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This year’s Hall of Fame selection and interview process is brought to you by the Lassen County 4-H Ambassadors, Lily Ammon, and Maddi Johnson. Nominations were open to the public during the month of September and several nominations carried over from the project’s inaugural run last year.
Opportunity is defined as the chance for success. 4-H Leaders are a prime example of opportunity. They volunteer countless hours of their time to ensure that local youth have the chance to learn and succeed wherever they choose. Most of this work often goes without thanks and many of the hours they spend goes unknown.
Our first inductee of the 2022 Class of the Hall of Fame gives more definition to the word opportunity than the Webster Dictionary. Welcome, Mr. George West.
George was the Community Leader of the Lake 4-H Club for many years. He led the welding, wood working, beef, canning and cooking, food preservation, community service and swine projects (just to name a few).
When asked about her dad, Jennifer West, said that her dad always had two projects that he loved and considered “hard” for him. He took great pride in making sure that the Janesville Cemetery displayed flags for its Veterans and that there were flowers planted at the entrance. George was a strong believer in the Lake 4-H Pancake Breakfast! He liked that the kids in his 4-H Club were involved in the community and enjoyed that the breakfast brought people together to talk. George always paired an elderly person with a member and had the strong rule that “nobody ate alone.”
The Lassen County Fair was George’s favorite event of the whole year. He was nominated anonymously for the Hall of Fame by three individuals who shared this special moment with us: “He has us get together and go look at exhibits as a club. We celebrated our entries together and others too. He took pictures of us and printed them all – even the blurry or closed eye ones. He was proud of our hard work and taught us to be proud too!”
George believed that the most valuable thing 4-H had to offer was teaching kids that you should give back to the community more than what you get. He believed that it built confidence in our youth. He believed in letting kids make mistakes in a safe place. Let them learn by doing!
George is still often talked about in the 4-H Community and is missed by all that knew him.
It’s an honor, Mr. West, to induct you as the first member into the Lassen County 4-H Hall of Fame Class of 2022.
Interview and photographs provided by Jennifer West, in honor of George West
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