A Short Historical Summary: "No man is an island, entire of itself...I am involved in mankind." This quote from John Donne sums up the beliefs of the Boys' Ranch and the people who have been involved with the ranch since its inception. The ranch began with the vision of one man concerned with the "boy on the street" problem in Dallas. Through the years, the ranch has expanded on his idea and changed ownership, but it has always been used in the spirit of its founding father. In 1938, the ranch, located in Copperas Cove, Texas began as a day camp for underprivileged boys from Dallas through the Variety Club's generosity. In the mid-1940's, the Variety Club converted the day camp into a home for underprivileged boys. In the early 1950's the ranch moved to Bedford on 229 acres of land purchased from the original City of Bedford. It went through several owners until in 1960 the lack of funding and the change of the pari-mutual betting laws forced it to close. A developer bought the ranch in the 1960's, but his vision for the land did not occur, and the ranch was abandoned. The City of Bedford later bought it to create a city park. Form a modest beginning, the Boy's Ranch has moved and grown from a day camp to a home for boys to a recreational facility serving a community of approximately 48,000.     An Expanded History: "In 1938 a friend of a Variety Club member R. E. Griffith, purchased a 500-acre tract of land in Copperas Cove, Texas for $25,0000. Griffith's idea became a camp which opened the following summer. The camp had "a lake, a swimming hoe, boats, playground and all the food and milk a boy could drink, free movies and camp pow wows." In 1939, its first year, 321 boys enjoyed the wide open expanses of a world they never knew existed. Their days were filled with activities including baseball, boxing and rifle instruction in the morning, games and swimming after lunch then a rest time. From this two-week experience the boys took h9ome memories to last a lifetime. The camp was named the R. E. Griffith Ranch after the man whose vision, along with the Variety CLub, continued a tradition of helping others in their community. "The Variety Club tradition began in 1927 when eleven showmen in Pittsburgh found an abandoned baby girl with a message from her mother. The message said the baby's name was Catherine and asked that someone please take care of her as she could not. These men adopted the baby and named her Catherine Variety Sheridan. Incidentally, Catherine is currently living in California with her family and is still involved in Variety Club functions. From this humble beginning the Variety Club has expanded to clubs all over the world with each club supporting its own favorite charities. The Boys' Ranch became one of the best known charities of the Variety Clubs of America. By 1945, the Copperas Cove summer camp had evolved into the Variety Club Boys' Ranch, a home for underprivileged boys. The boys were underprivileged youths, whose parents would not or could not support them. The parents, however, retained custody. The boys went to the ranch through word of mouth or court order. The Variety Club FOundation moved the boys' Ranch to the Bedford area in 1949 when costs became prohibitive. The Foundation also wanted a place closer to Dallas so they could oversee the ranch better. The ranch moved north at an opportune time for Bedford. Bedford was a small community that wanted a post office; with the inclusion of the ranch it was now large enough to receive one. Three years later the population of Bedford was only 300, with the annexation of the ranch and it's 100 residents Bedford could become a town. The ranch was started on 229 acres with a cafeteria, laundry, and two dormitories housing 45 to 49 boys. Later a lake, baseball diamonds, a football field with bleachers and a swimming pool were added. The ranch also had its own water and sewage systems, making it a self-contained community. Several of the building on the ranch were donated by individuals, including the gymnasium which Julia Shepps of Shepps dairy donated at a cost of $76,000. The gymnasium floor, restored from a burned-out bowling alley in California, is still in use today. The swimming pool was donated by actor Audie Murphy; the proceeds were from his 1949 movie Bad Boy. Murphy's brother was a resident and later counselor at the ranch. Although people made individual contributions, much of the operating money came from the turtle races which were held annually by the Variety Club. The turtle races were held during the 1940s and 1950s at the state fairgrounds in Dallas. The Variety Club would purchase turtles and sell them for $10.00. The turtles would then be painted and numbered and put in a motorized shaker with doors on the sides and shaken up. They were then released to race with people betting on the winner. In some years the turtle races would clear $110,000. Along with the races, some of the boys from the Boys' Ranch, through the Dallas Figure Skating Club, put on a tumbling act which was sanctioned by the U. S. Figure Skating Association. in 1949, the Turtle Derby was canceled until District Attorney Will Wilson reached a compromise with the Variety Club eliminating pari-mutual betting. Funds were also raised through annual variety shows presented at the Municipal Auditorium in Dallas. Because Variety Club members