Sapphire Clover and former Morgan County 4-H member recalls a life-changing experience
Of the many skills Pris Gerde gained from 4-H, one of the most memorable was learning how to handle defeat. In elementary school, she entered her forestry project at the Morgan County fair, one she had worked on tirelessly.
“My father encouraged me to make it the absolute best I could and I really embraced that,” Pris said. “A leader told my parents that as she looked at my poster and woodblocks, my project was the clear winner. I got a blue ribbon, but I didn’t win. I learned that a judge said, “This couldn’t possibly be her project. The parents had to have helped because no girl could ever have done such a fine job sanding.’”
Though the decision wasn’t fair, Pris knows the lesson she gained from that experience was far more valuable than if she had won. “My parents and club leader helped me understand the bigger picture. People may make mistakes and make assumptions, but it doesn’t diminish your effort or what you accomplished. We all have times in our life when we must handle disappointment and learn from it.”
When Pris’ parents encouraged her to join 4-H in 4th grade, they may have known this was the kind of character-building experience she would gain. Through her club in Martinsville, she enjoyed forestry, sewing, baking, and home furnishing projects.
“The antique walnut chairs (see photo at left) that I refinished more than 55 years ago still sit in my living room to this day,” she shared.
While Pris values the learning opportunities that came along with those projects, it was another aspect of 4-H that held even greater value.
“The hallmark of 4-H for me was the leadership and skill development I gained. Those opportunities helped me become a little less introverted and better at engaging with others. I learned how to lead a meeting, understand parliamentary procedure, speak comfortably in public, and so much more that would help me succeed in college and the workplace,” she said.
Participating in 4-H also allowed Pris to grow relationships outside of her Morgan County circle. “Going to Round-Up, 4-H camp in Shakamak, working at the state 4-H center in Tippecanoe County as camp counselor – those were all terrific opportunities to meet new people and put my leadership skills into practice.”
After high school, 4-H was a driving factor in choosing a college. “I got to Purdue totally because of 4-H. I wanted to go where my 4-H background had led me.”
Though she wasn’t actively involved with 4-H while at Purdue, Pris still felt its benefit. “I would meet other students that had been in 4-H in another county, and that shared experience really helped form a bond.”
After graduating with a degree in political science, Pris worked for the Indiana Department of Commerce under two lieutenant governors. That experience led to her first job at Eli Lilly and Company, where she spent 37 years in various roles, including more than half of that time in human resources.
In 2011, Pris retired – for 23 days. “The Business School at Purdue invited me to coach graduate students in their career services center, and so I flunked retirement,” she laughs.
Fifteen years later, Pris is still using her 4-H-grown guidance skills to advise graduate students as they pursue degrees in human resources and other business specialties.
“4-H will always be a part of who I am, and it’s important to me to pay forward all of the incredible experiences I had,” she said.
To that end, Pris’ support has taken many forms over the years, including volunteering at the Indiana State Fair, becoming a donor to the Indiana 4-H Foundation, and serving on its Board of Directors.
As an annual donor, Pris has enjoyed seeing how her gifts help 4-H programs create meaningful opportunities for today’s members. That experience led her to consider other impactful ways she could support the organization.
“Knowing that my intent is to leave my estate to charity, my financial advisor suggested creating a life insurance policy. By doing so, I was able to designate charitable organizations as beneficiaries, including the Indiana 4-H Foundation.” By making the estate gift now, Pris enjoys staying connected to the organization, knowing that there will be additional funding later.
“By the time the Foundation receives the life insurance gift – which I hope isn’t for a long time – I know that 4-H will have evolved to meet the needs of the next generation. I’m honored that I can help pay forward the incredible opportunities I had.”
As Pris experienced, sometimes those opportunities will come with a bit of disappointment. Thankfully, in 4-H, losing is just a life lesson in disguise.
To learn how you can support the next generation of 4-H members through an annual or estate gift, contact Executive Director Shelly Bingle at shelly@in4h.org.