Southern Alberta region of 4-H program celebrates 100 years

No one at the 4-H trade show at Exhibition Park in Lethbridge Saturday was around to see the program for farmers in its earlier days 100-years-ago, when it began in the southern region of Alberta, but Marie Logan was around 50-years-ago to take it in.

Logan was a youth member for six-years, a leader for the past 44 and has no intention of calling it quits anytime soon.

“It keeps you young,” Logan said. “I wanted to belong to a pony club but there was no pony club, I can only belong to a beef club. Now, kids can pretty well do anything.”

One of the youngest members is 10-year-old Ella Davis. She joined 4-H because she wanted to learn about breeding sheep.

After just three-years in the program, she already has her sights set on becoming a senior.

“I just don’t want to give up in 4-H. I just want to see if I can get to the senior year and then leave when I have to,” Davis said.

Bryanne Peltzer is a senior and says she can now do public speaking, something she wasn’t able to do when first becoming a member seven-years-ago.

When I was little I was very shy,” Peltzer said. “Now, I’m a little more outgoing and I’ve just really developed as a person through 4-H.”

Andy Pittman, chairperson for the 4-H southern region, said developing and encouraging youth to reach their full potential is one of the biggest reasons the program exists.

“The reason we’re still involved is because we see what the youth get out of it,” Pittman said.

4-H is a worldwide program with about seven million members.

Pittman said the close to 1,000 members currently in the southern Alberta region are special to him.

“Southern Alberta 4-H community is a really tight unit of amazing leaders and members that come together in so many ways to grow the program and grow themselves,” Pittman said.

The four H’s of 4-H stand for head, heart, hands and health. The goal is to give youth the opportunity to work on various projects and enjoy meaningful experiences that build confidence and a sense of achievement.

“I’ve always said that 4-H is the best youth development program there is and I just assume it’s going to be here for another 100 years…it has done a great job,” Logan said.

The 100-year celebration consisted of a trade show, followed by an evening banquet at Exhibition Park in Lethbridge.