4-H culture crafts future leaders

[fgoodwin 23]

4-H culture crafts future leaders

 

http://www.floridatoday.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050930/LIFE/509300310

http://tinyurl.com/byulf

 

September 30, 2005

 

BY BILLY COX

FLORIDA TODAY

 

CHRISTMAS -- - A soft suppertime rain falls on this 21/2-acre farm just west of the Brevard County line, and as young David Rider beats a soggy path toward the pen, a 600-pound beast way down yonder by the treeline sees him coming and begins hoofing it up through the pasture. Feed in hand, the 11-year-old boy says, "That's Chandelier."

 

Half Angus, one-quarter Limousine and a quarter Santa Gertrudis, Chandelier is the yearling offspring of a heifer named Crystal. What happened with Crystal and David last year still haunts him. "Fear came over me," he recalls. "The only way I can recover is to try and forget about it."

 

Busily swatting flies with her tail, Chandelier lopes into the feeding pen, where David begins grooming her softly with a brush. In little more than a month, at the Space Coast Fair (Nov. 3-13), David will revisit that harrowing venue at Cocoa Expo with Chandelier in an attempt to regain the confidence he lost with Chandelier's mother. Grave and introspective, David likes his chances. "I feel sure I can do it," he declares.

 

The sixth-grader at Corner Lake Middle School in east Orange County is one of an estimated 4,000 kids participating in at least one of Brevard County's 32 community 4-H clubs. David's stepfather, Joe Walter, is a Brevard agriculture agent, so connecting with the Space Coast 4-H culture was a logical move. And as the fair approaches, many 4-H'ers such as David are preparing for the competition again. But with backwoods Florida rapidly eroding to urbanization, most 4-H'ers aren't like David.

 

"As we lose more rural land, 4-H is evolving into other areas," says Kristian Chervenock, Brevard County 4-H agent in Cocoa, who figures 75 percent of its young club members are engaged in nonlivestock projects. "Leadership and public speaking are the most popular projects we've got going today."

 

Chervenock says when 4-H -- the century-old youth organization originally dedicated to promote agriculture and livestock -- emerged in Brevard in the 1940s, roughly 376,000 acres here were zoned for agriculture. Today, that acreage is down to 276,000. In an effort to retain its relevance, 4-H sponsors 250 eclectic projects, from sewing to rocketry. The strategy must be working, Chervenock says, because more than 5 million youngsters are 4-H'ers today.

 

"It's still the largest youth group in the country -- bigger than the Boy Scouts and the Girl Scouts," he says.

 

That's why, out here in cow country, not far from the St. John's River, David Rider is a throwback to the 4-H roots.

 

A six-year veteran of 4-H competition, David has more awards than he can count, beginning with a 25-page scrapbook jammed with ribbons, front and back. Twenty-four ribbons and four plaques -- mementos from the Space Coast Fair, the Central Florida Fair in Orlando and the Florida State Fair in Tampa -- line the wall of his bedroom. There also are the stand-alone trophies, the most impressive of which are his heifer awards, for the 2003 grand champion and the 2004 reserve grand champion, from the Brevard competition.

 

Anticipating his return to the arena, his mother, Jennifer Walter, quizzes him about handling cattle.

 

"What's the most important part of her body to control?" she asks.

 

"The head," he replies. "If I can control her head, I can control every other part of her body." David turns to his guest and explains, "You don't want to get scared. If they think you're scared, they'll try to take over."

 

This year, David plans to compete in 4-H photography, air-rifle marksmanship, egg decorating, posters and poultry. But the biggie is heifers. Because of what happened in Cocoa last year, David skipped the competition in Orlando and Tampa. Now he's ready to stage his comeback. With Chandelier, not Crystal.

 

Last year, after the other judging was finished, David was leading Crystal through the showmanship competition, where children are graded on their handling abilities. Crystal had given birth to Chandelier a month earlier, and during judgment day, she suffered a spasm of separation anxiety. It happened quickly. At barely 41/2 feet tall and 70 pounds, David was no match for the 1,000-pound creature, which briefly pinned him into the metal railing and nearly knocked him off his feet.

 

"It wasn't a life-threatening thing," his mom says. "It scared him more than anything else."

 

But then, life on the farm requires emotional resilience.

