HomeMy WebLinkAboutFarming '88, 1988-03-30, Page 54PAGE 28. FARMING ’88, WEDNESDAY, MARCH 30, 1988.
4-H alive and well in Huron
Membership may be down slightly
but Huron still has over 100 clubs
from cows to clothes
then, potato, livestock, sewing,
foods and gardening clubs were
formed for young people, and
known as Boys and Girls Clubs. In
1952, the name 4-H was adopted.
The green four-leaf clover is
Canada’s official 4-H emblem; the
H’s stand for Head, Heart, Hands
and Health, and 4-H’ers can
improve their “H’s” in the
following ways:
•HEAD - learning about agricul
ture, food and life skills; develop
ing leadership skills; practising
decision-making.
•HEART - making new friends;
accepting responsibility; develop
ing positive attitudes; being a good
citizen.
•HANDS - learning new skills;
working with others; doing your
best; helping your community.
•HEALTH - maintaining a
healthy lifestyle; being aware of
safety; using free time construc
tively.
The 4-H program is open to
youths 12-21 years of age; there are
22,000 members in Ontario; 60,000
members in Canada; and seven
million members in 80 countries all
around the world. Most clubs have
between six and 30 members, who
can get involved in all sorts of
activities - conferences, tours, field
Continued on page 29
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Blue building on Hwy. 4 North of Belgrave
In the prestigious 4-H Judging Competition, north Huron members
gather at the Seaforth Fall Fair to show their own project animal, as
well as an animal from each of the other large livestock groups. The
member with the highest score becomes one of the top 4-H’ers in the
county.
Despite some recent negative
publicity to the contrary, Jane
Muegge, senior rural organiza
tional specialist at the Clinton
OMAF office, says that the 4-H
program is alive and well in Huron
County, and indeed in most areas
across the province.
“Sure, there have been some
changes in recent years, and
membership numbers are down a
bit,” she says. “But that is more
the result of the changing demo-
graphicsoftherural population
than of anything that is wrong with
the 4-H program itself.”
And compared with the declin
ing numbers of kids in minor
hockey or baseball, or in any
number of other youth organiza
tions across the country, Mrs.
Muegge says that 4-H is doing very
well, with more than 100 different
4-H Clubs with close to 190 leaders
and 950 members in Huron County
in 1987, the last year for which
figures are available this early in
the new year. Several club leaders
have been active here for more
than 30 years, she adds, while new
clubs seldom have any problem
recruiting new members.
“There are concerns from some
leaders about declining enroll
ment,” she adds. “But I think it’s
more a provincial concern than a
Huron County concern.”
Mrs. Muegge says that enroll
ment numbers may appear to be
down somewhat because the most
visible members, those who tradi
tionally show livestock at local
fairs, are certainly declining, as the
result of the current slump in the
agriculturalsector. But4-H has
responded to the changing lifestyle
of both rural and urban young
people by expanding the member
ship criteria, and by introducing
new projects as soon as a need is
perceived, such as projects in
financial management and inde
pendent living for both boys and
girls, introduced in Huron County
last year.
A provincial 4-H Review Com
mittee is currently examining the
FREE ESTIMATES
4-H program, as is done every few
years, to re-assess and re-evaluate
the program content and make
recommendations for any changes
or additions which could enhance
the benefits to members. The first
draft of the review document will
be made available to the provincial
4-H Leaders’ Committee in early
April for comment, and will then be
forwarded to county and district
Leaders’ Associations for input.
4-H leaders, members, parents,
and sponsors have all been invited
to provide input to the Review
Committee, whose final report will
provide the basis of the 4-H
program beginning in 1989.
4-H is a program that has roots in
Canada as far back as 1913. Back
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