Madge Borne
Jefferson Parish
Year Inducted: 2014

For 17 years (1992-2009) Madge Borne served as a Jefferson Parish organizational 4-H leader and served on the parish 4-H Foundation and Advisory boards for three years. Her innovative program included countless fifth-grade youth in the urban 4-H program. Club officers and committee chairpersons met weekly to ensure preparation and responsibility for activities. Members were encouraged to present demonstrations and presentations, complete project records and participate in parish and community service events. The club promoted environmental projects such as the annual field trip to the historic live oak tree in Kenner, tree plantings for the annual Arbor Day ceremony and maintaining a 4-H garden. Members mentored K-2 students, teaching planting and cultivation of the school garden. The event culminated with 4-H Soup Day so students could sample vegetables they planted. To help members understand environmental responsibility, the club sponsored recycling newspapers, cans and tabs, and phone books and made bird feeders and birdhouses from materials supplied by the Corps of Engineers. Each year the club published and sold recipes from the club-level commodity cookery and ambassador contests and donated the funds to the Children’s Hospital. Madge was named Outstanding 4-H Leader in the parish in 2009. Her club received the Outstanding 4-H Service Award (three years) and the first place club award 14 years. Madge has received numerous teaching awards, including Teacher of the Year and Outstanding Elementary Social Studies Teacher for three years.