Category Archives: History

Promote a 4-H History Dance Night

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At the local club or county level, you may want to consider planning and holding a 4-H Dance Night based on history as a special activity. This could be fun for current 4-H members and leaders, parents and grandparents, and 4-H alumni.

Determine your time frame — for example, from the 1920’s through current. Feature music from every decade. In this case, it may be easier to have a disc jockey handle the music rather than expect a live band to feature all the various types of music.

Consider having table top displays or cork-board display panels that can feature photos of 4-H history, county 4-H king and queen contests from years  past, and perhaps photos of proms or homecoming dances from the local high schools. Those attending will be interested in identifying people they recognize or remember.

Maybe highlight a dance competition for various eras… the Charleston from the 1920’s… the big band music of the 40’s… jitterbug… rock and roll… maybe even throw in a polka or a Texas two step… you get the idea. Encourage couples to dress for their specialty if they are competing in the competition. At some point during the evening you may want to consider a special feature that breaks the audience down… a special dance only for those under 20, another for those 20-40, and 40-60, and maybe even participants 60 and over, playing an appropriate music selection for each group. A spin-off might be to consider playing a rather fast paced music selection over and over and hold a mini-dance marathon… say 15 or 20 minutes, and see how many people are still dancing when the music stops. You can consider judges and prizes for any of these activities. The more ways you can think of to weave 4-H history into the evening, the better.

A 4-H History Dance Night can also be a fund-raiser, although perhaps rather than attempting to sell tickets, having a way to solicit donations as people leave might be a more appropriate way of fund-raising.

(From the “Hands-On 4-H History” section of the National 4-H History Preservation Program website at http://4-HHistoryPreservation.com )

Larry Krug

“Hands-On 4-H History” – Clothing and Fashion

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Clothing and fashion projects have been a part of practically all of 4-H history. From the early 4-H uniforms for boys and girls to the Fashion revues that are still common today, thousands of 4-H members learned skills in sewing and fashion design and proudly wore the 4-H name and emblem.

The first story in the November 1919 edition of Boys’ and Girls’ Farm Leader tells of a team of 4-H girls from Wisconsin. Through competitions with sewing demonstration teams from other states, they had been selected to present their demonstration at the interstate fair in Sioux City, Iowa. Their demonstration showed how dyeing fabric is a practical and economical way to make old clothes look new.

Wisconsin 4-H girls in 1919 demonstrate that dyeing is a practical and economical way to make old clothes look like new.

The Wisconsin girls even had a dyeing song which was a hit at the Sioux City banquet and was sung at every demonstration: Here it is:

Tune–“Jada”

Dyeing! Dyeing! Everybody’s dyeing now!
Dyeing! Dyeing! We are going to show you how.
The object now is to make thing new; Colors that will appeal to you,
Dyeing! Dying! Everybody’s dyeing now!

An article in the November-December, 1938 issue of National 4-H News heralds the awards to be given in the wool dress class at National 4-H Congress. It was the second year for this award category sponsored by the Associated Wool Industries. Two sterling silver trays would be awarded to the best wool school outfits, and two for the best tailored or semi-tailored wool outfits. In addition, $4.00 cash awards would be presented for each exhibit entered, with additional money awarded for blue and red ribbon outfits.

Are there members of your 4-H club in the sewing project? Ask them to share what they’ve done. Consider how you can add some 4-H History to your county or state Fashion Revue or other clothing activities. In the “Hands-On History” section of the 4-H History website you’ll find ideas about presenting a 4-H History Fashion Show.

Visit: http://4-HHistoryPreservation.com/Hands-On/

Sue Benedetti

A Century of VIPs Support for 4-H

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4-H has been fortunate in having the personal support of literally thousands of successful and noted people over the past century.

Historically, these individuals lent their support in many different ways, from serving on committees and boards and speaking at 4-H events to actively promoting 4-H in the media and offering their expertise for 4-H curriculum development. We are talking about U.S. Presidents, senators and congressmen, governors, corporate executives, sports stars, entertainers, broadcasters, astronauts, authors, educators, scientists and inventors.

