Rawhide Boys Ranch
Encyclopedia
Rawhide Boy's Ranch is a faith-based
non-profit organization
located just south of New London, Wisconsin
, established in 1965. It provides residential programs for delinquent and emotionally disturbed adolescent boys.
near New London in 1965. They opened the ranch and took in their first 8 boys.
In 1967 Rawhide also began running summer boys programs, treating up to 300 boys a year.
Rawhide ran its own fire department beginning in 1967 that also provided fire service for the Town of Celedonia. The boys were actively involved although they could not ride the fire equipment and were given a separate ride to the fire scenes. It was one of only 10 such fire corporations in the state of Wisconsin. In 1969 the Rawhide Fire Department responded to approximately 28 grass and woods fires in and off the Rawhide property.
The Ranch was named one of 37 winners of George W. Bush
's annual 1000 Points of Light citations in 1991, selected from among over 4,500 nominations and was now home to 33 boys.
In 1993 Rawhide opened its fourth residence, expanding capacity to 40 boys a year, and in 1994 also opened their first foster home, in the Appleton, Wisconsin
area, to help with the transition from the Ranch.
Rawhide expanded again, opening its fifth residence house in December 1996. Rawhide began its About Face program, a 4 month military-style discipline program, in 1997. A barn fire on Christmas Eve in 1999 destroyed four horses. Donations were more than needed to rebuild the barn, and the excess donations were used to start a new program focusing on younger boys, Rawhide's Equine Assisted Program, or therapeutic horseback riding
. The new psychotherapy program focused on using interactions between the boy, a counselor, his parents, and a horse to improve communications and relationships.
The first Rawhide program designed for boys not under court supervision, the Academy Program, began in 2003. The program was focused on helping boys not yet in, but on their way to serious trouble, get their high school diploma
and begin post-secondary education.
Wisconsin Governor Jim Doyle
dedicated the 8 person Cornerstone Group Home in 2004. This was the first residence at Rawhide not to use house parents, leaving the boys in residence with more autonomy. In 2008 Rawhide opened its first outpatient clinic, in Green Bay, Wisconsin
. Two more outpatient clinics were opened in 2009, one in Menasha, Wisconsin
, and one on the Rawhide campus in New London, Wisconsin
.
The ranch's programs include working with horses and other animals. The ranch also has two vehicle centers that allow for preparation of donated vehicles for auction, as well as offering work experience. Volunteers from the ranch at times provide labor to help other organizations in the area, such as cleaning and painting a transitional living facility in the city of Waupaca
or helping with the cleaning efforts in the city of Waupun after it suffered a severe storm.
Rawhide Boys Ranch is currently a member of: the Wisconsin Association of Family and Children's Agencies (WAFCA), the Wisconsin Association of Child & Youth Care Professionals (WACYCP) and the Alliance for Children and Families
(ACF).
team, including Fred Thurston
('Fuzzy' Thurston), Jerry Kramer
, and Jim Taylor, joined in to help raise $20,000. Bart Starr
also donated a red 1968 Chevrolet Corvette
he had won for his performance in the Super Bowl to be raffled. The raffle raised over $40,000 for the Ranch. Ronald Kent, of Larson, Wisconsin won the drawing from over 45,000 entries. Bart led additional fundraising efforts, and helped kick-off the vehicle donation program by sending out a letter across the country. He also was the host and narrator for the TV commercials for the vehicle donation program. For his 37 years of service with Rawhide, Bart Starr was presented with the AMVETS
Humanitarian Award in 2003. Previous winners include John McCain
, Barbara Bush
, Rosalyn Carter, Nancy Reagan
, Hillary Rodham Clinton
,and Roy Rogers
and Dale Evans
.
, who signed the bill in 1982, sent a letter to the Wisconsin Senate saying he would not have signed the bill if he knew how it would affect operations such as Rawhide. 'I feel somewhat used' Dreyfus wrote, claiming to have specifically inquired about such effects when he was deciding whether to sign the bill. In 1987, State Senator Joe Leann, 14th District Waupaca, introduced a bill, SB 301/AB 527 (commonly called the "Rawhide Act" or "Rawhide Amendment") to partially repeal Wisconsin's civil rights
laws by permitting faith-based non-profit institutions to discriminate on grounds of sexual orientation
, marital status
, or religion, since Rawhide only hires married Christian heterosexual couples as house parents. The bill (which then Speaker pro tempore
David Clarenbach
conceded had sufficient support that it might have passed) was substituted by a different bill, AB 916, which created limited exemptions to allow religious associations to "grant preferential hiring treatment to members of their own creed." David Clarenbach also said that the new bill would make Wisconsin state law conform to a 1987 US Supreme court decision involving case no. 86-179, Corporation of Presiding Bishop vs. Amos, where the Justices ruled 9-0 that religious organizations had the right to hire whomever they pleased even for non-religious jobs.
