4H: Loyalty, Values, And Health

I. 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.
A. This is the 4-H pledge, which was made in 1927 at a 4-H camp, the four Hs in 4-H stand for Head, Heart, Hands, and Health. The members in 4-H work on these four values through fun and engaging programs.
B. 4-H is where boys and girls get together where they set goals to accomplish projects that interest them. 4-H is about taking on responsibilities and helping in your community.
C. The 4-H colors are green and white. Green is nature’s most common color and represents youth, life, and growth. White symbolizes purity and high ideals.
D. I was a member of 4-H
Such as our club, made Christmas ornaments for the elderly in our community nursing home.
C. 4-H’s mission is to engage the youth to reach their fullest potential while advancing the field of youth development.
D. When the boys and girls enroll in 4-H they develop knowledge and skills by doing projects or activities in livestock production, gardening, and health or just about anything you can think of. As they continue to grow, their interests begin to broaden.
E. Usually in the summer the counties hold a county fair where the kids bring in their projects or animals to be judged.
i. The judge asks them about their projects, how they made their projects, or what their goals were with their projects. ii. After the judges, have talked to you, they decide whether you receive a blue, red, or white ribbon. iii. If the judge really likes your project you might even be awarded with a trophy, a purple ribbon, and maybe have your project sent to the State Fair.
II. 4-H officially began in 1902, when Albert Belmont Graham had his first meeting to show the farm kids that there was science in farming.
A. He wanted boys and girls to accept the challenge of the life around
My experiences in 4-H have shaped me into the person I am today.
A. When I was in 4-H, I held many offices within my club. Being president of my club helped me to become confident with talking in front of people and helped me with responsibility.
B. Making projects for the fair made me set goals to get the projects done on time. Especially since I was so busy with sports like softball. Since both 4-H and softball were in the summer.
C. Not everyone does record books but since my mom was the leader she made me do them.
i. Record books were made at the end of the year to document how each year went and to document how you went about doing your projects. ii. Doing my record books helped me become more organized and detailed oriented.
D. I wouldn’t be able to do this speech if it wasn’t for 4-H. 4-H gave me the confidence to speak in front of other people when I had to give presentations in front of my club.
V. Just because you aren’t in the age range doesn’t mean you can’t participate in 4-H.
A. It’s never too late to get involved and make a difference.
B. Locate your local county extension office and ask what you can do to volunteer.
C. Go to www.4-h.org to find out more and get