A Place in the Sun – the First Performance

Posted on May 31, 2012 by NewsAdmin

When the girls attending the 1948 National 4-H Club Congress in Chicago boarded buses to travel up to the famous Edgewater Beach Hotel on Chicago’s Lake Shore for the luncheon sponsored by Montgomery Ward they really thought that was a special treat. But the treat was yet to come in a thrill of a lifetime.

There to entertain them was Fred Waring and his Pennsylvanians, in person. Every one had heard – or heard of – this master radio showman, but to actually see him lead his 69 musicians was one of the top-flight experiences of the crowded Congress week.

But, Mr. Waring had a special purpose for entertaining these Congress delegates as part of the program was the first first performance of a very special new 4-H song written by Fred Waring himself – “A Place in the Sun.” The whole of the 4-H world would soon hear this music in days to come, but these privileged girls can always say “we heard its first performance!”

This is just one of the stories in the May issue of the 4-H History Newsletter. Go to http://4-HHistoryPreservation.com and “click” on the Home and News Section of the menu bar and then on Newsletter.

From the National 4-H History Preservation team. info@4-HHistoryPreservation.com

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4-H Oral History Project to Capture Stories of Former 4-H Members

Posted on May 31, 2012 by NewsAdmin

Looking for an exciting idea for 4-H Youlth? Engage them with interviewing former 4-H members.

Cooperative Extension will celebrate the 100th Anniversary of the Smith-Lever Act in 2014. The Smith-Lever Act of 1914 is a United States federal law that established the nationwide system of cooperative extension services connected to land-grant universities.

The National 4-H History Preservation Team hopes to launch a national 4-H Oral History Project in 2013 to capture the stories of former 4-H members, leaders, and staff to include in the celebration! We’d like to identify a few states/communities to pilot the project in the summer and fall of 2012. Pilot groups will receive guidance, including resources for recruiting and training current 4-H members to conduct interviews.

The 4-H oral history interview is a substantial tool for collecting stories from 4-H alumni and others involved with the past and present history of your 4-H program. To read more about the project check out the May issue of the National 4-H History Newsletter. Go to http://4-HHistoryPreservation.com – “click” on the Home and News Section of the menu bar and then on Newsletter. You may also sign up for the free newsletter from this page.

From the National 4-H History Preservation team. info@4-HHistoryPreservation.com

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4-H History – We Need Your Help

Posted on April 17, 2012 by NewsAdmin

4-H has a rich history – an important history. For those who have worked in Extension or had an affiliation with 4-H in some other way over the years, we need your assistance and your recollections. For those just getting started in your 4-H careers, the more you can learn about history, the better you can understand and perform your 4-H responsibilities.

Unfortunately, much of 4-H’s important history has either been lost, destroyed, or is buried in archives difficult to access by the general public. A group of volunteers – mostly retired state and national 4-H extension professionals or retired from National 4-H Council – are striving to reverse this situation. the team is retrieving and researching 4-H archival materials and writing about relevant 4-H history, particularly at the national level. the history website and digitization program is already providing access to hundreds of 4-H books, reports, newsletters, films and oral histories.

A new section on the history website: http://4-HHistoryPreservation.com pulls together all of the ways that you can help. Click on “Ways You Can Help” on the menu bar on the left side of the home page.

o Read the `We Need Your Help’ one-page flier; print it out to share with friends who may be interested.

o Review the list of contributors. Make a donation. You can designate specific projects in need of funds; and, can also honor a designated friend, colleague or relative who had or has a special interest in 4-H history.

o Check out the section `Things We Are Looking For’ and the `Help Us Tell a Story’ section… your recollections of 4-H camp, 4-H and one-room schools, 4-H fair, international 4-H program, National 4-H conference, National 4-H Sunday, 4-H television series, urban 4-H programs, Native American 4-H activities, war-time 4-H support and much more.

o While our volunteer team and volunteer consultants are busy workers, we need many more people providing their recollections, their expertise, and their contributions to accomplish our goals.

o We hope you will join us. We Need Your Help. From National 4-H History Preservation Team. info@4-HistoryPreservation.com

