There was a story in the metro area newspapers about a county cutting funding for their 4-H Program. To read the full story please follow this link here. Why am I blogging about this? Because I want to disspell the myth about 4-H that it's just for youth that live in the country or the only time 4-H'ers do anything is at county fair time. It may surprise you all that I was a member of this fine organization that, at least in the great state of Minnesota has been around for more than 100 years.
For those that are not aware, 4-H stands for Head, Hands, Heart, and Health. As the 4-H Pledge goes, that is said at every meeting along with the Pledge of Allegiance:I pledge my Head to clear thinking
My Heart to greater loyalty
My Hands to larger service
My Health to better living for my club, my community, my country, and my world.
To Make the Best Better.
I am a prime example of what 4-H can do for a person. I did not grow up on a farm nor in the country. I grew up in the middle of suburbia. I didn't even know 4-H exsisted until I was in 4th grade. It was than when my younger brother and I took an after school activity class on Clowning. The adults and youth teaching the class where part of the Anoka County 4-H Program, and they were in the Clowning project. They looked like they were having so much fun. It was actually my brother that started asking my mom if we can join 4-H. She contacted the county extension office, got some information, and before we knew it we were signed up for 4-H.I was a very quiet, shy person as a child, and to some extent I still am. For whatever reason, I was not thrilled about joining 4-H. I was already a Girl Scout. The first year my mom made me take Clothing and the Food project. She thought it was important for me to learn how to make my own clothes and food. I didn't understand it than, but now, as an adult I do understand why throughout my entire 4-H career my mom didn't let me drop out of the Clothing project. During the summer of my first year in 4-H my family got our first dog. She was a little mixed breed puppy, Gizmo, she was the cutest thing you ever saw. She originally joined the family to be a 4-H project for my younger brother, however, he was not interested in that project for whatever reason.
I have always been an animal lover, and wanted so bad to show a horse and a cow in 4-H. However, living in the city wasn't conducive to showing a horse or a cow. So, I decided to train and show Gizmo. That was one of the best decisions I have made. It was something that I was actually good at and it helped me to bond a lot more with my dog. It also started to fuel my love of showing dogs and teaching youth. I was very active in the dog project through out my 4-H career. I joined the county dog committee, helped train and develop one of the first training curriculums used in Anoka County.
However, that was not my only project, nor my only interest. That's what I love about 4-H there is a project for whatever you are interested in. My array of projects included clothing, food, cat/small pet, home improvement, citizenship, youth leadership, shooting sports, rocketry, just to name a few.
Today I have no problems with getting up in front of a group of people and giving a speech and/or presentation. My numerous demonstrations I gave as a 4-H'er helped me with that. My very first demonstration I gave, the posters kept falling off the easel, and I gave it during the tractor pull at the county fair. 4-H helped to build my self-esteem, teach me about sportsmanship, help me to learn more about myself.
I learned so much about myself. I learned about my family through the citizenship project. 4-H literally has something for everyone.
Even though I'm now way too old for 4-H, I am still active as an adult volunteer, and now my son is starting his 4-H career. He will make the 5th generation of 4-H members in my family.
4-H is truly an organization that the whole family can get involved in.
