Cindi Huggenberger, age 12, of Emerson, Neb., for her question:
HOW DID THE 4 H CLUBS BEGIN?
Young people between the ages of 9 and 19 may join community groups called 4 H. The motto of the organization is "Make the Best Better.'' And here's their pledge: " I pledge my Head to clear 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.''
More than 80 countries have 4 H clubs. There are 5.5 million young people in the organization in the United States and about 75,000 in Canada.
The 4 H clubs are organizations that help youngsters learn useful skills, serve their communities and have fun together. Members have no special uniforms but wear a clover with four leafs, each printed with the letter H. The letters stand for Head, Heart, Hands and Health.
Every 4 H member carries out at least one project each year. Originally, most members were rural youngsters, and the projects dealt with livestock, crops, farm machinery, forestry or marketing. City members can take on projects dealing with clothing, food, home improvements, photography or woodworking.
The 4 H movements started in the late 1890s. A naturalist at Cornell University named Liberty Hyde Bailey had started publishing nature study leaflets in 1896. Educators in a number of states used the leaflets to help teach farm children useful skills.
In 1902 a township school superintendent named A.B. Graham in Ohio began the first club that is much like today's 4 H organizations. Regular meetings were held and members worked on projects dealing with corn, other vegetables and soil testing. And in the same year, a county school superintendent named O.J. Kern started a club in Winnebago County in Illinois. During the early 1900s, the clubs boomed across North America.
Clubs in Iowa came up with the green clover emblem with white H's in 1910. Then, during the early 1920s, agricultural clubs throughout the United States officially adopted the 4 H emblem and the name 4 H Club.
The first Canadian club began in 1913 but it was not officially organized nationally until 1931, and the 4 H name wasn't adopted until 1952.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture encouraged the formation of clubs during the first 20 years of this century. Club work was directed by Seaman Knapp at first and soon land grant colleges joined with the Agriculture Department in sponsoring clubs. In 1914 an act granted states federal funds to organize agricultural clubs, and soon each state set up its own club department.