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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (April 5, 1984)
Page 6B/The Battalion/Thursday, April 5, 1984 < Ranch to take in its first group of troubled youths By JILL GOLDEN Reporter When Still Ch eek Ranch takes in its first group of troubled boys this month, it will be the beginning of ah ambitious new family counseling program for The Answer. The Answer began 12 years ago with almost no staff or fa cilities, but with the determin ation to provide psychological counseling in a Christian con text. Today The Answer has a new building, eight counselors and an established place in the community. But Still Creek Ranch is something new. The 500-acre ranch, purchased by the money received from selling a donated farm and contributions, cost $1.3 million. The ranch will provide a home for boys be tween 10 and 17 years old who no longer can function in their families. Both the boys and their families will be counseled in attempts to solve their prob lems. While at the ranch, the boys will receive individual and group counseling conducted by the house parents — a couple who specializes in child care. The boys will continue going to their local schools and will work with a registered Brangus herd that The Answer is assembling. Some of the animals will be bought at a special auction this spring and others will be do nated. Because counselors at The Answer believe a problem with a boy also affects the entire fam ily, the family will be counseled at the Family Life Counseling Services, the clinical branch of The Answer. The family will learn ways of getting along with the child and ways to work out their problems. “It’s not an alternative for the youth to get away from his fam ily, but a chance for him and his family to have some space to Personalize Your Party! We do imprinting on •Napkins •Party Glasses •Decorative Matchbooks Party supplies and decorations for all types of ties. par- THE PARTYV SHOP> Culpepper Plaza (next to Godfathers Pizza) 693-8276 Open 10-6 think and work out their prob lem,” Frances Rinehart, direc tor of development at The An swer, said. Rinehart said Still Cheek Ranch evolved from the 10- week summer programs M.B. Flippen, director of The An swer, developed in 1976 for troubled boys. Flippen had real ized that office counseling sometimes was not enough to solve family problems. In some cases, the youth needed to get out of the unstable home envi ronment before the family could be helped. A troubled boy may stay at Still Creek Ranch anywhere from six to 18 months, depend ing on the seriousness of the problem. During his stay, the boy will visit his family periodi cally. Rinehart said it would be a gradual process. “Although they’re not living together, the family is not sepa rated,” Rinehart said. “This process will reacquaint the fam ily with each other gradually until the family is healed and can be put back together. We emphasize the wholeness of the family.” Although only boys will be living at the ranch at first, The Answer plans to build six to 10 homes more homes on the ranch to include girls in the program. Funds for the next two homes already have been committed, Rinehart said, “but you have to crawl before you walk.” When completed, Still Creek Ranch will be able to care for 75-100 troubled youths. Counseling fees vary de pending on how much the fami lies can afford to pay. “We don’t turn anyone in need away just because they don’t have money.” Rinehart said. “We do like Jesus did; if he saw someone hurting he’d help. Thai’s what this organization does. We meet their needs.” The ranch will operate from the income it receives from its Brangus herd, from donations, and from counseling fees. Family Life Counseling Serv ices also relies on donations and counseling fees to operate, Rinehart said. It receives no stale or federal funds. “The community has sup ported this organization for 12 years,” Rinehart said. “We’ve grown because of individual and group support.” Rinehart said the support is proof that the community cares about what The Answer is doing. This counseling service has grown rapidly. Four times as many cases have been coun seled since Flippen talked with young people in a room at a College Station church. Today, a t m Walk, Cycle, or Shuttle. It’s only 8 Blocks. Eff, 1 & 2 bedrooms starting at 240.00. 3902 COLLEGE MAIN country place apartments Weapons In Space 846-0515 A National Teleconference Dr. Carl Sagan Dr. Henry Kendall » Adm. Noel Gayler Dr. Richard Garwin -Vr JfeMSC C.KI.AT ISSUI.S Thursday, April 5 RUMOURS 6:45 pm FREE Colle goto Photo by BILL HUGH Charles Laird is the ranch manager at Still Creek Ranch. Laird is a 1973 graduate of Texas A&M with a de] in animal science. clients chi not go to that church to talk to Flippen but to a spa cious, secluded office at 1101 Sandia Plaza in Bryan. Family Life Counseling Serv ices hears about 350 one-hour sessions a month, said Dr. Dale Simpson, a counselor at the clinic. “There’s about 150 different cases now, so we’re in contact with about 400 to 600 people a month,” Simpson said. He said he sees that number continuing to grow to about 400 cases a month within the next