Leadership

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Silas B. “Si” Ragsdale Jr. began his camping career as a boy of 10 in the Texas Hill Country, and since that time, summer camping has been his greatest love.

Si attended Stewart as a boy and achieved a life-long dream when he and Kathy began buying Stewart in August, 1966. His experience in the camping field has been widely diversified from that of camper to owner/director of Camp Stewart and principal owner of Heart O’the Hills Camp for Girls.

He is president of the National Camping Advisory Council and served on the first Governor’s Advisory Council of Youth Camp Safety for the State of Texas. Si is past president of Camp Association for Mutual Progress(C.A.M.P.)

He is a graduate of the first camp director’s seminar at George Williams College in Williams Bay, Wisconsin. He served as a member-at-large of the ACA’s first National Camping Council for Private-Independent Camps. Si is also a member of Christian Camping International.

A graduate of the University of Texas at Austin (and life member of the Texas Exes), Castle Heights Military Academy, and a former infantry officer, (Bronze Star and five battle stars ) he has served on the board and as Chairman of the Board of Trustees for Mo-Ranch; on the Texas Presbyterian Foundation Board, and as coordinator of Mo-Ranch’s Advisory Board. He is currently serving on the Senior Board at Mo-Ranch.

Si is a past board member of the Texas Association of Businesses; a former western division vice-president of Delta Tau Delta Fraternity, and was named to DTD Distinguished Service Chapter. He is a past board member of the Texas chapter of the United States Modern Pentathlon and the Foundation Board of Texas Woman’s University. He served on the Texas Leadership Institute Board. He is an elder of the First Presbyterian Church, Kerrville, where he and Kathy are members.

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Kathy Coffey Ragsdale , Co-director, is ‘camp mother’. After loving the campers, her main areas of concentration are in the food service, beautification, publications and business area of both Stewart and Heart O’the Hills.

A graduate of Texas Woman’s University with a BS and BA in journalism and English, she was editor of the Daily Lass-O, Redbud Queen, Who’s Who in American Colleges and Universities and active in student government.

Following graduation, she worked for TWU in the Dean of Admission’s Office. She is a past national president of the TWU Alumnae Association as well as a life member. She and Si were the first chairpersons of the TWU Parent’s Association. In 1992 she was named a Distinguished Alumnae of Texas Woman’s University.

She is editor of the Camp Association for Mutual Progress (C.A.M.P.) newspaper and past member of the board of the Association of Independent Camps and the National Council of Programs for ACA. Kathy is past president of the Texas Hunter and Jumper Association.

Si and Kathy sent children to camp before buying Stewart and feel that having been ‘on both sides of the fence’ makes them more sensitive to parental needs and concerns.

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Silas B. “Jeepers” Ragsdale III is Co-Director of Camp Stewart. He also is a part owner of both Camp Stewart and Heart O’the Hills Camp for Girls.

Jeepers was born at Camp Stewart and has grown up in the camp environment. He, his wife Meredith, son Silas IV, and daughter Catherine, live on the camp property near the entrance. A graduate of San Antonio Academy and Tom Moore High School, he attended Schreiner College and studied in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico. He has completed the ACA Basic Camp Director's Course and continues to hone his camping skills through experience and seminars.

Jeeper’s special emphasis is on general operations and equestrian activities, as well as overall programming. He takes a special interest in working with campers who have adjustment problems.

A widely recognized rider ( he was the first person to win double gold medals in the United States Olympic Festival, as well as being a consistent winner in Texas and AHSA Zone 7 Amateur Jumper Divisions ), Jeeper qualified as a Camp Horsemanship Association Master Instructor, is a nationally rated Polocrosse player and enjoys foxhunting in the off-season.

Jeeper was a 9-year Stewart honor camper, completed the Leadership Development Program, was a counselor and headed the horseback staff before assuming his current position. He has worked in every phase of the camp including the kitchen and maintenance.

