Mission Statement

Provide a family environment with meaningful life experiences for the youth whose care has been entrusted to the Oklahoma Lions.

Our Purpose
The Oklahoma Lions Boys Ranch exists to serve a portion of our states juvenile population, boys age 12 to 17, that have suffered from abuse and/or neglect. How big a problem is that in Oklahoma? Recent annual statistics for Oklahoma reveal:

    • 12,347 confirmed reports of child abuse/neglect
    • Confirmed abuse cases have risen 14% in last decade
    • 51 children died from abuse/neglect
    • There are over 11,975 children in the custody of DHS

Clearly there is a need for the kind of nurturing, supportive care an abuse or neglect victim can receive in a loving home environment. By adhering to the basic philosophy that all people have value and can change their lives by building on their positive attributes and addressing their negative behavior, the Oklahoma Lions Boys Ranch makes a difference.

To better understand the background of the boys, there is the story of “John.” John was initially removed from his mother when he was an infant due to his being born with drugs in his system from his mother’s drug use. He was briefly in foster care before he was returned to his mother. John grew up being physically and even sexually abused by his mother’s various boyfriends. John’s younger siblings were also abused before the state removed them from their mother when John was eleven. John didn’t adjust well to the initial foster care placement with his siblings and was asked to leave the home by the foster parents while his siblings stayed behind. Several other subsequent foster placements failed too. Only twelve with nowhere to go, John came to us. John, after some struggles, adjusted to the Ranch realizing he had finally found a home.

Most of the boys feel that way. The Ranch is home—finally a permanent place to be. For many of the boys, the average number of placements prior to the Ranch is ten. Moving ten times with ten sets of foster parents and in some cases ten schools; is it any wonder these boys are struggling when they finally arrive? The Ranch provides loving foster parents, a small school system where everyone knows their name, regular counseling and most important—stability.

Our History
The idea behind the Oklahoma Lions Boys Ranch began in 1931 when a young boy shot and killed a policeman in Cushing. The policeman’s family started working with scouts and other programs for the less fortunate youths of the area and this work continued until 1947, when the need for a residential home became apparent.

In May of 1952, the IOA Youth Ranch opened its doors and took in the first of many young boys. In 1969 the Oklahoma Lions took over the operation as one of its two major statewide projects creating the Oklahoma Lions Boys Ranch. The ranch has assisted over 800 boys using the program theme that each individual has an opportunity for achievement.

Today the ranch is home to twelve boys who are victims of severely broken homes that typically involve emotional and/or physical abuse, neglect, abandonment, or some combination of these problems. In many cases the parental rights of these boys have been severed or terminated by the courts. This court action basically makes the boys homeless. The Oklahoma Lions Boys Ranch takes steps to fill this void in caring for and raising these boys.

Since the inception of the Boys Ranch, boys have been received from all seventy-seven counties in the state. A boy coming to the Ranch is placed in one of the homes in a family unit. Each “home” is supervised by a set of house parents who actually live in the unit and work with the boys as surrogate parents. While living at the Ranch, he will share a room with another boy, perform chores, and be encouraged to get involved with the 4-H, FFA, Boy Scouts, or any other area that my interest him. The ranch parents and therapeutic staff work with each boy on a daily basis to help him improve his emotional, vocational, physical and spiritual development.

All the boys attend Perkins-Tryon public schools and are integrated into the schools’ programs. Most boys show an improvement in learning skills and school performance. The boys become active in the school extra-curricular activities and local church activities of their choice. The average stay at the Ranch is about 3 years. While some boys return home or to a foster home, others stay and live at the ranch until they reach the age of 18, when the ranch helps them make the transition to successful adulthood.

The ministry of the Oklahoma Lions Boys Ranch is best illustrated with the story of a recent resident of the Ranch. This young man was brought to the ranch at the age of 12. He was defiant and determined to run away. Because of the love and care he received from the ranch parents his attitude changed over the months and his self esteem developed. After approximately 18 months, the Department of Human Services located a foster home for the young man. When told of his impending transfer his response was, “this is my home, I don’t want to go”. He stayed until he graduated from High School and was accepted at a nearby state university. The primary reason he chose this particular university was because he wanted to stay close to “home”. This young mans life was forever changed by the Oklahoma Lions Boys Ranch.