Within the first few pages of the August 1972 issue of the National 4-H News magazine, is a photo with the caption “Attempting a rather unusual but effective approach to National 4-H Week promotion, these Cass County, Iowa, 4-H Youth Council members painted 4-H emblems and slogans all over a white pick-up truck, which they drove through their community….”
Much like those 4-H’ers from four decades ago, youth in today’s program are passionate and excited about their projects and their clubs, and often look forward to the chance to encourage others to join the program. From bake sales, to local county fairs, youth seize the opportunity to showcase their projects and make others aware of 4-H.
During this year’s National 4-H Week, six clubs in Grafton County took over storefront windows at local businesses, and prominent school windows to do just that. Following the National 4-H Week theme, Inspire Kids to Do, these clubs designed displays that showed off their club pride and highlighted some of the many wonderful attributes of the program. Sporting the clover emblems of green and white, these displays were unmistakably 4-H.
A three-person committee was tasked with judging the displays. They traveled to the Lyme School to view the Lyme Little Tigers’ display, Pemi River Fuels to see the Rumney Crazy Critters’ display, Poulin Grain in North Haverhill to judge Bob-O-links 4-H Club display, and over to the Haverhill Cooperative Middle School to see what the Haverhill Hawks Afterschool 4-H Club created. They also traveled up to Hunkins and Eaton Insurance in Littleton to observe Amazing Adventurers’ display, and Four Corners Store in Piermont to check out Friendly Fences 4-H Club’s hard work. Based on scores of 90% or better, all participating clubs earned a blue ribbon for their displays.
With a display that the judges found to be “A+ terrific!”, Amazing Adventurers 4-H Club of Littleton earned the top prize. “Our 4-H kids love the window display contest. They love to get out in their community and share what they are doing in 4-H and why they love it so much. It's a bonus when they win the contest, it's awesome to see their hard work pay off,” said Jessica Morin, who co-leads the club along-side fellow organizational leader Shannon MacKay.
As the winners, the members of the club will now have an opportunity to participate in a shopping spree with Donna Lee, Grafton County 4-H Program Manager, to purchase supplies for their club’s future 4-H projects.
For more information about 4-H in Grafton County, contact the UNH Cooperative Extension office at ce.grafton@unh.edu or 603-787-6944.
Group Photo Caption: Members of the Amazing Adventurers 4-H Club posed for a picture after setting up their National 4-H Week window display at Hunkins and Eaton Insurance in Littleton. - Photo courtesy of Jessica Morin.