Despite the passage of AB 916, a former Rawhide counselor, who was not a house parent, was fired and in 1997 convicted of repeated sexual assault
s on two boys who were residents at the Ranch.
Faith-based
The term faith-based is a neologism , mostly current in US English, to describe any organization or government idea or plan based on religious beliefs, specifically Christian beliefs....
non-profit organization
Non-profit organization
Nonprofit organization is neither a legal nor technical definition but generally refers to an organization that uses surplus revenues to achieve its goals, rather than distributing them as profit or dividends...
located just south of New London, Wisconsin
New London, Wisconsin
New London is a city in Outagamie and Waupaca Counties in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. The population was 7,295 at the 2010 census. The city has a Saint Patrick's Day Parade, Irish Fest, and week-long festivities, when the city's name is changed to "New Dublin" for the week. The American Water...
, established in 1965. It provides residential programs for delinquent and emotionally disturbed adolescent boys.
1965 - 1983
Rawhide Boys Ranch was established in 1965 by John and Jan Gillespie, who purchased the 714 acres (2.9 km²) plot along the Wolf RiverWolf River (Fox River)
The Wolf River, long, is one of the two National Scenic Rivers in Wisconsin, along with the St. Croix River. The scenic portion is long. It rises in the north woods of the state, with the northernmost fork stemming from Pine Lake in Forest County. The river then flows south through Langlade and...
near New London in 1965. They opened the ranch and took in their first 8 boys.
In 1967 Rawhide also began running summer boys programs, treating up to 300 boys a year.
Rawhide ran its own fire department beginning in 1967 that also provided fire service for the Town of Celedonia. The boys were actively involved although they could not ride the fire equipment and were given a separate ride to the fire scenes. It was one of only 10 such fire corporations in the state of Wisconsin. In 1969 the Rawhide Fire Department responded to approximately 28 grass and woods fires in and off the Rawhide property.
The Donation Program
The auto, truck, boat and real estate donation program began in 1983. Rawhide initially hoped to receive one vehicle a week, but was averaging 20 vehicles a week 6 months later. By 1986 donations were estimated at 3500 vehicle and real estate donations a year. In 1991 Rawhide moved from picking up cars directly or having them dropped off at Rawhide to an auto dealer drop-off network with more than 250 drop-off locations throughout Wisconsin. The vehicle drop-off network was expanded into the Chicago area in 1993. By 1995 the vehicle donation program was receiving over seven thousand vehicles each year and reached 8,000 in 1996. By 1997 the program was pulling in 11,000 car, truck, boat and real estate donations.1983 - 2011
The vehicle program allowed Rawhide to expand again, and they began treating 20 boys a year in 1984. Capacity by 1991 was 30 boys a year. The Rawhide School was renamed the Starr Academy in 1991 in honor of the support Bart and Cherry Starr had provided over the years.The Ranch was named one of 37 winners of George W. Bush
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
's annual 1000 Points of Light citations in 1991, selected from among over 4,500 nominations and was now home to 33 boys.
In 1993 Rawhide opened its fourth residence, expanding capacity to 40 boys a year, and in 1994 also opened their first foster home, in the Appleton, Wisconsin
Appleton, Wisconsin
Appleton is a city in Outagamie, Calumet, and Winnebago Counties in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. It is situated on the Fox River, 30 miles southwest of Green Bay and 100 miles north of Milwaukee. Appleton is the county seat of Outagamie County. The population was 78,086 at the 2010 census...
area, to help with the transition from the Ranch.
Rawhide expanded again, opening its fifth residence house in December 1996. Rawhide began its About Face program, a 4 month military-style discipline program, in 1997. A barn fire on Christmas Eve in 1999 destroyed four horses. Donations were more than needed to rebuild the barn, and the excess donations were used to start a new program focusing on younger boys, Rawhide's Equine Assisted Program, or therapeutic horseback riding
Therapeutic horseback riding
Therapeutic horseback riding is used to teach riding skills to people with disabilities...
. The new psychotherapy program focused on using interactions between the boy, a counselor, his parents, and a horse to improve communications and relationships.
The first Rawhide program designed for boys not under court supervision, the Academy Program, began in 2003. The program was focused on helping boys not yet in, but on their way to serious trouble, get their high school diploma
High school diploma
A high school diploma is a diploma awarded for the completion of high school. In the United States and Canada, it is considered the minimum education required for government jobs and higher education. An equivalent is the GED.-Past diploma styles:...
and begin post-secondary education.
