The Boerne Star (Boerne, Tex.), Vol. 95, No. 59, Ed. 1 Tuesday, July 25, 2000 Page: 8 of 14
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Page 8
The Boerne Star
Tuesday, July 25, 2000
A land of safe meadows where people can help each other
Standing with the bust of Roy Maas.
The pool at Meadowland.
• By Jennifer Fierro_____________
• Managing Editor
When touring the Meadowland
facility, visitors feel welcome right
away. That’s because those who live
there, who have chores, help cook,
clean and find time to play, are the
first to introduce themselves and
show visitors around the campus.
To outsiders Meadowland may be
a place where children are given a
bed and a meal.
To those associated with Mea-
dowland, the facility is a home, a
safehaven where hugs and smiles
are given, being responsible is a
must, and having privileges are
earned.
Meadowland is the legacy of Roy
Maas, said Julie Strentzsch, director
of special events at the facility.
It was started in 1974 in San
Antonio. Maas had several-props
grams spread all over the city and
would drive to each one daily to
check on the well-being of each ve
u9L8
individual.
After driving so much, Maas saw
how the facility could work better.
So he began looking for land where
he could have all his programs locat-
ed on one campus.
The site he chose was on Old San
Antonio. What made the land attrac-
tive was its trees and lots of shade.
Children take advantage of Meadowland’s cool places all over campus.
intern to remember their names.
Days later, a boy who was dressed
as Dracula went to her, said hello
and reminded her when they met
and in what costume he was in.
Those first few days started a life-
Children could also play lots of long commitment to the children of
games because of the expanse of this facility, but staff members who
land. Maas also liked the communi- work there feel the same way,
ty and the school district. Strentzsch said.
Maas decided on the land where it For many children coming to
still stands today. And many of the Meadowland is a way to start over
people who started with Maas are and have the kind of family life oth-
still a part of Meadowland, because ers may take for granted.
they believe in the principles and the "A lot of these kids never had a
reasons for the facility, Strentzsch picnic, never had an egg hunt,
said. Some, who had spent time at Christmas or Thanksgiving dinner,”
the facility as children, have come Strentzsch said.
back to be staff members. Children are brought in and put in
Others, like Strentzsch, volun- a program or cabin where their
teered or interned at the facility to needs can be met. Six programs are
meet requirements for college grad- jn Boerne with a seventh in San
uation and fell in love with it and the Antonio. Currently about 70 chil-
children. dren call Meadowland home. Each
Strentzsch remembers the first day child is responsible for keeping their
she arrived at Meadowland. On that rooms clean and many have room-
day the children were celebrating mates. In each cabin is a chart that
Halloween, and each one went to documents how each child acts dur-
her car as she was getting out. They ing the day. If a child is disciplined,
introduced themselves in costumes, he/she could lose a privilege.
which made it harder for the new Each of the cabins operates as a
real home with a program director
and an assistant program director.
Not only are the children responsi-
ble for keeping their rooms clean,
they must also help with daily
chores like fixing the meals, setting
the table and washing and cleaning
the living areas.
When some are old enough to
work, they find employment in
Boerne. This helps them get more
added responsibility, Strentzsch
said.
Recreational activities are played
on campus as well. A gymnasium
that is regulation size and has six
hoops allows children to play bas-
ketball. A weightroom is in the same
building. Two fields allow players to
compete in soccer and baseball. A
pool next to the tennis courts en-
courages students to swim and work
on their serve.
Not all activities occur on campus.
Staff members try to take children to
the movies, which is usually the dol-
lar theater.
But what the students cannot mea-
sure, nor the staff members for that
matter, are the influences each is
exposed to on a daily basis.
Strentzsch said she received a call
from one of her former Boyscouts
who lived at Meadowland.
He thanked her for teaching him
the principles of scouts, which he
has applied to different parts of his
life.
“Every day is different,”
Strentzsch said. “Every day is some-
thing to look forward to.”
Strentzsch said the community has
always been very supportive of
Meadowland and its work. That
partnership continues to be very
strong, she said.
Though children have come and
gone, the principles of what Maas
began in 1974 still remains true and
intact, Strentzsch said.
And because staff members are
willing to give of themselves to help
children become productive adults,
Meadowland’s worth will never be
able to be measured by the casual
visitor.
“(Children) have that experience
that teaches them for the rest of their
lives,” Strentzsch said. “We are just
as strong as we were when Roy was
here. That says a lot about the peo-
ple.”
Volunteers are needed at the Cibolo Nature Center
The Cibolo Nature Center was
built by volunteers, who saw the
goodness of a community taking
pride in the quality of their environ-
ment. They shared the vision of a
park dedicated to promoting conser-
vation through education and made
it happen. That was 12 years ago.
and today the Cibolo Nature Center
is a model for communities across
the country that want to protect and
preserve their natural heritage.
