2004 Year in Review

4-H Stories

Travis Dirks at 4-H Sheep Show

Joan Gascoigne (mom) recording Jacob Baker’s Food Project

Karl Miller showing pigs at the 4-H Swine Show with cousin Whitney Lindskog.

Michael Benson with rabbit trophy

Throughout this week stories will be added that have been written by local 4-Her's on experiences and what 4-H means to them.

What 4-H Has Done For Me
By: Tobi Drilling, Age 13
Hume Happy Hustlers
Tampico, IL

What do you think of when you hear the words 4-H? If you think of farmers, cows and pigs you are wrong. 4-H is so much more than that. How about computers, child care, rocketry, citizenship and photography just to name a few!

The four H’s stand for Head, Heart, Hands and Health. Your Head is used for thinking. You can learn so much from 4-H by taking a variety of different projects. Your Heart is for greater loyalty. In 4-H you make a lot of different projects along with you make a lot of new friends. Some of them you may not see often, but you will always remember them. Your Hands are for larger service. In 4-H we do many different community service events. For instance, in December each member delivers one dozen cookies to the elderly and then sings Christmas Carols to them. Your Health is for living a healthy lifestyle. In 4-H you learn a lot about fitness and nutrition. We are always playing games to keep us active.

4-H has done so much for me. It has given me great knowledge and life-long friends.

4-H…Another Outlook
By: The Gascoigne Family; Matthew, Christopher & Sarah;
Age 16, 15 & 10
Genesee Hillbillies
Sterling, IL

My name is Sarah and my brothers are Matthew and Christopher, we have been in 4-H for 3 years. We have great times doing all the things that go on during the 4-H year. I asked my brothers what they liked best about 4-H and here is what they had to say.

Matthew said, “I like working with the animals. I learn how to take care of them, what they need to eat and keeping the pens clean and making sure they get exercise. It is always something to see when we try to halter break a new calf, sometimes the calf ends up dragging you. However with patience and hard work you will eventually be walking your calf like you should.”

Christopher said “ I like working with the animals. Pigs are my favorite. I would like to show my pigs at the county fair sometime. You don’t have to work with them as much as cows but I do still practice walking them around so they get used to it. I also like that we do things as a group. This year our club went to the Field of Dreams and Maquoketa Caves and had a great time! When I first joined, the talks and demonstrations that you have to give worried me but now I think that it helped me even in school. I am not so afraid to give a talk now.”

I like doing the different workshops that we have. Making baskets, sewing and cooking. Everything we do we can then use at the 4-H Show. I also like that we do community service. It makes us better and we help other people. I also love my animals and working with them. 4-H is fun and there is so much to do. My mom says that doing things as a family and as a group will make us better people and the talks will give us confidence and learning new things will make us want to learn new things and she is right. 4-H is a great thing and even if you cannot have animals there is still a lot of things that you can do. I think everyone would like 4-H and should give it a try.

4-H…A Family Event
By: Dirks Family, Dustin (Age 15), Ashlee (Age 13) & Travis (Age 11)
Genesee Hillbillies
Morrison, IL

Each member of the Dirks Family of five has been a 4-H member. Now, Kyle and Sherri are 4-H Leaders of the Genesee Hillbillies 4-H Club in Coleta, Illinois. Thus for this article I interviewed my family members.

Kyle: What has been your most memorable time during your 4-H career? My most memorable time was when I won Grand Champion with my Black Angus Steer. I proceeded to take my steer to the Illinois State Fair in Springfield, Illinois. I also was very surprised there when I won Grand Champion.

Kyle: What has 4-H taught you as an adult?
4-H has taught me how to become a better person and make new challenging decisions in my every day life.

Sherri: Does 4-H make you a better person?
Yes, it has made me more responsible and taught me to continue things even if it is not going the way you planned.

Sherri: Does 4-H bring families closer together?
Yes, 4-H is a family orientated activity. It takes parents or adults to teach younger children responsibilities, new task, and to overcome problems in their daily life skills.

Dustin (Age 15): How has 4-H changed your life?
4-H has changed my life by getting the experiences within the agricultural field. This has lead me to take agriculture classes in school, which I really have enjoyed.

Dustin (Age 15): What was your favorite project you have taken, and what did you learn from it?
My favorite 4-H project is swine. I have learned to take responsibility for caring, feeding and housing my swine. This year I am taking the next step by farrowing six sows that were showed at the 4-H show last year.

Ashlee (Age 13): What can you carry over into your adult life that you have learned in 4-H?
I can carry over the skills of responsibilities of working with younger and older people, keeping accurate records and general life skills for survival.

Ashlee (Age 13): Would you recommend 4-H to any other children?
Yes! It has fun activities along with learning how to do different kind of projects such as baking, communications, leadership, sewing and horticulture. You also get to meet other people from different counties and become friends.

Ashlee (Age 13): Have you seen anything rewarding out of 4-H?
Yes, I have had rewarding experiences such as becoming a Whiteside County Federation secretary and becoming an ambassador this year. I also have been Top Junior Exhibitor, State Fair Delegate and Best of Show in a few of my projects I have taken during my 4-H career.

Travis (Age 11): What responsibility has 4-H taught you to carry out through your school years?
It has taught me to keep accurate data for later resources.

Travis (Age 11): What has been your most memorable moments in 4-H?
My most memorable moments were when I won top Junior Exhibitor for two years and then the next year I was an alternate to the Illinois State Fair for my woodworking project.

Travis (Age 11): Has 4-H been a challenge for you?
Yes, it has been challenging by getting all of my projects done by July to exhibit at the 4-H Show.

What 4-H Can Do For You
By: Michael Benson, Age 14
Cottonwood 4-H Club
Morrison, IL

I have been in 4-H now for about six years, not including two years in Cloverbuds, which is for children not old enough to join 4-H. While being in 4-H, I have learned a lot from how to speak in front of a crowd to learning how to set up a rabbit for showing. You can also meet new people from around the county that are also in 4-H.

Over the years I have taken many different projects for 4-H. Some of the projects I have done include visual arts, horticulture, passport to the world, crops and soils, and wildlife conservation. Other projects that are offered include bicycle safety, rocketry, and clothing design just to name a few. Even Cloverbuds can do certain projects like visual arts. Animal projects that are offered are rabbits, beef , dairy, swine, sheep, horse, cats and dogs. In July you bring your project or projects to the 4-H Show to have your project(s) judged.

4-H can teach you many things. People can learn how to do a visual presentation by doing a talk and demo. By doing projects for the 4-H Show you can learn how to do many things that you may never have learned how to do, in just a matter of two to three years. Another thing that I have learned is how to speak Swedish, German and Dutch by leading activities for our club’s annual “mock trip” to a certain country to learn about their culture.

4-H also offers many opportunities to meet people from around the county that are also in 4-H. The biggest one is most obviously the 4-H Show. Another is 4-H Camp where members can go to Camp White Eagle and spend four days learning about things like archery, making tie-dye shirts, canoeing, rock climbing, first aid and making plaster mask. Another is 4-H Softball, where clubs play each other not for bragging rights over the other, but to have fun and get some good exercise. Another event is Magnificent Monday, where you can go to workshops hosted by other 4-H members and learn things like how to show cattle or make brownies.

I have only listed a few things that 4-H has to offer.

To learn more about how you can join 4-H, ask a local club leader or contact the University of Illinois Extension office at 815/772-4075.

by  Editor, theCity1.com
October 7, 2004