History Preservation Newsletter
July 2016

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While the US plunges into the Presidential Election, 4-H’ers are plunging into preparations for their fairs.

That’s not to say that 4-H members are not involved in their citizenship responsibilities; just check with those who have been to Washington, DC, to experience Citizenship Washington Focus (CWF).


3 Hs came from France?

4-H started in the early 1900s in the US, but as early as 1893 the French Minister of Education was calling for an end to the 3 Rs and a new emphasis on the 3 Hs.


International Exchanges

July 8, which happens to be the Editor’s birthday, is the date recorded of International Farm Youth Exchange delegates going to Europe for the first time in 1948.



Show it off!

Exhibits are a long-held tradition in 4-H. Use them to highlight and publicize your 4-H History.


Speaking of Publicity…

See how many different types of 4-H publicity you can find in this month’s issue.


Sugarloaf 4-H Club is on the Map

More importantly, is your club, your fairground, your 4-H history on the Map?

CWF is going to give 4-H’ers a close look at the Presidential Inauguration in January.

A special edition of CWF to be held during the Inauguration will cap off 4-H summer activities and the presidential campaigns.

This summer, 4-H’ers will be actively involved in civic activities as well as preparations for the many fairs. Before you get too involved in either, sit back and enjoy this issue.


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The 4-H Member gate sign has become not only a way to identify where 4-H members live but an important icon of 4-H from the farms to suburbs and urban centers. Whether in a black and white photo or on the full color 1956 National 4-H Calendar produced by Brown and Bigelow Company of St. Paul, Minnesota; the sign speaks volumes more than the words it bears.

We hope you enjoy this issue.

History Preservation Newsletter
May/June 2016

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Summer is officially here and 4-H history is being made every day.

This is the season traditionally ultra-busy for 4-H’ers, and so it has been whether members were from 1916 or 2016. Your 4-H History Preservation Program is here to share some of the experiences of those 1916 (and earlier or later) 4-H’ers.


Another of the “Greats”

Thomas E. Wilson started promoting 4-H in 1918, used the International Livestock Show to reward young 4-H members, and basically started National 4-H Congress. His 1962 profile is here.


4-H Academy Awards

A two-time Academy Award winning star has been a big fan of 4-H for years. First, guess the actor, then guess the 4-H content area that drew his attention.


4-H History Map

It just keeps growing and growing with your continued local 4-H input! Hopefully, your local sites are already on there. But can you pass the 4-H History Map Quiz?

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The 4-H – Peace Corps Link

Lots of folks say 4-H started Peace Corps, but that is probably still an open question. Can you identify the countries in South America where 4-H Peace Corps began?


Girls’ 4-H Uniforms = Pants?

It started the same year that the 4-H pledge and the 4-H motto were officially authorized. Do you know where? And when?


Please enjoy our summer issue.

We’ve Moved . . .

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The 4-H History Preservation and 4-H History Preservation News has moved to a new hosting provider. Our new provider offers better service and more options than the previous one.

In general, you shouldn’t notice any difference in site appearance. We will soon be adding the site to the CloudFlare content distribution network. The CloudFlare service will literally copy the site to their network of servers around the globe. When you access a page, CloudFlare will deliver it up from the server in your geographic region thereby speeding up response times.

With regard to the new service, there is one change for you to make on your side. If you have a bookmark or favorite that points to 4-HHistoryPreservation.com/News, please change it to News.4-HHistoryPreservation.com The old link is set up to automatically take you to the new one.

Twentieth Century-Fox Produces 4-H Film – Young America

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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/


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“Young America,” a Twentieth Century-Fox film produced in 1941, was dedicated by the studio to “the thousands of 4-H Club leaders throughout the country.” It was considered the first major motion picture ever produced portraying the objectives of Club work.

