West Texas Boys Ranch

West Texas Boys Ranch (WTBR[1]) is a Christian private residential community for boys located in Tankersley,[2] unincorporated Tom Green County, Texas, near San Angelo.[3] The 963-acre (390 ha) facility is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization, and it is open to any qualified boy, regardless of his or his family's ability to pay the tuition. The ranch uses donations to fund its services. The ranch can accommodate up to 40 boys, who come from across the United States. The ranch does not take custody of its boys, and it is not a boot camp, detention center, drug rehabilitation center, or a "last resort" for hardcore juvenile offenders.[1]

History

The ranch has provided a community for boys since 1947.[4] In 2003 a FedEx Cessna Caravan crashed on a plot of land belonging to the ranch.[5]

Operations

The facility consists of several residential cottages, each with eight boys. Each boy is assigned to a particular cottage, which is overseen by a husband and wife team. If a team has children, those children are also a part of the cottage household. Every boy participates in chores, such as cleaning his room, cleaning his shared bathroom, and cleaning his laundry. Several chores, such as mopping the kitchen, vacuuming the living room, and helping prepare meals, are rotated among the boys.[6] Each boy has a rank, depending on his behavior. The lowest rank with the fewest privileges is the Tumbleweed, while the highest rank, Tophand, has the most privileges. Each boy can see his progress on a chart so he knows what he needs to do to attain a certain rank. Each resident works with livestock, such as Longhorn cattle, horses, and Boer goats.[7] During the summer boys work in ranching jobs.[8]

Composition

The cottages are Brown Cottage,[9] Doss Cottage,[10] Minear Cottage,[11] and Stevens Cottage.[12] Minear, named after Roy and Evelyn Minear, was built in 1983.[11] Brown, funded by a donation from Wilbur Carr Brown of San Angelo, Texas, was built in 1984.[9] Doss, funded by a donation from the M.S. Doss Foundation in Seminole, Texas, was built in 1985.[10] Stevens, funded by a donation from Perry and Ruby Stevens of Fredericksburg, Texas, was built in 1985.[12]

Education

Every boy in the home is enrolled in the Irion County Independent School District in Mertzon. If a boy has an issue at school, the Irion County ISD staff will notify the West Texas Boys Ranch staff.[6] Irion County High School is the high school of the district.

References
  1. Cantu, Lorie Woodward. "West Texas Boys Ranch." The Cattleman. February 2006. 1. Retrieved on August 25, 2010.
  2. TANKERSLEY, TEXAS from the Handbook of Texas Online - Retrieved on August 25, 2010
  3. "banner04.png." West Texas Boys Ranch. Retrieved on August 25, 2010. "10223 Boys Ranch Road, San Angelo, TX"
  4. "Boys Ranch Haven provides a temporary home and a future." The Dallas Morning News. July 30, 2001. Retrieved on August 25, 2010. "Since 1947 the West Texas Boys Ranch has provided a haven for boys with troubles but it may be one of the leastknown resources around perhaps because it is..."
  5. "Small FedEx plane crashes in West Texas." Associated Press at News 8. January 24, 2003. Retrieved on August 25, 2010. "turboprop Cessna Caravan crashed near San Angelo Regional Airport's Mathis Field during takeoff on land belonging to the West Texas Boys Ranch..."
  6. Cantu, Lorie Woodward. "West Texas Boys Ranch." The Cattleman. February 2006. 2. Retrieved on August 25, 2010.
  7. Cantu, Lorie Woodward. "West Texas Boys Ranch." The Cattleman. February 2006. 3. Retrieved on August 25, 2010.
  8. Cantu, Lorie Woodward. "West Texas Boys Ranch." The Cattleman. February 2006. 4. Retrieved on August 25, 2010.
  9. "Brown Cottage Archived 2013-04-16 at Archive.today." West Texas Boys Ranch. Retrieved on August 25, 2010.
  10. "Doss Cottage Archived 2012-10-28 at the Wayback Machine." West Texas Boys Ranch. Retrieved on August 25, 2010.
  11. "Minear Cottage Archived 2013-04-16 at Archive.today." West Texas Boys Ranch. Retrieved on August 25, 2010.
  12. "Stevens Cottage Archived 2013-04-16 at Archive.today." West Texas Boys Ranch. Retrieved on August 25, 2010.

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