The Extraordinary Spirit of Green Chimneys

Samuel B. Ross

Description

Green Chimneys is a nationally renowned US nonprofit organization that helps improve the lives of at-risk urban children by incorporating animals and environmental activities into their educational experiences. Founded by Dr. Samuel (Rollo) B. Ross, Jr., “Green Chimneys Farm for Little Folk” opened its doors in 1948 with just eleven students. The property has since expanded to cover nearly seven hundred fifty acres in New York, and the school now serves almost two hundred students. Recognized as a worldwide leader in animal-assisted therapy and activities, Green Chimneys provides innovative and caring services for children and their families, as well as the animals with which they spend time. It targets its services at restoring emotional well-being and fostering independence. For over sixty years, Ross developed and operated this innovative and experimental year-round school, and he still remains integrally involved. This book recounts his experiences, sharing a lifetime of practical learning and insights to benefit and inspire all those who work with troubled children, and who believe in the healing power of the natural world.
Foreword

Preface

Acknowledgments

CHAPTER I: The Beginning

Chapter II: The Fledgling Program

Chapter III: Meeting Children’s Needs Outside the Classroom

Chapter IV: Children and Animals

Chapter V: A Time of Transition

Chapter VI: Diversity and Constant Change

Chapter VII: Fiscal Challenges, Politics, and Policies

Chapter VII: Our Own Children at Green Chimneys

Chapter IX: Beneficial Alliance

Chapter X: Establishing a Social Services Agency

Chapter XI: No Need for Institutions

Chapter XII: On a Scale of One to Five

Chapter XIII: He Who Has the Gold

Chapter XIV: Environmental- and Nature-Based Education

Chapter XV: Traditions as Part of the Fabric

Chapter XVI: This I Will Never Forget

Chapter XVII: International Relations and Rotary

Chapter XVIII: Looking Back, It Took Courage

Chapter XIX: A Personal Note

Appendix

Chronology

Further Reading

Sujets

• Sciences et techniques
• Animals
• Nature

Informations

• Publié par: Purdue University Press
• Date de parution: 15 mars 2011
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9781612491813
• Langue: English

Extrait

The Extraordinary Spirit of Green Chimneys
New Directions in the Human-Animal Bond Alan M. Beck, series editor
The Extraordinary Spirit of Green Chimneys
Connecting Children and Animals to Create Hope
By Samuel B. Ross, Jr., PhD
Purdue University Press West Lafayette, Indiana
Copyright 2011 by Purdue University. All rights reserved.
Printed in the United States of America.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Ross, Samuel B., 1928-
The extraordinary spirit of Green Chimneys : connecting children and animals to create hope / by Samuel B. Ross, Jr.
p. cm. -- (New directions in the human-animal bond)
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 978-1-55753-580-1 1. Children and animals--Juvenile literature. 2. Human-animal relationships--Juvenile literature. I. Title. II. Series.
SF426.5.R668 2011 371.909747 32--dc22
2010045724


Cover design by Mary Jane Gavenda.
Cover Photo: Dr. Ross, Paul Kupchok, and two students participate in a bird release at Green Chimneys. The hawk, which had been injured and rehabilitated, was ready to return to the wild. The bird release has become symbolic of the children s healing through the therapeutic programs at Green Chimneys, acquiring the ability to go home wherever home may be for them. Courtesy of Roy Pataro and Jodi Doff.
Author s Photo: Samuel B. Ross, Jr., PhD. Courtesy of Joanne Coates.
I lovingly dedicate this book to my father, Samuel Bernard Ross, MD. Known as Barney to everyone he knew, he was a strong figure in my life. He loved to joke with my children that intelligence had skipped a generation in our family. If he were alive today, I am sure he would make the same statement and think it just as funny. I tell my grandchildren the same joke.
I only wish he could hold this volume in his hands and read the full story. He would be proud of us all.

I also dedicate this book to my wonderful children and to Myra, my shining star, who has lovingly dedicated her life to me and Green Chimneys.
For Myra and my children there will be no surprises in this book; they lived it.
Green Chimneys . . . is a town for children . . . who may not have experienced town or house or country living. Many of these children may not have had a stable family, school or community in which to thrive. Thus the Town was founded to foster self-sufficiency as well as citizenship and belonging. This includes education, leisure, industry, household chores and commerce. Everything has a place in the town: a purpose and a structure. Pride in ownership, maintenance, fellowship with neighbors and craftsmanship are evident everywhere. The child has a place, a house, a school, a garden, and animals. The town is familiar, reminiscent of small towns of new settlers of the 19th century. These towns were created and recreated on the hard work and spirit of the citizenry. The difference is these new settlers are children.
-Susan Monserud, Architect

