Juvenile delinquency (1955)

42 JUVENILE DELINQUENCY the drive, the superintendent tells the youth "Why Twin Pines Ranch," and the results that will be attained if the boy forgets his past and builds only for the future. If the boy comes to us in a rebellious state, fearful of the new environ- ment into which he has been thrust, he cannot help but lose that fear on this buggy ride down a tree-lined country road past the glistening waters of the lake upon which white ducks are resting. At the end of the road, the sight of the rustic old ranch houses appeals to the inner soul of the boy which edges out much of the "inner rebellion" ; this is the objective of a good ranch therapeutic program. Arriving at the ranch office, his parents' address is verified so that a personal letter may be sent notifying them of his arrival. He, then, is introduced to a chief counselor, who fits him out with his ranch outfit and assigns him to his "brand." The brand leader takes over, shows him the ranch and acquaints him with the other brand members with whom he will be identified while at the ranch. To round out his reception, at his first meal, the boy is introduced and made welcome by the entire group singing the ranch welcome song. Seeing and hearing the entire student body participate in his welcome has a stabilizing effect, making him feel that he is accepted. Each boy is assigned to a counselor to whom he may go for advice, consola- tion, and guidance. However, realizing that there are clashes of personalities between individuals, the youth is told that he is privileged to go to any counselor that he finds to his liking. On-the-spot counseling is effective and is in keeping with the homelike atmosphere, but by far the most effective and impressing counseling is over the chucli-wagon tables, after meals, to the entire jrroup. So much freedom and so little supervision during the boys' free time does not mean that the staff members have a lackadaisical attitude such as "out of sight, out of mind." They believe a disturbed youth must work out his own problems; therefore, he shall supervise himself and his actions. Little acts which might be considered antisocial can be straightened out by group control. Social contact with the public away from the ranch is attained by attending the theater in the village every Saturday. This is not a reward for the con- formist, but everyone's treat. When we say this is not a punitive but educa- tional institution, we mean just that. Some boys just cannot do everything right; should thev be punished for this? Is it not better to teach a boy that he is entitled to allbenefits as any other boy and not to put forth his right foot occasionally to selfishly gain benefits, but rather show his appreciation for our kindness by an honest endeavor to do right? Visitation of service clubs who hold dinner meetings at the ranch has been a wonderful social contact. Businessmen and women taking time out to come up and break bread w^ith the boys take away that self-planted stigma and re- plant the seed of self-respect and confidence. Occasionally, groups of young people come to the ranch for community sings and folk dancing. Music hath charms; so does a wholesome young lady who will spend her evening that a disturbed youth may enjoy dancing and singing. There comes a time when the ranch program has completed its work and the staff members feel that a youth is ready to go back to society. Without graphs, charts, or a file crammed full of useless scribblings on paper, how do we know when a boy is ready for graduation? Some people facetiously call it the intui- tive system. But who cares what it is called? Ours is a feeling that he is ready. This day is one long to to be remembered by the graduate, the staff members and the remaining ranch hands. If a program such as ours is actual and not the "lip service" type, then members of the staff have learned to love the boy, and his absence from the ranch program is surely and sincerely to be felt. It is a tradition that any morning when the boys arise and find horses saddled and bridled hitched to the hitching post outside the bunkhouse, that is gradua- tion day. The number of horses is indicative of the number of boys graduating. After the breakfast dishes have been cleared away, the superintendent an- nounces the names of the graduates. Then w-hile all are assembled in the chuck wagon, the staff members each say their parting words to the graduate. Some- times they are admonished, perhaps counseled or advised. The words spoken, good or bad, are always as the staff members look at the boy and his future— above all else, they are truthful. This is sort of a "pop to boy" deal at the time of breaking familv ties. The remaining ranch hands go to the regular program while the graduating boys invariably go to the stable, saddle their favorite horse and ride over the hills. On their return, they usually confer with their adviser and best friends for a few moments, then go to the ranch office and receive the statistical report on their payroll account.