PEI 4-H Trust
In 1987, the Prince Edward Island 4-H Trust was established to provide additional funds for programs and services for the benefit of the 4-H movement, its members and leaders.
Funds generated from the 4-H Trust are in addition to those provided by the PEI 4-H Council and current funding sources.
Since 1987,the PEI 4-H Trust has provided $86, 415 in grants to 4-H Clubs, Districts and other initiatives. The Trust may pay expenses associated with the promotion, development or completion of any 4-H activity and generally for the continued development and promotion of the 4-H program in PEI.
As a trust, trustees are required to keep capital funds invested with the net income available for funding programs.
Trustees
-
John Scales - Business Community Representatives, Current Chair
-
Brenda Larsen - Board of Directors
-
John J. MacDonald - Member at Large
-
Susan Simmons - Voting Delegate Representative
-
Shari MacDonald - Voting Delegate Representative
-
Dave Tingley - Business Community Representative
-
Rayanne Frizzell - Administrative Director, 4-H Staff Representative
Contact the Trust
PEI 4-H Trust
PO Box 2000
Charlottetown, PE C1A 7N8
Tel: (902) 368-4833
Fax: (902) 368-6289
Email: pei4hoffice@gmail.com
Trustee Biographies
John Scales is a graduate of Colonel Gray Senior High School in Charlottetown and has a Bachelor degree in Business Administration from the University of Prince Edward Island. For almost 20 years John worked with Island Fertilizers Ltd. and is currently the owner of Phillips Feed Service and Island Dairy Services in Charlottetown.
John is a past director of the Canadian Fertilizer Institute, Past President of the Atlantic Fertilizer Institute, the Rotary Club of Charlottetown and Camp Gencheff. John is a former member of the Atlantic Region Board of
Directors of the Nature Conservancy of Canada and a director of the board of the Rotary Literacy Foundation.
In addition to John’s many responsibilities, John has been an active sponsor of 4-H activities through the years and recognizes the tremendous value and importance of 4-H.
John and his beautiful wife Barbara have two sons and are the proud grandparents of one grandchild.
Brenda Larsen graduated from the University of Western Ontario with an Honours Bachelor of Arts in History and Business and a Bachelor of Education. She also has a Master of Education in Literacy from Mount Saint Vincent University. An educator for over 25 years, Brenda has been an elementary and high school teacher as well as being a math coach and a math and science curriculum specialist for the province.
Brenda grew up on a dairy farm in southwestern Ontario. A 4-H Alumni from Ontario, she is now a proud 4-H Leader here on PEI for over 20 years. 4-H has provided her, as well as many family members, the opportunity to develop important leadership and life skills, including community service, communications, and agricultural advocacy. Building and maintaining strong
rural communities is integral to Canada's thriving cultural and economic society.
Currently, Brenda is the Overall Leader of Albany Centennial 4-H Club, Past President of the Western Regional Council, and Past President of the PEI 4-H Council as well as a teacher, wife, mother and farm business partner. Brenda is also an active Women’s Institute and United Church member. She lives with her husband, Lorne, and their two sons, Robert and Justin, on their beef feedlot in Cape Traverse. In all aspects of her life, the skills learned and developed through 4-H have helped her as she "Learn(ed) to do by doing".
John J. MacDonald brings his extensive and broad experience in agriculture, leadership and community involvement to the 4-H Trust. With a degree from the Nova Scotia Agriculture College, John was Executive Director of the Greater Summerside Chamber of Commerce for 15 years and with Agriculture Employment Services for 11 years.
John’s dedication to serving others has been consistently recognized with several awards including being inducted in the Atlantic Agriculture Hall of Fame (2013), recipient of the Rotary’s Paul Harris Fellow (2011), Community Service Award (2005) and recipient of the Queens Jubilee Medal (2002).
John continues to be an active supporter of the 4-H organization having been President of the Summerside District 4-H Council, PEI 4-H Council and the Canadian 4-H Council in 2000, as well as Director of the Canadian 4-H Council. The 4-H organization has also recognized John for his many significant contributions by awarding him the prestigious 4-H Honorary Member for PEI in 2003 and the 4-H Honorary Member for Canada in 2009. John was also recognized for 20 years service as the representative to 4-H Canada from the Canada Federation of Agriculture.