He is a member of the First Presbyterian Church in Kerrville, C.A.M.P, Association of Independent Camps, Christian Camping International, ACA and Tejas Vaqueros. He serves on the national board of the American Polocrosse Association as a member at large, on the boards of the Hill Country Youth Ranch, Texas T-Bones and the Big Springs Ranch Advisory Board. He formerly served as an equestrian advisor to the head of USMP.

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George Morgan is Associate Camp Director and Director of Programs for the Triple S Organization (see special sessions). Member of the Stewart staff since 1984, his first sumer as a counselor. He has been full-time since 1997. George has filled almost every role at camp. His specialty is the campers: their well-being and happiness is his #1 job. He is a native of Italy, Texas. George is past board member of the Texoma ACA section, representing independent camps. He is a graduate of the ACA Basic Camp Directors course. He lives on camp throughout the year.

Thomas B. Cochran Jr., Director of Programs, returned to Stewart in 2008. Thomas is popular with former Stewart campers, as he headed the Leadership Development Program for seven years after being a camper and counselor. Thomas keeps in touch with many former campers and staff of all ages. Thomas is from Fort Worth, where he is a member of the Steeplechase Club. He worked with the Larry Joe Taylor Band and for the Kimpton Hotels just before joining the Stewart staff full-time. He lives on the camp proper with his chocolate labradore, Stewart.

Jeff Balderson is the Director of Senior Camp. A teacher in Garland, Jeff was Director of Nashoba North (Maine) three years, and on the staff twenty six terms. He is married and has two daughters, Bailey and Riley. He is a GTS pin winner. Jeff has been a counselor, Division Leader, Program Director and Uncle Bill’s Camp Director in his tenure here at Stewart.  Currently he is a 5th grade math teacher in Garland, Texas.  Originally from PA., he first fell in love with both camping and Texas when he came to Stewart to be a counselor while in college.  He holds a journalism degree from West Virginia University and Masters in Education from The University of Texas at Austin. 

Gordy Wilson is Director of Junior Camp.

 

Staff

Camp Stewart has an over-all staff ratio of 3:1. Staff members must have completed at least one year of college and the extensive staff orientation. Exceptions are made for long-time campers who have finished a two-year Leadership Development Program and become counselor-aides or have unusual qualifications. Stewart hires staff from around the world in an effort to provide campers the opportunity to know persons from other countries, as well as to provide outstanding skill instruction.

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Staff members are selected for their character and suitability to serve as role models for the boys. They must display a sense of responsible understanding and be willing to give of themselves to others. The ability to be fair minded, impartial in decisions and having enough energy to be enthusiastic is also important.

Stewart campers come from all over the world. Many are sons, grandsons, and great-grandsons of former campers. All are being given a special and unique opportunity to experience the 'added boost' to their development and future that well-organized camping provides.

Camp Stewart offers traditional camping activities with knowledgeable and certified instructors. The 'added values' --the intangibles-- are what make Stewart the choice of discriminating parents and campers.

Camp is not a ‘spectator sport’. Campers develop increased self-esteem, independence, leadership skills, friendship skills, social comfort, better peer relationships, greater sense of adventure and willingness to explore, awareness of the environment, stronger value and better decision-making skills and increased spirituality, according to research done through a grant by the Lilly Endowment.

Stewart offers excellent instruction in a spirit of fun as it helps boys develop into outstanding young men.

Stewart strives to hire counselors who are fun, knowledgeable, safe and good role models. Stewart has a staff:camper ratio of less than four campers to each staff member. Counselors participate in a two week extensive staff training and orientation, combined with certification clinics. Orientation covers safety procedures, teaching and communication skills, Stewart’s philosophy and team building. A large number of the staff return each year, providing continuity for both campers and programs.

Many staffers are former campers. The camp leadership and owners engage in professional growth and development each year. Stewart is family-owned and operated, insuring the continuing tradition of Ragsdale involvement in every phase of camp .