[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 155 (2009), Part 1]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 1426]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                HONORING McCROSSAN BOYS RANCH HITCH TEAM

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                     HON. STEPHANIE HERSETH SANDLIN

                            of south dakota

                    in the house of representatives

                       Thursday, January 22, 2009

  Ms. HERSETH SANDLIN. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor members of 
the McCrossan Boys Ranch Hitch Team in Sioux Falls, South Dakota for 
their participation in the 2009 Presidential Inauguration Parade. The 
inauguration of President Barack Obama marked a defining moment in 
history and these young men were excellent ambassadors for South Dakota 
at an event of such magnitude.
  McCrossan Boys Ranch is a unique program, which reaches out to 
educate troubled youths from across the region. The ranch provides a 
vital opportunity for young men who face conflict in their lives and 
who wish to seek a more positive direction. The ranch's purpose is to 
give students outlets to explore, allowing them to grow as individuals 
and to serve the community around them. The ranch teaches important 
skills such as horsemanship, trade skills and agricultural methods that 
are applied toward community service projects like Habitat for 
Humanity.
  Additionally, McCrossan Boys Ranch youth are members of numerous 
extracurricular groups, such as 4-H, the Boy Scouts of America and the 
Fellowship of Christian Athletes. The ranch and its students give back 
to the community in many ways and display the dedication, purity of 
purpose and selfless service that personified the spirit of the 2009 
Inauguration Parade.
  The educational and service mission of McCrossan Boys Ranch is an 
admirable and worthy cause. It is an organization that instills 
American values in young men and helps them make valuable contributions 
to the fabric of our society.
  Madam Speaker, it is because of its mission, as well as its 
achievements, that I rise today in recognition of the McCrossan Boys 
Ranch Hitch Team for their participation in the 2009 Inauguration 
Parade.

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