4-H Stories....
Justin Crowe
Justin Crowe, 4-H agent in Davidson County, relates the following story:
I remember it like it was yesterday. I was in the 4th grade at Bethel Springs Elementary School. My teacher told us that we were going to be involved in a program called 4-H. This lady, whom I had never seen, came in and started telling us all about projects, speeches and all of this other “educational” stuff that was going to help us. Little did I know that that lady and that program were going to change my life forever.
As time progressed I became more involved in this program called 4-H. Imagine being the only boy baking cookies or biscuits for your club meeting. Imagine being the only person who prepared a demonstration some months. Whew, was I ever in for a long road ahead!
Then came that moment: 4-H Camp. The week which I thought would never arrive soon did; and upon arrival at the County Extension Office I became mortified. I did not want to leave my mother. I certainly did not want to go off with this 4-H lady who scared me to death. My mother informed me (as many of my 4-H members' parents do now) that she and my dad had paid the money and I was going. I cried from the time we left Selmer until the time we made it to Milan. I cried everyday wanting desperately for Mrs. Casey to get frustrated and call my parents. But did she? Oh, no!
As the years went by and as camp became more of a dream than a nightmare I began to realize that this was what I wanted to do when I grew up. I wanted to be a 4-H Agent (and be half as good as my 4-H Agent.)
I never was a state winner. I never became State Council President or State Big Chief. However, the life lessons I learned from being in 4-H have made more of an impact on my life than I could begin to express in words.
4-H isn't about winning contests or getting to bang a gavel. It's about friendships, leadership building, understanding yourself and others. 4-H is not about blue ribbons and silver trays. It goes far beyond that. It's about finding the person inside of you and sharing that person with those around you
4-H did much more for me than help me overcome my homesickness 15 years ago at 4-H camp. It helped me find who I was and what I did well. My 4-H Agent, Rita Casey, taught me about life and about understanding shortcomings and celebrating strengths (though, at the time, I just thought she yelled at me a lot.)
I became a 4-H Extension Agent for two reasons: 1) I wanted to give back a little of what 4-H had given to me. I wanted to help those young people who may not have anyone else whom they can call their teacher or their friend. 2) I saw the dedication my 4-H Agent had for the program and to me. I wanted to have that so bad I could taste it.
For those reading this who were 4-H members many years ago, who are Extension Agents or who are still in 4-H I hope these words mean something to you. I hope that someday very soon you look back on your 4-H career and you smile. I hope you think about that special someone who helped you along the way. I hope you think about that time you got 2nd place in project competition and missed out on going to National 4-H Congress. Think about being runner-up for Senior Representative. Have we not learned from those things? Has it not helped us be a better person? I might have shed a few tears immediately after the fact but now my heart is swelling with pride as I look back at what I did accomplish. I made the best better.