“Eye”mazing Event  Scavenger Hunt- sponsored by Vision Clinics of Springfield.

Team up with family & friends and join us for our Vision Clinic Scavenger Hunt!

Saturday, June 9th from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m.

Start at Vision Clinic – Springfield, 3440 S. National.

Ends at Vision Clinic – Downtown, 213 W. Olive Street.

Click Eyemazing Event for more information.

Chances to win amazing prizes while having fun and benefiting our friends at GSBR and BBBS of the Ozarks.

To join in the event register online at theeyemazingevent.eventzilla.net

I remember thinking as I began my career at the Ranch that most of my work would be dealing with adolescent boys and their behavior problems.  My job was going to be about teaching them how to make better choices, follow the rules, respect authority, be a responsible being……….I didn’t realize until later that my job was really about helping them be okay with themselves, discover and own their feelings, and then let go of the past and move forward.

My partner and I had been working together for about 2 years and during this time we had managed to help build a very strong, caring group of 12-14 guys in our dorm.  We had a lot of group meetings in which the guys talked about their families, their past, and all the feelings surrounding those issues.  Often times these meetings were very emotional and tearful and at the end brought our guys even closer together.

During this time we had a 14 year old boy with an unknown father and a mother who had passed away 2 years earlier.  We will call him David.  David had an extensive history of physical abuse and had been having enough behavior problems that he had been taken out of the home a year before his mom had died.  He had been unable to see his mom since leaving home.  Her death was sudden and unexpected so David hadn’t been unable to tell her goodbye or attend her funeral.  As he became more comfortable with us and the other guys he began to talk more about his mom and would often cry when sharing his sadness.  After a few months at the Ranch there was a day when David was having a very difficult time and had been in trouble since waking up that morning.  He was angry at everything and everyone and was certainly doing a nice job of making all of us angry, too.  We were sitting in a group meeting sometime that day with David yelling and blaming his peers for his behaviors when he suddenly began to cry uncontrollably.  Quickly the room fell silent.  After a few moments the other boys began to try and soothe David and get him to tell them what was wrong.  It was magical; in the midst of his tears David told us.  All he wanted to do was go to the cemetery where his mom was buried to be with her one more time and tell her goodbye.

A week or so later my partner and I loaded up the van with David and the rest of our group. We were headed out on a 2 hour trip to the cemetery where David’s mom was buried.  David had asked that we all go on this journey with him.  The boys had gathered flowers to place on her grave and David had written a goodbye letter.  The trip there was a bit noisy as we all dealt with our anxiety by talking, laughing and playing.  It was humor that day that helped us make our trip manageable.  Once there, as requested, we all stood by the van as David went to the gravesite.  He knelt down on his knees, placed the flowers by the headstone, and through lots of tears David said “Goodbye”.

Our trip back to the Ranch was quiet and very somber.  I think we were all a bit surprised and a little embarrassed by the depth of our sadness and the flow or our tears.

Before going to bed that night David called for a group hug and said, “Thanks, I’m ready to move on now.”  And he did.

Learning how to care and be responsible with the horses can often turn into the boys learning how to do that with other people.  The Midnight Ride proved that to be true.