Who are some of the VIPs who have been involved with 4-H? Here are a few: famous aviatrix Amelia Earhart, Rear Admiral Richard E. Byrd, Sergeant Alvin C. York, Roy Rogers, Jimmy Stewart, Bill Cosby, James Cagney, Ann Landers, Johnny Carson, Danny Thomas, Chet Huntley, David Letterman, Ed Sullivan, Reba McEntire, Chief Justice Warren Burger and many others. Scores of corporate leaders like J. C. Penney, Myrtle Walgreen and Raymond Firestone were actively involved.

Sports stars such as Ted Williams, Bart Starr, Ernie Banks, Johnny Unitas, Jesse Owens, Babe Didrickson Zaharias, Sugar Ray Leonard, Rafer Johnson and others. Also, top auto racers from Barney Oldfield in the 1930s to Jeff Gordon in the 2000s.

From its earliest days, U.S. Presidents have been actively involved in 4-H. William Howard Taft, Woodrow Wilson and Warren G. Harding all met with 4-H’ers. President Calvin Coolidge became the first Honorary Chairman of the National Committee on Boys’ and Girls’ Club Work – a predecessor to National 4-H Council – a tradition that lasted eight decades, president after president, up through William Jefferson Clinton.

U.S. Secretary of State John Foster Dulles and President Richard M. Nixon gave major speeches at National 4-H Club Congress in Chicago and President Dwight D. Eisenhower cut the ribbon to open the National 4-H Center in 1959 (now National 4-H Youth Conference Center).

Many VIPs were honored as National 4-H Alumni Winners; see http://4-HHistoryPreservation.com/History/Alumni/

A new section – still in early draft stages – has just been added to the national 4-H history preservation website entitled “VIP Involvement with 4-H.” The purpose of this section is not to boast about this VIP support, but to document some of these connections all in one location. And we know that this is just the beginning; many VIPs who have been a big part of 4-H over the years are still missing from this section.

We urge our readers to visit this draft section and let us know of others who should be included. Note that content of the last decade hasn’t even been started. The section can be found at:

While we realize each state has your own listing of VIPs who have assisted the 4-H program through the years, you may have had events or other occasions where someone of national stature was actively involved. Most of these examples would undoubtedly still be unknown to our history team.

We welcome your input at Info@4-HHistoryPreservation.com.

Smith-Lever Celebration Flash!

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University of Florida has just initiated a blog on significant happenings which resulted from the Smith-Lever Act which will be celebrating it’s centennial in 2014. Meet Mr. Smith and Mr. Lever, learn the facts about the act and what it accomplished. The latest entry features Tomato Canning Clubs and canning education taught by Extension throughout history. Darryl Palmer, UFL blogger invites everyone to visit:

http://blogs.ifas.ufl.edu/ifascomm/category/uf-ifas-communications/events/smith-lever/

Clover Cinema Club to Produce Voices of 4-H History Films for Virginia

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The Clover Cinema Club, based in Prince George, Virginia, has formed a team of 4-H youth filmmakers who will be traveling to the southeast, southwest, and northern Virginia to interview former 4-H members, leaders and supporters about their 4-H memories. The young film makers will travel to the various regions during the Thanksgiving and Holiday seasons to film interviews. The Clover Cinema Club hopes to complete their formatting and editing early in 2014. Versions of the film are being considered for local, regional and national sharing. Adult 4-H leader Herman Maclin says the youth hope that their films will encourage former and new audiences to get involved in 4-H.

Tom Tate

Oklahoma Interviews Extension and 4-H Participants During Homecoming Weekend

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During Homecoming 2013, the Ag Communications Unit of Oklahoma State University invited Extension and 4-H Program participants to stop to record a memory of their Extension and 4-H experiences. This effort will help OSU build an audio visual record of their program’s 100 year history for use in celebration of 100 years of the passage of the Smith-Lever Act in 2014 which created the Cooperative Extension System. A mini TV studio was set up in Ag Hall October 19 to record stories following the homecoming game. Dozens of recordings were collected and will be combined with still and motion images that visualize the recollections of the interviewees.

