Remembering the Past: Two 1950 4-H All Stars!

The Virginia 4-H All Star program is an honor and service organization. Membership in the 4-H All Star program is the highest recognition that a Virginia 4-H’er can achieve. The purpose of the 4-H All Star program is to contribute to positive youth development through ‘service’ to the 4-H program. 

In 1950, two Lancaster county youth traveled to Virginia Tech for the State 4-H Congress, formerly known as the State 4-H Short Course where they were inducted as 4-H All Stars. Those youth included Mrs. Frances (Northern) Ashburn and Jeff Chase Jr. They traveled on a yellow school bus along with several others from Lancaster County. They picked up 4-Hers from the other counties in the Northern Neck before heading on to Blacksburg. While there they attended a number of different workshops and activities just as 4-Hers do now every June as part of the State 4-H Congress. 

Mrs. Ashburn’s highlight of that trip was being ’tapped’ or inducted as a 4-H All Star which recognized her commitment to 4-H as well as her outstanding leadership to the 4-H program in Lancaster County. Mrs. Ashburn recalls her trip to Virginia Tech at the time as like ‘a trip around the world’ as it was not every day one traveled outside of the county. She remembers having to submit an application along with several letters of recommendations from teachers and others who knew her well. The individual who nominated her was Mrs. Virginia Casey who traveled with Mrs. Ashburn to Virginia Tech. Mrs. Ashburn works part time for the Lancaster School District and is still very active in the community. She is married to Donald and they have one son, Donald Lee Jr. Records indicate that Lancaster and Northumberland have 15 4-H All Stars that were inducted as early as 1929 with the most recent one being 2001. If you are a 4-H All Star or know of someone who is, please contact the Lancaster Extension Office as there are plans to have a gathering of 4-H All Stars from both counties in spring 2009.

 

Picture: The following individuals attended the State 4-H Short Course at Virginia Tech in Blacksburg in 1950. They include (bottom row l-r): Doris (Easterly) Gill; Frances (Northern) Ashburn 1950 4-H All Star Inductee; Nancy (Hayden) Hughes; Betty Ruth (Mitchell) Clarke; Virginia Casey. Back row (l-r): Daine Dize (deceased); Tommy Hughes; Jeff Chase Jr. 1950 4-H All Star Inductee; Robert Reamy Jr. and; William A. McCarty Jr. (deceased). The photograph was provided courtesy of Mrs. Ashburn.