What did the 4-H Supply Service Sell 90 Years Ago?

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The following story is from the July 2015 issue of the 4-H History Preservation Newsletter



What was your first image of the 20 dozen paper hats that were the first item ordered from the National 4-H Supply service? The editor of this Newsletter was thinking of something like this:

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But when we looked in the 1926 4-H Handy Book, which was the National 4-H Catalog at the time, we found that not only was this paper hat available. But there were also these then-fashionable wonders:

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The paper hat on the left is described as “being suitable for either boys or girls. Makes fine appearance in a parade or at a 4-H club banquet.”




As we looked through the 1926 4-H Handy Book we found that it was a lot like today’s smart phone. It was designed to be the size and shape to fit into a pocket or a lady’s purse and included the following information:

  • Club Work — What It Is
  • The National Club Emblem
  • The National Club Motto
  • The National 4-H Club Colors
  • 4-H Club Pledge
  • Ritual (review of what the emblem means)
  • Flag Salute (Pledge of Allegiance)
  • Facts About Club Work
  • 4-H Club Initiation Ceremony (2 page description)
  • 4-H Club Songs (36 of these)
  • 4-H Equipment (7 pages of 27 items)
  • Achievement Day Suggestions (2 pages)


4-H_Handy_Book_1926
4-H_Handy_Book_1937


The Handy Book continued to be produced by the National 4-H Supply Service until sometime in the 1940’s when it became only a catalog. PDF files of the contents of several of the handy books as well as more history of the National 4-H Supply Service are available at

http://4-HHistoryPreservation.com/History/Supply_Service/

SS_Pennant

Somebody was Inspired When They Founded the 4-H Club

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The above quote is from Will Rogers in 1934. Known worldwide as a humorist, a social commentator, performer and motion picture actor, he was one of the best known American’s of that decade. The best paid actor in Hollywood, making 71 movies. He traveled around the world three times; and, as a syndicated columnist, he wrote more than 4,000 columns.

The people adored Rogers and listened to what he had to say… and, he had a lot to say. Here is what he had to say about 4-H:


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“With all the haywire ideas we have, ever once in a while we hit on a good one. I was down to the Los Angeles livestock show, and I saw these hundreds of farmer boys that had fattened and cared for a calf, or pig, or sheep, themselves. It’s a thing called the 4-H Club. Somebody was inspired when they founded that. It’s all over the

Beginning of IFYE (International Farm Youth Exchange)

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The following story is from the National Compendium of 4-H Promotion and Visibility on the National 4-H History website at

http://4-HHistoryPreservation.com/History/4-H_Promotion/

 As reported in the Wessel book, 4-H: An American Idea, in the fall of 1946 Ed Aiton (a member of the National 4-H Staff at USDA) had been assigned to look into the possibility of international farm youth exchange programs. At nearly the same time, O. T. Norris of the Young Farmer’s Clubs of Great Britain was visiting in Washington. Prior to the war, the United States and Great Britain had exchanged dairy judging teams and Norris was interested in seeing the exchange renewed. Very quickly the two ideas coalesced into a general exchange of farm youth.

Here are the British visitors. From left, 21-year-old Hywel Evans; Stanley A. B. Gray, 20; William Edge, 21; group leader John L. Cornah, 23; Kenneth J. Osborne, 21 and Alexander Campbell, 20.

Here are the British visitors. From left, 21-year-old Hywel Evans; Stanley A. B. Gray, 20; William Edge, 21; group leader John L. Cornah, 23; Kenneth J. Osborne, 21 and Alexander Campbell, 20.

Until more plans could be made, the two agreed that a visit of several young English farmers to the National 4-H Congress in Chicago would be a good interim idea. The young men traveled to Chicago and were very much impressed with the Congress and discussed the idea of a general international exchange. At the Stevens Hotel (later Conrad Hilton), Aiton invited the gathered state 4-H winners to donate funds in order to send seven American farmers to Great Britain the next year. The delegates were enthusiastic with the suggestion and started taking up a collection right there during the assembly; from the balcony surrounding the auditorium 4-H’ers from across the country were dropping dollar bills, showering down on the delegates below, supporting the effort. The generosity of the 4-H delegates provided the initial contribution for sending the Americans to Great Britain in 1948, starting the International Farm Youth Exchange (IFYE) which officially began in July of that year.

1950 returning IFYE delegates meet with the Grocery Manufacturers of America.

1950 returning IFYE delegates meet with the Grocery Manufacturers of America.

