2009 Washington County - Donald Davison

As a youth Donald “Donnie” Davison was not able to be in 4-H.  It was during the war and times were tough.   However, as a young man he was contacted by a lady to see if he would be a leader for a struggling 4-H club.  That was the beginning of his 20 years as leader of the Chicaqua 4-H Club.  Chicaqua is the Indian name for “skunk” and Davison’s club membership stretched along and around the Skunk River in rural Brighton, Coppock and Wayland in Washington County.  At one time the club had 41 members and only one female member.   Davison said, “I had great kids over the years who grew up to represent their communities, county, state and country well.  I am so proud of all my kids.”  Davison and his wife, Dorothy, did not have children of their own so as he said, “These were my kids and I got to be a kid with them.”  His favorite memory was in the fall when the club would go down to the creek and have their annual campout.  They would fish and hunt and spend the night and fix breakfast the next morning over the campfire.  “It was always a lot of fun.”

Davison also served 21 years on the Washington County Fair Board.  Many of those years overlapped with his years as a 4-H leader.  He served as president and vice-president.  He is proud that a long time ago they started working to make Washington County one of the best fairs in southeast Iowa.  He is glad the board has continued with that tradition.  During his tenure on the board a new grandstand stage was built which is larger and safer.  The inside of the barns were painted making them much brighter. 

He agrees kids learn a lot from 4-H.  Davison says, “I told my 4-H kids not everyone can win, someone has to lose.  4-H prepares kids for adult life by teaching them how to live in the competitive world and teaches them how to lead a productive life.”