“No One Does it Alone” – Part II

It bothers me somewhat to see leaders, receiving honors and given credit for their success. Whether they be CEO of a corporation, a successful start-up company or the head coach of a winning football team. Folks, they didn’t do it alone! Rare is the one who truly did it alone. To not acknowledge and give credit to those who contribute to their success is to my way of thinking, nothing more than theft. I realize there are different degrees of help that have contributed to one’s success, but the individual being honored, he knows. I have lived with a philosophy that says you can be as successful as you want to if you don’t care who gets the credit.

After forty-one years of long hours and hard work, I can truly say I could never have brought SELAH to where it is today by myself. Although I may have been the “architect,” Leroy Petri was the engineer. He joined me thirty-nine years ago. He is a Jack of All Trades and master of them all.

Leroy Petri holding court at a Water Workshop.
Photograph taken by Lois Sturm.

His marks are everywhere on the ranch. They include Madrone Lake and twenty other ponds and tanks, top quality roads, fences and steel buildings. Also grass covered prairies where cedar once dominated and wonderful spring water piped into all the houses. I could go on and on about Leroy. He has educated and trained many summer interns as well as adults that have attended our workshops. He has gone with us when we were asked to give advice on someone’s new land purchase . . . No, I didn’t do it alone ~ no one does.

Board members gather before a meeting. Seated clockwise from the lower left are: Mary Wallace, Dallas, TX; Ann Cook, Blanco, TX; Helen Ballew, San Antonio, TX; Chap Hutcheson, Houston, TX; Judy Confer, Baltimore, MD; Anne Donovan and M.S. of Austin, TX. Photograph taken by J. David.

At certain times in our lives things happen ~ circumstances change, it’s unplanned, but the opportunity arises for each of us to rearrange our lives ~ not necessarily to get rid of the old, but to adapt new thinking – this happened to me over thirty years ago and it has lead to the creation of SELAH as a permanent foundation, preserved for Mother Nature in perpetuity. With a volunteer Board of Directors we are together building an institution . . . No, I cannot do it alone and I do need your help.

There are so many, many good causes that need financial help. Preserving the earth itself is important. So, if you would like to help us with a donation, we are a 501(c)(3) private operating foundation and gifts are deductible to the extent of the law. You can send your contributions to: Bamberger Ranch Preserve, 2341 Blue Ridge Drive, Johnson City, TX 78636.

Everyone that knows me asks, “When did you learn how to blog?” . . . They all know that I’m not a techy type of guy, that I have trouble with a push button phone! So posting this blog is something I damn sure couldn’t do alone, even if given a month! Thanks to Chris Johnson who does it for me. Chris performed this service for my wife, Margaret, and after she died I was encouraged to keep the blog going. No definitely I couldn’t do it alone . . . A neat thing Chris does in his own world is maintain a screech owl nest box on line ~ So check onto http://gargravarr.cc.utexas.edu/owl/ and see what goes on in the owl world!