For more information about the history of 4-H International Programs please visit http://4-HHistoryPreservation.com/History/International_Programs/

Teen Filmmakers Exhibit and Learn at 2015 FilmFest 4-H – article plus photo

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The following story is from the July 2015 issue of the 4-H History Preservation Newsletter

This national 4-H film festival, in its 5th year, and the new “Map Your 4-H History, described above,” are examples of “Contemporary 4-H History:” programs which are now creating 4-H history.

Director/actor role plays “getting into the moment” with attendees at FilmFest 4-H last month in St. Louis.

Director/actor role plays “getting into the moment” with attendees
at FilmFest 4-H last month in St. Louis.

Teenage filmmakers from 14 states exhibited 24 youth-produced films at this year’s FilmFest 4-H in St. Louis, June 14-17. Teens and leaders participated in the educational programs at the festival which included viewing on an actual theater screen and discussing the teen-produced films and joining in a series of workshops conducted by film industry professionals.

Among the many highlights:

  • Special pre-release screenings of “Bat Kid” and “Marshall the Miracle Dog;”
  • Director Jay Kanzler and Actors Bill Chott,Cyndi Willenbock and the star ‘Marshall the Miracle Dog’ demonstrated taking the film from conception to the screen;
  • Erica Ibsen, 4-H alum from Montana shared her experience of working as an actress in Hollywood;
  • Patrick Voss of VFX Productions and his team showed participants what they do with creature creation and sculpture to digital animation to create special effects for movies and television;
  • Jeff Lewis, makeup artist and six-time Emmy nominee put youth into the role of the makeup artist; and
  • Trish Seifried, animal trainer, taught youth how to prepare their own dog or cat for a starring role.

The 24 films were pre-selected by judges to be viewed at the festival in five categories: Narrative, 4-H Promotional, Animation, “Voices of 4-H History,” and Documentary. The top three in each category were recognized during the program along with a vote for the audience favorite.

According to Tom Tate, the History Team’s representative at the festival, “2015 FilmFest 4-H prepared future leaders to communicate more effectively in changing times.” An attending adult said “From my perspective as a mom and as a 4-H advisor, this was the best 4-H event that I have ever attended, in 10 years as a 4-H’er myself and 20 years as an advisor — inspirational, encouraging yet realistic, empowering, and just plain cool. Getting to see “Bat Kid” and “Marshall the Miracle Dog” before nearly everyone else was so neat!” And a youth participant joined in with “The amount of information you learn from the guests and the privilege of screening new films is wonderful. What can I say? Even if you don’t think you are interested in film making, if you go they will reel you in.”

The two top place films from the “Voices of 4-H History” category were selected for viewing at this year’s festival:

  • Emmy Beck-Aden, (OH), “Generations Coming Together;” and
  • Brian Sailors and Kristen Khlifi, (GA), “Interview with Doris Belcher.”

The National 4-H History Preservation Program provides sponsorship to FilmFest 4-H as part of its “Voices of 4-H History” initiative. For more information, visit

http://4-HHistoryPreservation.com/voices/

The Greatest Story Ever Told

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The following story is from the National Compendium of 4-H Promotion and Visibility on the National 4-H History website — http://4-HHistoryPreservation.com/History/4-H_Promotion/

NCN_1953-12_Pg21_AFC-E-Evers

Airman First Class Eugene E. Evers

 This traditionally is not a story about 4-H promotion. But it conveys the impact a story can have. Printed, and reprinted, in the national 4-H magazine, National 4-H News, not once but three times over the course of several years, with the heading at least once as “The Greatest Story Ever Told,” it represents a certain type of 4-H-related story that has appeared from time to time throughout 4-H’s long history.

Eugene Evers grew up on a farm in Forest Grove, Oregon. An 8-year 4-H’er, his father was the club leader. His 13 brothers and sisters were all members.

Eugene’s main project was his Holstein dairy herd. He milked 30 cows a day and was assistant secretary of the Oregon State Holstein Association, although still in his teens. With these qualifications he won a trip to the 1949 National 4-H Congress in Chicago where he was selected a national dairy winner, winning a scholarship.

A year later Eugene Evers enlisted in the Air Force and was sent to the Orient. He was reported missing in action over North Korea in July, 1952, being captured after volunteering for a mission.

Airman Evers became a prisoner 36 hours after his plane went down and was placed in solitary confinement for seven months. He was then transferred to Mudken, China, and again placed in solitary confinement, allowed to leave his 9 x 12 foot cell only twice during the next 7 months… for interrogation.

The 14 months Eugene was in solitary confinement was not at any time in a prison camp, a fact considered by the military as meted out only to prisoners deserving the most severe treatment.

His family received no word about the young man. His sister recalls that late every afternoon as they were milking cows, the radio would announce the names of any prisoners of war which had been released. The young brothers and sisters would sit on the bales of straw and anxiously listen to the report… but never any mention of their brother.

