Schweitzer Valley Dwellers Shine

While I was growing up, the 4-H program played a major role in my life.  The skills, especially those dealing with organizing, leadership, public speaking and keeping records, provided a fantastic foundation for my teaching career.

I can't say so much about my success with some of the projects.  Sewing---white ribbons three years straight.  No more years after that cuz my mother promised me I could quit if I'd just finish those flannel pajamas with their stovepipe legs and flat-felt seams.

She held the sewing project over my head, insisting I could not take horse or beef unless I also took sewing.  She knew how much I loved my animals and the livestock projects so she dangled an effective carrot.  

I finished three years of sewing and three years of modeling my sewing projects---all white ribbons there,too, and said "good bye" to sewing forever---except for one time in my adult life when Carol Pietsch, then a home ec teacher at Sandpoint High,  guided me through making a dress for a prom.  It actually turned out wearable.  

Though I loved livestock, my record in beef showing wasn't so good either.  Three or four straight years of earning the bottom white in fitting and showing----all because "the rules" said we could not show bull calves in fitting and showing.

My Millie cow only knew how to produce bull calves.  So, I always had to show her, and she always had to show everyone else what a fool she could make of me as she dragged me around the arena while bawling for her baby bull calf back at the barn.

Yup, 4-H had its good times and bad, but I swore by it and still do as a phenomenal program for kids to learn basics about achieving goals, about working with others and developing a sense of leadership.

I went on to become a 4-H leader, serving for several years in the horse project, junior leadership and photography.  My sisters did the same, and my mother led 4-H forever, it seemed.

During all those formative years,  kids from our general area were members of the Mountain View Livestock Club, the Mountain View ABC's (that was home ec), the Mountain View Dudes, and, finally, the Schweitzer Valley Dwellers.

I'm pretty sure the latter club enjoyed the longest run.  Somewhere around the community someone has the scrapbooks for the Schweitzer Valley Dwellers.  

Among those pages, I'm betting there are pictures of Chris Pietsch and Cathy King.  Both participated in livestock 4-H.  Chris took photography with help from his dad Gary and Cathy also took veterinary science with help from my sisters and Dr. Don McCormick. 

All this is leading to the fact that today--this very day--both Cathy and Chris have distinguished themselves in phenomenal ways, and all of us who ever had anything to do with the Schweitzer Valley Dwellers 4-H Club have reason to be shouting out our pride.

First, let me talk about Chris.  He's an award-winning photographer working for a newspaper in Eugene, Oregon.  For the past week or so, he's been posting photos and comments on Facebook about his most recent photographic gig.

Chris went to Los Angeles with the Oregon Ducks football team.  In case you haven't heard, and I'm sure my friend Janet has told a person or two, the DUCKS WON the Rose Bowl yesterday.  What a game!

Well, Chris probably has a bazillion shots of the week-long festivities leading up to the game.  He even shot a video of the press conference last week featuring an Oregon lineman who helped a player's father stop choking at a restaurant.  

This morning, Chris has posted the best of his many shots taken during yesterday's Rose Bowl game.  If all works out right, you can find his show at http://tinyurl.com/2012-rose-bowl

Hats off to you, Chris.  We,  and anyone associated with 4-H and the Schweitzer Valley Dwellers,  are proud of you.

Now for Cathy.  She's featured in this morning's Spokesman-Review.  Her story can be found at http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2012/jan/03/serving-saving-animals/

While practicing in Deer Park, Wash., Cathy, now a veterinarian herself, created an organization called World Vets.  

Following the general principles of Doctors without Borders, Cathy and her team of volunteers go into countries around the world and provide their services, including   spaying and neutering.  

As the story states, they have served 36 countries in the world thus far.  A few years ago, Cathy, now living in North Dakota,  extended an open invitation for me to accompany her and her group sometime to cover their activities.  

So far, that has not worked out, but I still like to keep track of what she's up to, and I can tell you she follows a rigorous schedule setting up several trips a year. 

Both Chris and Cathy have come a "long ways baby" from the time when their career seeds were planted as 4-H members in the Schweitzer Valley Dwellers.  

Their achievements not only elicit great pride within those of us who "knew them when" but also clearly demonstrate what can happen when young people dream big and follow the steps to capture those dreams---even the baby steps. 

Congrats to both and hats off to the 4-H program for influencing people like Chris and Cathy and millions of others who've said the pledge to head, hands, health and heart.