Suzanne Stewart
Staff Writer
It’s been the tradition at Pocahontas County’s 4-H camp to select five campers to receive special awards each year. Four of those selected embody the four Hs of 4-H – Head, Heart, Health and Hands –and the fifth is named the Spirit of the Camp.
Since 1996, those 4-Hers have received special wood-en plaques, made by Marvin Beverage, of Edray.
Beverage was first recruited to make the plaques by then extension agent Tracy Samples, who brought the tradition with her from her time as assistant extension agent in Gilmer County.
Samples asked Beverage to make the plaques in her second year as agent and the tradition has held ever since.
Beverage recalls that he was the custodian at the Pocahontas County Courthouse at the time and got to know Samples, whose office was in the basement.
“She said she heard I did woodwork, and she asked me to make them,” he said. “I make five of them each year. It’s been a long time since Tracy was there. Everybody else kept up with me and said, ‘don’t you quit.’”
Samples left the agent job in 2001 and every agent after her has known to call on Beverage for the plaques.
He has a woodshop in the basement of his home where he cuts out the clover shaped plaques from pine boards. He then smooths the edges and stains them. Each plaque has one of the words carved into it – Head, Heart, Health, Hands and Spirit.
Beverage’s granddaughter – and former 4-Her – Nebraska Scotchie helps line up on the plaques before he puts on the finishing touches.
The plaques became so popular, that Beverage was recruited to make a set for Greenbrier County each year, as well.
“I quit making those this year,” he said. “I’m 90 years old, and I can’t see as good as I used to, and I work with the big saws. I have to get my fingers close to the saw.”
Despite his safety concerns, and problems with his eyesight, Beverage has already made the plaques for Pocahontas County for next year so he will be prepared.
Beverage has been a hard worker for many years – working in the mines, at Pocahontas Producers Stockyards, at the tannery, on the tunnel at the VEPCO dam project as well as at the courthouse. He even built his house and added an addition onto it.
“I was in the mines up on Sharps Knob, and I worked in the tunnel at the dam,” he said. “We finished up in the mines and I went to the tunnel that morning to check it out.”
Beverage said he spoke to a man at the tunnel and started working the next day. After the work at the tunnel was done, he was asked to continue working with the crew on the next job, but instead, he took the custodial position at the courthouse.
“Since he started making the 4-H plaques, Beverage has seen his grandchildren, Nebraska and Coy and Colt and Preston, go through 4-H and now his great-grandchildren are ready to join.”
“Nebraska’s oldest child, Simon, went to camp for the first time last year,” he said. “He said he wouldn’t go unless he could be a Delaware, and he got to be a Dela-ware.”
The principles and dedication of 4-H run deep through the Beverage family as it does in many families in Pocahontas County. Countless 4-Hers have one of Beverage’s plaques in their homes which remind them of their time at Camp Thornwood and being honored as one of the 4-Hs or as the Spirit of the Camp.