Then, one day the announcer casually read off the name of Eugene Evers from Oregon. His sister said “it was like the 4th of July as they all hugged each other and cried, before racing to the house to inform their parents.

After getting home, one of Eugene’s best buddies, who had also been to National 4-H Congress with him… Bill Headrick, asked a pointed question: “What did you do to occupy your mind during those 14 months all by yourself? Eugene Evers had a ready answer:

“I relived my trip to the Chicago 4-H Club Congress. I recalled all the experiences and discussions we had during that trip. Sometimes, in my mind’s eye, I got as many as five or six people in on the discussions, talking all at once.”

This is how Airman Eugene Evers kept his sanity… reliving his experiences and those discussions at 4-H Congress – over and over and over again.

We often hear delegates to Congress, to 4-H Conference, and other 4-H events describe their experience as “A Precious Lifetime Memory.” More so than we realize. But national dairy winner Eugene Evers from Forest Grove, Oregon’s story undoubtedly must be near the top of the list. In some ways it really may be the greatest 4-H story ever told.

4-H: An American Idea 1900-1980 and The 4-H Story

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The following story is from the National Compendium of 4-H Promotion and Visibility on the National 4-H History website — http://4-HHistoryPreservation.com/History/4-H_Promotion/

There have been two major authoritative history books published at the national level on 4-H during the first 100 years of its existence.

“4-H: an American Idea 1900-1980, A History of 4-H,” was written by Thomas Wessel and Marilyn Wessel, and published by National 4-H Council in 1982, in cooperation with the Cooperative Extension Service. It documents the record of excellence of the nation’s largest youth educational organization, recounting 80 years of change, evolving from a program primarily concerned with improving agricultural production and food preservation to one dedicated to the development of young people. It follows the expansion of 4-H from an almost exclusively rural organization to one serving young people wherever they live – in the city, small town, suburb or on the farm.

Prior to the Wessel book, the major history on 4-H was “The 4-H Story, A History of 4-H Club Work” written by Franklin M. Reck and published by the National 4-H Service Committee in 1951.

The Wessel book does not replace the Reck book, but reinforces it and brings the history 30 years closer to the present.

Frank Reck, author of "The 4-H Story" stays busy autographing his history book for delegates at the 1951 National 4-H Congress. (From January 1952 National 4-H News)

Frank Reck, author of “The 4-H Story” stays busy autographing his history book for delegates at the 1951 National 4-H Congress. (From January 1952 National 4-H News)

Together, they make good resources on 4-H, although neither had the luxury of space to tell the “whole story” on the many faceted areas of 4-H history. Both histories are digitized and appear in the books archives of the 4-H History website.

National 4-H Sunday

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The following story is from the National Compendium of 4-H Promotion and Visibility on the National 4-H History website — http://4-HHistoryPreservation.com/History/4-H_Promotion/

Throughout much of its history, and particularly during the mid-20th century, 4-H had celebrated National 4-H Sunday and Rural Life Sunday. Held in the spring, 4-H clubs in hundreds of communities worked closely with the community church to provide the 4-H-driven church service. Members of the local 4-H club would serve as greeters, ushers, provide the choir, give the scripture readings and even the sermon. This was perfectly acceptable. After all, in the traditional homogenous rural population everyone knew everyone else; went to the same school, the same church, and belonged to the same 4-H Club.

However, by the 1970s, federal court actions more narrowly defined the separation of church and state, and 4-H had to reassess its policies. The reassessment was hastened by the recognition that the new audiences that 4-H was bringing in did not necessarily share the common religious values presumed to exist in rural America.

What had been a major, highly visible annual function in rural communities across America – National 4-H Sunday – would rapidly disappear.

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4-H History Preservation Newsletter
July 2015

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County_Agent

Norman Rockwell painted the “The County Agent” for the cover of Saturday Evening Post. The people pictured were an actual county agent, 4-H family and their hired man.

Unusual summer rains didn’t dampen the 4th of July crowd’s spirit on DC’s National Mall!


Declaration of Independence… July 4 or August 2?

As we all know, the US Congress adopted the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776. However, even though independence had been declared, delegates to the Continental Congress had not yet signed the document. It wasn’t until August 2, 1776, that the Declaration of Independence became official.


National 4-H Supply Service

 How old is the National 4-H Supply Service? Who was its very first customer and which 4-H products were the first items to be sold? You can find out inside.



The County Agent

 The iconic Normal Rockwell painting, “The County Agent”, illustrating 4-H projects of an Indiana farm family, was first published as a Saturday Evening Post cover. Can you guess the publication date?


Hands-on . . .

 “Hands-on History” this month features photography, a great way to visualize the important and fun parts of your 4-H history.



