By Jeanne Johnson
Extension educator
More than 400 Rock County 4-H members and volunteer leaders will celebrate 4-H Week Oct. 1-7.
4-H in Rock County has a long history of positive experiences for youth that build leadership, teamwork and responsibility while developing friendships and fun.
4-H is the cooperative extension system's non-formal educational program for young people. 4-H programs reach more than 6.5 million youth across the United States.
The program combines the cooperative efforts of youth, volunteer leaders, County Extension staff, state land-grant universities, federal, state and local governments along with the United States Department of Agriculture.
The mission of 4-H is to assist youth in acquiring knowledge, developing life skills and forming attitudes that will enable boys and girls to become self-directing, productive and contributing members of society. Adult and youth leaders do this through 4-H clubs and projects with hands-on activities.
The 4-H roots are deeply planted. The first 4-H emblem design was a 3-leaf clover, introduced sometime between 1907 and 1908.
From the beginning, the 3-H's signified Head, Heart and Hands. In 1911, at a meeting of club leaders in Washington, D.C., the present 4-H design was adopted by approving the fourth H, Health.
Otis Hall, state leader of Kansas, was responsible for the original working of the 4-H pledge. At the first National 4-H Club Camp in 1937, the state 4-H leaders officially adopted the 4-H pledge. The pledge read:
"I pledge my head to clearer thinking
My heart to greater loyalty
My hands to larger service and
My health to better living
For My club, My community, My country."
The addition of the words "My world" to the last line was done in 1973. In Minnesota the 4-H pledge added "My family" to start the last line in the -80s.
Rock County 4-H clubs were started in the following years:
1926 - Blue Ribbon
1927 - Willing Workers
1929 - Livewires
1932 - Denver Go-Getters
1933 -Blue Mound Climbers
1945 - Magnolia Juniors
1947 - Springdell
The only other 4-H club that is still thriving today is the County K-9s, which is the youngest club in Rock County.
There have been a number of other clubs, which have come and gone throughout the years including the Luverne Riverside, Springwater Hustlers and North Stars 4-H clubs.
Many of the original projects are still available today, including foods and nutrition, gardening and crops and livestock projects.
However, these projects have changed with the times. In 1939, 14 girls exhibited articles made from flour sacks and feed bags for the "Thrift Project."
Today "sewing" (now titled Textile Science) project members still learn basic sewing techniques so that they can make articles of clothing but also how to make good consumer decisions when purchasing clothes. In July nine 4-H members modeled clothes that were either purchased or constructed at the 2000 4-H Fashion Revue.
The positive aspects of 4-H from 50 years ago are still true today. Ask current 4-H leaders what they value about 4-H and they'll tell you that through 4-H kids learn responsibility, teamwork and leadership skills.
Ask the 4-H'ers themselves and they will often repeat what the adults have said but put friendships and fun first. The friends they make in their club, in the county and from across the state make 4-H fun.
The times have changed during the long history of 4-H but the fun and friendships will keep 4-H in Rock County strong into the future.
For more information about 4-H, call the Rock County Extension Office at 283-8685, extension #4.