Another thing which made “Young America” special – the premiere showing was held during National 4-H Congress in December, 1941 (probably on December 2 or 3). Little did these 1,600 delegates know that four days later – before most of them even got home – the Empire of Japan would bomb Pearl Harbor, drawing the United States of America into the second world war. The January 1942 issue of National 4-H Club News, coming out less than a month later, carries a large feature on the premiere and the film, plus a full page advertisement for “Young America” carrying a “support the war effort” theme. (Bob Cornell, one of the film’s stars, had already joined the Army by this date.)

The feature film stars Jane Withers, Jane Darwell, William Tracy, Robert Cornell, Roman Bohnen and Ben Carter.

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While the movie follows a rather predictable script, 75 years ago the 4-H Congress delegates, 4-H leaders, and Extension at all levels loved it. Miss Gertrude Warren, from the 4-H Club office at USDA in Washington,, D.C. said, “We feel grateful to 20th Century-Fox for its fine portrayal of the ideals and objectives of the 4-H Club movement in ‘Young America,’ and know that it will be enthusiastically received throughout the country.”

Maynard H. Coe, chairman of the National Extension Committee on 4-H Club Work, sent a telegram to 4-H Congress which Wayne Thorndyke, national 4-H leadership winner, read to the delegates the day following the premiere. The telegram, addressed to Mis Jane Withers, stated that the 4-H members and leaders assembled at the 20th National 4-H Club Congress have today unanimously voted you a Special 4-H Award of Merit in recognition of the fine way you portrayed the ideals of the 4-H Club movement in “Young America.” It stimulates a feeling of pride for our heritage in a nation where youth is permitted to train itself in a truly democratic way in the skill and understanding needed to assume its responsibility in perfecting and preserving the American way of life. Miss Withers sent a telegram back to the delegates: “Please accept thanks from the bottom of my heart for the great honor you have conferred upon me. The 4-H Club means more to me than just a movie that I appeared in, and I will try always to be a credit to our club…”

Young_America_1942_TH[1]The “Young America” film’s story is about a spoiled city girl Jane Campbell (played by Jane Withers) who is furious when her widowed father sends her to the rural town of Button Willow Valley to live with her grandmother, Nora Campbell (played by Jane Darwell). Jane and her black servant, Abraham, loathe their new surroundings, and while Abraham copes with Nora’s helper, Pansy, Jane begins attending school. Jane’s arrogance drives away all potential friends except for young David Engstrom, who nominates her for membership in the local 4-H Club. Jane, who has never heard of 4-H, is unimpressed when she learns how it promotes agricultural skills and good citizenship. Jane declines membership but changes her mind upon discovering that handsome Jonathan Blake is the club’s president. Jane’s interest in Jonathan dismays quiet Elizabeth Barnes, who is in love with him.

Elizabeth’s weak-willed father tries to comfort her by promising to buy her a purebred Hereford calf for her 4-H state fair project, but he instead loses her money in a poker game held by shady entrepreneur Earl Tucker. When Barnes tells Earl about his dilemma, Earl obtains a mixed-breed calf, then forges papers certifying its lineage. Elizabeth is delighted with her calf, which she names “Royal Jonathan II,” and happily tends to him as the months pass. Jane also chooses a calf for her project and names it “King Blake the First.” Pansy and Abraham, who have struck up a quarrelsome friendship, know that Jane is interested in 4-H only as a means to ensnare Jonathan Blake in a romance, but Jonathan still courts Elizabeth. On the day of the fair, Jane has lunch with Earl, who intimates that she will win the contest because Elizabeth’s calf is not purebred. Jane refuses to believe him but promises to buy his tractor with her prize money if she wins. Elizabeth wins, but Earl, desperate for the money, sends a telegram to the judges challenging Royal Jonathan’s lineage. The calf’s phony papers are exposed and Jane is declared the winner, but she is horrified by the proceedings, as Earl signed her name to the telegram. Barnes confesses all to his daughter, who protects him by refusing to explain the situation to the 4-H officials. Soon after, Elizabeth is suspended from the club, while Jane is ostracized by the other members for getting Elizabeth in trouble. Jonathan stands by Elizabeth, and the despondent Jane decides to return to the city. Before leaving, she sends Abraham to Earl’s office to pay a bill, and while there, Abraham overhears two government agents question Earl about a man who is wanted for draft evasion. Abraham also overhears when a drunken Barnes tells Earl that he wants to reveal the truth about Elizabeth’s calf. Abraham repeats the information to Jane, who captures the fleeing Earl and forces him to write a confession admitting full responsibility for the forged papers. The government agents then apprehend Earl, who is the draft dodger. Soon after, Elizabeth represents the club at a national 4-H meeting held in Washington, D.C., and says a fond hello to Jane and her fellow 4-H members during a radio broadcast.

