In early November the Boards of Directors of our three Dakota Boys and Girls Ranch organizations met on our Fargo Campus. It is always a blessing to have these remarkable people donate their time to govern and inspire us in the pursuit of our mission, “to help at-risk children and their families succeed in the name of Christ.”
I walked with two of the board members through our school hallway on the way to an early meeting, just as school was starting. We greeted and smiled at children and staff alike as we made our way through the hallway of energetic children.
As we walked into the attached Nutrition Center, the two board members were a step ahead of me. When I greeted Kyle,* one of our kids, he said, “Wait a minute, Joy. Who are those guys?”
I called out to Dr. George O’Neill and Rev. Bart Day, asking them to stop so I could introduce them to Kyle. He immediately became incredibly shy. I told him they were board members and he quickly became busy heading to class. I was a little puzzled.
The Monday following the meetings I saw Kyle during lunchtime. I apologized for making him uncomfortable with the introduction. He smiled a little and said it was OK.
Then he continued, “I didn’t need to meet them though. I just didn’t know who they were and I wanted to make sure you were OK.”
Now, let me assure you Dr. O’Neill and Rev. Day do not look menacing. They are very kind men who care a lot about our kids and the work we do.
This quick interaction reminded me once again that the children in our care are always concerned about what/who might cause hurt and harm. In this case, Kyle was looking out for me, too. I again assured him that we are safe here and that those men, my bosses, want nothing more than the best for him and all the children. He smiled and went to class.
Please keep our kids and staff in your prayers.
In His love,
Joy Ryan, President/CEO
Dakota Boys and Girls Ranch
*Name changed to protect confidentiality.
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