The township park commission shall have authority to acquire, maintain, manage, and control township parks and places of recreation, including bathing beaches, and shall have authority, in the name of the township, to condemn land for those purposes, in accordance with the condemnation laws of this state. The township board may authorize the township park commission to act as the township recreation board provided by Act No. 156 of the Public Acts of 1917, being section 123.51 to 123.54 of the Michigan Compiled Laws. The township park commission may accept, in the name of the township, gifts, grants, and devises of land suitable for parks and places of recreation, and gifts and bequests of money. That money shall be held in trust and used for the acquisition and improvement of land suitable for parks and places of recreation.