By Maddy Fleming
Serving with Camp Pioneer
Maddy leading the history timeline activity
Another AmeriCorps term, another 4-H Camp complete! A highlight of my 2022-2023 AmeriCorps term with 4-H Camp Pioneer was attending my very first 4-H Camp. As someone who hadn’t grown up in 4-H, participating in the annual Randolph County summer camp was like stepping into another world for a week. I learned so many fun songs, met great counselors and kids, and became a part of the community I’d been learning so much about throughout my service with the 4-H History Round-Up project at Camp Pioneer.
A stone monument in Elkwater commemorates the first ever 4-H camp
This term in 2023-2024, my involvement with the 4-H History Round-Up project and my participation at 4-H Camp evolved together as the theme of this year’s camp was “A Journey Through 4-H”. The theme, selected by the 4-H Teen Leaders, took campers through the past and into what may be the future of 4-H in 2115. That faraway date marked the 200-year anniversary of the world’s first 4-H Camp in 1915, “Camp Good Luck”, which took place in Randolph County!
This theme gave me the role of putting all the Randolph County 4-H history I’ve learned in my service to direct use. I was glad to be more involved in the camp planning and allowed a space to share my passion for history too. My main project of this role was the creation of display panels that outline the history of 4-H Camp in Randolph County. Four panels total, each explores an era of Randolph County 4-H Camp, from the first camp in 1915, to early 4-H Camps that followed, the first “Camp Pioneer” at the Valley Bend site, and finally the history of the present site and 4-H Camp we know today in Beverly.
Alongside the display of these boards for campers to read and view, I also created a small timeline activity to be done each day as part of our theme. The timeline went from 1900 to 2020 and throughout the week, campers filled out the line with fun facts about 4-H Camp, West Virginia 4-H history, national 4-H history, and then Camp Pioneer landmark buildings. I was very happy to have so many campers willing to volunteer and read out the facts and then place them in the right area. And it was amusing to watch campers scramble to remember the facts when quizzed later in the evening during one of our council circle campfires too.
Camp Media class
My entire camp experience was not only related to informative history, however, but to capturing the present moments for future enjoyment. I also instructed the Camp Media class this year with four awesome campers who proved to be quite the photographers! Together, we as a class took dozens of photos which were showcased at the end of the week to feature all our good times.
I’ve learned thanks to 4-H and this 4-H Camp especially that it is delightful to share history with others. It is even more delightful to be active in the making of what will become history one day in fond memories and stories. The best history is that which we make with community.
