How Army 4-H Clubs
Developed:
The 4-H/Army Youth Development Project (YDP), National 4-H
Headquarters and Army Child and Youth Services partner to
provide predictable, quality youth programs and introduce
4-H to Army installations worldwide. Initiated with an
Interagency Agreement in 1995, the partnership between the
U.S. Army Community & Family Support Center (CFSC) and USDA
Cooperative State Research, Education, & Extension Service (CSREES)
links resources of the Land Grant University Extension
system to Army youth programs in pursuit of their common
mission for positive youth development experiences for
children and youth wherever they live.
What are the
Benefits?
The partnership has important benefits for the Army, 4-H,
and the American taxpayer, including:
Mission readiness—Soldiers can focus on their
mission, knowing that their children are in
safe, supervised environments with caring
adults.
Impacting new audiences—Extension/4-H is able to
reach a whole new audience of youth with 4-H
Youth Development that previously had not been
served.
Wise use of public resources—Tax dollars and
resources are used effectively by bringing
together USDA’s expertise in youth development
with the Army’s goal of becoming the nation’s
model for youth programs. |
Operation:
Military Kids:
 As the Global War on Terrorism increased military
deployments, State 4-H Military Liaisons stepped forward and
worked with Army CYS and National 4-H Headquarters to
develop a coordinated response to the special needs of
“newly military” children and of Army National Guard and
Army Reserve Soldiers. “Operation: Military Kids” (OMK) was
created in a few months, rolled out by 4-H and Army teens at
National 4-H Conference, and celebrated at a Capitol Hill
reception in April 2005 which drew nation wide media
attention. To date, $2.2 million in OMK grants have been
awarded by the USDA/Army Youth Development Project to 20
states with high rates of deployments. Another 15 states
have applied for OMK grants to be awarded in October, 2005.
The State 4-H Military Liaison serves as OMK project
director and assembles a state OMK team, whose mission is to
create sustainable state and community support networks to
educate citizens on the impact of the war and deployments on
military children and families and also to develop and
deliver educational programs for youth and families of
deployed Soldiers. As a result of their rapid response to
needs of military youth and families during high deployment
times, 4-H and Extension are being recognized as valuable
resources for quality youth and family programs and as
skilled leaders in catalyzing community action to meet
critical needs.
The Purpose of 4-H:
The purpose of 4-H is to
foster skill development in young people. Youth are given
opportunities to select from a variety of
programs and projects.
Individuality is valued, and each person is encouraged to
discover his or her own skills, talents, and interests. 4-H
helps young people learn to make decisions, think
critically, build relationships, practice leadership, and
develop a concern for their community and their world.
4-H Motto
“To Make the Best Better” was the 4-H motto proposed by
Carrie Harrison, a botanist with the U.S. Bureau of Plant
Industry. It was adopted in 1927 when the 4-H pledge was
introduced. The goal of each 4-H member is improving knowledge
and skills through 4-H project work and building better
clubs and community through community service.
4-H Colors
The 4-H colors are green and white. The white symbolizes
purity and high ideals. The green, nature’s most prominent
color symbolizes springtime, life and youth.
4-H Name
and Emblem
The 4-H Youth Development Program is represented by a
popular, recognizable image. The official emblem of 4-H
consists of a green 4-leaf clover with a right turned stem
and the letter “H” in white or gold on each leaflet. The
text, 18 U.S.C. 707, appears with the emblem. The Secretary
of the United States Department of Agriculture holds the
name and emblem in trust for the educational and
character-building purposes of the 4-H program. The 4-H name
and emblem are created and protected by Title 18 of the
United States Code, Section 707 (18 U.S.C. 707), similar to
the White House and Presidential Seals. Therefore, it may
only be used as authorized by the statute, regulations and
guidelines, and according to the authorization of the
Secretary of designated representative.
The 4-H
Pledge
The 4-H Pledge summarizes 4-H as the 4-fold development of
youth through the Head, Heart, Hands and Health. Delegates
to the 1927 National 4-H Club Camp in Washington, D.C.
adopted the pledge. The phrase, “my World” was added to the
pledge in 1973.
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. |
Head
represents:
• Thinking, planning and reasoning.
• Gaining new and valuable knowledgeable.
• Understanding the whys.
Heart
represents:
• Being concerned about the welfare of others.
• Accepting the responsibilities of citizenship.
• Determining the values and attitudes by which to live.
• Learning how to live and work with others.
• Developing positive attitudes.
Hands
represent:
• Learning new skills.
• Improving skills already known.
• Being useful, helpful and skillful.
• Developing respect for work and pride in accomplishment.
Health
represents:
• Practicing healthful living.
• Enjoying life.
• Using leisure time wisely.
• Protecting the well being of self and others.
4-H at Fort Rucker:
At Fort Rucker, we operate 4-H Clubs
throughout the school year, August through May, each year.
Club membership is open to any youth enrolled in Child and
Youth Services. We offer the designated 4-H clubs for Army
Installations. These include: Fine Arts, Photography,
Technology, and Citizenship with monthly Community Events.
These clubs were designated by the Child and Youth Services
to support the predictability of services for mobile youth
and their families. In addition to these core clubs,
additional project clubs may be offered at other times.
Membership into our 4-H Clubs is free with your Child and
Youth Services Membership. Youth are able to join clubs
according to their age group. We offer clubs at both the
Child Development Center and Youth Services building.
Families participating in Family Child Care are welcome to
bring their children to the centers for 4-H Meetings.
4-H Club Schedule for 2006-2007:
Child Development Center Clubs:
Din-o-mite Cloverbuds, 3:50-4:50 on Wednesdays
Star Cloverbuds, 3:50-4:50 on Tuesdays
School Age Services (SAS) and Middle School & Teens (MST)
Clubs:
All SAS Clubs will meet on Wednesdays from 4:00-4:45 each
day.
MST Clubs will meet on Thursdays from 4:00-4:45. |
So
that youth may participate in a variety of clubs, we will
offer 3 sessions of clubs. Youth may choose one club to
participate in per session. After the session they may
choose a new club in which to participate. Once a month, a
Community Event will be held for all youth.
Session One: 8/16 to 11/1
Session Two: 11/15 to 12/13 & 1/3
to 2/14
Session Three: 2/28 to 5/16
Clubs Offered:
MST clubs will expand on concepts and knowledge gained in SAS clubs.
Citizenship—Youth will learn communication, problem
solving, and leadership skills throughout the Club session.
This will give youth develop skills for a life-long
commitment to active citizenship.
Fine Arts—Youth will develop knowledge of the elements and
principles of design. They will work to develop skills for a
lifetime using fun, interactive activities.
Photography—Youth will learn parts of a lens camera and a
digital camera. Youth will develop photography skills and
how to take quality photos. They will also explore how to
manipulate digital photos for various effects.
Technology—Youth will explore the hardware and software of
a computer. They will learn how to use GPS/GIS systems and
work on a community project which will describe the growth
and trends of Fort Rucker over its history. |
For more information on 4-H Clubs offered at Fort Rucker,
contact the Installation 4-H Coordinator at Youth Services,
255-9108.
Useful Links:
Operation: Military Kids -
http://www.operationmilitarykids.org
National 4-H Headquarters - F4HN, CSREES-USDA-
http://www.national4-hheadquarters.gov
National 4-H Council
- http://www.fourhcouncil.edu
4-H.org - by the National 4-H
Technology Team - http://www.4-h.org
4-H USA - 4-H by Youth
for Youth - http://www.4husa.org
Alabama 4-H - http://www.aces.edu/fourh/
USDA/Army Youth Development Project –
www.usda-army-ydp.org |
