4H, Scouts, etc.

[Shandeh]

...It is the first time I've joined anything since I was in 4H in elementary school..

Hey! I was in 4-H too!
"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!"

Us 4-H girls ROCK!

[bglknitter]

As another former 4H participant, I am pleased to hear others speaking of the merits of all those Club session! I took part in the CAL last year and was pleased to finish a great afghan and learn many new-to-me techniques, so I was anxious to be a part of this CAL. It didn't disappoint!! Both my husband I are so pleased with the results. I also did the Mermaid Tears bag for my granddaughter! Counting the days until the next CAL!! Thanks to Bernat and their excellent team for guiding us through this ... hats off to all of you who shared ideas and tips as well as your wonderful results!

[karenarp]

There is a discussion within another discussion or two here about former 4H members so obviously some interest in it.

I was in 4H, I don't remember any kind of pledge (like Shandeh mentioned) but I do remember being stressed out having to go to the meetings in order to be able to do other things I actually wanted to do! I remember making a skirt one year, which taught me I hate sewing garments! I wore the skirt once (cuz if I didn't wear it to church the week after I finished it I couldn't do something else (cannot even remember what I wanted in trade!)) I also remember my Grandmother helping us all learn to quilt and making one together - I think that got donated. I remember learning to bake a few things and how one time we even made a huge meal.
My 4H was more indoor domestic stuff. I hear all the time about other 4H's being more outdoors stuff with animals. Then again, I had animals all around me growing up, so why would I need to learn something I was already doing? I knew how to care for horses, cows, pigs, sheep, chickens, calves, and there may have been other animals in there too. Helps when you grow up surrounded by animal farms!

What kind of activities did you learn?
What was your 4H experience like?
Were you bribed into going or did you have to do the bribing to go?

****Scouts is for boys. Guides is the one for girls, at least that was how it used to be. My daughter did Guides, I don't know if 4H is a city thing or only a country thing? if they mix up guides and scouts they might as well do away with both and make it all one organization?

[Shandeh]

I changed the name of the topic, so that others with similar group experiences could post replies.

karenarp, it sounds like your group leader was not the best in the world, eh?
I was in LOVE with 4-H. My group leader lived on a farm, so we could see all the animals, and members could do some of their animal projects right there. I never did any of those kinds of projects, except for "dog training". The only thing I accomplished was to teach my dog to sit....but I was proud of that! He was an outside "bird dog", so he was not easy for an 11 year old girl to work with.

We did so many interesting projects in my group. One day a week, our group leader would come to the school to pick us up when school was over, so we could work on sewing projects at her house. We joked around, asked lots of questions, and made memories. Once a year, we would have a County Dress Review, where we would model the sewing project we made that year. The week before the dress review, they gave us modeling classes, hair and nail care instruction, and "charm" advice. I remember going home from one of those meetings, telling my mom all about how to take care of her fingernails. Of course, I begged her to stop at Eckerd Drugs on the way home, so I could buy some cuticle sticks, emery boards, cotton balls, nail polish, remover, and hand lotion.

Another thing I remember from 4-H was the yearly Demonstration competition. I won the county event, by doing a demonstration on how to make a banana milkshake! I titled my demonstration "How My Milk Goes Bananas!", made posters, memorized the speech I wrote, and prepared the milkshake with a blender, milk, ice cream, and a banana....then poured samples for everyone who was watching. Going to the district competition was a wonderful experience for me. I saw some amazing people, who were doing all kinds of demonstrations...some with animals, some with dairy products (like me), some with other foods or products. 4-H members of all ages were there, and I was just thrilled to be a part of it. I won 2nd place! Could not believe I could do that with a milkshake.

For the next year's demonstration competition, I made "Tacos for Breakfast"...not my choice. The county agricultural extension office commandeered my demonstration the following year, because I was their ticket to the district. They paired me with a cute brown-eyed, brown-haired boy for the demonstration. He wore a big sombrero, and I wore a peasant dress....we danced into the room together and made our tacos with eggs, cheese and veggies. Same results as the year before...won the county, placed 2nd in the district. (Funny thing....I was beat by the SAME GIRL both years at the district competition.)