knew many people, especially from the Hollywood community, they could call on others to help obtain funds for the ranch. Lawrence Welk and the Lennon sisters came to the ranch every year. The Lone Ranger, Patsy Cline, Leo Durocher and Dizzy Dean were a few of the many celebrities glad to help these disadvantaged youth. A circus to run concurrently with the 1952 State Fair of Texas was another fundraiser, and in 1952 a July 4th and 5th celebration in the Cotton Bowl was organized. Along with the Variety Club members and celebrities, the boys on the ranch contributed funds to keep the ranch solvent through their farm and dairy operation. The ranch had an operating farm and dairy, begun in 1952, which at one time raised as many as 35,000 broilers every ten or twelve weeks. On person in the community benefiting from the boys' chicken ranch was J. W. Nichols, a pioneer in chicken processing for supermarkets. At first Mr. Nichols would walk around town getting chickens from farmers but in later years he would drive around to farmers and purchase their chickens and the Boys Ranch was on of his suppliers. The boys received, along with a wholesome farm atmosphere, a sense of family life that they did not receive at home. The counselors were families who gave the boys a sense of family that many of the boys wanted or needed, especially the younger ones. Each dormitory had a family living there, overseeing the 45 boys that lived in the dormitory. Each dorm was filled with many rooms and every room was made up of eight bunks. Every boy had his own personal locker, which was like a closet, where he kept all of his personal belonging. The necessities needed by the boys were all furnished. The children of the counselors thought of the boys as brothers. Even today some of the boys have a reunion with the counselors and friends from the ranch. Not all boys liked being at the ranch though, and some ran away, mostly because they missed their families. Usually after the boys lived at the ranch for a while they accepted being there. One boy years later remembered that his "little brother nearly tore the car door handle off because he didn't want to stay, but I'm glad we did. I think if I had not lived there, I would have gone downhill, I really do." School and outside activities helped keep their thoughts off the homes they missed. The ranch had no school facilities so the boys went to Bedford Elementary, then Bell High School in Hurst or Riverside High School in Fort Worth. Along with the academic courses the boys were required to take, many were involved with sports which were a major part of their life. "Before the Hurst Euless Bedford School district built its own facilities in 1956, the district used the ranch for their events." and because of the talented boys at the ranch the City of Bedford did well in all sports. The ranch even had a full time sports counselor. Sports on the ranch consisted of football, Golden Gloves Boxing tournaments, track, tumbling, softball and baseball. The counselors at the ranch emphasized the importance of sportsmanship, fair play, and cooperation. The boys won many trophies, but the most prized trophy was "The Sportsmanship Award". Along with school the boys had normal chores and studying, especially if they wanted to make use of the college scholarships available through he Variety Club. During the week the boys got up at 6:00 a.m. and did their chores. Some made breakfast and others took care of the farm animals and then they went off to school. Of course those "enjoyable" jobs of washing clothes and mowing the lawn were tasks the boys did also. On weekends the boys went to the movies for free at certain theaters, through the Variety Club. They only had to pay for their refreshments from allowances each received. They mostly went to outdoor theaters, being the most popular type in the 1950s. The boys would go in a bus and sit outside and watch the movie. When the boys were not at the movies they were with their friends. They also went skating and hunting on the ranch and some of them worked at local businesses. They did not go on dates much though because not many had cars. At Christmas they had a big tree and presents, which the Variety Club donated. Like a boarding school, at Christmas vacation they wanted to be with friends or family. If they did not visit anywhere they were given $100.00 to use as they wished--Ordering anything out of the catalog (they) chose. ALl birthdays each month were celebrated at one big party. But it was not always fun at the ranch; sometimes the boys did get into trouble and needed to be punished. Many of their problems were solved through self government. The boys elected their own mayor and council and through this organization the boys could work out many of their problems and also have some say in the running of the ranch. Punishment depended on the age of the boy. When they were young they were spanked. As they got older they had privileges taken away from them; no television, no swimming, no shows, and extra duties. Another form of punishment as the shipping line. The boys stood in a line and you ran through as quickly as possible to avoid being hit. But times became hard for the ranch and it became a financial burden to the Variety Club. In August 1956 the ranch was leased to a Catholic Order, the Holy Cross Brothers, who took over the