Community Spotlight: 4-H

Sabrina Kooistra
SAY Times Contributor

 

For over 100 years, 4-H has been connecting youth, aged six to 25, all across Canada. 4-H stands for four principles: ‘head’, meaning managing and thinking, ‘heart’, meaning relating and caring, ‘hands’, for giving and working, and ‘health’, standing for being and living.
4-H believes that kids should “learn to do by doing,” and as an organization, is trying to provide students with skills that will bring them success in future endeavours. Public speaking, community service, leadership, and opportunity, are all embedded within the 4-H program (it also looks awesome on a résumé!).
There are several different projects that rural and urban members can be a part of. Some of these are within the agricultural sector, such as beef and dairy cattle, sheep, horse, rabbit, and dog. There are also life skills projects such as scrapbooking, archery, cooking, sewing, and photography.
I have been a member of the Cheadle 4-H program for six years, and every year is packed with new and cool opportunities to meet people, get involved in community projects, go on unforgettable trips, learn new skills, and/or attend recreational events. I have improved my skills as a public speaker through the mandatory speaking component. I understand the agriculture industry on a new level by getting into the operational level of owning and caring for cattle. I have also made lots of new friends from different clubs over the years; 4-H is not only about self-development and reaching out to the community.
There are numerous other activities that are specifically designed and offered for enjoyment and character building. In both the winter and the summer, 4-H camps are available for all ages. There are opportunities for international travel or exchanges as well as scholarships for post-secondary education. Thanks to 4-H, thousands of kids are now entering the professional world equipped with skills that will help them succeed.
Here are the nine clubs that are in the Wheatland 4-H District:
Arrowwood: Horse
Cheadle Multi: Beef, Heifer, Sheep
Crowfoot Livestock: Beef
Crowfoot Multi: Archery, dog agility, outdoor adventure, sewing & crafts
Hussar: Beef, Horse, Multi
Rockyford: Beef
Strathmore Rusty Spurs: Horse
Standard Multi: Horse, Sheep
Strathmore Multi Club: Photography, Cooking, Small Engine
If you are interested in checking out any of these clubs, please contact Key Leader Michelle Lalonde via e-mail (wheatland4-hdistrict@shaw.ca).