2016 Dallas County Carolyn Wilson

Carolyn Wilson started as a 4-H member of the Doon Darling 4-H Club in Lyon County. She was part of an all-girls club. The girls clubs worked primarily in three areas, food and nutrition, home furnishings and clothing.  The club leader would assign presentation topics for a certain month to be given.  So if you were lucky you had most of the year to prepare.    

 Carolyn and husband, Dennis, coached and encouraged their five children; Nathaniel, Sheresa, Amber, Brandon and Daniel through the Dallas County 4-H program.  They encouraged them to participate in club activities as well as county and state activities.   

Carolyn became a 4-H leader shortly after the oldest child joined 4-H, and remained a leader for the Best of Union 4-H Club for 20 years, continuing after her own children graduated.  Carolyn’s club did many community service projects. They planted flowers in city parks, visited the care centers and the county home to play games with residents, adopted a section of highway doing cleanup annually. One of the unique activities her club did was provide meals for the farmers one day during fall harvest.  They grilled hamburgers and served them at noon as the farmers delivered grain to the elevator.  Carolyn and her husband also served on the County Extension Youth Committee from 1997 to 2003.   

 In 2002 Carolyn was hired as Dallas County Youth Coordinator and she worked for the office until 2007. During that time she was able to facilitate the forming of many new clubs including the first shooting sports club in the county. As a volunteer Carolyn has also led several county wide workshops.   Two of the most recent include a sewing workshop and this spring she taught 4-H and Clover Kids members and their parents how to plant and force spring bulbs. 

Carolyn spent many county fairs assisting her husband with the running of the 4-H food stand.  This is not a simple food stand since it provides 3 meals a day as well as drinks and snacks to fairgoers.   Under their supervision the building grew in size and the menu increased.   In recent years she has taken the lead in the food stand. This includes ordering all the food and supplies. She works from 6:30 am to 9 pm each day coordinating the 4-H food stand operation and working with youth and adult volunteers.