daily running of the ranch, supervising the boys along with counselors from the Variety Club. The head of the Brothers, Hilarion Brezik stated in an interview that the order "hoped to foster a Christian atmosphere that will help to mold their characters favorably...and will start them on the road to being good and honorable citizens." " This spirit was fostered well with many of the boys becoming productive members of their respective communities. A few had trouble with the law but the majority of the boys became model citizens, a tribute to the atmosphere fostered at the Boys' Ranch. One of the boys that lived at Copperas Cove went to college and then the army. He then came with his family to the Boys' Ranch and became a counselor until the ranch closed. He is still involved with youth as a member of the Irving Police Department, helping the community as the Boys' Ranch helped him. Another boy became a lawyer and another a federal marshall and several work at IBM. The Texas Department of Public Welfare commended the Boys Ranch for their work and wanted to adopt their methods for other state agencies. But the Texas Department of Public Welfare could not help the ranch stay open. In 1957 the Variety Club sold the ranch because of limited funding and regulations. Some residents blamed Attorney General Wilson for the ranch closing when he declared the Turtle Derby illegal. Also the state laws became too restricting, on regulation required "nearly one specialist for each boy." The state offered several uses for the ranch when it closed, which the citizens of Bedford were against. Governor Price Daniel wanted to see the school turned into an "honor school" for good conduct inmates of Gatesville State School. Dallas County also suggested they along with Tarrant County run the ranch, purchasing it before the state bought it. One State Senator wanted the Variety Club to lease or deed the ranch to the state, with the stipulation that it only be used as an honor school so that it could not be turned into a reform school. When Mayor R. E. McManus of Bedford was asked about the possible use of the ranch he said, "So far as I know, every citizen in Bedford is against having the center moved to Bedford." Bedford residents would have the last word through, deciding if "the matter will go before the next legislature." Evidently the answer was no because the ranch was closed. In 1957 the Variety Club sold the ranch to the North Texas District of the Assembly of God and the land just west of the lake was sold and became the Shadybrook addition. The part of the ranch still undeveloped was used as a summer camp in 1961 named the Double C, reverting for a time to its original use as a day camp. The camp again promoted the healthy outdoor life and gave city boys a glimpse of country life. Here they could play sports and games, swim, and cook out. But the camp did no last long and was closed and abandoned. In 1969 the land was sold to Claude R. McClennahan, Inc. who planned to build a shopping area similar to the Quadrangle in Dallas. He also wanted some of the land to be left for a recreational area and park, but the area was never developed as planned. Again the ranch lay neglected with vandals destroying the buildings. The city of Bedford then stepped in with it's plan to save the ranch that had served to community in the past. By this time the lake had become polluted and all the buildings were almost destroyed. The once proud ranch lay in ruins. In 1972 Bedford wanted to purchase the land for a community park, a dream it had for several years. To save the ranch the city needed the help of the citizens of Bedford, along with the state and federal governments. The citizens approved a $1,000,000 bond package to begin the effort. The city asked for state aid through the Bureau of Outdoor Recreation, the federal government was approached for matching federal funds. In 1973 the Texas Bureau of Recreation gave Bedford $150,000 grant which helped them purchase the ranch and begin renovations of the grounds including the gymnasium, dining hall and dormitories. The park was opened on July 6, 1974 with a big celebration. During this celebration the ranch again heard the noise of children and adults enjoying the grounds. In February, 1975, the United States Department of Interior gave the City of Bedford $226,250 for future development of the park. Since the park reopened in 1974 the pool has been enlarged, the gymnasium has been extended, tennis courts have been added and lights have been installed for the baseball fields. The lake has been cleaned out and deepened with fish added. The land is now used by many residents for walking, fishing, playing games, swimming, relaxing and again basketball is played in the gym. The Trinity Arts Council uses one of the old boys dormitories. On July 4th, the park is transformed into a carnival type atmosphere with artists, musicians, and dancers. The evening culminates with a hugh fireworks display. The Boys' Ranch today, as in 1939, benefits the citizens of the community. Bedford, in an effort to make the city a better place to live, through the Boys' Ranch has kept alive the dream of one man 50 years ago to help the less fortunate in his community. From the past and the present one can see that the Boys' Ranch will always be a vital part of the community benefiting all it serves.