The Olympia Washington Kiwanis members and their friends have cost the Washington State taxpayers over $50 million dollars (so far), because of their willful ignorance of long term, merciless and well known, child abuse that occurred at the Olympia Kiwanis Boys Ranch.

October 2006 note: This Olympia Kiwanis stuff is old news. I've left this information on the web, because I like the thought that someone will say to one of these Kiwanis friends or members: "Grandma, (Grandpa), are you still friends with those Olympia Kiwanians?"

Back to the2001 or 1999 or 1997 or 1995 Washington State Employees Salaries List
Back to the beginning OKBR Home Page(http://lbloom.net/indexok.html)

More Board Ranch Minutes

O.K. BOYS' RANCH, INC.
Meeting of the Board of Directors
11:00 a.m October 14, 1980, O.K. Boys' Ranch, 2010 N. Puget St., Olympia
    BOARD MEMBERS PRESENT     Law, Yarbrough, Robinson, Olson
    BOARD MEMBERS ABSENT     Neuffer, Forrester, Wolf, Hanes, Hanson, Earl, Gustafson, This
    OTHERS PRESENT
    Tom VanWoerden, Director - O.K. Boys' Ranch
  Lori Mahar, Social Work Caseworker - O.K. Boys' Ranch
  Gene Chontos, Social Work Consultant - O.K. Boys' Ranch
John Hoglund, Past Chairman, Board of Directors
    President Law opened the meeting at 11:00 a.m. The meeting was called for the sole purpose of considering appropriate action to be taken in regard to charges of inappropriate or illegal actions of persons previously licensed as foster parents by O.K. Boys' Ranch, Inc.
    Director VanWoerden, Caseworker Mahar, and Consultant Chontos outlined, in detail, their investigations regarding the actions of the accused individuals and the possible effects of the actions on the welfare of several of our boys in residence at the group home.
    Upon consideration of the evidence, all board members present agreed that the alleged actions were  intolerable and that all appropriate social and legal agencies should be immediately notified of the allegations in order that they might undertake whatever actions or investigations they deem necessary.
    The following persons were assigned the responsibility to notify the agencies or parties listed herein:
    Director VanWoerden and Caseworker Mahar;
  A. Each child's caseworker and/or probation officer.
  B. Each child's natural parent or parents.
C. Child protective services.
D. Department of social and health services.

    Past Director Hoglund and Director Law;
  A. Thurston County Prosecuting Attorney.
  B. Superior Court Judge Hewitt Henry.
  C. Juvenile Court Judge Schultz.

    Directors Yarbrough and Robinson;
  A. The Daily Olympia, Publisher and Editor.

    All present agreed that the notifications should be completed on the date of this meeting and the meeting was adjourned at 12:30 p.m. in order that immediate action could be undertaken by those persons so assigned.
    Submitted by (Robert T. Olson signature)
    Accepted by Board of Directors (unsigned)

Below is an e-mail I received from a former Olympia, Washington resident.

From: ~~~~~~~~@aol.com
To: Louis Bloom manaco@whidbey.net
Sent: Wednesday, July 28, 1999 11:34 AM
Subject: OKBR
Just came across your pages and felt the urge to respond... In the early 80's (81-83) I was at the OKBR frequently as a young kid walking to/from school, I became friends with some of the boys. At one point a small boy confided to me that he was being raped by another boy in the home. The abusing boy talked about it openly!
Days later I walked the victim to OPD where we both gave statements. Later that evening I began to receive these incredibly threatening phone calls from a woman employee of the ranch who's name I believe was Paulette at my home. She kept calling over and over screaming at me calling me names. It was horrible. I thought I was helping someone. Nothing came of it. Then all these years later, it all comes out ... one of the boys that I had known there left as a young adult and still couldn't get it together, he eventually killed himself. As an adult now I don't often think back to those times but it still saddens me. All those boys that needed a safe nurturing place to be, and how many of them were better off for having been taken there? It's not about money. It cost these boys their lives, their souls, their trust. Those people who knew, who didn't care, they should feel such shame. Just my opinion.

From: louis a bloom manaco@whidbey.net
To: ~~~~~~~@aol.com
Sent: Wednesday, July 28, 1999 7:30 PM
Subject: Re: OKBR
thanks for your e-mail. from what i've read, dshs, the olympia police department, and other "authorities" didn't consider child on child rape to be against the law. it was considered "normal experimentation". The "paulette" you mention, may have been Collette Queener who was an assistant director at the OKBR. Collette, OKBR Director Tom Van Woerdan, and OKBR counselor Laura Rambo Russell were ineptly charged by Wa. St. with "criminal mistreatment for failing to stop abuse". The charges were dismissed by Thurston County Judge Daniel Berschauer on technicalities. The lawyer who represented Collette Queener said, (Nov. 14, 1996 Olympian), that it was a "witch hunt", and that " a more innocent person (than Queener) you could not have for a client. She's an ex-nun ..... I don't see how you could view her in an evil or negative light."
I congratulate you for doing the right thing, when all those adults looked the other way. I repeat on most pages that the " OKBR has cost the Washington State taxpayers over $35 million dollars (so far)", because I think most people don't care about the kids involved, but they may care that it has cost them (taxpayers) money.
louis bloom

There were many obvious and long-term warnings about the 1970-94 OKBR.