An environment where adults set up conditions so that youth can make critical decisions and learn about skills, thus helping them to gain a sense of confidence and self presence ...
Tiffany Meyer, a military spouse associated with Hill Air Force Base, knows what that brought to her own life and would like to pass the tradition on with a 4-H horse club for active military youth and their friends, an Outdoor Recreation club, and even possibly a garden plot club.
Meyer knows from her own experience that as young participants demonstrate their knowledge and share their talents, "actually teaching others about your skills that you're learning," brings out that confidence and leadership.
Her mom was a 4-H leader when she and her sister were growing up, and Meyer says that the friendships and networking she has maintained since then have proven to be a great resource. Service activities and demonstrations help round out the activities while participants observe parliamentary procedure in their meetings and learn to speak in front of others about their projects.
Youth in the horse club will get a chance to learn other project skills and the Outdoor Rec club will offer the chance to learn survival skills, camping, fishing, archery and hunter safety. Meyer also is leading a small animals project club giving military youth a chance to polish their skills in caring for their dogs and cats and other household pets.
Meyer said an Airman has stepped forward as volunteer leader for the Outdoor Recreation project club but she would like volunteers for the gardening project club and sees the potential for rotating care of a garden plot donated by Outdoor Recreation if there is sufficient interest.
If a community club were to be organized, Meyer anticipates even more projects could become available, although any project interest could be employed in any of the clubs under the adult volunteer's supervision.
During the winter months, most meetings are held once a month -- six meetings are the minimum to be held during any year, but she anticipates more activities when school is out. "During the summer months, that's when it gets a little busier, especially if you're doing the horse (project club) -- we have five shows during the summer so kids are wanting to practice every week."
The 4-H organization is an outgrowth of the land grant colleges set up to teach adults agricultural and other skills. As county extension agencies grew along with agricultural science and knowledge, there was an interest in teaching the skills earlier and the 4-H program was set up.
Children as young as 5 years old can participate in Cloverbuds, and participation in 4-H itself begins at age 8 and can continue through age 19.
Anyone ages 8 years to 19 years of age can join the horse project club, she said.
Also, with the surrounding communities, she estimates there are several afterschool groups of 4-H which assist youth with academic skills and other projects. "We have schools all around Davis (County) they can check into," Meyer said.
If you've ever attended a county or state fair, you can see some of the results of 4-H efforts, involving such things as sewing projects, as well as the more traditional livestock and gardening exhibits.
For a youth involved in the horse project club, each youth works with one horse -- whether it is leased by their family, they own the animal or they have made arrangements with the owner so the child is the only one training with it for 4-H. The youth can then compete with that horse in five horse shows during the summer.
The 4-H program year begins Oct. 1 and runs through Sept. 30 of the next calendar year, so this is the logical time for children pick up a new skill, or for adults to become volunteer leaders.
Yearly fees for youth membership in general are $5, and for the horse project club are $7. For adult volunteers the first year is $10, which includes the cost of a background check. The fee is $3 a year thereafter.
For more information about the project clubs, call Meyer at (801) 451-3516 or e-mail her at tiffany.meyer@usu.edu.
For more information about 4-H, visit the Web sites at www.4h.org or www.utah4h.org.
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