Wisconsin Governor Jim Doyle
Jim Doyle
James Edward "Jim" Doyle is a Wisconsin politician and member of the Democratic Party. He was the 44th Governor of Wisconsin, serving from January 6, 2003 to January 3, 2011. He defeated incumbent Governor Scott McCallum by a margin of 45 percent to 41 percent; the Libertarian Party candidate Ed...
dedicated the 8 person Cornerstone Group Home in 2004. This was the first residence at Rawhide not to use house parents, leaving the boys in residence with more autonomy. In 2008 Rawhide opened its first outpatient clinic, in Green Bay, Wisconsin
Green Bay, Wisconsin
Green Bay is a city in and the county seat of Brown County in the U.S. state of Wisconsin, located at the head of Green Bay, a sub-basin of Lake Michigan, at the mouth of the Fox River. It has an elevation of above sea level and is located north of Milwaukee. As of the 2010 United States Census,...
. Two more outpatient clinics were opened in 2009, one in Menasha, Wisconsin
Menasha, Wisconsin
Menasha is a city in Calumet and Winnebago Counties in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. The population was 16,331 at the 2000 census. The city is located mostly in the Town of Menasha in Winnebago County; only a small portion is in the Town of Harrison in Calumet County. Doty Island is located...
, and one on the Rawhide campus in New London, Wisconsin
New London, Wisconsin
New London is a city in Outagamie and Waupaca Counties in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. The population was 7,295 at the 2010 census. The city has a Saint Patrick's Day Parade, Irish Fest, and week-long festivities, when the city's name is changed to "New Dublin" for the week. The American Water...
.
The Ranch
The ranch receives funding from referring counties and parents, as well as from funding raised through donations. This includes donations of automobiles, which Chicago dealers accept on the ranch's behalf.The ranch's programs include working with horses and other animals. The ranch also has two vehicle centers that allow for preparation of donated vehicles for auction, as well as offering work experience. Volunteers from the ranch at times provide labor to help other organizations in the area, such as cleaning and painting a transitional living facility in the city of Waupaca
Waupaca, Wisconsin
Waupaca is a city in Waupaca County in the state of Wisconsin. The population was 5,676 at the 2000 census. The city is believed to be named after Sam Waupaca of the Potowatomi tribe....
or helping with the cleaning efforts in the city of Waupun after it suffered a severe storm.
Rawhide Boys Ranch is currently a member of: the Wisconsin Association of Family and Children's Agencies (WAFCA), the Wisconsin Association of Child & Youth Care Professionals (WACYCP) and the Alliance for Children and Families
Alliance for Children and Families
The Alliance for Children and Families, also referred to as simply the Alliance, is an international, membership-based non-profit organization. Its nearly 400 members from almost every U.S...
(ACF).
The Ranch and Bart and Cherry Starr
John and Jan Gillespie were thinking about starting a group home for troubled boys and heard that the Starr's had a similar idea. John found their phone number in the phone book and called them up. They then met and agreed that they had similar ideas and the Starr's agreed to help them start up Rawhide. Bart was the chairman of the fundraising drive to pay the mortgage. 17 other members of the 1966 Green Bay PackersGreen Bay Packers
The Green Bay Packers are an American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Packers are the current NFL champions...
team, including Fred Thurston
Fred Thurston
Frederick Charles "Fuzzy" Thurston is a former American football guard in the National Football League who played for the Baltimore Colts and Green Bay Packers...
('Fuzzy' Thurston), Jerry Kramer
Jerry Kramer
Gerald Louis "Jerry" Kramer is a former professional football player, author and sports commentator, best remembered for his 11-year NFL career with the Green Bay Packers as an offensive lineman...
, and Jim Taylor, joined in to help raise $20,000. Bart Starr
Bart Starr
Bryan Bartlett "Bart" Starr is a former professional American football player and coach. Wearing #15, he was the quarterback for the Green Bay Packers from 1956 to 1971 and head coach from 1975 to 1983, compiling a record of 52–76–3 ....
also donated a red 1968 Chevrolet Corvette
Chevrolet Corvette
The Chevrolet Corvette is a sports car by the Chevrolet division of General Motors that has been produced in six generations. The first model, a convertible, was designed by Harley Earl and introduced at the GM Motorama in 1953 as a concept show car. Myron Scott is credited for naming the car after...
he had won for his performance in the Super Bowl to be raffled. The raffle raised over $40,000 for the Ranch. Ronald Kent, of Larson, Wisconsin won the drawing from over 45,000 entries. Bart led additional fundraising efforts, and helped kick-off the vehicle donation program by sending out a letter across the country. He also was the host and narrator for the TV commercials for the vehicle donation program. For his 37 years of service with Rawhide, Bart Starr was presented with the AMVETS
AMVETS
AMVETS or American Veterans is a volunteer-led organization formed by World War II veterans which accepts honorably discharged veterans as members....
