Smith-Lever Celebration Flash!

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University of Florida has just initiated a blog on significant happenings which resulted from the Smith-Lever Act which will be celebrating it’s centennial in 2014. Meet Mr. Smith and Mr. Lever, learn the facts about the act and what it accomplished. The latest entry features Tomato Canning Clubs and canning education taught by Extension throughout history. Darryl Palmer, UFL blogger invites everyone to visit:

http://blogs.ifas.ufl.edu/ifascomm/category/uf-ifas-communications/events/smith-lever/

History Preservation Newsletter
November 2013

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November 2013 4-H History Newsletter

After the rush of fairs, summer activities and achievement programs, now is a good time to focus on 4-H History (contemporary and past), documenting memories and making plans for history-related activities for next year. This month we feature:

  • “Voices of 4-H History” activities in several states and examples of how others are preparing to start History Clubs and/or film alumni, leaders, staff and supporters to capture their stories for posterity.
  • “Hands-On History” focuses on early clothing project demonstrations and fashion reviews as far back as 1919; you can add a historical note to current clothing and fashion-related work by digging into the history of these projects in your area.
  • “VIP Support” introduces you to some of the thousands of noted personalities who have lent their name and prestige to 4-H over the past 100+ years. Celebrities of all sorts – entertainers, sports stars, Presidents and public officials, authors, astronauts and others – provided valuable public awareness to the relevance and impact of the 4-H educational program across the country.

Use the Thanksgiving and Holiday breaks to re-group and plan your history activities for 2014. Pumpkin pie and history planning go well together!

Enjoy.

Clover Cinema Club to Produce Voices of 4-H History Films for Virginia

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The Clover Cinema Club, based in Prince George, Virginia, has formed a team of 4-H youth filmmakers who will be traveling to the southeast, southwest, and northern Virginia to interview former 4-H members, leaders and supporters about their 4-H memories. The young film makers will travel to the various regions during the Thanksgiving and Holiday seasons to film interviews. The Clover Cinema Club hopes to complete their formatting and editing early in 2014. Versions of the film are being considered for local, regional and national sharing. Adult 4-H leader Herman Maclin says the youth hope that their films will encourage former and new audiences to get involved in 4-H.

Tom Tate

Oklahoma Interviews Extension and 4-H Participants During Homecoming Weekend

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During Homecoming 2013, the Ag Communications Unit of Oklahoma State University invited Extension and 4-H Program participants to stop to record a memory of their Extension and 4-H experiences. This effort will help OSU build an audio visual record of their program’s 100 year history for use in celebration of 100 years of the passage of the Smith-Lever Act in 2014 which created the Cooperative Extension System. A mini TV studio was set up in Ag Hall October 19 to record stories following the homecoming game. Dozens of recordings were collected and will be combined with still and motion images that visualize the recollections of the interviewees.

The resulting audio and video clips will be made available to a variety of local, state and national media outlets.

Brenda Sheik and Jeff Sallee are working on the project, developing the 4-H components. Jeff Sellee stated “Ag Com and I are offering an in service in digital media on equipment and software that county agents can check out and use with youth. The goal is they will have the equipment training and all they need are kids involvement and stories to document.”

Tom Tate

U.S. Presidents and 4-H Photo Gallery

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President Franklin D. Roosevelt talks with National 4-H Camp delegates on the Mall, 1940. (Courtesy USDA.

President Franklin D. Roosevelt talks with National 4-H Camp delegates on the Mall, 1940. (Courtesy USDA.

During upcoming months the National 4-H History Preservation leadership team, working with staff at National 4-H Council, will be planning a photo gallery for display at the National 4-H Youth Conference Center in Chevy Chase, Maryland. The gallery will show the many U.S. Presidents who were actively involved in 4-H activities over the years.

For over a century American Presidents have participated in a variety of 4-H activities and events. The first photograph we have of Presidential involvement with 4-H members is from 1912 when President William Howard Taft met with Ohio Corn Club champions when they visited him at the White House. Getting the attention of the President of the United States is no small feat and getting the President to attend or address your event is even more difficult. But 4-H over the years has been fortunate to have most of the Presidents fully aware, and involved in a variety of 4-H activities – from cutting the ribbon to officially open the National 4-H Center or hosting 4-H’ers at the White House to visiting 4-H projects at a county fair.

