Four-What?

I'd always heard about 4-H. My mom participated in it when she was a girl, and I had a few friends in it as well. But the chances that my siblings or I would ever join...highly unlikely. I didn't even know what the four H's stood for.


Until last year. My mom announced the news to me in a rather quiet fashion, telling me to walk to the elementary school after swim practice. So I showed up at the first meeting, hair dripping down the back of my shirt, goggle marks under my eyes, a backpack the size of Africa on my shoulders.

The meeting was already in session. I paused in the doorway, scanning the roomful of unfamiliar faces. People sat at tables which folded down from the wall. At the far end of the room someone was talking into a microphone, but most of the audience seemed preoccupied with whispering to each other, or doing homework, or turning around to stare at the newbie who walked in late.

I swallowed, wishing I could slip right back out the door and vanish. As quickly as I could, I snuck into a back seat and slipped off my backpack. Mom found me before I had a chance to catch my breath.

"You need to sign up for some of these projects in the back." She pointed to a long row of clipboards.

I nodded and stood up, feeling awkward again as I peered over people's shoulders to read the sign-up sheets. Almost every single project had to do with animals. And I knew from asking (what, a hundred times?) that there was no way my parents would let me raise a pig, or a cow, or goats. Nor did I have the slightest desire to do so anymore.

After some long deliberation, I settled on graphic design, flower arranging, and speech.

My brother and I in our 4-H uniforms

Well, 4-H definitely got better than that first meeting, but most of my projects flopped. I dropped out of flower arranging because of my busy schedule. Graphic design turned out to be an art class (for some reason I thought we would be using computers).

Speech, however, was fun. I did an interpretive reading from The Hobbit by J. R. R. Tolkien, and won gold at State Presentation Day.

This year I ran for office--Club Reporter--and was elected. Honestly, being reporter is now my favorite part of 4-H. I've had three articles published in our local paper, and I now understand a lot more about how 4-H works. I even have the pledge (almost) memorized. In fact, my initial dislike of 4-H has been completely reversed.


If you've never given 4-H a try, I encourage you to do so. You can make new friends and learn lots of important life skills. Most of all, don't be passive. Get involved in your club and and stick it out for more than one year. Otherwise, you'll simply be wasting your time.


Colossians 3:23 "Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men,"

Are you in 4-H? If so, what are your thoughts? Have you ever stuck with something you didn't like, only to end up loving it?