Donna Bridge is chairperson of Canadian 4-H Council; planning centennial celebration of 4-H

Donna Bridge of Ripley (at right) has been elected chairperson of the Canadian 4-H Council and is helping host the organization's Centennial Celebration this fall in Southampton.
 

Bridge has been involved in 4-H since she was a child, and is still using what she learned from her 4-H experiences to advance the movement in Canada as the new president of 4-H Canada’s board of directors.

 

She has been working with 4-H on a national level since 2010 when she was first elected to the board, and later came to be vice-president (2013-2015) and then president (2015).

 

“Although our organization is 102 years old, it’s like we’re starting fresh and new,” says Bridge. “We have new, enhanced programs looking at the next generation and how those young people learn and how to engage them in science, technology and the environment. The renewed enthusiasm focusing on delivering 4-H in Canada, is truly infectious.”

 

Bridge began her involvement in 4-H around the kitchen table growing up, as both her mother and grandmother were club leaders in their local community.
 

Coming from a family of eight children with only one sister—who was seven years older—she feels that 4-H gave her a chance to share in some of her sister’s activities.
   

Bridge holds many great memories of her time with her cattle as a 4-H’er, and also has fond memories of her own kids showing their calves at local fairs. “We used to say, ‘Work like a devil all week, just so you can get up at 5 a.m. Saturday to go to a fair,’ but I wouldn’t trade a minute of it,” she says.

 

Public speaking, determination and focus are skills she believes can be learned through 4-H. “I love the values that 4-H has and believe that youth and adults can be better for their participation."

 

Bridge operates a purebred Black Angus cattle farm along with her husband and children. She also manages the Country Depot and UPI Gas Bar in Kincardine.

Meanwhile, all 4-H members and alumni are invited to the Centennial Celebration of 4-H, rural Ontario's oldest, youth serving organization at Southampton's Saugeen Golf Club, Oct. 24. It's hard to believe that the program that started out teaching farming skills, is already 100 years old.
 

“We want to celebrate the incredible history 4-H has in Bruce County, but also showcase the exciting, fresh programs of today,” says Bridge who is chairing the event. In addition to dinner, entertainment and presentations will be provided by past and present 4-H members. 

 

Alumni and current 4-H members are also being asked to submit videos, photos and memorabilia for the evening. More information can be found by searching Bruce County 4-H on Facebook or by contacting Jennifer Christie at:  jennifer_christie@live.ca.

 

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The new 4-H symbol
 

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The Bruce County 4-H Association is a volunteer-led and non-profit organization that co-ordinates the program for youth in Bruce County. Funds raised through the event will be invested and used to support local competitions for members, such as the Grey-Bruce Judging Competition; club growth; and the participation of local members in national 4-H events, such as the Royal Winter Fair and exchanges.

 

The first 4-H clubs in Ontario were started in Waterloo County in 1915 and were called “Boys and Girls Clubs.” They focused on teaching youth the “critical skills of farming” and later home crafts to girls.Today, more than 5,000 young people participate in 4-H clubs across Ontario, ranging from such traditional agricultural projects focused on “cows and cooking” to the more modern clubs, such as paintball, geocaching, photography and party planning. The possibilities are literally endless, and the skills that 4-H teaches youth today are endless as well.

 

“4-H played a big role in my growing up, more than I ever imagined as a kid training a dairy calf or learning to make taco dip," says event volunteer, speaker, and 4-H alumni, Jennifer Christie. “It helped me develop self-confidence, discover my passion for agriculture communications and understand what it takes to be a leader. There’s no doubt, without 4-H, I wouldn’t be where I am today.” 
 

 

Shannon Benner (L), chief executive officer of 4-H Canada, with local New Brunswick Triangle 4-H Club members, Ally and Amy McConchie, wearing newly-branded 4-H Canada apparel; photos provided by 4-H Canada (CNW Group/4-H Canada)