Mo Ranch
Encyclopedia
Mo Ranch is a Presbyterian conference center for summer camps, retreats, family reunions, etc., located in the heart of the Hill Country of Texas
, at the North Fork of the Guadalupe River
.
bought 6500 acres (26.3 km²) of the ranch from the Presbyterians, and later expanded that portion with additional purchase of adjacent land. That land is now the Kerr County Wildlife Management Area, administered by the Texas Parks & Wildlife. Now the entire Mo-Ranch covers 500 acres (2 km²).
led by the Keynote Speaker and in the daily worship led by the Worship Leader. These two activities are accompanied by music led by the Music Leader.
The individuals who assume these roles are determined by a planning team for the conference. The planning team also decides on the theme for the week and the T-shirt
design for the conference.
There are two sessions, each a week long, for Junior High Jubilee. Traditionally, they are separated by a week in mid-summer.
Small Groups hold the same purposes but tend to be more in depth with topic discussion. The three leadership roles of Keynote Speaker, Worship
Leader, and Music Leader still play their respective parts, but they are accompanied by the Drama
Leader and the Drama Team. The Drama Team is a group of youth who are participating in the conference as well as performing various skits and representations of keynote
and worship topics.
A planning team of youth and adults determines the leadership positions (similar to the Jr. High conference), the theme for the conference session, and the T-shirt design.
There are two sessions, each a week long, for Youth Celebration. Traditionally, they are separated by a week in early summer, but as of late, one session will be in early summer and the other in late summer.
at night, and have more free time during the day.
starting the Wednesday before and ending the following Sunday. There are many activities for those attending to stay occupied. Planned activities include Bird watching, board games, campfire/storytelling, canoeing
, choir
, crafts, hiking
, horseshoes
, nature classes, movie night, ping pong, tennis
, white elephant bingo, worship service, and decorating the Mo-Ranch Christmas Tree
. Thanksgiving lunch will be provided to those sporting wristbands (from purchasing all the meals offered Thanksgiving week) or buying tickets at the door. For those that are brave enough to use the slide may. Every year there is at least one family that goes down the slide after their annual Kids versus Adult football
game, the Neill family. This family has been coming to Mo Ranch for Thanksgiving for over 30 years. People must register to reserve space for those staying over night. Group housing is available, but the Manor House as always will be taken by the Neill's.
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
, at the North Fork of the Guadalupe River
Guadalupe River (Texas)
The Guadalupe River runs from Kerr County, Texas to San Antonio Bay on the Gulf of Mexico. The river is a popular destination for rafters and canoers. Larger cities along the river include New Braunfels, Kerrville, Seguin, Gonzales, Cuero, and Victoria...
.
History
The Ranch is named for Joe J. Moran, who was chairman of Continental Oil Company (later to become Conoco, Inc.). He owned the 6800 acres (27.5 km²) ranch from 1935 until his death in 1948; Presbyterians purchased the ranch in 1949, the year after his death, for $512,000. Eventually the State of TexasTexas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
bought 6500 acres (26.3 km²) of the ranch from the Presbyterians, and later expanded that portion with additional purchase of adjacent land. That land is now the Kerr County Wildlife Management Area, administered by the Texas Parks & Wildlife. Now the entire Mo-Ranch covers 500 acres (2 km²).
Junior High Jubilee
Junior High Jubilee is a conference open to junior high school students who have completed the 6th, 7th, and/or 8th grade. This is one of the two large youth conferences offered at Mo Ranch. Youth campers arrive at the beginning of the week and are assigned a number for a Small Group (SG). In these groups the Small Group Leader (SGL), the youth, and the youth sponsors discuss topics presented in the daily keynoteKeynote
A keynote in literature, music, or public speaking establishes the principal underlying theme. In corporate or commercial settings, greater importance is attached to the delivery of a keynote speech or keynote address...
led by the Keynote Speaker and in the daily worship led by the Worship Leader. These two activities are accompanied by music led by the Music Leader.
The individuals who assume these roles are determined by a planning team for the conference. The planning team also decides on the theme for the week and the T-shirt
T-shirt
A T-shirt is a style of shirt. A T-shirt is buttonless and collarless, with short sleeves and frequently a round neck line....
design for the conference.
There are two sessions, each a week long, for Junior High Jubilee. Traditionally, they are separated by a week in mid-summer.
