Boy Scouts or 4-H? The choice was easy for me.
4-H Group or Boy Scouts, Which One Would You Choose?
My son started going to a 4-H group this week. We are meeting once a month right after kindergarten.
My wonderful, creative girlfriend – a talented floral designer – organizes this new 4-H group, her two little girls (Landon’s “sisters”) are in the group, I have some input, and we are meeting at a farm just down the street we love.
What is 4-H?
Typically thought of as an agriculturally focused organization as a result of its history, 4-H today focuses on citizenship, healthy living, science, and life skills.
The 4-H emblem is a four-leaf clover with an H in each leaf. The letters in the emblem stand for Head, Heart, Hands, and Health.
HEAD – learning to think, making decisions, and gaining new and valuable knowledge.
HEART – being concerned with the welfare of others, accepting the responsibilities of citizenship, determining values and attitudes by which to live, and learning how to work with others.
HANDS – learning new skills, perfecting skills already known, and developing pride in work and respect for it.
HEALTH – practicing healthful living, protecting the well-being of self and others, and making constructive use of leisure time.
There are many aspects to 4-H, but I particularly like that 4-H is a part of the community. A club becomes involved with improving economic and social conditions where the members live.
And I always enjoy seeing the 4-H kids with their animals at the Grange Fair. It reminds me of the wonderful time I had during the summers I spent on a farm as a kid in Germany. I’d love for L to have the same experience.
Landon — and I, who are we kidding here — will learn about planting and taking care of plants, taking care of animals, and much more.
It’s questionable that we will actually have some flowers sprouting in these containers in a month, but I’m keeping my fingers crossed.
Is there an app for remembering to water plants?
We learned what the 4 H’s stand for, I read a story, and we planted the flowers. Then it was time for the kids to run around the farm.
We got our first look at all the new little lambs, goats, and calves.
We are already looking forward to the next 4-H meeting. I’m going to read my favorite new kids book from the UK, Vegetable Glue by Sue Chandler, and we’ll be making veggie pizza.
Had you heard about 4-H groups?
