Sunshine

“My father recognized a need and he wanted to help these
youth have an extra learning experience,” said Tommy Head,
Thurman’s son. “He thought having older men as guides could
provide father figures for these youth.”
Many of the Tri-County Men and several volunteers
throughout the state who hunt annually in the area act as hunting
guides and mentors and continue to participate each year.
All of the youth are provided with gear, guns and ammunition.
They must obtain a hunting license and complete a hunting
safety course prior to the hunt.
Lloyd, a resident of the Boys Ranch, has participated in
these hunts for the past two years. He said he shot three deer on
his first trip out, stating it was “the best day I ever had.”
“This opportunity means having a chance to do something
that I would not be able to do at home regularly, and the chance
to spend time building relationships with staff and my peers,”
Lloyd said. “The men who take us on the hunt are always very
nice and supportive. They are always happy to take us and we
have a great time.”
The hunt has now grown to include youth from both the
Waco and Boys Ranch campuses. They are taught to respect
the land and only hunt for the purpose of providing food. In the
early years of the hunts, the youth brought back the meat to the
campus for processing. However, now the deer meat is donated
to a Goldthwaite food pantry and used to feed the homeless.
Brown said the meat provided to the food pantry the previous
year fed the homeless for an entire year.
“This is part of a Christian mission to help those who are
less fortunate and teach our youth to be generous by giving back
to the Goldthwaite community,” Brown said.
After the hunt, the group comes together for dinner organized
by Thurman Head’s daughter, Kathi Campbell, and provided
by Star United Methodist Church to enjoy good food and
tell stories about their day. Tommy remembered a story from
his experience as a guide about a youth who shot his first deer.
“I offered to help him carry the deer back to the truck. But
The Tri-County Methodist Men provided livestock pens and other
donations to support the early development of the Boys Ranch.
he was so proud he put it on his back and carried it all the way
back by himself,” he said.
Thurman Head passed away a few weeks before the last
hunt in December 2012. Tommy and his sister Kathi plan to
keep their father’s legacy and tradition alive. Tommy said he
believes these hunts are an opportunity for the youth to have a
good experience with adults.
Brown, whose own sons have attended the hunts for several
years, said this is a valuable tradition for MCH. He said it is an
opportunity for the youth to experience a simpler way of life and
build relationships with the ranchers and guides.
“The men love our youth and make them feel important,”
he said. “They remember them year to year. That’s a powerful
thing for our youth – to be able to hang out with people who remember
them and are teaching them positive things. It shows
them they are important.”
“My father recognized a need and he wanted to
help these youth have an extra learning experience.
He thought having older men as guides could
provide father figures for these youth.”
— Tommy Head on the reason his father, Thurman (right), started a deer hunt for MCH youth
Sunshine I Winter 2013
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