Throughout 1977, Gary Priour was working very hard to establish the Hill Country Youth Ranch at Ingram, a home for neglected and abused children. Wanting to make a contribution, Marj Nicholson of Kerrville suggested the formation of an Auxiliary to help support the Ranch. With that goal in mind, Marj asked Gary to a meeting of three women and himself at Riverhills Country Club in September of 1977.

Who could have imagined the impact of that simple meeting? It was the inaugural gathering of the Youth Ranch Auxiliary, today one of Kerr Country’s most successful and long-lasting service organizations. Following the meeting, Marj worked with two of the early Ranch Directors, Madge Childs and Naomi Ingram Huffhines, to write bylaws and select a slate of officers. Marj mailed invitations to a number of ladies in the Hill Country area inviting them to join.

According to the 1977 preamble to its by-laws, the purpose of the Auxiliary is (a) to bring together persons of the Hill Country who are concerned and wish to help neglected and abused children in Texas, and to build and maintain a home for them; (b) to give the people of this area an opportunity to share in the community endeavor of the Hill Country Youth Ranch; and (c) to work, as a self-contained unit, to provide children an extended family by volunteering their time and effort, their individual talents and creative ideas. Membership is open to all persons who wish to have a part in HCYR and the care of its young people."

For thirty-two years, the Auxiliary has served as the staunchest supporter of the Ranch and its children. As the Ranch has grown and changed, the wisdom of those guiding first words remains evident. The Auxiliary is both a group capable of remarkable accomplishments only possible with a strong team, as well as a collection of individuals who, by their willingness to spend time, give children a special individual touch through a cake, a tutoring session, or a personal visit.

Initially, the group engaged in such activities as making curtains for a new cabin, or purchasing board games at Christmas for the children. The first gift from the Auxiliary to the Youth Ranch was a $45 check, to start the "Cottage Furnishing Fund" in 1978.

Over the years, the ways in which the Auxiliary helps has grown to include providing each child with a personalized birthday cake and gift, funding Bibles for each child when they first come to live at the Ranch, operating a highly successful Thrift Store and hosting an Annual Style Show and Silent Auction benefiting a Scholarship Fund for HCYR and BSRC graduates. The Auxiliary also provides a cash gift to each graduating senior, and meets on a monthly basis to consider new ways to provide for the children.

From Christmas stockings to eyeglasses, the Auxiliary is always prepared to meet a need, sometimes to ride in on the proverbial white horse, in a time of difficulty, to fund a project that might otherwise lapse, or to help with an emergency situation for an individual child or graduate. Whatever the project, their work is day after day. From addressing invitations for Ranch events, to doling out peach cobbler at the annual dedication picnic, to sorting through mountains of donated items at the thrift store, there just isn’t anything, it seems, that the Auxiliary volunteers cannot, or will not do when presented with a need.

In 1990, the Auxiliary received President Bush’s "Thousand Points of Light" award, for many tens of thousands of volunteer hours recorded in that year alone. We don’t keep track of every hour in every year, but we know that 200 members at a time are working on multiple committees many hours every week, and that none of them receives a paycheck. As a result, every penny derived from their efforts goes directly to the Ranch, for the children’s care and needs. Just as important, the children have a family network that the Ranch could never afford to hire.

That first generation of Charter members is mostly gone from us, with just a few stalwarts still coming to help. A new generation is taking charge, and more troops are needed to keep the relay team going. If you want to get involved in a group that truly makes a difference, there are plenty of ways to help.

The Thrift Stores are always in need of quality things to sell, as well as volunteers. Stop by the store at 3171 Junction Highway, east of Ingram, and check out the operation. The team sorts through items five days a week, Tue. through Sat., looking for what can be used by the children, and pricing the rest for sale. If you want to give something, just call the Ranch at 367-2131 and arrange a pick up, which we do on a weekly basis. You can also help by shopping. If you are in need of items, or know of someone else who is, please visit the Store.

With 112 children at a time to provide for, the Auxiliary can never have too many helpers, so please consider joining. In addition to the Thrift Store, you can serve on any number of active committees. You can provide a birthday cake to a little boy or girl on their special day, mentor a child at one of the Charter Schools, or just attend monthly meetings, to stay informed about the Ranch and the children’s lives, so you can be a community ambassador for them.

A big way to help is to contribute an item of special value to the Silent Auction. Call Stephanie George, Silent Auction Chair, at 830-634-2429 if you have something to offer. And put Monday, September 24, at 11:30 a.m., Cailloux Center at Schreiner, on your calendar. Attending this one event can add to the Auxiliary’s success, as a crowd breeds excitement at an auction and fashion show.

The requirements for belonging to this unique group are no more than you are comfortable with. Yet the rewards are inexplicably large. Just ask anyone who has been a member. For information on how you can help or join, call Angela Tijerina at (830) 367-2131.

Note: In the next issue of the Corral, we will feature an article about the Big Springs Ranch Auxiliary in Real County, which formed in 1999 after the opening of the first Homestead at the Big Springs Ranch campus. In less than a year, the BSRC Auxiliary grew to a membership of more than 100, quite an accomplishment, considering Leakey’s reported population is only 397 people. This group has achieved the same momentum and "power of team" as the Kerr group, and it has many unique features all its own. Watch for our report.

Left: Ever since she organized the first group of volunteers, Auxiliary Founder, and its first President, Marj Nicholson (left) has "passed the torch" by installing succeeding Presidents at a traditional ceremony in October. In 2007, Judy Wilson (right) took the helm.

Right: One of the first fund raisers was a Hot Dog Stand at the Kerrville Arts and Crafts Fair in 1978. Auxiliary members cooked the food, manned the booth, and used the proceeds to furnish the first children’s cabin.

Visit the Ingram Auxiliary page