation is a common goal for all of these agencies because the YMCA and the Arc provide many relaxing activities such as yoga. Health may be considered another common goal between these three industries because those traveling may partake in activities such as skiing. All in all, all of these industries' main purpose is to satisfy all of their customers.

AAA Insurance and Travel is funded by fees that the customers must pay in order to use the service. The YMCA is funded in a variety of ways such as fundraising efforts, membership fees, and they may apply for a government fund. Also, the YMCA's taxes are waived. The Arc is funded by the university as well as students' tuition. Therefore, the only similarity in funding between these recreation programs is the YMCA and AAA Insurance and Travel both obtaining funds from customer fees.

Different leisure service delivery systems serve different groups of people. The AAA Insurance and Travel agency serves those looking to travel. They serve people whose ideas of leisure may consist of getting away from home and travelling. A lot of times they serve people traveling in groups like families. Since traveling is expensive, they most likely serve people in the middle class who can afford their services. The YMCA on the other hand is a non-profit organization that serves people from all classes. It serves all people of different races, age groups, and ethnicities. It has recreation for adults and for kids. It is similar to AAA Insurance and Travel because its family oriented agency and focus on developing strong family relationships. It’s a place to grow in family values and become actively involved in the community. The arc on the other hand is not so much family-oriented. It’s a student facility intended for use by those enrolled at the University of Illinois. It provides recreational activities and intramural leagues for students. It serves the recreational needs of the students on campus.

The key program elements of AAA Insurance and Travel are its needs to keep up with the trends. They need to constantly be following what the newest hotspot to travel to is. They also offer a variety of different places to travel to for people to experience different types of leisure such as hiking in Colorado or laying on the beach in Jamaica. The key elements to the YMCA on the other hand are its ability to serve such a wide range of people. It has services for children, teens, and adults of classes. It has child-care facilities and different recreational facilities for teens and adults. There are also over 2500 locations so they are readily available to all. The arc does not serve as wide of a variety of people. Its key program elements are the different recreational activities it offers. It is able to focus on a specific group and therefore can target their recreational needs. The facility includes work out equipment, a track, a gym, a pool, and much more all for the needs of the students.

As with any leisure service provider, each has its strengths and weaknesses. In the instance of AAA, they are known for their friendly customer service and helpful advice regarding travel arrangements (especially domestic). Moreover, they offer various travel and dining publications to better serve the needs of their customers. Yet, AAA's main focus is not on its travel programs so it may present as an lack of opportunity for Tourist majors. At the same time, their decentralized style of operations, consisting of many individual clubs all over the nation may mean that opportunities for advancement is more confined to your individual club. Similarly, the YMCA strengths are that they have developed such a vast network and influence in the international community. As a result, they are recognized as a secular organization that aims to help the homeless, troubled youths, and the general community. A major weakness is the lack of employment opportunities offered by each individual YMCA, as each YMCA offers a selective range of services. Finally, the ARC is an example of the forefront of campus recreation. It's vast resources available for students and the size of its facilities are not only very beneficial for an university this size but also for potential applicants looking for a wealth of different leisure service opportunities. Yet, a weakness may be the lack of opportunities for advancement in the ARC. Though most of the job opportunities are for student workers, the upper level management positions are relatively few.

Overall, each of the three mentioned agencies successfully fulfills their goals/purposes. AAA Travel and Insurance have represented the inerest of its members for more than 100 years. They reach a broad range of people, and provide benefits for their members. They recognize the needs of their customers, and have developed their company accordingly. The YMCA is a worldwide movement who now has more than 45 million members from 124 national federations. They were founded more than 150 years ago, and are still changing their foundation to accommodate the needs of communities. They have created numerous sports and activities, promoting positive involvement. The newly opend ARC at University of Illinois has been receiving positive feedback not only from students, but also members of the community. It gives students a more accessible option for physical health with their premiere facilities.

After further explanation of these three companies, one can fully understand the pros and cons associated with each company. Each company has a lot to offer, and they all appear to be fulfilling their purposes in adequately providing the people they serve. As one learned, each company has different forms of making a profit, different goals and plans, and different characteristics which separate it from other agencies of its type. However, all of these organizations operate around the same central idea; they all provide a form of leisure service. Leisure service providers are a very important part of our society today. As shown in the blog, each service provides elements that a crucial to maintaining health, good values, and positive community relationships.