Let's see.....the other thing I remember from 4-H was going to summer camp at Swannanoa Lake in the North Carolina mountains. That was a wonderful thing. We stayed there for a week, and did so many fun activities. I went there for a few years.

A lot of my friends participated in 4-H, because we couldn't afford the Girl Scouts. 4-H didn't have uniforms or badges. But, we did get ribbons and certificates. I had a boatload of them...can still look at them occasionally, in my big old scrapbook. SO glad my mom allowed me to participate in 4-H.

[Shandeh]

As another former 4H participant, I am pleased to hear others speaking of the merits of all those Club session! I took part in the CAL last year and was pleased to finish a great afghan and learn many new-to-me techniques, so I was anxious to be a part of this CAL. It didn't disappoint!! Both my husband I are so pleased with the results. I also did the Mermaid Tears bag for my granddaughter! Counting the days until the next CAL!! Thanks to Bernat and their excellent team for guiding us through this ... hats off to all of you who shared ideas and tips as well as your wonderful results!

karenarp started a 4-H discussion in the "Off Topic" area, so come share your experience with us!
viewtopic.php?f=171&t=2525
(I added "Scouts" to the title, so Girl Scouts and Boy Scouts can join in as well.)

[alwaysforyou]

Wow,Y'all,
It's like we're kin! My 4H experience was similar,Shandeh, in that we learned so much more than what we'd sign up for. But also like karenarp, I had a few less than stellar leaders for whom my mother had to order my attendance. Weirdly, it was knitting that I dreaded most, probably because it was a looooooong walk from our home in town, and the leader had at least 5 cats and likely only one litter box (the memory still haunts my dreams )
I learned how to sew, and still have my county fair blue ribbon and the truly ugly skirt and vest I made in my memory box in the attic. Because of the skills I learned from that wonderful teacher, I was able to sew my own wedding dress.
I learned how to bake, can fruits, put up jams and jellies, arrange flowers, knit and crochet. Our tiny town of less than 1,000 had very little in the way of entertainment for young kids, and many of us would have begun juvenile careers if it hadn't been for the volunteer, kind nature of the 4H leaders who kept us involved.
I also went to camp in the summer up in the "tip-of-the-thumb" in Michigan, about a mile walk to Lake Huron (with bone chilling summer water temps well below 65 degrees) and we learned swimming, life-saving and how to not kill the rude cabin mates from neighboring clubs
Truly I've been blessed to have had the opportunities I've had. Thanks for letting me cruise memory lane and share....it reminds me to be grateful Lynn

[Shandeh]

Wow, your leader taught you a LOT!
I wish we had learned to can and freeze. My mom always did that, but would never allow another soul in the kitchen when she was doing it. She complained that we were in her way. I was probably too loud and goofy...as usual.

I think it's awesome that you sewed your wedding dress. Any photos?

[svmatt]

...It is the first time I've joined anything since I was in 4H in elementary school..

Hey! I was in 4-H too!
"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!"

Us 4-H girls ROCK!

Last evening, my husband and I attended a political function, and after saying the pledge of allegiance, I started the 4-H pledge! So funny that in catching up on the weekend's activities on this forum that you would quote it! W used to say "my country" instead of my world. You are right about 4-H! It was a great life-shaper!!

[svmatt]

Congrats to all the winners--everyone did such a super job that voting was very difficult! Thanks to those who nominated and voted for me in two categories--never expected it and thoroughly enjoyed the experience! I am also one of those "'50's" 4-H'ers--camp was THE BEST!!!!!!!! and I learned to be a leader in addition to all the regular 4-H experiences.

Wouldn't it be amazing if all of the 4-H people got together and we found out we either went to camp together, or were in Washington on Citizenship shortcourse, or even State Fairs at the same time?! I was in 4-H Wisconsin in the late 50's and almost all of the 60's!

[svmatt]

I, too, would love to share with you my own 4-H experiences. Just wait until I can, though, because I just found this and it's way too late at night for me to capture in a few words! More to follow. . .