What is 4-H ?

NAME   

4-H - It stands for: Head, Heart, Hands, and Health. These represent the four points of the 4-H pledge: clearer thinking, greater loyalty, larger service, and better living.

 
PURPOSE

1)    to stimulate active thought so that young people may develop their initiative
2)    to improve skills and discover latent talent
3)    to create a sense of responsibility towards the Community and to God
4)    to encourage a profitable use of spare time and a meaningful use of leisure


MEMBERSHIP

In Barbados membership is open to all youth 7 to 25 years of age, regardless of race, creed or national origin. Membership is open to school and community clubs. They can create special interest projects and groups, participate in camps and group exchanges and perform special interest activities within the school or in the wider community.

          
ORIGIN & HISTORY

The 4-H programme was started in the United States in 1901 for rural boys and girls. Corn and Canning clubs were organised to get young people interested in agriculture and Home Economics.  The groups were not known as 4-H clubs at the time.  The four leaf clover first appeared in Iowa state in 1909 as an award to boys and girls for school attendance or achievement in agriculture or domestic science project work. It was known as “four-square education” which was based on educational, physical, moral, and fellowship development. In 1911 the four leaf clover was officially accepted. Later, they became known as 4-H clubs as we have today. United States Congress passed the Smith Lever Act in 1914.  This provided for a National Co-operative Extension Service which administered the work of the boys and girls club within the 4-H programme.

In 1982, the Barbados 4-H Foundation was formed to administer and manage the programme from funds donated by Government and the Private Sector. 


Early pioneer work such as discussions and plans started in Barbados in 1962, but it was not until 1963 that the 4-H Movement was started. Mr. Vernon Sargeant who worked in England and Jamaica, has been accredited as the first pioneer of 4-H in Barbados.

Originally ten areas in the island were chosen.  Each area was assigned an Extension Officer, from the Ministry of Agriculture whose responsibility was to start a 4-H Club.  By 1964 when the first Achievement Day celebrations were held – there were 10 clubs with an approximate total membership of 200. 

Those clubs were:
   
    St. John the Baptist – St. James    Bellevue – St. Lucy
    Chalky Mount – St. Andrew         Bayleys Girls – St. Philip
    Indian Ground – St. Peter             United – St. Thomas
    St. Lukes – St. George                  Morgans
    Princess Margaret – St. Philip      Water Street – Ch. Ch.