few months. Because most of Still Cheek Ranch’s funding is through do- United Prpss 1 .... , -.SH1NGTON nations, 1 he Answerspons*,„ ■ a benefit house shower toil. / u ^‘ 1 \ t . ,!,<■ Hlsl resKlemial , ■ , in irovine $62 mill house with household m r r-iV , . i i 1., . ,i ii c, (Or El Salvador l eb. 12 at the College Su ^ Community Center. n * said the shower was a su« to back a i »in Nicaragua. ... , utl The Senate reje< and that the community boi endinents [h ‘ n most or tire items needa stock the first home Guides match children to right summer camp icted U.S. activi Honduras, tin United Press International If your kid sister or brother is one of 9 million looking for ward to a camping adventure this summer, now’s the time to gel moving, says Armand Ball. The picking isn’t easy. There are 9,000 camps in mountains, in valleys, beside rivers or lakes, where a lent can be pitched or a sleeping hag tossed. Ball is executive director of the American Camping Asso ciation. The ACA is publisher of “The 1984 Parents’ Guide to Accredited Camps” and also ac credits camps. The catalogue lists camps by states and tells what camps of fer: archery, boating, finger painting, hiking, crafts, music and computers. Ball estimates costs at the sleep-aways range f rom $35 to $55 a day among the for-profit camps and from $20 a day on down among non-profit camps such as those operated by Vs. There also are free camps for the disadvantaged. “The news this season,” Ball said, “is that there’s no new surge of specialty camps. Com puter camps peaked in the past two years and now I think we’re settling into a time when there’s renewed interest in your basic camp with hiking, campfires, swimming and, well, camping.” “I also think prices have sta bilized.” The ACA catalogue also lists camps for children with emo tional or physical handicaps. There are camps for the asth matic, blind, deaf, diabetics —so called “special clientele.” approve a bill c El Salvador and The Senate ha ir in El Salvador agua, and the mduras,” said tonedy, who has re for two weeks. He said its appi most fateful ' b [y stated it has II RESTAURANT 4r & Fresh, authentic Chinese cn reasonable prices “Quality Health Food” Lemon Chicken! Taste OK PARTIES AND BANQUETS WELCOMED Serving wine and beer ()ther camps available are children with epilepsy, the a Mdtake lionally disturbed,hemop pen. Bob liars, learning tally retarded, mobil restricted, overweight orwhi ^stated chair hound. reducing U.S. t New this season are an r ' for children with cancer. ^ ut ^ en - J ose I “The camps for children* ^ ^' e can set ; v cancer are so new that we did ; ' n S us ••• I belie gel to list them in the 1984a reelected you * logue," Ball said. “But il peoj tops fighting in I write, we’ll give them wnal The proposal have on these camps.” )use ’ w bicTi is Here are some things 1 ^.y-of the-amem suggests parents consider': ^se-Senate cot —The camper’s inten hhediffetences “That is critical to successii The aid was pai given activity. Desire by thef , l sta ! t(X “ uL as . ents for their child tobeastl edK 10 crou S not reason enough to chooi aons ' „ certain camp." O" a 51 ‘ 44 7 —Age and maturity «ed an ameiidr camper. “A certain physiol W 1 -D-Nhch., th ieal and psychological mala daid 7 an >' S r<: level is necessary to attain! ! )w ^ itaia g ua levels in some activities. ’ t ' l! child’s readiness is critical,i Kca 8 an bas ie) — Present skill level ess dial Ij.b. aid camper. “If the camper is) ' s * nlen d< ginner, it is likely that as lot ! e o lcaia gna I n a camp has an instructional te , rn a ;’ l ' 1 ( nei M gram in an activity with ad ch as Salvadc petent instructor, the can will gain necessary begin skills the first summer.” —-Staff. “Inquiries into background and experii the instructional staff are portant. —Look into experienct the camp. “As public has grown in specialial many new camps have stai up overnight. Many of these gw reputable. The reputablea lrise 846-8345 Mon. - Sun. Mon. - Sat. 11 am - 2 pm 5 pm - 10 pm 3805 TEXAS AV. - BRYAN gladly will provide reference parents who have had c; at the camp.” —Look into “The 191 ents’Guide to Accredi Camps,” available by r 6.95 from American Cami 3 ures h> sa * t T ^ Association, 100 lira Woods, Artinsville, Ind By MELI5 Re/ When Qadeer lexas A&M, he \ In Pakistan, h hat portrayed th ountry where e ast-paced, glan fhenhecame to was somev Now Under Younger Management to further serve the needs of the Students of Texas A&M. We have changed our atmosphere and format. lon’t like it hen dial I expected.' Qureshi’s initi ege Station and me of the respe leard from aln Sonal students at Of the studei lonal program It [rants and 1,6 [rants. The immi erstay in the Unii [raduate. The n< Now Open #ll Midnight 7 days Me a week By HELEN Re Checkout our new pool tables & video games! -Grand Opening Special- Beer Pitchers $1_ 43 Cup of Beer 480 Allergy suffer [more misery in |than usual. Dr. Ted Hayw list at McGovet i Houston, says th be blamed for tl Kofi hose with “Plants seem [profusely and pi [acold winter,” H The typical pi [for this time of ; IPanicles a cubic t '"(April 2) we [pollen grains a Jwojd spores a c Igrass pollens a " , ood said.