My earliest memory of 4‑H is from when I was too young to be a member. My mother and I were planning to attend the local fair, but I misbehaved that day and we didn’t go. I think it was as much a punishment for Mom as it was for me!
That incident seemed to cement my determination to be involved with 4‑H as much as I could once I was old enough. I started out with just one project, Arts and Crafts, and soon branched out into home economics and science and conservation projects.
I especially loved Entomology; I have many happy memories of going on hikes with my Dad, looking for new “bugs” for my collection. My Entomology achievement book earned me a trip to Club Congress, which in those days was held at the Conrad Hilton Hotel in Chicago and included young people from all 50 states.
To this day I dearly love the natural world; I enjoy birding and hiking as well as photographing butterflies. The discipline I learned in 4‑H has served me well, as I had a long career in IT and worked on many projects there, too.
Once in a while I still will start on a new endeavor which makes me think that this is the most fun I’ve had since I was working on projects for the 4‑H Fair. I truly think that there is no better place for young people to begin to find their way in the world than by being a part of this venerable, but always vibrant, organization.