“Young America” was released nationwide in early 1942. [Note: There are at least three other films produced over the years with this same title “Young America,” one as early as 1897. When searching for information on this film, be sure to include the date 1942.]

 

Please help us preserve 4-H History . . .


Living in a Nuclear Age

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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/



Nuclear_Age_Tri-Fold[1]“Living in a Nuclear Age” was the first national 4-H television series designed specifically for youth in their teens. It became available early in 1973. The high energy six half-hour shows featured animated cartoon characters and the atomic sounds of Herbie Mann, Ray Brown and Barney Kessel (Columbia Studios, Hollywood) in original music compositions such as “Neutron Analytics,” “Pieces of Atoms,” and “Isotope Walk.” The animated character “Ion” was voiced by Mel Blanc (also the voice of Bugs Bunny).

The series was designed to explore not only the scientific information but the problems resulting from our move into the “Nuclear Age.” The show titles included: Discovering the Atom, Power from the Atom, Radioisotopes, Nuclear Energy and Living Things, Society and Things Nuclear, and Bombarding Things. A members’ manual and leaders’ guide accompanied the series along with other supportive materials.


The series was planned and designed by the National 4-H TV Development Committee on Civil Defense, and The Kansas State University Development Committee. Films were produced by Extension Film Production, Kansas State University and promotional materials by KSU Extension Service. The film crew traveled to many sections of the country shooting the series, including the Atomic Energy Research Labs of Oak Ridge, Tennessee. The series was distributed by the National 4-H Service Committee, Chicago. The series fit well with the school system’s curriculum relating to atomic energy and also supported the growing national energy crisis, however never reached the viewership numbers of the earlier 4-H nutrition series, Mulligan Stew.

A more thorough history of the Living in a Nuclear Age series can be found on the 4-H History website in the segment on National 4-H Television Series in the National 4-H History Section.

 

Please help us preserve 4-H History . . .


“Greatest Jockey” started Out in 4-H

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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/

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Like many other kids, when Steve Cauthen turned nine years old he joined the local 4-H club. He and his family lived on a small 40-acre horse farm in the small Kentucky town of Walton. His main 4-H project was horses, showing at 4-H exhibitions and placing in the top three each year. He stayed in 4-H until he was 16 and then, being small in stature, he started racing. Cauthen’s first race was at Churchill Downs in May, 1976; he came in last. A week later he came in first. His rise to prominence was meteoric. He was the nation’s leader in horserace wins in 1977 with 487. His riding excellence was widely recognized: Steve was Sports Illustrated Sportsman of the Year, Sporting News Sportsman of the Year, and Associated Press Male Athlete of the Year.

Even the December, 1977 issue of National 4-H News featured Cauthen on its cover. The editor had traveled from Chicago out to New York to interview the young 17-year-old at the race track. In the 4-H News interview, Steve says that “4-H has been a part of my learning. The thing I can say for it is that it helped me see how groups work together. My friends were in 4-H and we did things together. We had duties and responsibilities in the club.” When asked what advice he could pass on to others his own age, the young man stated, “When you find something you want to do, nothing’s going to stop you from doing it, if you want to do it bad enough. It’s just important that you do your best at all times. That’s one thing I try to do. Whenever I do anything, I try to do the best I’m able. I work hard at whatever it is I do. Not just riding, but also just being a nice guy. I try to do my best. All through my career I’ve had good people around me. I’ve had my parents behind me all the way. You know, I’ve been lucky.”

