MEDFORD MAIL TRIBUNE, SUNDAY, AUGUST 12, 1962
4-H Club Program Teaches Responsibility
Thumble Finders, Tricky
Trotters, Cudchewers these
are only a few of the orig
in! names given by 4-H club
members to their clubs in
the Rogue Valley. Four-H is
a voluntary youth organiza
tion designed to give young
people training in citizenship,
ieadership, and responsibility.
It was started in the early
twentieth century, and at
about the same time in most
parts of the country. Original
ly it was handled through the
offices of the county school
superintendent. In Oregon it
is now a feature of the ex
tension service of Oregon
State university.
The program was started as
a rural program, but as cities
grew and suburbs developed,
the rural aspect of the clube
lessened. There are now many
clubs in Med ford and the im
mediately surrounding area.
In the Central Point area
fclone are about 300 of the
fiOO Rogue Valley 4-H club
members.
Own Project Expenses
This government supported
youth program has members
from nine to 21 years of age.
Although printed materials
and extension agent fees and
salaries are paid from federal
funds, the youngsters pay for
their own project expenses.
Each 4-H club has a volun
teer adult leader. The pur
pose of the leader is to pro
vide some supervision, help
with the projects, and to en
courage formation of demo
cratic club organization.
The overall program for
the clubs is set up at Oregon
State university. There, ex
tension leaders and 4-H com
mittee members meet in the
form of an advisory board to
write a general program from
which clubs operate. This gen
eral structure serves approxi
mately the same function as a
course of study in a school..
It provides a general pattern
from which the clubs may
work. Within this course each
club is free to plan and exe
cute its own program, setting
Us own pace. The maximum
amount of personal responsi
bility is left the clubs them
selves. Two Extension Agents
Working with the leaders
ff the clubs in Jackson county
arc two county extension
agents. Miss Phyllis Kirkland
and Jerry Brog. Other agents
contribute their services when
Ihe clubs are working with
something within their spe
cially. These agents meet
with the club leaders, teach
ing them the projects so that
t hey ca n pass t he in f orma
tion on to the club members.
The leaders then supervise
the meetings of some 117
clubs in the valley. They
study in such fields as agri
culture, home economics,
wood working, and photog
raphy. Individual projects be
ing studied may include sew
ing, cooking, farm implement
operation, or livestock rais
ing. HesUies the responsibility
f working out their own pro
gram, club members elect
Iheir own officers, preferably
very six monlhs. Tliis gives
young people the experience
cf office holding and what it
C nlails.
It is reported that a high
p rcentnge of youngsters who
have belonged to 4 11 clubs
t nter and successfully com
plete college. Their study in
Ihe 4-H program, however,
does not necessarily correlate
with their major field of study
in college. Part of their suc
cess may be attributed, it is
filt. to the fact that the type
if children who join 4-H are
many times those of high in
itiative, since it is a volun
tary organization requiring a
good deal of time and effort.
An additional factor is that
few of those belonging to 4-H
have any trouble with juven
ile authorities. As the 4-H
program is not at all selec
tive, this may be clue to the
m nsc of responsibility and
well-being given by member
ship in the club.
From the local membership
level, 4-H club members can
progress to attendence at such
statewide activities as the an
nual 4-H summer school, held
in June; the Know Your State
Government conference in
Salem, held in February; and
the national 4-H club confer
ence, held each summer in
Washington, D.C. Outstanding
4-H club members are chosen
to attend these various upper
level activities.
In addition, both state and
national scholarship are avail
able to outstanding club mem
hers.
Barbecue Dinner
Scheduled Aug. 18
Members of valley 411
clubs and the Jackson county
fair board will sponsor a
barbecue dinner Saturday,
Aug. 18, al 6 p.m. at the 4-H
fairgrounds.
The barbecue is held for
4-H members, their parents,
and purchasers of 4-H animals
at the auction, also held Saturday.
.. 9
BEEF ENTRY-Dick Field, member of West- fitting events during the Central Point
tide 4-H Beef club and Crater FFA, partiei- Westside 4-H Pre-fair recently. He is in the
pated in both the beef showmanship and senior division.
JACKSON
and
JOSEPHINE
COUNTY
DAIRY
FARMERS
9 : rfPM f tirrT- ' ' Urge You To
, -Ut- 'f-fc-n C f ' b&TT Attend The
TAKES
ENERGY
To Hold a Fair!
Livestock muM be caielully
gtoonicd and Ir ,nspof led, d't'i'V
bc-c'ths muit be creeled, coc rdma
lion nd ct-ntinuity ct the . incus
sht w , must h arranged . . . and
the hurry ,ind scurry of it fll titkrs
energy'" That's why MILK is it
Ctntt.mt ni-cevjily every day Milk
Supplies the need d vttamin and
t ne r qy to keep 1 1 ve pt i -pie ,
young ond t Id alike, in the pink
cf condition.
COORDINATED
MILK
SALES
JacEcson County
FAIHGROUMDS
August 13 through 18
See Tomorrow's
Farmers Today!
Boys nd girls will proudly display their skills, livestock, farm nd
garden products nd many other accomplishments that indicate
their progress toward being the leaders and home makers of the
future. It's a show well worth your time. It shows how parents and
cut o( school educators can mold today's youth into useful, dedi
cated citizens upon whose shoulders lie the responsibilities of
continued progress in our country.
Drink at least 3 Glasses of Milk a Day!