While I was going to school for my Masters in Social Work at the University of Utah I worked at the Utah Boys Ranch in Kearns. I was called a counselor, which basically meant I helped the house parents. My second year they opened up a third home and I actually moved up in the world and became like and assistant house parent. They also gave me a room to live in.
I started in cottage 2 with Nancy and Bob Burtron as the house parents. It was fun, but could be hard work. We supervised work hours, drove the van and transported the kids, had a level system we administered. This included scoring their chores and rooms.
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| t-shirt Nancy got me when I coached briefly the boys ranch team |
Some things from school spilled over into work at the boy's ranch. Some with success and some not. I brought someone from Planned Parenthood for sex education. A big flop. However I also brought other speakers and presentations. We tried playing basketball with YMCA but when one of the kids broke into a locker that ended that. They had their own chapel on site. The social worker was into motor bikes. There was a course on site and we had some good times. We even took a trip to the sand dunes. We also went on other local trips, to go swimming, ice skating, and just for a drive. Once I took the kids to Logan to meet my mom. For Christmas we did a fireside and I sang a song with my mom on piano. We went camping and fishing for a few days in the Uintahs.
These pictures are from a group shot, but to preserve confidentiality I am showing myself, with a mustache and Patsy and Charlie, Bob and Nancy's children.
There were lots of facilities as well. Bob liked to lift weights and had lots of equipment. I could never lift as much as Bob, but I got to where I could bench over 200. There was also ping pong, and I perfected my spins and smashes. I could beat all the kids.
I remember
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