by Dan Crawford

Author Dan Crawford is a member of the Tulsa Brookside, Oklahoma, Lions Club and an Attorney-at-Law in Tulsa as well as the Municipal Judge for the City of Henryetta, Oklahoma. He explains, “The main reason I have ‘adopted’ the Oklahoma Lions Boys Ranch as my personal mission revolves around juvenile crime. Every week, I find myself dealing with young people who have already taken the path of criminality as their way of life.

“I believe that parents are the main reason for their child’s choices, because the vast bulk of these kids I see who are now committing crimes come from parents who have been committing crimes most of their adult lives. It’s the only way of life these kids know.

“When I became a Lion and learned that the Oklahoma Lions Boys Ranch intercepts kids in criminal abuse/neglect environments before they imitate their parents and commit crimes, I knew this was the ultimate answer to juvenile crime: stop it before it happens and re-educate them in a loving family environment.”

Located in the heart of the Oklahoma hills, the Oklahoma Lions Boys Ranch continues its 35-year tradition of helping young boys in need. A beautiful 725-acre ranch owned and operated by the Oklahoma Lions Service Foundation has helped raise over 600 boys since 1969, turning troubled boys into responsible young men.

The ranch operates as a year-round family-style residential home for boys ages 12-18 who have been abused or neglected by their parents. Contrary to some mistaken impressions, the boys at the Lions ranch are not criminals; in fact, they are the exact opposite. They are the victims of crimes of abuse and neglect by their families. You might say that the only crimes these boys are guilty of were being born into the wrong home.

Once placed at the ranch by the Oklahoma State Department of Human Services, each boy shares a room with another boy at one of several homes on the ranch. A set of “parents” actually live in each home on the ranch, acting as surrogate parents for the youngsters. From this point on, the boys live as normal a life as any other young Oklahoma child does.

For example, the boys all attend public school at the Perkins-Tryon school district. They become involved in church activities, school sports, Boy Scouts, 4-H clubs and other activities that interest them. While at the ranch, they actually raise their own livestock and grow their own crops. While some boys’ homes have endured the stigma of being cold, drab “detention” centers, the Oklahoma Lions Boys Ranch is a beautiful, nurturing environment nestled in an idyllic country setting.

The ranch is so popular that it is virtually always full. Oklahoma Lions have taken in boys from all 77 of the state’s counties. Sadly, there is usually a waiting list of young boys who want to come to the ranch, and there are state agencies and courts which also would like to send troubled youths to the ranch. Due to its full capacity, these youngsters have to be turned away until an opening arises.

As any parent knows, the cost of raising a child in today’s world is astronomical. Multiply that cost by 600 and you’ll have a basic appreciation for the Herculean financial obligation undertaken by Oklahoma Lions since 1969.

In June 2003, one of the homes at the Boys Ranch was forced to close due to lack of operational funds. What was once a happy home has become an empty shell of a house. Somewhere in the state right now there are many boys who will never get the chance to live at this particular ranch home and benefit from the experience. This tragic development is something I have vowed to correct and make sure never happens again.

When I became a member of the Board of Directors on the Oklahoma State Lions Service Foundation, I vowed to do everything possible to raise awareness of people as to the needs of the ranch. Oklahoma Lions and “non-Lions” alike have begun rallying to our cause. The combination of several high-profile newspaper articles, Internet Web sites and direct talks to various public groups has caused money to trickle in from a variety of sources.

From dollar bills individually mailed to me by school children to an estate gift of several hundred thousand dollars left to the boys ranch by a childless, elderly couple, the response has been overwhelming. Money has come from as far away as California and as close as neighbors down the street. The goal is to secure enough funds into an irrevocable trust we have set up so that the ranch can operate forever from the interest generated from the trust. We have the present ability to build more homes on the ranch; we just can’t operate them right now.

The Oklahoma Lions Boys Ranch is a comprehensive, community-based residential care program for boys 12 to 18 years of age who have been abused or neglected. Because of the boys’ past history of abuse or neglect, it is imperative that they live in an environment that is safe, nurturing and structured.

The philosophy of our mission can be best illustrated with stories of recent residents of the ranch. When “Tim” first came to our ranch, he was 12 years old. At first, he was defiant and difficult to handle. However, with the love and care he got from his ranch parents, his attitude and self-esteem changed dramatically.

After a year or so, the Department of Human Services located a foster home for Tim. When he was told that the DHS had located a home for him, he replied: “This is my home; I don’t want to go.” He was allowed to stay at the Lions Boys Ranch until he graduated from high school. He’s now attending college in a nearby town so he can stay close to his “home.”

“John” was initially removed from his mother as an infant because he was born with drugs in his system due to his mother’s drug use during her pregnancy. He was briefly in foster care before he was returned to his mother. John grew up being physically and sexually abused by his mother’s various boyfriends.

The boy’s younger siblings were also abused before the state finally removed them from their mother’s care when John was 11. He didn’t adjust well to the initial foster care placement with his siblings and was asked to leave the home while his younger siblings were allowed to stay. Several other subsequent foster placements also failed. Only 12 with nowhere to go, John came to us at the ranch. After some struggles, he has adjusted to the ranch, realizing that he’s finally found a home.

Most of the boys feel that way. The ranch is home – finally a permanent place to be. For many of the boys, the average number of placements prior to the ranch is 10. Moving 10 times with 10 sets of foster parents, and in some cases, 10 schools; it’s no wonder that these boys are struggling when they finally arrive at the ranch.

Clearly, there is a need for the kind of nurturing, supportive care an abuse or neglect victim can receive in a loving residential environment. The ranch provides loving foster parents, a small school system where everyone knows their name, regular counseling and most important of all – stability.

By adhering to the basic philosophy that all people can have value and change their lives by building on their positive attributes and addressing their negative behavior, the Oklahoma Lions Boys Ranch is making a difference – one young life at a time.