2005 East Pottawattamie County - Geneva Kaven

Geneva’s 4-H career has spanned over 35 years and included serving as a volunteer leader of the Knox Up and At’em 4-H Club in Avoca, and a long time member of the County 4-H Committee.  Geneva finds it inspiring to see girls grow from childhood to maturity with definite abilities attained through the 4-H program.  The 4-H club environment provides opportunities to sing, work, party and learn together.  Competition has a stronghold in 4-H, by providing a method of preparing for life’s future challenges.  The program builds character of each individual and 4-H girls learn to become more appreciative of others through benevolent projects that to help build their communities and world.  Geneva believes that the 4-H program provides a positive “way of life” to those involved.  Past 4-H’ers in the Knox Up and At’em 4-H club said this about Geneva:

• “The time she contributed as our leader was incalculable.  Each meeting had a theme – there were hat parties, backward parties, pet peeve parties, and Mother’s Day teas.  We planted trees in the city park each Arbor Day symbolizing the importance of contributing to our world.  Each year we built a float for the County Fair and always won first prize.”
• “Geneva always had a lot of energy and she made us stick to the rules, whether it was with our record books, demonstrations, or parliamentary procedures at the meetings.  I know my state 4-H demonstration team that focused on tree care helped me in years to come in declamation competitions and presentations in corporate board rooms.”
• “Geneva wanted us to have new experiences.  We went on fun field trips to Chicago, Omaha, and Kansas City.  These trips afforded us the opportunity to witness first hand items we had studied through our projects and broadened our understanding of the world around us.”  
• “Our families were always involved.  For example, Creighton, Geneva’s husband, built a dollhouse and dream kitchen cupboard that was raffled off to help fund our field trips.”
• “What I remember most is her life long example of modeling how to give service to others.”  

In 1989, Geneva was recognized as an honorary 4-H member of East Pottawattamie County.  It is a privilege to recognize Geneva for her many years of service to the goals of the Iowa 4-H program in the development of strong youth.