UGA Cooperative Extension

Walker County Cooperative Extension Office:
4-H Youth Development

What is 4-H?

 

Click Here to see the "What is Georgia 4-H?" Video

 

Those 4-H'ers under the age of 9 are referred to as CloverBuds.

Those 4-H'ers in grades 5-6 are referred to as Cloverleafs.

Those 4-H'ers in grades 7-8 are referred to as Juniors.

Those 4-H'ers in grades 9-12 are referred to as Seniors.

 

Youth in grades 1-12 may enroll as members in a club and choose projects that interest them. Walker County 4-H regularly conducts in-school meetings for all 5th grade classes in public schools, community club meetings for children in 1-12 grades that do not have in-school meetings, and Chickamauga City Schools After-school club meetings for all Chickamauga school members.

These youth develop many workforce skills while working on their projects, including leadership, decision-making, record keeping, public speaking, and teamwork. 4-H members meet with their clubs and may also have separate project meetings to discuss information specific to the project(s) they have chosen.

The newsletter of the Walker County 4-H program is 4-H Focus. The 4-H Focus is published once per month. 4-H Focus is now available on this web site. This newsletter contains pertinent information for our members, leaders, and parents and serves as the primary means of communication regarding 4-H activities and events.

4-H Terms

4-H Colors: The 4-H colors are green and white. Green represents life, springtime, and youth. The white symbolizes purity.

4-H Pledge:
Written by Otis Hall, the 4-H Pledge is as follows.

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 and My World.

4-H Slogan: The 4-H slogan is “Learn by Doing”. This slogan is a constant incentive to motivate 4-H'ers to strive toward acquiring new skills and knowledge.

4-H Motto: The 4-H motto is “To Make the Best Better”. This motto helps to encourage 4-H'ers not to settle for the present but to always strive to make things better.

4-H Symbol: The 4-H symbol is a green 4 leaf clover with a white H on each leaf representing head, heart, health and hand.

Brief History of 4-H

History of 4-H
4-H began as a simultaneous response to needs throughout the country, rather than as the idea of one individual. The goal of the program was to extend agricultural education to rural youth by organizing boys and girls clubs and through "learning by doing."

Early Development
The roots of 4-H began at the turn of the century when progressive educators started to emphasize the needs of young people and to introduce nature study as a basis for a better agricultural education. Boys and girls clubs and leagues were established in schools and churches to meet these needs. To spark the interest of young people, Farmers Institutes cooperated with school superintendents by promoting production contests, soil tests and plant identification. By March 1904 several boys and girls clubs had already exhibited projects. Most states organized clubs outside the schools with rural parents acting as volunteer leaders and County Extension agents provided materials. Farmers saw the practical benefits and public support and enthusiasm for 4-H grew throughout the nation.

Formal Establishment of 4-H
Congressional appropriations to the state land-grant institutions began in 1912 for development of early Extension work within the states. In 1914, the Smith-Lever Act established the Cooperative Extension System within the USDA, the state land-grant universities and the counties. Since the early legislation Congress has continued to support 4-H.

Recent History
Through the years, the overall objective of 4-H has remained the same: the development of youth as individuals and as responsible and productive citizens. Nationally, 4-H has more than 6.8 million members. 4-H serves youth through a variety of methods:

• organized clubs
• 4-H special interest or short term-groups
• 4-H school enrichment programs
• 4-H instructional TV
• 4-H camping
• 4-H activities
• 4-H centers or
• as individual members

4-H Name
The first use of the term "4-H Club" in a federal document appeared in 1918 in a bulletin written by Gertrude L. Warren. By 1924, wider usage of the name "4-H" was adopted. This was used thereafter throughout the world.

4-H Emblem
The first emblem design was a three-leaf clover, introduced by O.H. Benson, sometime between 1907-08. From the beginning, the three "H's" signified Head, Heart and Hands. A four-leaf clover design with H's appeared around 1908. In 1911, Benson referred to the need for four H's -- suggesting that they stand for "Head, Heart, Hands, and Hustle. . . head trained to think, plan and reason; heart trained to be true, kind and sympathetic; hands trained to be useful, helpful and skillful; and the hustle to render ready service, to develop health and vitality. . . " In 1911, 4-H club leaders approved the present 4-H design. O.B. Martin is credited with suggesting that the H's signify Head, Heart, Hands and Health -- universally used since then. The 4-H emblem was patented in 1924 and Congress passed a law protecting the use of the 4-H name and emblem in 1939, slightly revised in 1948.