During her time as a 4-H club leader, Mary Vaughan has had many kids pass through – even multiple generations.
“Actually, the two leaders who are running the club now that I’m helping were Forrest Ladybugs and now their kids are Fireflies,” explained Vaughan, who is marking 50 years in 4-H leadership.
A reception was held in Vaughan’s honor Thursday night following the Ag Games at the Livingston County Fair.
Vaughan started the Forrest club back in 1973 with Sandy Schrof as her co-leader.
“When we started 50 years ago, it was the Forrest Ladybugs and it was an all-girls club,” recalls Vaughan. “Then in 1999, I had a couple of mothers who wanted their boys in the club too so in 2001 we became the Forrest Fireflies.”
Back in the day, Vaughan was a member of the Forrest Busy Bakers but that club disbanded. The girls in Forrest were in the Wing Pleasant Ridge Club but thought they should be in Forrest which is how the Ladybugs group started back in the fall of 1973.
“I was blessed to have a lot of my family. I have four nieces and they were all members and I had seven of my great nieces and nephews,” Vaughan added.
In addition to club leadership, Vaughan served for 27 years on the Livingston County Fair Board.
“That of course was a great experience,” she said.
Vaughan held several different jobs while on the board, one of which was overseeing the annual fair talent show and later helping with the Ag Games which was added in 2012 in place of the talent show.
Many of Vaughan’s memories of 4-H come from when she was a leader as projects were limited back when she was actually in 4-H. She has sat through many livestock shows to support the kids, the Governor’s auction at the State Fair and was even inducted into the Illinois 4-H Hall of Fame in 2013.
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