Volunteers remain the heart and
soul of Boerne's nature center. They
help in every aspect of our daily
operations, education and special
programs. This summer our Cibolo
Music and Storytelling Series was
created and run by Kerry Phillip, an
energetic volunteer who wanted to
bring music and storytelling fun to
the park.
She envisioned welcoming a new
and varied group of visitors and
introducing them to this little wild
place, which is a natural setting for
learning to love nature. And she
made it happen!
Every Tuesday nearly all year
round, Susan Rapier is in the nature
center helping with whatever needs
to be done. She registers children for
summer camp, copies materials for
land management programs, an-
swers the phone and welcomes visi-
tors. In June she operated a weather
station at the CNC Wildlife Field
Research Workshop for secondary
teachers. Every 30 minutes from 7
a.m. until 1 p.m., she collected air
AT THE TRAIL
News from the
Cibolo Nature Center
Jan Wrede
rials for the program of the day and
temperature, humidity, wind speed encouraging other volunteers as they
and direction information, so teach- prepare for their activities. Any time
ers could add it to their vegetation we are unable to recruit four trail
and wildlife census data. guides for a school group, Olive is
Any morning between 8 and 9, you ready to fill in and do whatever is
can meet Jennings Carlisle around needed.
the nature center or in the Tree of Would you like to give a little of
Life Arboretum. He fills the bird and your time and talents to the work of
squirrel feeders daily. He adds water the Cibolo Nature Center? Do you
to the ponds and waters the thirstiest have a day or two a month that you
trees weekly during these hot, dry could spare? Will you come out and
months. Jennings also can be count- have fun with us and help your
ed on to do special building projects nature center grow and prosper?
like preparing a stand for the sink or We need volunteers on weekends
adding shelves in the office. to keep the Nature Center open to
Every fall and spring for two years, visitors from around the world: meet
Olive Guild has purchased and orga- and greet, help them find the
nized equipment and supplies for the dinosaur tracks, or locate the trail to
CNC Outdoor Classroom programs, the marsh or creek or woodland.
She is here early, setting out mate- They also answer a few questions
about the center but not too many. HAPPENINGS wildlife management process, 2.
You don’t have to be an expert. In a how to do » property inventory, 3.
simple two-hour training session, CNC MUSIC SERIES-Cibolo discussion of the seven wildlife
you can learn everything necessary Stories and Songs. Bring your own management practices approved or
to do this pleasant job. Call Shawn lawn chairs or blanket. Bear Moon wildlife management tax valuation,
Bonner for more information at 249- Bakery will be there to sell a tasty and 4. an overview of the applica-
4616. picnic supper or bring your own tion procedure. .
The Nature Center is also recruit- food and drinks for the whole fami- This program is especially for
ing trail guide volunteers for the sec- ly. Members: $3/person and $7/fam- owners of less than 500 acres and
ond week in September, when we ily. Non-members: $5/person and. will emphasize wildlife manage-
begin our fall 2000 Outdoor Class- $10/family. Tim Tingle. 7 p.m. Sat- ment for Hill Countiy song birds,
room program. Training is three urday, Aug. 12. On this special Cost: $75/member gand S90nona
days from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. and lets night, Tim Tingle will be in Boerne membet. Couples $95/member and
you learn by doing. Trail guides to entertain and enchant us with his SllO/non ment er.
come here to share children’s dis- wealth of Choctaw stories and Limited to 20. Call Shawn at 249-
coveries in nature. Native American wisdom. Don’t 4616 for leservations. c
You might stand with a small miss this captivating story teller and Outdoor § assroom. T Tuesday
group in awe of the red-shouldered talented musician. Training 9aa Thoreum Sept 12
hawk’s graceful flight overhead or This is an evening of entertainment Wednesday and Thurs a SiRE tor:
help a child find the perfect leaf for for families and children of all ages. 13 and 14; B . olo Nature
a crayon rubbing. CNC LAND STEWARDSHIP Center trail guide in three short days
Time with children in the Outdoor SERIES: Wildlife Management of fun-filled, action-packed, on t
Classroom will give you the satis- Tax Valuation (Wildlife Exempt- job training.
faction of helping many eager learn- ion) Seminar. 9 a.m.-12:30 p.m. . Learn to lead elementary students
ers understand the basic laws of Saturday, Aug. 12, 19 and 26. Are in engaging a ties tha teach chil
nature and become at home in the you interested in managing for dren to love nature wonderful wavs
natural world. wildlife'? Do you have an agriculture some of the many wonderful ways
To sign on for this fall, call Jan tax valuation on your land?Come to of the natura wor -
Wrede at 816-1757. No experience a comprehensive three-part seminar Sign up
necessary. that includes: I. explanation of the
HAPPENINGS
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Keasling, Edna & Fierro, Jennifer. The Boerne Star (Boerne, Tex.), Vol. 95, No. 59, Ed. 1 Tuesday, July 25, 2000, newspaper, July 25, 2000; Boerne, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth1626585/m1/8/: accessed July 16, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Patrick Heath Public Library.