General Info

T he Peaceable Kingdom Retreat for Children occupies about 170 acres on the Lampasas River in Central Texas' scenic Hill Country. Established in 1984 by Daurice and Jim Bowmer in memory of their grandson, Charles Bowmer Schreiner, V, who died of a heart ailment at the age of 11 months and three diabetic grandchildren, it was originally a fishing day retreat for chronically ill children named "Baby Charlie's Fishing Camp". The retreat was operated at that time as a program of the Peaceable Kingdom Baptist Church, which is located on the Bowmer Ranch. Response to the camp from the children, their families and from the staff of Scott and White Memorial Hospital was overwhelmingly positive and requests for visits soon overwhelmed the existing facilities. In 1990, the retreat was enhanced by the addition of a building designed to allow overnight stays ; these stays soon evolved into week-long retreats involving children with chronic illnesses, their families, and their treatment providers. In 1993, after several more expansions, the Peaceable Kingdom Retreat for Children incorporated as a separate non-profit entity ; at that time, the church deeded the land and facilities to the retreat. Today, Peaceable Kingdom Retreat for Children provides programs for more than 6, 000 children and their families throughout the year. The Retreat operates 3 separate programs: The Environmental Education Program Provides adaptive outdoor education programming and learning activities for special education classes from user school districts.