Apparently, luck stayed with Steve Cauthen. The next year, 1978, “The Kid,” as he was affectionately known, won the Triple Crown riding on ‘Affirmed.’ Since 1978, no other horse has won the Triple Crown for 37 years until American Pharoah, with Victor Espinoza as jockey, won the cherished Triple Crown in 2015.

Steve Cauthen’s success story… and the role that 4-H played, is certainly noteworthy.

 

Please help us preserve 4-H History . . .


The National 4-H Club Song Book

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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/

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If the gate sign “4-H Club Member Lives Here” was one of the most popular items offered through the National 4-H Supply Service, the National 4-H Club Song Book was in that same category. 4-H songs had traditionally been offered through the annual 4-H Handy Books issued by the National Committee on Boys and Girls Club Work since the mid-1920s, however only included the words to the songs. Now, in 1929, the National Committee issued the first National 4-H Song Book that also included the music to the songs as well as a much broader selection.

4-H songs in this first edition included: Dreaming, Boys’ and Girls’ Clubs for Me, Bring the Good Old 4-H Sign, Club Work, Conference Song, The Country’s Faith, A Plowing Song, The 4-H Clover, 4-H Clubs for All, 4-H Will Shine, Greeting Song, Hail! Hail! The Clubs All Here, O Me! O My!, Parting Song, Song of Health, and Speed Away. A variety of other songs popular with 4-H groups were also included: Abide with Me, All Through the Night, Anvil Chorus, Billy Boy, The Boll-Weevil, All God’s Chillun Got Wings, Day is Dying in the West, Dixie, Dogie Song, Follow the Gleam, Levee Song, Oh Susanna, Old Dog Tray, and Old Zip Coon plus others. The song book was comprised of 64 pages and was an immediate hit. Through the decades several editions of the National 4-H Club Song Book were published, each just a bit better than the previous one, but probably none topped the enthusiasm of members and leaders that was garnered by that first 1929 edition.

 

Please help us preserve 4-H History . . .


Clean-Ups, Gardens and Earth Day

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The following story is from the April 2016 issue of the 4-H History Preservation Newsletter

We’ve been celebrating Earth Day on April 22 for 46 years. For the early “Soldiers of the Soil”, April meant preparing for the growing season. The March-April 1919 magazine had many articles about the gardens and crops grown by 4-H members.

Champion tomato grower Corlis Stanbaugh of Ashland, Nebraska, was pictured in her garden holding a basket of her tomatoes. “I enjoy working in my garden and intend to have a better one next year.”

This issue also noted the meeting in March of state club leaders, assistants and some county leaders, and national leaders in Kansas City. Thirty-three northern and western states were represented. The article stated that 21,845 club projects were organized in 1918 involving 529,723 members. The value of food, feed, garment-making, handicraft and others was $6,019,092.06 produced at a cost of $2,447,313.54. They reported that 2,000,000 members were enrolled for 1919, so even larger outcomes were expected.

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Hands-on History

Growing gardens and crops has certainly changed since 1919. If you have club members who are growing crops or gardens, ask them to talk about what they’re planning to grow this season. Talk about what modern changes there have been in seed and plant varieties, planting methods, tools and equipment.

For a service project, your group can plan and then plant a garden. There may be a school that could have a vegetable garden as a project for students and source of fresh vegetables to serve in the cafeteria. You may find a space in your community or at your fairgrounds that would be perfect for a flower garden – try to plant some pollinator-attracting plants for bees, butterflies and other pollinators. Perhaps there’s an existing garden at a senior center or other site that could use some fixing up. Or, you might be able to do exactly like Raymond Search did; find a vacant lot that is littered with trash. You could also clean it up and plant a garden to help feed those less fortunate than your group. These would be great projects for Earth Day, too!