Photos of many of these encounters will become the central theme of this new photo gallery.

Although still in draft form, we are also placing on our 4-H history website, a new segment on U.S. Presidents and 4-H. Located in the National 4-H History section you can get there directly at http://4-HHistoryPreservation/History/U_S_Presidents/

Please take a look at the draft. If you are aware of a 4-H event directly involving a President which we have not included; please tell us about it. When and where did it take place? What was the occasion? do you have photos/captions which can be shared, or film/video coverage? contact the preservation team at: info@4-HHistoryPreservation.com

Contemporary 4-H History – 4-H Club Helps to Save and Display History using GIS

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GIS Map Making

University of Maryland Talbot County 4-H volunteer, Cathy Cooper (far right) is shown guiding members of the Chapel District 4-H Club, plus the Director of the History Society of Talbot County, as they learn Geographic Information Systems for various types of map making. The club is creating a large historical map pinpointing schools and other points of interest within the town of Cordova. Their map will be featured in the Museum’s newest exhibit opening later this fall. Club members were also included in the planning process, collection of photos and stories for the actual display.

County Grows Local Participation in Voices of 4-H History Effort

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Prince George County (Maryland) 4-H Agent, Lisa Edwards, first introduced the idea of discovering and preserving the history of 4-H in her county during the county fair in 2013. Since then, interest has grown with youth and volunteers. There has been a call for starting a 4-H History Club. The idea was introduced in the county’ Extension newsletter.

Adult Volunteers and Youth are being formed into a team that will be formalized into a special interest group on 4-H history. Discovery of old records, photos and memorabilia has sparked excitement. Talk of interviewing former members, leaders and volunteers is growing.

Tom Tate

Training Session for Voices of 4-H History Volunteers

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Ocean City, Maryland – November 22-24, 2013. The Voices of 4-H History Team will be sharing poster displays and workshops for the 2013 Volunteer and Teen Leadership Forum targeted to all faculty, staff, volunteers, and 4-H youth. Th conference focus will be  on the 4-H Core Program Components; developing volunteers, strengthening and expanding the 4-H club program.

Youth and adult leaders in attendance will be able to launch a Voices of 4-H History initiative or club after attending the workshop. Key components will include: viewing good examples of audio/visual products produced by pilot county sites, recruiting youth and adults, selecting good interviewing questions, good sources of editing software and hardware.

Tom Tate.

Missouri Recruits Additional Counties for History interviews

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During the last week of October, Missouri 4-H agents are introducing the Voices of 4-H History Process introduced at the Galaxy Conference in September. At a statewide conference in Missouri, Voices of 4-H History pilot counties will share their lessons learned with county extension staff throughout the state. Velynda Cameron, 4-H lead for three counties, said interest in growing 4-H History Clubs has been requested by county 4-H leaders statewide. Sharing our new Voices of 4-H History process, will enable new county efforts to get started in early 2014.

Tom Tate

Contributors Send Materials for 4-H History Preservation

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Recent Contributions

History team members, Sue Benedetti, Larry Krug and Eleanor L. Wilson take a look at early national 4-H panorama photo and 4-H pins and medals sent by Jim Potts from his father’s long history with 4-H.

The National 4-H History Preservation leadership team receives a number of queries about donating 4-H historic materials and artifacts to the program. If local materials, we normally refer them directly to a county or state 4-H office. If the materials have national or nationwide historic significance… and are materials we do not already have, we gladly welcome the contributions. Or, sometimes we borrow the printed or film-A/V materials for scanning purposes and then return them.

There are many pieces of nationally produced 4-H literature, particularly from the 1960s-1980s, of which we do not yet have copies. Also, printed programs from many national events, national 4-H calendars and artifacts from the national events. Most nationally produced 4-H films and other A/V materials are also still lacking.

If you have something you think the Preservation Team may be interested in, please let us know: Info@4-HHistoryPreservation.com