 

With more than 80 chickens representing 15 breeds in the coop out back, David Rider -- who gathers eggs to help pay for college -- has won Best of Breed awards twice. You can't always predict, though. Like this bantam named Mr. Yappie, so named for his stentorian lungs. David figured he'd be a natural winner for the rooster-crowing contest.

 

"When I tried to get him to crow, he was a real pain in the butt," David says. "He just opened his mouth and yawned. Then when I put him back in his cage, he yakked his head off."

 

Mr. Yappie met an inglorious ending at the hands of a hungry raccoon. Which gets to a larger point. David long has been a witness to the cycles of life and death. From disease to varmints to old age, birds hatch and die with clockwork regularity. Although he's used to it now, it's not always easy to confront. "Sometimes," he says, "you really get attached."

 

It's the risk you take, working around farm animals. He's looking forward to seeing what he can do with Chandelier.

 

"It doesn't matter if you win or lose," says the kid whose talents include baking award-winning banana-nut muffins, "just as long as you do your best."

 

Contact Cox at 242-3774 or bcox@flatoday.net

 

[photo caption]

 

Seasoned pro. David Rider, 11, brushes Chandelier behind his family's home in Christmas. A six-year participant of 4-H competition, David has more awards than he can count and plans to compete this year in 4-H photography, air-rifle marksmanship, egg decorating, posters and poultry. The fair is Nov. 3-13. Kathleen Hinkel, FLORIDA TODAY

 

[sidebar 1]

 

Anyone can compete

 

Competition at the Space Coast Fair isn't limited to livestock anymore, or to 4-H Club members. Anyone who's adept at horticulture, photography, baking cookies, jarring fruit preserves, painting, quilting and myriad other activities can shine this November at Cocoa Expo.

For more information on all student and adult categories, visit http://brevard.ifas.ufl.edu or by call 633-1702.

 

The deadline for most judged entries is 6 p.m. Nov. 1. But consult with the fair in advance to make sure. The fair runs Nov. 3-13 at the Cocoa Expo.

 

[sidebar 2]

 

Livestock categories

 

Livestock competition at the Space Coast Fair is divided into two broad categories. Breed: Farm animals such as chickens, rabbits, heifers and goats are judged under the breeding program and are returned to their owners after the fair. Market: Animals such as steers and pigs are in the market program and are sold for slaughter. David Rider, left, gathers eggs to help pay for college.

[Its Me 10]

 

4-H is bigger than boy scouts? Is 4-H including the animals in their count?

 

[fgoodwin 23]

Yeah, that's what caught my attention, and why I posted the article. Assuming the quote is correct, I wonder how 4-H got to be bigger than BSA?

 

When I was in HS back in the 70s, I recall 4-H clubs being sponsored (or at least promoted) by many public schools (including schools in the "city"), in a way I never saw them sponsor or promote Scouting.

 

I wonder if that might have something to do with the relative sizes of the two organizations?

[Eagle1973 10]

I'm also a 4H leader. I have no data on the numbers. Just wanted to point out that a 4H club can be anything and I mean just about anything, from teen groups to farm animals to sewing clubs to whatever.

 

I'm a leader of a 4H Horse Club, Shotgun Club and BB/Air Rifle Club.

 

YIS

[EagleInKY 14]

4-H does a lot of "school clubs". This is where they'll conduct one of their programs, usually as an extension to the school's curriculum. For example, the local 4-H in our county teaches "Character Counts" in all of the school's 5th grade classes.

 

So, what's the point? Every kid in each of those classes is registered as a 4-H member. Each class is treated as a "club". They elect a president, and for one hour a month, they act as an organization. These kids have no real understanding (IMHO) that they are members of the 4-H. They wear no uniform, do nothing related to it outside of the classroom, and generally are members in paper only.

 

My guess is this is not an uncommon practice, and helps to inflate their numbers nationwide.

[kittle 10]

I can believe that 4-H is bigger than Boy Scouts. Let's just use my daughter's 4-H club and our county as an example. There are 2 Cub Scout Pack in my county (11 in our Pack and probably 20 in the other) and 1 Boy Scout Troop (I really have no idea because we go to a neighboring county, but probably less than 20). There are at least 8 4-H groups in our county and none of them have less than 10, most have 15. 4-H is a lot easier on parents. The only time that I had to donate to it was when the kids needed help with their projects, plus no need for expensive uniforms or camping equipment.

 

 

[nldscout 18]

Well accoding to the 4H website they have approximatly 7 million memebers.