| Show Extension Det Celebrates Year car of o Service By Ben W Lindsay County Agent The Cooperative Service of the nations nation's 50 land grant universities and colleges this year celebrates its anniversary anniversary It It is a branch of the US Depart Depart- Department ment of Agriculture and Is supported by tax funds There are arc around ct county extension agents These specially trained men and women work with 4 H 4 H Club members in every state and county There are clubs with a membership of two and a quarter million boys and girls from rural suo su- suburban burban and city families More than volunteer leaders supervise club work locally FIFTY YEARS ago 4 H had barely goten off the ground Participation was spotty Sponsored programs were still a dream of the founders Agricultural extension ago ag- agents were showing young far far- farmers mers how to grow better corn for higher yields They en- en encouraged en the youngsters to raise a pig to eat the corn The fattened hog eventually reach reach- reached ed the Sunday dinner table Girls raised pigs too but for the most part they grew and canned tomatoes The end product also was added to the family food supply THE WHOLE idea behind this unique service was to teach the children so they could prove to their parents that there were better ways to get the job done So was born the H 4 slogan to Make the Best Better And right behind the Exten- Exten Extension sion Service came the bust bust- bustness ness men to offer encourage encourage- encouragement ment and financial support to the H 4 Club efforts They of funds for educational material awards recognition events and when called upon provided technical assistance AS THE NUMBER of head heart hands and health youth increased so did the support of private enterprise As the times and needs changed in extension and National H 4 Service Committee cooperated coop coop- rated in developing new pro pro- programs programs grams Among the H 4 backers for more than 20 consecutive years are Armour and Com Com- Company Company pany Santa Fe Mil waukee Railroad Burlington Railroad Chicago NorthWestern North NorthWestern Western Railway Coats Clark Conrad Hilton Hotel Cudahy Packing Company Firestone Illinois Central Railroad International lIar lIar- vester Kerr Glass Manufacturing Manufacturing turing Livestock Conserva- Conserva Conservation Conservation tion Inc Montgomery Ward Sears Roebuck Foundation Westinghouse Educational Foundation Wilson Co Standard Oil Ohio General Motors American Oil Foundation Foundation tion Others include Eastman Kodak John Deere General Foods Olin Mathieson Chemi- Chemi Chemical Chemical cal Corporation Ralston Purina Pur- Pur Purina ina TODAY HERS 4 can learn about things such as electron electron- electronics ics scientific raising and care of farm animals proper oper- oper operation operation and maintenance of farm machinery including the family auto adequate measures measure's to insure good health and nd safety horticulture horticulture ture entomology photography photography raphy nutrition buying or making apparel There are more than 35 dif ferent areas available to boys and girls Approximately 55 business firms and foundations sponsor these programs or provide educational assist ance |
