4H HISTORY & INFO
The 4 H's
It
wasn't until 1907 when Jessie Field Shambaugh,
from Page county, and superintendent of Wright County Schools, O.H.
Benson, started using a three leaf clover for the identity of boys and
girls clubs. The 3 H's were for
·
Head
(was trained to think plan and reason)
·
Heart
(to be kind true and sympathetic)
·
Hands
(to be useful, helpful, and skillful).
In
1911, when O.H. Benson worked in Washington D.C., the idea of the
four-leaf clover came into play. He suggested the fourth "H" to stand
for
· Health (to resist disease, enjoy life, and make for efficiency). Those are the four H's on the four-leaf clover.
The 4H Emblem
Club work for rural youth was organized many years before the term "4-H"
or before the four-leaf clover emblem was used. In the early years,
4-H's foundation can be found in the public school system. The 4-H
emblem is one of the most highly recognized logos in the world and got
its start from a small town in Iowa named Clarion, and went something
like this...
One sunny June morning
in 1906 at a one-room country school near Clarion, Iowa, 11 pupils spent
their recess outside searching for four-leaf clovers. They had plucked
seven clovers when a visitor drove up, the Superintendent of schools. At
the teacher's suggestion, the children surrendered their good luck
charms and placed the seven clovers into the hands of the
superintendent.
He said, "I've been
looking for an emblem for the agricultural clubs and the schools of the
county, and you have just given me that emblem, the four-leaf clover; it
will help explain to young and old the message of a four square
education." (In those early days, 4H was known as "four-square
education," which was based upon educational, physical, moral, and
fellowship development.)
I pledge
My
Head to
clearer thinking,
My
Heart to
greater loyalty,
My
Hands to
larger service,
My
Health
to better living,
For my club, my
community, my country, and my world."
The Motto
"To make the best better."
The Colors
The official colors
of 4-H are green and white. Green is nature's most common color and
stands for springtime, life, youth, and growth. White symbolizes
purity and high ideals.
The Slogan
4H has had several
slogans depending on the part of the country that you live in.
Usually slogans are developed by members when planning club programs
or activities. Some of the more common slogans are
·
"Learn by doing"
·
"To beat my own
best record"
·
"To win without
bragging, lose without squealing."
·
"Be your own best
exhibitor"
· "Plan our work and work our plan."