Humanitarian Award in 2003. Previous winners include John McCain
John McCain
John Sidney McCain III is the senior United States Senator from Arizona. He was the Republican nominee for president in the 2008 United States election....
, Barbara Bush
Barbara Bush
Barbara Pierce Bush is the wife of the 41st President of the United States George H. W. Bush, and served as First Lady of the United States from 1989 to 1993. She is the mother of the 43rd President George W. Bush and of the 43rd Governor of Florida Jeb Bush...
, Rosalyn Carter, Nancy Reagan
Nancy Reagan
Nancy Davis Reagan is the widow of former United States President Ronald Reagan and was First Lady of the United States from 1981 to 1989....
, Hillary Rodham Clinton
Hillary Rodham Clinton
Hillary Diane Rodham Clinton is the 67th United States Secretary of State, serving in the administration of President Barack Obama. She was a United States Senator for New York from 2001 to 2009. As the wife of the 42nd President of the United States, Bill Clinton, she was the First Lady of the...
,and Roy Rogers
Roy Rogers
Roy Rogers, born Leonard Franklin Slye , was an American singer and cowboy actor, one of the most heavily marketed and merchandised stars of his era, as well as being the namesake of the Roy Rogers Restaurants franchised chain...
and Dale Evans
Dale Evans
Dale Evans, was an American writer, movie star, and singer-songwriter. She was the third wife of singing cowboy Roy Rogers.-Early life:...
.
Controversy
In 1982 Wisconsin passed a new civil rights law that extended non-discriminatory hiring practices to homosexuals. At this time it was the only state to make it illegal to discriminate against homosexual lifestyles in hiring. In effect this new law made it illegal for Rawhide to continue its treatment programs that were partially based on hiring married couples to create a traditional home environment. Former Governor Lee S. DreyfusLee S. Dreyfus
Lee Sherman Dreyfus was an American politician and member of the Republican Party who served as the 40th Governor of Wisconsin from January 4, 1979 to January 3, 1983....
, who signed the bill in 1982, sent a letter to the Wisconsin Senate saying he would not have signed the bill if he knew how it would affect operations such as Rawhide. 'I feel somewhat used' Dreyfus wrote, claiming to have specifically inquired about such effects when he was deciding whether to sign the bill. In 1987, State Senator Joe Leann, 14th District Waupaca, introduced a bill, SB 301/AB 527 (commonly called the "Rawhide Act" or "Rawhide Amendment") to partially repeal Wisconsin's civil rights
Civil rights
Civil and political rights are a class of rights that protect individuals' freedom from unwarranted infringement by governments and private organizations, and ensure one's ability to participate in the civil and political life of the state without discrimination or repression.Civil rights include...
laws by permitting faith-based non-profit institutions to discriminate on grounds of sexual orientation
Sexual orientation
Sexual orientation describes a pattern of emotional, romantic, or sexual attractions to the opposite sex, the same sex, both, or neither, and the genders that accompany them. By the convention of organized researchers, these attractions are subsumed under heterosexuality, homosexuality,...
, marital status
Marital status
A person's marital status indicates whether the person is married. Questions about marital status appear on many polls and forms, including censuses and credit card applications.In the simplest sense, the only possible answers are "single" or "married"...
, or religion, since Rawhide only hires married Christian heterosexual couples as house parents. The bill (which then Speaker pro tempore
Pro tempore
Pro tempore , abbreviated pro tem or p.t., is a Latin phrase which best translates to "for the time being" in English. This phrase is often used to describe a person who acts as a locum tenens in the absence of a superior, such as the President pro tempore of the United States Senate.Legislative...
David Clarenbach
David Clarenbach
David E. Clarenbach is a Wisconsin Democratic politician who served nine terms in the Wisconsin State Assembly. He represented the 78th Assembly District in Madison from 1975 to 1993....
conceded had sufficient support that it might have passed) was substituted by a different bill, AB 916, which created limited exemptions to allow religious associations to "grant preferential hiring treatment to members of their own creed." David Clarenbach also said that the new bill would make Wisconsin state law conform to a 1987 US Supreme court decision involving case no. 86-179, Corporation of Presiding Bishop vs. Amos, where the Justices ruled 9-0 that religious organizations had the right to hire whomever they pleased even for non-religious jobs.
Despite the passage of AB 916, a former Rawhide counselor, who was not a house parent, was fired and in 1997 convicted of repeated sexual assault
Sexual assault
Sexual assault is an assault of a sexual nature on another person, or any sexual act committed without consent. Although sexual assaults most frequently are by a man on a woman, it may involve any combination of two or more men, women and children....
s on two boys who were residents at the Ranch.