100 Reasons to Celebrate
I love the holiday season. Thanksgiving is the kickoff to great food and family time, followed by a month of planning for Christmas. There is decorating, shopping, and travel plans. It is a concentrated effort to brighten someone elses life through a present, visit, or just a thought. As you are reading this, you are probably sitting back enjoying having rung in the New Year, a day that brings a fresh start and new things to come. There is something magical about this time of year. Part of me wishes we could bottle it and celebrate all year, but the other part of me knows that if we celebrated all year, it would not be nearly as special or magical as celebrating it once a year. Imagine the magic if we celebrated only every 5 years, 10 years, or even 100 years. Now that would be truly magical.
Of course, celebrating a centennial does not happen but maybe once in a person's lifetime. If you have the opportunity to celebrate a centennial, wouldn't you want to make it magical, special, and memorable? Well in 2009, you will have that opportunity. North Carolina 4-H turns 100 this year and are we ever going to celebrate. I know many of you are reading this saying, I was not in 4-H, so I can't really help; or I wanted to be in 4-H but never knew how; or I don't know a thing about 4-H, so this doesn't apply to me. Well not so fast. We want everyone to celebrate our rich 4-H history, our strong 4-H present, and our incredible opportunities in the future. We have a place for you even if you have never been part of 4-H before. We want to include you in this celebration.
To appreciate 4-H and where we are today, there is a brief history lesson that we need to visit. There is written proof that 4-H actually began in North Carolina with a boys' corn club established in Hertford County in 1909. This club became the model for other rural youth clubs to spring up around the state. Boys' corn clubs and, by 1911, girls' tomato clubs became prevalent. By 1914, World War I changed the focus and responsibilities of young people. Suddenly there were sewing and canning clubs cropping up along with clubs dealing with raising livestock. Youth were taking on responsibilities that there fathers had previously handled, and thanks to competitions and guidance from Extension agents, these youth were able to learn and develop their interests into businesses that helped their families survive the tough time ahead. Extension agents found the youth were more open to new ideas and this made them more successful than their parents before them.
By 1929, the first North Carolina 4-H camp was opened. Swannanoa opened in Buncombe County and still exists today. It is one of five 4-H camps - Millstone located in Richmond County, Betsy-Jeff Penn located in Rockingham County, the Eastern Center located in Columbia, and Sertoma located in Westfield. The 4-H camps, then and now,offer youth the opportunity to play, learn, make decisions in a safe and nurturing environment, challenge themselves, and build their self-esteem in ways only being in a new environment can do.
In the early 1900s, the boys and girls had the chance to travel to A&M University for short courses. In 1926, that became State 4-H Club Week, and in 1968, the name changed again to how we now we refer to it, North Carolina 4-H Congress. During this week, youth travel to Raleigh and take part in workshops, develop their leadership skills, and work on community service projects.
One hundred years after we started, we still work with youth, boys and girls, in clubs (but together now); we still do animal science projects; and we still offer camping and Congress activities. Also, 4-H has grown in a 100 ways. We work with schools implementing hands-on research-based curriculum. We offer programs, such as public speaking, presentations, and entertains, that allow youth to gain communication and leadership skills. We offer college scholarships and work at, as our motto says, "Making the Best Better." Our youth have gone on to be teachers, successful business people, and even governor of this great state.
We know that right now and right here 4-H makes a difference in North Carolina and in Robeson County. We know 4-H members are 50 percent less likely to smoke cigarettes, shoplift, or use illegal drugs; they are more likely to hold a leadership position in their school or community; they are more likely to complete a college degree; and they are more likely to hold a conversation with an adult. They are gaining the skills now that they will need to be successful adults in the future.
In 2008, 3,900 youth in Robeson County took part in 4-H thanks to the help of close to 300 volunteers. What does the future hold for our organization? Judging from the past 100 years, it holds tremendous opportunities for our youth. Our centennial slogan is "We Are 4-H." Wouldn't you like to be part of this magical 4-H celebration? For more information about specific centennial celebrations or to be part of the 4-H program, please contact Shea Ann DeJarnette, Extension agent for 4-H Youth Development, at 910-671-3276.
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