4-H's Responsibility: A Case Study

All aspects of 4-H help to better our nation's youth through leadership and responsibility-building opportunities and provide youth with personal development opportunities through livestock contests, public speaking competitions, and more. 4-H is the largest youth development program in the country, consisting of over six million youth. (S1 "4-H." - Positive Youth Development and Mentoring Organization. N.p., n.d. Web. 21 Oct. 2015.) 4-H values volunteerism, personal leadership, and responsibility, hence a popular 4-H saying, “the revolution of responsibility”. (S3 "4-H History Preservation Program." 4H History Preservation News. N.p., n.d. Web. 23 Oct. 2015. ) The more than 100-year-old history of 4-H is vast and eventful. The first

At the turn of the century, in 1901, an Ohio school principal, A.B. Graham, began introducing vocational agriculture classes into his schools, in addition to forming clubs outside of school. In 1902, however, 4-H was officially established. Graham formed clubs revolving around agriculture, and these clubs included a group of officers, projects, record keeping requirements, and meetings, in collaboration with Ohio State University and the Ohio Agricultural Experiment Station. O.H. Benson and Jesse Field Shambaugh designed a three-leaf clover design for the first 4-H symbol. During 1904, 4-H clubs began to form and develop across the country, in states such as Iowa, Georgia, and Indiana. These young 4-H clubs started out as “corn clubs” with “corn-growing contests”. Starting around 1905, the young 4-H clubs began to expand to new areas of interest, such as community service, sewing, baking, and more. Also in 1905, the Nebraska Girls’ Domestic Science Association developed, becoming a precursor for the future 4-H organization. One of the Nebraska Girls Domestic Science Association’s

Thomas M. Campbell, an assistant of George Washington Carver, was hired to work with African Americans and establish 4-H clubs with them. In 1909, a County Life Commission Report strongly urged Congress to establish Agricultural Extension Services through the land grant universities, but it was ignored. The development of these Extension services still occurred on their own, however. Continuing to move forward into new club developments, in 1909, the USDA outlined a plan to establish and organize girls’ tomato canning clubs. In 1910, canning clubs were being established in Virginia, and in 1912, there were more than 23,000 all over the United States. By 1914, 4-H clubs had been established in all 50 states. One of the most important events in 4-H history occurred from 1914-1917- the Cooperative Extension Service was established by the Smith Lever Act. After the passing of this act, local leaders and