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Changing 4-H History Leadership Team

Posted on April 17, 2012 by NewsAdmin

We are very sad to announce that one of our charter members of our team, Sue Fisher, lost her fight with cancer late last year. Her enthusiasm and “can do” attitude are sorely missed by our team. a copy of her obituary can be found in the “Ways You Can Help” section of the 4-H History Preservation Website – http://4-HHistoryPreservation.com

As responsibilities change and our objectives broaden we have found the need to increase our leadership team. We ask you to join us in a hearty welcome of three former colleagues as new members of the team this year: They are Kendra Wells, Gary Deverman and Mel Thompson.

From National 4-H History Preservation Team. info@4-HHistoryPreservation.com

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Historic 4-H Calendar Art on Display at National 4-H Conference

Posted on April 12, 2012 by NewsAdmin

The 85th annual National 4-H Conference was recently held at the National 4-H Youth Conference Center in Washington, DC; Conference is the current rendition of National 4-H Camp, started in 1927 when it was held in tents on the Mall. Second Lady Dr. Jill Biden and Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack opened the Conference this year. Also featured this year was the first-ever assembled display of historic 4-H Calendar art: “Fifty Years of 4-H Calendar Art.”

The National 4-H Calendar Program was created on November 2, 1936, when Extension USDA, authorized the Thomas D. Murphy Company (Red Oak, Iowa) to use the 4-H name and emblem on calendars for sale to local sponsors. Th first commercial 4-H calendar was sold by the Murphy Company in 1938 for hanging in 1939. This may have been only a state-wide program which ceased with the beginning of World War II. After the war, four more companies joined the program.

Authorized sponsoring companies agreed to pay a 10% royalty on lthe sales of 4-H calendars for the development of the National 4-H Center. Between 1949 and 1959, $377,000 was made available for rebuilding and maintaining the 4-H Center in Washington, D.C. Those royalties continued to be paid annually until the calendar program was discontinued in the 1990s.

The Calendar Art Display, which was located just off the lobby of J.C. Penney Hall at the 4-H Center, included representative pieces of original calendar art, examples of actual calendars, and a history of the 4-H Calendar Art program.

A number of pieces of original calendar art are current unaccounted for; anyone knowing the location of any actual National 4-H wall calendars or original calendar art is asked to contact the History Team at: info@4-HHistoryPreservation.com

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Searching for 4-H Heritage Quilts

Posted on April 10, 2012 by NewsAdmin

The National 4-H History Preservation team is interested in learning about existing 4-H heritage quilts that have been produced for a specific purpose – quilts which depict the 4-H history of a club, a community, county, state or a multi-generational 4-H family. Have you seen or helped make a quilt? We know of at least four distinctive 4-H quilt designs, but there are many others that have been created following no set, established design.

We are NOT seeking the heritage quilts, themselves; only a photo of the quilt and the story about the quilt. Send to: info@4-HHistoryPreservation.com

Visit our website at http://4-HHistoryPreservation.com and sign up for the free 4-H history e-mail newsletter.

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4-H Audio-Visual Directory Now on 4-H History Website

Posted on April 10, 2012 by NewsAdmin

The first 4-H films were produced before the 1920s. A new directory on the national 4-H history preservation website lists all types of audio and visual recordings and the 4-H history preservation team is currently in the process of locating and digitizing many of the entries, making them available to the general public.

Over 160 entries have already been posted 0 films, video tapes, radio and television public service spots, television series, audio and video interviews. If you know of locations of 4-H material that should be included, we would like to hear from you. Write: info@4-HHistoryPreservation.com

To check out the A/V directory go to: http://4-HHistoryPreservation.com and “click” on 4-H Reference Materials in the left-hand menu bar.

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4-H History Preservation News

A Place in the Sun – the First Performance

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4-H Oral History Project to Capture Stories of Former 4-H Members

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4-H History – We Need Your Help

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Changing 4-H History Leadership Team

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Historic 4-H Calendar Art on Display at National 4-H Conference

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Searching for 4-H Heritage Quilts

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4-H Audio-Visual Directory Now on 4-H History Website

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