Lindsy and Lee Sells, Beaver Creek, earned many ribbons through the years entering projects in the Rock County Fair. The books on the table contain detailed records on their entries.
By Jolene Farley
Teen-agers Lindsy and Lee Sells, Beaver Creek, have nothing but good things to say about their experiences in the Beaver Creek Willing Workers 4-H Club.
The Minnesota House of Representatives agrees with the Sells on the value of 4-H clubs in Minnesota and recently passed a resolution marking the 100-year anniversary of 4-H clubs in the state.
At the beginning of the 20th century, 4-H clubs provided practical education in agriculture, manual arts and homemaking. 4-H continues to offer youth between the ages of 5 and 19 years old an education, or "learning by doing."
In 1902, T.A. Erickson began the first school fair in Minnesota for students. Boys exhibited crops and girls exhibited baking and sewing items.
The phrase "4-H Club" was first used in 1918. By the late 1900s, 6.4-million youths were involved in 4-H nationwide, including one out of four young people in Minnesota.
For Lindsy and Lee, joining a 4-H club was a family tradition. Members of Spencer's family were actively involved in Rock County 4-H. The Sells family has a scrapbook from the 1940s, filled with news clippings and ribbons made by Spencer's sister, Gwendolyn Sells.
Lindsy, 17, has been a member of the Willing Workers since she was in the third grade.
The Sells live north of Beaver Creek. Spencer and Pam Sells, Lindsy and Lee's parents, grow corn, soybeans and alfalfa and raise cattle and hogs.
Lindsy said she enjoys the leadership skills 4-H helps cultivate. She also likes the friendly competition and fellowship among competitors at the fair.
"É the people during the fair when everyone's together É just joking around. Being able to work together. Striving to do a better job, to beat other people," she said.
After Lindsy leaves to attend college, she wants to continue entering projects in the fair.
"I'd still like to come back for even one project because it's fun," she said. "You get to see everyone again."
Lee Sells, 16, plans to enter his swine and beef in the Rock County Fair this year. Other projects he has completed for the fair include a dart board frame and a barstool.
Lee works as a youth counselor at the 4-H camp on Lake Shetek and has held various officer positions in the Rock County Federation and the Willing Workers club.
The Willing Workers Club, the second oldest club in Rock County, has 28 members from 16 different families, according to club leader Jill Willers.
The club meets every third Monday at the Beaver Creek Community Hall. Meetings are usually started with project demonstrations. A favorite demonstration for club members this year was a lesson on flag etiquette.
The Willing Workers Club has completed many community pride projects such as planting planters in Beaver Creek, participating in the Adopt-a-Highway program and planting the Hospice garden in Luverne.
Traditional club projects fall in the areas of food, creative arts, photography or livestock projects such as dairy, goats, pets, swine, rabbits, poultry and horse.
Many county, cluster, state and national activities are also available for 4-Hers, according Willers. Throughout the years, Willing Workers Club members were involved in just about every activity available to a 4-Her.
"As a 4-H leader for seven years, it has been exciting to see how much fun some of the members have had and how their experience has helped them grow from children to young adults," said Willers.