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and
carefully to the questions that young people will ask. We cannot live
our children’s lives for them; we just hope that we give them the
tools they need to succeed in a complex and changing world.
This
summer will again be packed with opportunities for 4-H youth, with many
contests and competitions. In fact, many wonderful things have been
happening regarding all areas of 4-H.
During
the year ahead, you may begin seeing some new and exciting aspects of
Alabama
4-H, along with the traditional parts of 4-H that you already
know and love. Several museums in our state will host the brilliant arts
projects that Alabama 4-H youth have created, and plans are underway for
one of our state’s leading magazines to publish our state photography
winners.
Yes,
Alabama 4-H works diligently to respond to the changing needs and
interests of Alabama’s young people, as we stay committed to our core
values of "head, hands, heart, and health." Please stay
updated by going to the website at
www.aces.edu/fourh/.
Volunteers
get ready for a very busy few months. We appreciate the work you do to
help the development of our Alabama youth. Thank you to all of the youth
who participated in the Livestock Judging Camp in Clanton.
Please
remember that if you or your company would like to support Alabama’s
young people in a great way, call me at 205-280-6268 and ask about our
Second Annual 4-H Golf Tournament to be held at the Farm Links Research
and Development Course in Sylacauga. The proceeds will go toward our
Environmental Education Building at the 4-H Youth Development Center
near Columbiana and to support 4-H Educational Program-ming throughout
the state. Not only will Tommy Tuberville and Pat Dye be there, we hope
to have other well-known Alabamians there so that you have a chance for
a photo and some personal time with them.
*
* * * * * * * * *
Those
of you who were in 4-H or who have children in 4-H know that in our
pledge we say: "I pledge my heart to greater loyalty."
Youth
development research, and plain old common sense, tells us that if young
people don’t get a chance to belong to something good, they can easily
belong to something that’s not good. If the church, the family, the
school, or the club is not available to a young person, they can always
find a sense of belonging through gangs, drugs or even through abusive
relationships.
Kids
will find affection and belonging wherever they can. They need to know
that they are cared about by others and feel a sense of connection to
others in a group. That connection can be positive, like playing in the
band or joining the 4-H club, or it can be negative. When kids sneak off
to drink beer, they are doing it to be part of a group. And all too
often when kids take sexual risks, those are based on a need for
acceptance and what they perceive to be love and affection.
The
positive opportunity for belonging has always been important to the 4-H
experience. It’s crucial to be part of a team, where you feel
physically and emotionally safe. It’s important for young people to
learn to feel in charge of their lives and to have adults and older
youth outside their own family who will listen to them and treat them
with respect.
The
current youth development research emphasizes that kids benefit from
long-term, consistent relationships with adults other than their
parents. They need to see how adults, other than Mom or Dad, live their
lives. Not many of us grow up to be mirror images of our parents, so
young people gain from seeing what options they have in defining what it
means to be a grown-up. As a coach, Sunday school teacher, or 4-H
volunteer, you might be that adult who truly makes a difference in a
young person’s life.
The
current research also suggests that a sense of belonging may be the
single most powerful positive ingredient we can add into the lives of
children and youth. Working in clubs through 4-H strengthens and
reinforces social skills that will allow youth to exist with others in a
society where not everybody looks like them, acts like them or thinks
like them. 4-H members learn early on the value of cooperation in their
project work and activities. That is why there is always an emphasis on
teamwork and cooperation.
Along
those lines, previous generations in the rural South used to have these
wonderful social and artistic activities called "quilting
bees." You can expect some more of those through 4-H. One of the
new events that is being introduced in 4-H is Alabama Quilters: The Next
Generation. Although the details on this activity are still under
development, it’s good to see this traditional activity experiencing a
rebirth. Think of what a group of teens can learn working with a group
of grandmothers - and think of what the grandmothers can learn from the
teens!
James
Shropshire is the Alabama 4-H Regional Extension Agent for the Central
Alabama Region. E-mail him at shropja@auburn.edu. |