 

Please help us preserve 4-H History . . .


Connect to 4-H History News

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The 4-H History News site has a feed set up that you can link to from your browser. In techie terms, we have an RSS feed.

When you add the 4-H History Preservation News to your favorites, your browser creates a drop-down list containing links to the 10 most recent articles that have been posted.

To set up you connection, please use the following link http://4-HHistoryPreservation.com/News/?feed=rss2

What is RSS?

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Folks who Helped Make 4-H Great
R. A. Turner

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The following story is from the March 2016 issue of the 4-H History Preservation Newsletter

This is the ninth in the series of 10 articles, reprinted from 1962 National 4-H News, which featured people identified by Extension Service professional staff members as “folks who helped make 4-H great”.

R. A. Turner

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To witness the effect of Ray A. Turner’s work upon modern 4-H, one need only attend any meeting of an individual 4-H Club. For this pioneer of club work touched so many phases of the great youth movement that his influence is almost everywhere present in 4-H activity.

For example, the singing of a 4-H song reflects his work (with Fannie Buchanan of Iowa) in editing the first National 4-H Song Book in 1929 and his work on later revisions. Each use of the 4-H name and emblem mirrors his long-time chairmanship of the federal committee authorized to grant permission to use these Congress-controlled symbols.

Every entry in a 4-H record book has a link back through the years to his work in creating the original system of judging 4-H records at the national level. (This system has been revised and improved with time, of course.)

In fact, his role as one of the leaders in establishing the 4-H Subcommittee of the Extension Committee on Organization and Policy (ECOP) has had at least a remote influence on every policy in 4-H Club work today.

Visitors at the National 4-H Club Center in Washington, D. C. (the site of which he helped select) may stay in Turner Hall, named in his honor. Credit for today’s leadership recognition awards (Awards of the Clover) must go in great part to Turner’s leadership in their establishment.

Revealing to a study of Ray Turner’s work is the list of responsibilities he was carrying at the time of his retirement from the Federal Extension Service. His major assignment, as senior agriculturist, was to supervise 4-H activities in the Central States region (Midwest).

Some of Turner’s other tasks were: chairman of the Committee on National 4-H Contests and Awards, secretary of the 4-H History Committee, member of the Committee for the 4-H Division of the National Dairy Cattle Congress, member of the Board of Trustees of the National 4-H Club Foundation, member of the U. S. Department of Agriculture’s Safety Council, and associate chairman of National 4-H Club Camp (now National Conference). This range of activities reveals the broad influence Turner wielded on national 4-H affairs. In the Central States, he was a great help in strengthening club work, and encouraged regular meetings between state 4-H staffs.

Turner did early and diligent work in such projects as dairy, beef, conservation and tractor maintenance. In various phases of agriculture, he helped get state 4-H Club leaders together to confer on subject matter.

What kind of man was Ray Turner? Neat, even meticulous, for one thing. “His records were just wonderful,” says a co-worker on the Federal 4-H Staff, Gertrude Warren. His written records and reports were vital to the collection of 4-H history, another early Extension worked explained.

Although he was not regarded as an outstanding speaker or writer, his contemporaries assert that Turner was a great organizer and “doer.” For years he planned a regular series of 4-H music programs on a national radio network. They featured the United States Marine Band and Turner’s stories of the history of music, plus a 4-H message.

Born in Chase, Mich., on October 5, 1884, to Frank and Elizabeth Turner, the 4-H trailblazer grew up in a rural community. After receiving a Bachelor of Science degree at Michigan Agricultural College in 1909, he taught agriculture in Michigan high schools until 1918, when he became state 4-H Club leader in his native state. Six years of effective work there led to his move in 1924 to Washington, D. C., where he spent the rest of his working years.

 

Please help us preserve 4-H History . . .