John and his wife, Cynthia, reside on their farm in St. Nicholas, Prince Edward Island. They have six wonderful children: Christine, Carla, Cheri, Colin, Howard and Dylan and twelve beautiful grandchildren.
Susan Simmons has been involved with 4-H for most of her life. She was a member of the Clinton 4H back in the 70's then became a leader with the French River 4H club when her daughters became members. Susan was the overall leader for a number of years and presently she is involved with the Kensington 4-H club as their communications leader as well as the foods leader. She was President of the Summerside District Council on two occasions as well as a board member with PEI 4H Council. In 2009 she received the PEI Women in Support of Agriculture Award for her outstanding contribution to PEI 4-H. Susan has two grown daughters who were both
involved in the 4-H program. She is very happy and pleased that her four grandchildren are presently in the 4-H program. Susan and her husband, Kevin,
are long time supporters of the 4-H Trust.
Susan is involved with the Southwest River United Church in Margate where she sits on the Board of Stewards as well as the Secretary of The Margate Pastoral Charge.
Kevin and Susan live operate a beef farm and live in the community of Irishtown.
David Tingley spent the first half of his career with Ralston Purina, serving 15 years as a District Manager and the second 15 years as an independent dealer, President and co-owner of Dawndale Farm Supplies, Ltd. Dave’s experience afforded him many opportunities to have contact with and see the impact of the 4-H program had on the development of its members.
For more than 45 years, David has supported the 4-H organization including consistently being asked to judge and evaluate 4-H member projects such as Public Speaking, Demonstrations, Woodworking projects and applications
for youth travel and merit awards. David is a member of Friends of 4-H and a sponsor of the annual Top Livestock Member award. Dave has been actively involved in the 4-H Trust since 2000, is a 4-H Trust Gold Heart Club member and currently sits on the Boards of the 4-H Trust, Summerside Bluegrass & Acoustic Music Association, and Crapaud Exhibition Association. David is also a member of the P.E.I. Bluegrass & Oldtime Music Society.
David is an avid woodworker and bluegrass musician. David and his beautiful wife, Jean, live in downtown Wheatley River and have six wonderful grandchildren.
Shari MacDonald was a member of the New Annan 4-H Club from age 7-21, as her mom (Kay Wall) was the overall leader and let her join early! Her start at a young age with many home economics-type projects, may have set her early career path. After graduating with a Bachelor of Home Economics/Bachelor of Education, Shari taught home economics in High Level, AB and Marystown, NL for six years before returning to Mount Saint Vincent University to obtain a Business Certificate. She then promptly got married to UPEI math professor Gordon MacDonald and moved back to PEI, settling in North Milton.
Two children soon joined the family and as soon as Zoë was old enough, she sought out the nearest 4-H club and signed them both up -as a leader and member. Son Cameron joined the Wheatley River 4-H family two years later. The kids are grown now, but Shari has been a 4-H leader for twenty years, (home ec-y projects!). She is now overall leader and has served several terms on the provincial Home Economics Committee.
Shari is the CAO for the Rural Municipality of Miltonvale Park. She volunteers as the secretary for the busy Milton Community Hall, president of the Association of Rural Community Halls of PEI and secretary of the North Milton W.I. - anything to avoid housework!
Rayanne Frizzell graduated from the Nova Scotia Agricultural College (now Dal AC) in 2003 with a Bachelor of Science in Agricultural Business. From 2004-2015 she was the General Manager of the PEI Provincial Exhibition Inc (aka Old Home Week) in Charlottetown. Rayanne grew up in Middle Stewiacke, Nova Scotia and is a proud 4-H alumna of the Stewiacke Valley 4-H Club! As a member from age 9-21, Rayanne took projects including light horse, first aid, crafts, foods, junior leader and was on the tug of war and woodsmen teams! She was involved in her county council and participated in National events.
Rayanne became a leader with 4-H PEI in 2007 and joined the Provincial Council in 2014. In 2018 she became the Administrative Director of the 4-H PEI organization. She continues to be involved with Agriculture in the Classroom Canada and is the co-chair of the Atlantic Farm Women’s Conference.
Rayanne lives with her husband Chris and three kids: Curtis, Rachel and Hannah in Glen Valley, PEI where Chris is the third generation to dairy farm at Valleyville Farms. Getting the kids to their activities seems to take up most of her time, but her passion is Agriculture Education and increasing the opportunities for producers and consumers to have open and honest conversations about where their food comes from!
