A lifetime of 4-H, both as a member and as a leader, has earned high honours for a school bus driver who was raised near Erskine and now farms with her husband near Byemoor.
Anita Mappin, 56, is one of two Albertans who will be inducted into the Alberta 4-H Hall of Fame during ceremonies at the annual 4-H leaders’ conference at the Red Deer Lodge on Jan. 15.
Mappin was a member of the Erskine and Waverly 4-H beef clubs as a youth, which is where she met her future husband, Henry Mappin.
She returned to 4-H as a leader in the 1980s when their three children were old enough to participate.
4-H is more than just beef and horses, says Mappin, who recently served a term as president of the Alberta 4-H Council.
Over the years, its range of activities has broadened immensely and offers various opportunities for children and teenagers regardless of whether they live on a farm or in a town.
Members participate in projects and community service while learning a wide range of skills that will be valuable to them later in life, including leadership and public speaking, she says.
Also being inducted in 2011 is veterinarian Maryanne Sandberg of Lethbridge. Alberta 4-H Hall of Fame was established in 1971 and has since inducted 73 people.
Please visit www.4h.ab.ca to learn more.