The resulting audio and video clips will be made available to a variety of local, state and national media outlets.

Brenda Sheik and Jeff Sallee are working on the project, developing the 4-H components. Jeff Sellee stated “Ag Com and I are offering an in service in digital media on equipment and software that county agents can check out and use with youth. The goal is they will have the equipment training and all they need are kids involvement and stories to document.”

Tom Tate

U.S. Presidents and 4-H Photo Gallery

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President Franklin D. Roosevelt talks with National 4-H Camp delegates on the Mall, 1940. (Courtesy USDA.

President Franklin D. Roosevelt talks with National 4-H Camp delegates on the Mall, 1940. (Courtesy USDA.

During upcoming months the National 4-H History Preservation leadership team, working with staff at National 4-H Council, will be planning a photo gallery for display at the National 4-H Youth Conference Center in Chevy Chase, Maryland. The gallery will show the many U.S. Presidents who were actively involved in 4-H activities over the years.

For over a century American Presidents have participated in a variety of 4-H activities and events. The first photograph we have of Presidential involvement with 4-H members is from 1912 when President William Howard Taft met with Ohio Corn Club champions when they visited him at the White House. Getting the attention of the President of the United States is no small feat and getting the President to attend or address your event is even more difficult. But 4-H over the years has been fortunate to have most of the Presidents fully aware, and involved in a variety of 4-H activities – from cutting the ribbon to officially open the National 4-H Center or hosting 4-H’ers at the White House to visiting 4-H projects at a county fair.

Photos of many of these encounters will become the central theme of this new photo gallery.

Although still in draft form, we are also placing on our 4-H history website, a new segment on U.S. Presidents and 4-H. Located in the National 4-H History section you can get there directly at http://4-HHistoryPreservation/History/U_S_Presidents/

Please take a look at the draft. If you are aware of a 4-H event directly involving a President which we have not included; please tell us about it. When and where did it take place? What was the occasion? do you have photos/captions which can be shared, or film/video coverage? contact the preservation team at: info@4-HHistoryPreservation.com

Contemporary 4-H History – 4-H Club Helps to Save and Display History using GIS

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GIS Map Making

University of Maryland Talbot County 4-H volunteer, Cathy Cooper (far right) is shown guiding members of the Chapel District 4-H Club, plus the Director of the History Society of Talbot County, as they learn Geographic Information Systems for various types of map making. The club is creating a large historical map pinpointing schools and other points of interest within the town of Cordova. Their map will be featured in the Museum’s newest exhibit opening later this fall. Club members were also included in the planning process, collection of photos and stories for the actual display.

County Grows Local Participation in Voices of 4-H History Effort

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Prince George County (Maryland) 4-H Agent, Lisa Edwards, first introduced the idea of discovering and preserving the history of 4-H in her county during the county fair in 2013. Since then, interest has grown with youth and volunteers. There has been a call for starting a 4-H History Club. The idea was introduced in the county’ Extension newsletter.

Adult Volunteers and Youth are being formed into a team that will be formalized into a special interest group on 4-H history. Discovery of old records, photos and memorabilia has sparked excitement. Talk of interviewing former members, leaders and volunteers is growing.

Tom Tate

Training Session for Voices of 4-H History Volunteers

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Ocean City, Maryland – November 22-24, 2013. The Voices of 4-H History Team will be sharing poster displays and workshops for the 2013 Volunteer and Teen Leadership Forum targeted to all faculty, staff, volunteers, and 4-H youth. Th conference focus will be  on the 4-H Core Program Components; developing volunteers, strengthening and expanding the 4-H club program.

Youth and adult leaders in attendance will be able to launch a Voices of 4-H History initiative or club after attending the workshop. Key components will include: viewing good examples of audio/visual products produced by pilot county sites, recruiting youth and adults, selecting good interviewing questions, good sources of editing software and hardware.

Tom Tate.