It was around midnight on a very stormy night.  The rain was accompanied by loud thunder and lots of lightning.  I received a call from the Ranch reporting that the sheriff’s department had called and said that a herd of horses was loose and down the road by the river.  Understand the Ranch is situated between a double highway that is well-traveled by motorists so being on the “road” is certainly a dangerous place.  I quickly called the equine director of the Ranch and we both headed out to reclaim the horses.  When we found them, we realized it would be impossible to try and herd them back to the Ranch and we were unable to corral them to hold until we could get a truck and trailer.  The decision was made to get some of our better riders and ride them home.  Of course it’s still storming.  We grab bridles, grain, and 6 or 7 boys and head to the river.  In the midst of rain, thunder, and lightning we caught each horse, bridled him, and chose a rider.  I was left with a beautiful tall, headstrong Tennessee Walking horse named Blacksun. My riding experience was a lot less than that of the boys.  I had ridden a few times and had ridden Blacksun once.  The boss called riders up and the boys quickly and efficiently mounted their horse; bareback of course.  I struggled getting on Blacksun and finally had to use the tailgate of our truck and the assistance of another staff.  Once we were all up we took off at an easy pace until we hit the highway.  We were going to have to travel right down the middle of the road for about ¼ mile; we were given the order to “go” as traffic was being held back for us.  Without any signs of fear or worry our boys took off trotting; I on the other hand was terrified and as I tried to trot became even more afraid that I wouldn’t be able to stay on.  I quickly slowed down.   Knowing I needed to hurry I would try to speed up but my fear always slowed me back down.  As the boss was taking care of the boys and making sure they were safe I was on my own and needed to find the courage to move on.  I was almost crying at this point and was unsure if I could finish the job.  Blacksun, of course, was fine and unconcerned with the thunder and lightning and the boys seemed to be having a grand time.  Suddenly one of the boys, Shannon who was 14, was at my side.  He looked at me very solemnly and said, “it’s okay if you’re scared and want to ride slow, I’ll ride with you and we’ll get home”.  And we did.

Shannon was my hero.  I think of him often and hope that he is still the brave, courageous young man he was that night.

We had allotted ourselves 12 days to participate in the H’Olympics and to travel to Colorado to see the Rocky Mountains. Our first stop was the Grand Canyon where our view was delayed due to snow and fog. Our wait was worth it; no wonder millions of people travel to see it as the Canyon is breathtakingly beautiful and beyond belief. Of course, our boys wanted to go as close to the edge as possible, which made me a nervous Nellie.

That day and most of the night we drove into Colorado heading for our campground which was in the Mountains just west of Denver and north of Colorado Springs. The drive itself was a bit scary as it was mountain roads. After a tiny little detour that required our Recreation Therapist to back up our van which was towing a U-Haul trailer down a little dirt road we found the campground.

As we had arrived in the middle of night we were unable to find our campsite so we all slept “snuggled” in the van. It was quite cold. The next day proved to be worth the struggles as we had a gorgeous site that was surrounded by mountains.

Here comes the “Silence”. Our first evening at the campground around dusk we all decided to take a hike hoping to see some wildlife. What we got was even better. We had been hiking all around and after rounding a corner we found ourselves on the edge of a mountain. The sight was extraordinary. We could see mountains, trees, snow, etc. Suddenly, Rod, who was one of our boys from inner-city St. Louis stopped and told everyone to “shhh”. A minute or so went by with no one making a sound and then Rod said, “That’s the first time in my life I have ever heard silence”. After that we turned to hike back to our campsite just a little bit quieter than before.

Is there any wonder why I have been at the Ranch ever since?

      Your Chance!

            Your Charity!

Win a 2012 Ford Mustang or $10,000 cash when you buy a ticket from the Good Samaritan Boys Ranch.

Your $25 donation to the Ranch will put you in the drawing on August 12, 2012 at the Price Cutter Charity Championship for these two great prizes or one of 500 other prizes drawn during the tournament. Your ticket also gets you into the four day tournament ($40 value).

Contact Julie Conway at jconway@ranchlife.org  to purchase your tickets.

Good Samaritan Boys Ranch & Footsteps Transitional Living

Do you want to make a difference in a child’s life? The Good Samaritan Boys Ranch is looking for caring individuals or couples who would like to serve as a mentor and resource for young men ages 12-20. Visiting Resource volunteers make monthly visits to residents at the Good Samaritan Boys Ranch and Footsteps who have no family or support system. Spending just a few hours each month can make a difference in the life of one of these young men!

• Flexible hours
• Rewarding work
• Visits can be made onsite or for outings such as church, dinner or sporting events
• Background check and personal references required

Call 376-2238 or 864-6698 for more information on volunteering!