IFYE (International Farm Youth Exchange)

Though 4–H entered the international arena as early as 1935, it wasn’t until years later that the first exchange of farm youth took place. IFYE (International Farm Youth Exchange) was born in 1948.


Map Your 4-H History

“2015 FilmFest 4-H” and “Map your 4-H History” highlight two examples of “Contemporary 4-H History,” current nation-wide programs that are now making 4-H History.


The July 4th fireworks are over in this marvelously independent country and the 4-H summer season is underway. Amid the hard work and deserved fun, enjoy this issue!

4-H Hijacking – A Promotion Program

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The following story is from the National Compendium of 4-H Promotion and Visibility on the National 4-H History Website at http://4-HHistory.com/?h=4-H_Promotion

Through time, some 4-H’ers have welcomed visitors with a more subtle approach such as is depicted in this 1959 National 4-H Calendar.

Through time, some 4-H’ers have welcomed visitors with a
more subtle approach such as is depicted in this 1959 National
4-H Calendar.

Technically, this wasn’t a national promotion program, but doing research on 4-H promotion history, the story was featured in the June, 1953, issue of National 4-H News, so it did get nationwide exposure. It was a creative way to teach hospitality and promote the local Georgia 4-H program at the same time. Actually, creative may not exactly be the correct word – “bizarre” might be more fitting. But, remember, this was over 60 years ago. Life was slower. Things were different.

The way the story goes: minding their own business, admiring Georgia’s pine trees, cotton fields and magnolias, and looking forward to two weeks in Florida, Mr. and Mrs. E. F. Brooks of Veedersburg, Indiana, were driving peacefully along US Highway 1 when a policeman’s whistle frightened them to a stop near the city limits of Swainsboro, Georgia.

“What have we done wrong now?” they wondered aloud. Nothing! Emanuel county 4-H’ers just wanted to practice their good neighbor policy on them. It was Saturday and time for another good neighbor night program at the county’s new $25,000 clubhouse.

Through time, some 4-H’ers have welcomed visitors with a more subtle approach such as is depicted in this 1959 National 4-H Calendar.

Mr. and Mrs. Brooks were the nineteenth couple to be guests of the local 4-H Clubs. The youngsters, getting good neighbor training, and promoting 4-H at the same time, had hosted tourists from 10 states and Canada over the course of months. 4-H’ers competed to get the opportunity to play host and hostess each week. Sara Ellen Phillips, 15, and Loy Cowart, Jr., 17, were the lucky hostess and host for Mr. and Mrs. Brooks. They showed the tourists to their room, reserved in advance at a motor court, and then they began a tour of interesting local points. (Apparently, the Brooks were spending the night in Swainsboro whether they wanted to or not.)

The visitors saw 27,000 barrels of resin at the processing plant and heard explanations of other pine tree uses. They appeared on a radio program over station WJAT, and Mr. Brooks was even a disc jockey for a while. Then they toured the new hospital, saw the livestock auction barn, and took a look at some cotton gins, though Mrs. Brooks had already picked a boll of cotton for herself. And they ate steaks at a local restaurant. At the 4-H Clubhouse that night the guests received a box of Emanuel county products – canned goods, pecans and articles made by home demonstration clubsters. Other features of this regular Saturday night good neighbor event sometimes included a talent show.

For Mr. and Mrs. Brooks the whole thing was something they never expected to experience on their way to the “Sunshine State.” And when they left Swainsboro after Sunday breakfast, they were probably tempted to spend the whole two weeks right there with the 4-H’ers who had been so nice to them (the article said).

Imagine if someone tried that today!

National 4-H Center Becomes a Reality

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http://4-HHistoryPreservation.com/History/4-H_Center/June 16, 1959 is a date etched high up on the calendar of 4-H history. It was on that day that President Dwight D. Eisenhower stepped onto the portico of then-Smith Hall and cut the green and white ribbons hanging between the two center pillars, officially opening the National 4-H Club Center.

He had just finished addressing an audience of more than 800 people, including delegates and leaders attending the 29th National 4-H Club Conference, at which time he said, “I am here just because I like the 4-H’ers.” “…because they are dedicated to do things better.

As long as we have young people of these characteristics, devoted with their hearts and their heads and their hands and their health to doing these things, America cannot be anything but successful.”

The President was assisted in cutting the ribbon by Anita Hollimer, 4-H member from New York, and Larry Dilda, 4-H member from North Carolina. Miss Hollimer presided during the morning ceremony and Dilda gave the invocation.

For a history of the National 4-H Center, including more information on the ribbon-cutting, visit http://4-HHistoryPreservation.com/History/4-H_Center/