4-H means many things depending on whom you ask. It can require different levels of commitment and countless activities, but one thing always remains the same, 4-H grows skills that you will have forever.
My year starts with a meeting. I am president of my 4-H club, Funny Farms 4-H, and we have nine members. Our first meeting is to plan the year out and get a feel for how we did as a club the year before. We talk about what animal projects we want to participate in, when applications are due, and other opportunities in 4-H. The first part of my year is choosing my animal projects. I have been involved in chicken showmanship for eight years and rabbit showmanship for six years. As a fourth grader in 4-H, you can have a market project. What that means is that you can raise an animal to sell at auction, which is the Friday of the Hood River County Fair.
In order to participate, your animal has to be born at a certain time, a certain weight, and sometimes a certain breed. This is a great way to learn about management because of the money involved. You have to buy the animal, food, and supplies, and at the end make more at the auction than what you spent. Purchasing my animal is usually what comes next after a few more meetings. I have my market animals and then my show animals. To be able to take an animal to auction you also have to show an animal of the same breed. Showmanship requires a lot of practice and memorizing facts about the health and body parts of your animal. Many of the 4-H meetings we have throughout the year contain practice of showmanship. There are a lot of things that go into animal 4-H projects.
I also participate in Leadership 4-H. Leadership can start in your club and grow to the county level, state level, and even nationally. I started as a Hood River County Ambassador and the opportunities grew from there. The meetings start at about the same time as my club meetings start. We meet, as county ambassadors, every few weekends and discuss community outreach projects and ways to promote 4-H. Locally, I have been a part of petting zoos, creating baby hats, making blankets, and participating in Tie-One-On day.
Being a county ambassador opened the door to becoming an Oregon 4-H State Ambassador. I had heard about becoming a state ambassador at the OSU 4-H Summer Conference, which happens every year in late June. To apply to be a state ambassador, you start filling out paperwork in January and then have to attend an interview at the summer conference. The first year Maddy Graham and I were recognized as the first Oregon 4-H State Ambassadors from Hood River in over 15 years.
Being a state ambassador entails monthly conference calls with other state ambassadors and planning 4-H projects statewide. I have also worked at the Oregon State Fair and participated in a 4-H National Web Seminar. This year Maddy Graham and I were also chosen as delegates to travel to 4-H National Congress this Thanksgiving with a group of other delegates from around Oregon. We are the first ever delegates chosen from Hood River County.
A year in 4-H is never ending because the fun just goes on and on. I love 4-H and what is has done for me, including public speaking, leadership traits, diligence, and confidence.
If you would like to get involved, contact the Hood River OSU Extension Office at 541-386-1520.
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