Our Programs
texas Pythian Home
The Texas Pythian Home for children is called the ‘Castle on the Hill’. It was built with the architecture style of a castle due to the sponsorship of the Knights of Pythias, a fraternal order established during the Civil War. The Pythians put their motto of Friendship, Charity and Benevolence into practice and established the Pythian Home in 1909. The Pythian Home is licensed by the Texas Department of Family & Protective Services as a basic child care facility for sixty-two children. This license requires certain standards to be maintained at all times. A licensing representative makes official visits to the Home to insure standards are met. We do not handle adoptions.
We accept children ages three to fourteen. The children may remain in residence as long as they are in school. This includes college, vocational, or trade school. We have specific criteria that must be met for placement of a child. The managing conservator is the only person able to place or withdraw a child. The children can come from anywhere in the state of Texas. At one time, a Pythian connection was required for placement. Now a child can be placed by meeting the criteria. All of the children placed in our care have families that remain a part of their lives while the family works to have the children return home.
The Home is located on 164 acres of farmland on the east side of Weatherford. The campus includes the main building and 2 dorms, playgrounds, a softball field, tennis and volleyball courts and a swimming pool. Children live in the dorms, attend Weatherford ISD schools and local churches. There are 6 to 8 children in each dorm, depending on age. They also participate in extracurricular activities such as soccer, football, basketball, band, Scouts, etc. We have many outstanding athletes and academic scholars. Our goal is to provide the children with a safe, stable environment, educational opportunities and positive life experiences.
Contact the Texas Pythian Home to schedule tours or to request additional information.
Availability
Monday – Friday
(817) 596-4465
Location
1825 Bankhead Drive
Weatherford, TX 76086
Read and ride program
The Knights of Pythias of Texas sponsors a Bikes for Kids reading program in elementary schools, with the primary goal to encourage youth to more actively participate in their schools reading programs. Understanding that all subjects taught in school are important, but as the old adage, “Reading is Fundamental” implies, the ability to read, as well as comprehension, lay the cornerstone that aids in today’s, as well as tomorrow’s learning.
Through this initiative, we provide brand new Huffy bicycles and helmets to be given away to one boy and one girl in the 1st Grade to each participating elementary schools within the footprint of a local Knights of Pythias organization.
The program itself is fairly simple and can be tailored to work in conjunction with an existing reading program at each school. Each child earns a ticket based upon a prescribed number of books. Students get credit for books read by them, and books read to them by their parents/guardian. Each ticket is placed in a box or suitable container and accumulates over the duration of the Bikes for Kids program. The length of the program is determined by each participating school. Regardless of the number of tickets each child has earned, every child will have the opportunity to have their name drawn from the container holding the tickets. Drawings are generally conducted toward the end of the school year at an awards or recognition assembly.
Contact your nearest Pythian Lodge for additional information.
higher education assistance programs
Whether individual assistance with scholarships or through Community in School's (CIS), an organization that operates in many schools across Texas to support "at-risk" students, the Knights of Pythias provided monetary assistance in the form of scholarships or grants to help defray costs in their endeavors.
Several subordinate lodges offer higher education scholarships to select individuals, as well as determine eligibility and awarding requirements. Other lodges have supported the Community in Schools College Visitation project, which allows select students to visit college campuses as a means to offer a sense of encouragement that a higher education is both possible and obtainable, despite life's challenges.
Contact your nearest Pythian Lodge for availability and additional information.
knights of pythias poster contest
Sponsored by the Supreme Lodge, Knights of Pythias, this contest permits high school aged children to earn cash awards for their artwork geared toward a specific subject determined by the Supreme Lodge. The Grand Lodge, as well as subordinate lodges, may offer cash prizes to artists whose work was selected to compete at higher levels of the competition.
https://www.pythias.org/supreme/poster-contest
Contact your nearest Pythian Lodge for availability and additional information.