Larry and Joan Gould, Howard Pennington honored for more than 50 years of service to 4-H

Local 4-H volunteers Larry and Joan Gould as well as Dr. Howard Pennington were recently honored by Michigan State University Extension for each having contributed at least 50 years of service.

They were among 24 volunteers who have contributed at least 50 years of service who were honored during National Volunteer Week.

Michigan 4-H is the flagship youth development program of MSU Extension. Annually, Michigan 4-H provides approximately 200,000 young people ages 5 to 19 with experiential learning opportunities that help develop life skills. These experiences are offered through numerous programs, thanks in large part to the support of more than 13,000 volunteers, a news release from MSUE said.

4-H volunteers help lead young people and grow their skills in many venues, including afterschool programs, summer camps, short-term special interest groups, yearlong clubs, special events, fairs and mentoring programs. As they provide hands-on guidance and real-world experience, these volunteers also offer young people another crucially important element: a healthy adult role model who helps to grow their confidence and ignite their dreams for the future.

“We simply could not operate our 4-H programs without the support of caring volunteers,” Jake DeDecker, state leader for Michigan 4-H Youth Development and associate director for MSUE’s children and youth programs said in the release. “In their 50 years of service, these 24 people have made an immeasurable impact. They’ve led and supported many programs, championed numerous initiatives and changed countless lives and for that ongoing commitment and dedication to Michigan 4-H and youth in our state, we thank them.”

Pennington started off with 4-H as a child showing sheep, swine and crops in Lenawee County. ln 1951, he joined the 4-H livestock judging team. Dorothy Hoelzer, who would later become his wife, joined the team as well with her experience in showing horses.

Dorothy and Howard married in 1955 when he was a pilot in the U.S. Air Force. In 1958, Howard returned home and began classes at MSU in veterinary medicine. ln 1963, he joined the Adrian Animal Clinic as a veterinarian.

“My wife taught 4-H sewing, and I helped out. We bought our farm in 1968 and started with our children in 4-H. I taught 4-H veterinary science, gun safety and was co-leader of the West Adrian Livewires 4-H club. I was, over the years, the vet at the fair for the 4-H animals. I was the chair of the group to erect the first 4-H horse barn, next to the arena. I worked with Paul Linehan to erect the next two 4-H horse stalls,” Howard said. “As an Adrian Kiwanis member, I designed, and chaired, building the Kiwanis toilets and bunny barn. I co-chaired the building committee in erecting the 4-H service center. I chaired the committee in the long-range committee for the fair in 4-H camping on the grounds during the fair, also the placing of the heavy horse barn near the show arena.”

Howard treated many of the 4-H animals before and during the fair. ln 1992, he joined Lenawee Therapeutic Riding, a 4-H club that provides horse-riding experiences for different able-bodied children.

“I hauled nearly 10 of my horses for the 4-H club of therapeutic riding. Some nights I would bring one to four horses for the twice-a-week riding. I have been the president of it for 30 years bringing my Morgan horses for the youth to ride. Over these years I have aided in teaching the 4-H youth in preparing their animals for the fair,” Howard said.

Dorothy was fatally thrown from a horse in 2012. Howard has since retired his horses but remains very active as a 4-H volunteer, a member of Kiwanis and a volunteer at church as well as planting trees, sawing wood and tending to his garden.

“I don’t let the old man in. I’m very active and I'm blessed,” Howard said of his acute physical and mental health.

Janelle Stewart, MSU Extension Educator for 4-H Youth Development, said that Howard has been an invaluable volunteer over the years.

“He’s just been an extremely compassionate individual who has provided great mentorship not only to the youth in Lenawee County, but also other adult volunteers. He has been able to help them learn the ropes and help them develop into outstanding leaders as well as the youth in the program,” Stewart said.

Joan and Larry Gould — Joan is now 80 and Larry will be very soon — have known each other since they were 10 years old in the 4-H programs. Both of their families were heavily involved in 4-H. Larry’s family had a livestock farm in Seneca Township. The couple still owns the farm but now plants soybeans, corn and wheat.

Joan taught elementary school for many years and is retired now. Although they knew each other all those years, they did not start dating until college when they both volunteered to chaperone a 4-H trip for youngsters.

“Joan and Larry still serve as community club leaders for the State Line Hustlers 4-H Club, which is one of the oldest clubs in the county and they oversee the management of the club. They organize and plan meetings, activities, workshops, family outings and different things like that for the club members. They do a great job with their club and have community service programs for youths and you can often see the fruit of their labor by the flowers that they have planted in the city of Morenci as a club. They have both served in many different facets of the 4H program as leaders, including being involved as a host for the international farm youth exchange program where they have hosted several youths from all over the world to learn about agricultural production here in Michigan,” Stewart said. “They have also been active volunteers helping us at the fair in many different capacities and serving as chaperones when we go to travel with the teams across Michigan and across the United States. They’re great people who have dedicated their lives to the 4H program.”

Larry was also a county commissioner from 1974 to 2006 and brought in a great amount of funding for 4-H in Lenawee County. He was a commissioner at a time when there were 15 commissioners; now there are just nine.

The State Line Hustlers 4-H Club has had as many as 60 participants but is down to about 30 now due to the pandemic. Larry said it is easy to keep kids in the program, but over the past couple of years it has been difficult to recruit them.

Larry said that he and Joan find it rewarding and get great payment in compliments from past 4-H members. He shared an example: “At the fair a few years ago, a young man came up to me with his wife and small child. He told her ‘This is my 4-H leader. Without him, without 4-H you would have never married me. And she responded by saying that when he was in high school, he was a troublemaker. He was a candidate for prison, not university or college, and his 4-H experience is really what turned his life around.”

“That’s a terrific payment if you understand," Larry said. "That’s what we get as leaders is we get people coming up to us and telling us that.”

For her part, Joan always tells the kids that they are “learning to feed the world one teaspoon at a time.” She said 4-H teaches kids how the world is governed by instructing them in Roberts Rules of Order, which is used in most meeting settings from city councils and township boards to Congress.

In recognition of their service, 50-year volunteers received a gift of appreciation from MSUE leadership as well as a personal note of thanks.

Tribute gifts in honor of these 4-H volunteers may be made to support 4-H at: mi4hfdtn.org/memorial-tribute-gifts/. To learn more about volunteering with Michigan 4-H, visit 4h.msue.msu.edu.

This article originally appeared on The Daily Telegram: Goulds, Pennington recognized for more than 50 years with 4-H