New 4-H club small but mighty with help of dedicated leaders

by Maddison Bushen

Maddison Bushen

A group photo of club members and supporting community elders at the first Country View 4-H Club Achievement Day. In the middle row, on the left, is Edie Wood, who was recently selected as 4-H Canada’s national volunteer leader of the year for Nova Scotia. (Submitted photo)

Ever since becoming established in 2016, the Country View 4-H Club has been on a roll. This year, we are 12 members and five leaders strong with plenty of support from the community. Our club is based in Linden, N.S., with members from the Wentworth, Pugwash, and Linden areas. Our general leader is Tracey McEachern.
Club members enjoy participating in parades and county activities and are proud of all our accomplishments thus far. Our first year included having the second-place float overall in the Amherst Christmas Parade and first for non-commercial float in the Pugwash Canada Day Parade.
The 4-H theme in Nova Scotia last year was “Let the Clover be Seen in 2017,” so we decided to do this on a very large scale. A local elementary school of about 150 students helped us form a giant human clover, and aerial photos with a drone were obtained! This photo is what we have used for our branding.
In the fall, we teamed up with North Nova Forest Owners Co-op Ltd. and planted 1,000 seedlings in an afternoon.
We participated in several fundraisers in our first year, as we were a new club with a zero bank balance and building from the ground up. We sold chocolate bars and garbage bags, and started an annual sit-down three-course meal prepared and served by members for Valentine’s Day, as well as an annual takeout supper. We also participated in many other fundraisers within Cumberland County 4-H to raise money for such things as county tours.
Our first year, we had nine members and one clover bud. Based on the members’ interests, our club offered 12 different projects. Many members took multiple projects and completed everything they signed up for. Many members excelled within their projects and public speaking. Multiple members have won numerous ribbons at club, county, regional, and provincial levels.
The members are very helpful to each other. We have become a team. Whether a member requires help carrying a project to display or whether they need help showing an extra rabbit, they have fun helping each other out and learning.

Students at a local elementary school helped Country View 4-H Club members form a giant human clover. (Submitted photo)

Country View 4-H Club members and leaders at the Cumberland County Exhibition. (Submitted photo)

Country View was very lucky that when we started our new club we had a very special leader join us, Edith (Edie) Wood. Edie has been volunteering for 4-H for 47 years. She has in the past been a general leader as well as a project leader. At the young age of 88, Edie is still teaching members the art of cake decorating. This year, she has three members; two are first-timers and one is in their second year.
When the call went out for nominations for the 2018 4-H Canada Leadership Awards, our club looked forward to nominating this wonderful lady for all her years of dedication and encouragement. We received word just a short time ago that Edie was selected as 4-H Canada’s national volunteer leader of the year for Nova Scotia.
When Edie heard the news, her response was, “I don’t need an award. I just do this because of the kids. They keep me young and give me something to look forward to. The 4-H program is the best program there is for kids.”
Our club is humbled by having Edie with us and grateful that we could give her something back. We believe this recognition is truly deserved!
As we move forward with our current year, we are preparing for public speaking and woodsmen competitions. We are starting to look through our potential choices of animals for showing, and life skills project members are taking photographs, piecing together crafts, and learning how to make roses out of icing. The 4-H spirit is very strong within this club and we look forward to an amazing 2018 and thereafter.

(Maddison Bushen, 12, is the club reporter for the Country View 4-H Club. She has been an avid 4-H member for three years and is Cumberland County’s 2017 junior hostess. She enjoys spending time with animals, Highland dance, skiing, basketball, soccer, horseback riding, and volunteering with her grandmother.)