Catching fireflies, biking, and making semores-I know it sounds like I have drifted back to my childhood. The truth is last week, five Canandians from Alberta spent the week in Morgantown, WV with our family and two other 4-H families and so we spent some time catching fireflies, biking and eating the usually forbidden semores. Nine exchange students and two chaperones arrived from Canada last Monday. On their first night here, they discovered fireflies and finally they said that they understood the Huck Finn concept of the glowing jar with a stick.

We had such fun with these folks from up North exploring our town and state. Five of them stayed in Morgantown for the week and six visited in Morgan, Roane, Preston and Doddridge counties. This is all part of an exchange that was suppose to be somewhere else for both groups. The West Virginia 4-H’ers were planning to go to Russia and the Canadians had planned a trip to Quebec but there were complications with both of those plans so Gayle Plante, one of the Canadian chaperones and a 4-H leader searched on the Internet and read about Jeff Orndorff (aka-my husband) who had taken 4-H’ers on exchanges before to Russia and other states. In the meantime, Meredith(our daughter), had attended National 4-H Conference in Washington, DC in April and had met some other Canadian students. When she came home, she shared how much she loved the Canadians with their spontaneity and enthusiasm. So when Jeff got the call and he mentioned it to Meredith, she really gave her Dad a push. Even though he already had a very tight schedule with his Extension job of running 3 state camps, Operation Military kids and the State Fair, the exchange was a go. So what has happened?

Meredith was right…what a great group of people and we are so lucky they are a neighboring country! We have shared ideas, recipes, games and revisited our state and neighboring states. Some activities included touring Blackwater Falls, Cooper’s Rock, downtown Morgantown, biking at Ohiopyle; swimming in 2 friend’s pools, a round of golf, playing spoons, listening to their own Garth Brooks sing and play guitar,-Ian Brousseau, and laughing almost all of the time.

What have we discovered? We are more alike than different and the differences make life much more interesting. One of the kids told a story, that we call a knitted winter cap a tobaggan, while of course a tobaggan to the Canadians is a special sled. There weren’t too many words that we didn’t understand but we liked they way that they said, “Ay” at the end of many sentences. It sure beats, “Huh.”

The Canadians, this week are Alpha II at Jackson’s Mill. When I returned home from camp last night (some of us must go to real work), my house was too quiet.

Gail Plante and Shelley Tymofichuk, the chaperones from Canada are the Big Foot’s tribe, Chief and Sag this week. If you are a 4-H’er you know that unlike the regular tribes, the honor of being Chief and Sag in the Big Foot tribe always goes to the newest adults in camp because they will definitely have the most fun with it. I heard that they have something very special planned for tonight’s Council Circle.

So next year, the West Virginian’s will travel to Alberta to visit for about 10 days. I’m sure they will learn even more. If you are interested in 4-H, contact your local Extension Service in your county and if you are interested in learning more about 4-H exchanges and need advice, write to Jeffrey Orndorff

The Canadians particpating are: Ian Brousseau, Clayton Poulin, Marc Lamontague, Gabrile Corbiere, Darren Tymofichuk, Laura Plante, Amanda Meger, Martine Chamberland, Jennifer Brousseau and chaperones Gail Plante and Shelley Tymofichuk.

Hosts and their families included:
Doddridge County – Chelsea Welch and family ,Mandy Yeater and Shane Yeater and family
Monongalia County – Ashley Sydney Lavengood, Sydney Lavengood and parents Mike and Sheri Lavengood; Meredith Orndorff, Joel Orndorrff and parents Jeff and Cathy Orndorff; and chaperone, Connie Williams
Morgan County – Ronald Fifield and family
Preston County – Charles Brown and family
Roane County – Kati Hildreth and family

How, how-to a super bunch of folks from up North!.