While Green Chimneys has an international reputation, almost as well-known is the school s creator, Samuel Ross. This book is not so much a memoir, but a guide for all involved in education, especially those who recognize the value of animals and nature for children. Not only does it document the life of an extraordinary human being, but it is also a guide for child psychologists, teachers, administrators, academic educators, and all those interested in educational policies. Indeed, the extraordinary spirit of Green Chimneys lives on in the pages of this book and in the lives of the children and all who have been at Green Chimneys.
-Alan M. Beck, co-author, Between Pets and People
Contents
Foreword
Preface
Acknowledgments
CHAPTER I
The Beginning
CHAPTER II
The Fledgling Program
CHAPTER III
Meeting Children s Needs Outside the Classroom
CHAPTER IV
Children and Animals
CHAPTER V
A Time of Transition
CHAPTER VI
Diversity and Constant Change
CHAPTER VII
Fiscal Challenges, Politics, and Policies
CHAPTER VIII
Our Own Children at Green Chimneys
CHAPTER IX
Beneficial Alliance
CHAPTER X
Establishing a Social Services Agency
CHAPTER XI
No Need for Institutions
CHAPTER XII
On a Scale of One to Five
CHAPTER XIII
He Who Has the Gold
CHAPTER XIV
Environmental-and Nature-Based Education
CHAPTER XV
Traditions as Part of the Fabric
CHAPTER XVI
This I Will Never Forget
CHAPTER XVII
International Relations and Rotary
CHAPTER XVIII
Looking Back, It Took Courage
CHAPTER XIX
A Personal Note
Appendix
Chronology
Further Reading
Foreword
There are some men who have great dreams, and we admire them and marvel at their persistence and determination to pursue those dreams. There are others, however, who have a dream so profound that we are not content to simply watch. We want to be a part of that dream. We want to help achieve that dream, and live within it. And, in the rarest of cases, some very special people convince us that the dream is more real and vital than anything that we have ever touched and experienced. The story that follows in these pages is about such a dream, told in the words of a master dream weaver.
Green Chimneys is a very real place. It is alive with the sights, sounds, and indeed smells of a place that caters to children and animals. Dr. Sam Ross, a.k.a. Rollo, the founder and force throughout the sixty year history of Green Chimneys, is a very real man. A wander through the bucolic campus in Brewster, New York is restful and life-affirming. If you stay for awhile, listen, and watch carefully, you will see that each and every day at Green Chimneys takes the hard work and dedication of hundreds of staff and countless volunteers and supporters. That is the real magic of Green Chimneys, and the genius of Dr. Ross.
When a young Sam Ross envisioned a boarding school for children on an old dairy farm, it might have seemed a foolish quest. Time and time again, when failure loomed, first Dr. Ross s father, then his grandfather and friends stepped up to keep things going. Early in the evolution of Green Chimneys, Dr. Ross was joined by a most unlikely partner. A young teacher named Myra would become his partner in all things. In years to come they would be joined by many others in this work, including their own children. As much as the iconic green chimneys that tower over the campus, the hallmark of Green Chimneys has been the quality of the people who have joined in this effort. Scouts and school groups completing service projects and world-renowned musicians and actors have all been drawn to Green Chimneys. Dr. Ross and his wife, Myra, are able to make each and every person who comes in contact with Green Chimneys feel valued and their contribution appreciated.
I would be remiss if I failed to acknowledge the animals at Green Chimneys. They have never been just ornaments on the property. They have always been an integral part of the campus fabric. When Green Chimneys was first conceived, the dairy cows on the farm were able to provide nourishment for the children. The animals found there now play a more profound role; they nourish the hearts and minds of the children. I have transported animals to Green Chimneys after they have been rescued from situations of abuse and neglect. I have returned time and again to find these same animals fat and sassy. They have thrived under the care and attention of the children of Green Chimneys.
If Green Chimneys had remained a dairy farm with a boarding school for children then there would have been no real story to tell. It is really the evolution of the Green Chimneys dream that is astounding. Starting first as a school for young children, more grades were added over time as parents wanted their children to stay within the loving arms of Green Chimneys. Eventually it would come to focus on children with special needs. Knowing Sam and Myra Ross, and the history of the organization, I believe that after reading this book, all of us will need to read a volume two, to see where the future takes Green Chimneys.
-Stephen Zawistowski, PhD, CAAB
ASPCA Science Advisor
New York City, September 2010
Preface
For more years than I would like to acknowledge, I have wanted to write a book about my experiences at Green Chimneys. I have had all kinds of advice on how I should complete this task. Each attempt has been more difficult than the previous one. Luckily for me, Myra, my wife of fifty-six years, gave me sage advice. She said I should write the book for myself. It should be what I want to write. No one can do that but me. I have been told that it may only be of interest to those who have been involved in some way with Green Chimneys. There are many people who contact me for advice and help. I know they will be interested.
More than sixty-three years ago I had the original idea to open a school on a farm. It is no secret that I was very young when we started. I was a college student at the time and had never held a year-round job. If my father had said he would not help, there would be no Green Chimneys today. Without his financial support and confidence in me, I could not have gotten started. Without his continued support and the support we received from family and friends of our families, we could not have created the organization.
I had no idea the sacrifices it would entail for me, and later for my wife, and our three children. Our life has revolved around the needs of Green Chimneys. It has been our life s work together. It is still our life s work. And those who know me know that I