Youth Celebration
Youth Celebration is a conference open to senior high school students who have completed the 9th, 10th, 11th, and/or 12th grade. This is the other large youth conference offered at Mo Ranch. This conference holds many similarities to the Junior High Jubilee conference, but has a few distinct differences.Small Groups hold the same purposes but tend to be more in depth with topic discussion. The three leadership roles of Keynote Speaker, Worship
Worship
Worship is an act of religious devotion usually directed towards a deity. The word is derived from the Old English worthscipe, meaning worthiness or worth-ship — to give, at its simplest, worth to something, for example, Christian worship.Evelyn Underhill defines worship thus: "The absolute...
Leader, and Music Leader still play their respective parts, but they are accompanied by the Drama
Drama
Drama is the specific mode of fiction represented in performance. The term comes from a Greek word meaning "action" , which is derived from "to do","to act" . The enactment of drama in theatre, performed by actors on a stage before an audience, presupposes collaborative modes of production and a...
Leader and the Drama Team. The Drama Team is a group of youth who are participating in the conference as well as performing various skits and representations of keynote
Keynote
A keynote in literature, music, or public speaking establishes the principal underlying theme. In corporate or commercial settings, greater importance is attached to the delivery of a keynote speech or keynote address...
and worship topics.
A planning team of youth and adults determines the leadership positions (similar to the Jr. High conference), the theme for the conference session, and the T-shirt design.
There are two sessions, each a week long, for Youth Celebration. Traditionally, they are separated by a week in early summer, but as of late, one session will be in early summer and the other in late summer.
College Connection
College Connection is a conference for college students. The dates for this conference are typically the week after many colleges undergo finals. Similar to some of the youth conferences (see above), College Connection offers a Keynote Speaker, a Worship Leader, and a Music Leader. Also similar to the youth conferences, students are divided into small groups called discussion groups. In contrast to the youth conferences, the students attending College Connection do not have a sponsor to look after them, do not have a curfewCurfew
A curfew is an order specifying a time after which certain regulations apply. Examples:# An order by a government for certain persons to return home daily before a certain time...
at night, and have more free time during the day.
Thanksgiving
Every year Mo Ranch celebrates ThanksgivingThanksgiving
Thanksgiving Day is a holiday celebrated primarily in the United States and Canada. Thanksgiving is celebrated each year on the second Monday of October in Canada and on the fourth Thursday of November in the United States. In Canada, Thanksgiving falls on the same day as Columbus Day in the...
starting the Wednesday before and ending the following Sunday. There are many activities for those attending to stay occupied. Planned activities include Bird watching, board games, campfire/storytelling, canoeing
Canoeing
Canoeing is an outdoor activity that involves a special kind of canoe.Open canoes may be 'poled' , sailed, 'lined and tracked' or even 'gunnel-bobbed'....
, choir
Choir
A choir, chorale or chorus is a musical ensemble of singers. Choral music, in turn, is the music written specifically for such an ensemble to perform.A body of singers who perform together as a group is called a choir or chorus...
, crafts, hiking
Hiking
Hiking is an outdoor activity which consists of walking in natural environments, often in mountainous or other scenic terrain. People often hike on hiking trails. It is such a popular activity that there are numerous hiking organizations worldwide. The health benefits of different types of hiking...
, horseshoes
Horseshoes
Horseshoes is an outdoor game played between two people using four horseshoes and two throwing targets set in a sandbox area. The game is played by the players alternating turns tossing horseshoes at stakes in the ground, which are traditionally placed 40 feet apart...
, nature classes, movie night, ping pong, tennis
Tennis
Tennis is a sport usually played between two players or between two teams of two players each . Each player uses a racket that is strung to strike a hollow rubber ball covered with felt over a net into the opponent's court. Tennis is an Olympic sport and is played at all levels of society at all...
, white elephant bingo, worship service, and decorating the Mo-Ranch Christmas Tree
Christmas tree
The Christmas tree is a decorated evergreen coniferous tree, real or artificial, and a tradition associated with the celebration of Christmas. The tradition of decorating an evergreen tree at Christmas started in Livonia and Germany in the 16th century...
. Thanksgiving lunch will be provided to those sporting wristbands (from purchasing all the meals offered Thanksgiving week) or buying tickets at the door. For those that are brave enough to use the slide may. Every year there is at least one family that goes down the slide after their annual Kids versus Adult football
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
game, the Neill family. This family has been coming to Mo Ranch for Thanksgiving for over 30 years. People must register to reserve space for those staying over night. Group housing is available, but the Manor House as always will be taken by the Neill's.