Ranch Enters Its 35Th Year Helping Children
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Ranch Report Published by the Arkansas Sheriffs’ Youth Ranches, Inc. Spring 2011 Our mission is to address, remedy, and prevent child abuse and neglect by creating safe, healthy, and permanent homes for children. Ranch Enters Its 35th Year Helping Children Cabe Hall Page 6 Founded in 1976 as the Arkansas Sheriffs’ Boys Ranch, Inc. to provide: “Exclusively charitable, educational, and the prevention of cruelty to boys, by pro - viding a home, ranch, and training school for underprivileged boys.” The organiza - tion was created to provide a non-govern - mental residential childcare program for children from all 75 counties in Arkansas. Faith Hall Page 6 The organization was officially incor - Ranch Office 2011 porated on January 6, 1976, following more than two years of planning and orga - that Arkansas sheriffs would be unanimous nizational meetings. A group of sheriffs in their support. Abernathy, Meek, and concerned about the plight of abused, neg - other members of the committee spent lected, and homeless children, asked the three months traveling to every county in 75-member Arkansas Sheriffs’ Association Arkansas and meeting with each sheriff to (ASA) to assist in the development of a gain his support. At the end of this Gratton Hall Page 7 children’s home that would rely basically process, an incorporation document was on the generosity of Arkansas people. The presented in late 1975 to the ASA contain - ASA membership voted to create a Sher - ing the signatures of each of the 75 sher - iffs’ Boys Ranch Committee to research iffs. the practicality of establishing a “home, In January 1976, ASA president ranch, and/or training school for boys.” Floyd Johnson (Craighead County) an - One of the decisions made was to involve nounced the creation of the Arkansas Keith Hall Page 7 the business community in forming such a Sheriffs’ Boys Ranch, Inc. The organiza - program and rely on the 75 sheriffs for tion was incorporated in Russellville (Pope community grassroots support. County) and the headquarters was estab - Pope County Sheriff Bill Abernathy lished in Jonesboro, Johnson’s hometown. was the chairman of the Sheriffs’ Ranch The initial 28-member Board of Di - Committee and Sheriff Donald Meek rectors was created with sheriffs from (Johnson County) was its secretary. These Pope, Washington, Franklin, Monroe, two men assured the business community …see 35th Year, page 3 Olds Cottage Page 8 1 Mike’s Corner Mileposts by Mike Cumnock, CEO As we travel down highways, old days” and mentions where they we take for granted the little re - are now. One of them is even “re - minders of how far we have come tired” which makes me feel even or sometimes better yet – how close older. Some of the children shown we are to our intended destination. were kids I worked with as a volun - We know these reminders as mile teer, but I know the story of each markers or mileposts. They were and every child: stories of pain, sor - originally milestones but now are row, struggle, and joy. I was some - usually uniform markers setting what resistant to putting these atop a metal delineator post. They children “on display” but it is a are useful for a variety of purposes - powerful reminder of all that has being able to identify where we are been accomplished in the first 34 in case of an accident, or if our ve - Mike Cumnock years. It is good to stop and explore CEO hicle breaks down, they can have a our milestones from time to time. critical function in case of serious mind each other of that fact when But I also look forward to the day injury. The original milestones date we are struggling in our efforts to when all the tears are wiped away, to the Roman Empire where they raise enough money and/or to meet when there is no abuse, no neglect, were true stone obelisks made from the needs of a child or children. It no hunger, no homelessness. Until local stone. The Golden Milestone seems that the work of any ministry we get to that Kingdom, we will was the zero marker located in the can be difficult and is often painful. strive to make this world better… center of Rome. It was placed by Milestones are reminders to keep one child at a time. the Emperor Augustus - so all mile - our goals in mind. None of this would have been stones along Roman roads marked As we begin our 35th year of possible without all the people who the distance from or to Rome. In direct service to children, I am in a dug down and made sacrificial gifts Biblical times “all roads led to better position to look back at to create this program and to nur - Rome” and no traveler would es - milestones and think about where ture it. There is a section in my cape the fact that (s)he was on a we have been and all we have ac - heart whose header reads: What a Roman road and under Imperial complished…one child at a time. difference…our supporters make control. We just published our 35th An - and next to it is your picture. Your In my own life, I know that niversary Cookbook which opens love, treasure, and prayers sustain every path leads to the furthering of with a section entitled: What a dif - us! We have come a long way in 34 the Kingdom though the exact dis - ference…It begins with what a dif - years, and unfortunately we have tance, in time, is unknown. I often ference a day, a month, a year many abused, neglected, and aban - remind staff that we are about the makes! It closes with…What a dif - doned children who still need us. task of doing God’s work, and we ference a child makes. There are are doing it in His time. We re - pictures of 14 children from “the 2 It’s All About The Kids Where Ranch residents tell us about themselves Amy (Aims) MiMi Birthday: January 6th Birthday: January 5th Grade: Graduated Grade: 10th Favorite TV show: That 70’s Favorite TV show: House of Show Payne Favorite Cartoon: Tom and Favorite Cartoon: Mickey Jerry Mouse and Thomas the Train Hobbies: Writing and Riding Hobbies: Drawing and Sports Horses Goal in life: Become a Cosme - Goal in life: To Succeed tologist What she likes about Ranch: What she likes about the “Horse riding and everyone loves me.” Ranch: “My friends and it’s like a family that I never had.” Katherine (Kat) Tim Birthday: October 30th Birthday: June 25th Grade: Working on GED Grade: 10th Favorite Movie: A Walk to Re - Favorite TV Show: Wild N’ Out member Favorite Movie: Never Back Favorite Color: Green Down Hobbies: Drawing Hobbies: Drawing, Working Goal in life: To work with Out children Goal in life: Be a leader What he likes best about the Ranch: “It has helped me make better choices and given me many opportunities.” 35th Year…continued from page 1 ling group of four boys and one girl Craighead, Woodruff, Polk, Prairie, was admitted, and another of two Benton, Union, Mississippi, Desha, girls and one boy. (The organization and Van Buren Counties, serving began doing business as “The business members were chosen from Arkansas Sheriffs’ Boys and Girls Van Buren, Franklin, Craighead, Ranches” in 1977, but the name Monroe, White, Prairie, Sevier, Jef - was not legally changed until 1998, ferson, Polk, Jackson, Washington, when the legal name was changed Crawford, Benton, Miller, and Pope to: Arkansas Sheriffs’ Youth Counties. Ranches. Groundbreaking on the office A search committee was If the founding sheriffs would formed to locate a suitable piece of (ages 7 and 5) were admitted to the have only known that 35 years later property on which to establish the program during construction of the the program would have helped first campus. After considering first cottage, which was dedicated more than 1,000 children from all “seven or eight pieces of property,” by Senator Dale Bumpers on Octo - over the state! We are very proud to the committee chose a 528-acre site ber 10, 1977. In December 1977, be a part of such a great organiza - on the White River near Batesville the Ranch signed a 10-year lease on tion and wish for 35 more years of (Independence County). The cor - an existing facility near Harrison helping kids to have a place to call porate headquarters was moved to (Boone County) for the establish - Home! Batesville in 1977. Two young boys ment of a girls ranch. Initially a sib - 3 Friends and Supporters - Donations Birthday Cakes Christmas Party Mason Christmas The local Masonic Lodges joined together and prepared a The Woodmen of The World Christmas dinner for all the Lodge-Jonesboro hosted a Christ - Ranchers and staff. Their volun - MiMi was lucky enough to get the mas party for the children at the teers prepared and served food first cake of the year! Ranch. They had a pizza party and for everyone to come and enjoy. Once again the children at gifts for all the Ranchers and also It was very enjoyable getting to - the Ranch are lucky enough to brought some residents from an - gether to have good food and receive the special birthday cakes other children’s home to enjoy the good company. It is always nice prepared by Connie Riggs. She good food and company. Everyone to know people in the commu - has volunteered again this year to had a great time visiting with each nity care about the Ranch chil - make sure all the children at the other and getting to see the Ranch - dren, but it is nice for the staff to Batesville campus have birthday ers’ receive gifts.