What is 4-H?
4-H is a community of more than 6.5 million young people across America learning leadership, citizenship and life skills. 4-H’ers participate in fun, hands-on learning activities which encourage a sense of belonging among the youth. And it is making new friends and doing new things. Sometimes it’s even going to new places. The 4-H Club is the largest youth organization in the United States! Louisiana has more than 85,000 4-H members in more than 1,700 clubs.
Louisiana 4-H reaches a diverse group of youth, grades K-12. Through non-formal, research-based, experiential learning activities, 4-H participants gain knowledge and life skills to become productive, capable and compassionate members of their communities. The 4-H program combines the cooperative efforts of youth, volunteer leaders, land-grant universities, federal, state, local governments and the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
The Bossier Parish 4-H Youth Development program serves over 1,200 members with 50-plus leaders and volunteers in 25 clubs. Our 4-H agents, Jeannie Crnkovic and Alex Shook, develop and carry out a yearly program plan for these young citizens to focus on building their community service, leadership and teamwork skills. In addition, many activities and special events are created to include participation for all members. Cooking shows, birdhouse building, outdoor skills seminars, essay contests, livestock competitions, design a t-shirt contest, camping excursions, talent shows and much more are created to bring members together in an effort to heighten social skills and community involvement. Bossier Parish 4-H proudly guides and teaches our future leaders of tomorrow!
Who Can Join 4-H?
4-H is open to boys and girls between the ages of 9 and 19, grades 4 through 12. Bossier Parish is putting together a Cloverbuds Club this year for youth ages 5 to 8.
Enrollment begins at the September 4-H club meetings in the parish schools. Each school club has a local 4-H leader who helps organize the club. To enroll in 4-H, students should complete an enrollment card and pay their club dues. Dues are set by the club or volunteer leader and are onetime fees. When the enrollment cards are filled out, ONE project book is selected based on interest. First-time 4-H members in 4th-6th grades must select the “Discovering 4-H” project book; others can select a project they are interested in such as livestock, environment, photography, fashion, horticulture, woodworking, aerospace, healthy living, pets, citizenship and much more. 4-H’ers can compete with their projects in contests at the local, state, regional or national levels and also attend conferences and events.
4-H Slogan: Learn By Doing
4-H Motto: To Make the Best Better
4-H Colors: Green and White
4-H Emblem: Four-leaf clover
What do the four H's in 4-H stand for?
Head, Heart, Hands and Health are the four H’s in 4-H, and they are the four values members work on through fun and engaging problems.
HEAD - Managing, Thinking
HEART - Relating, Caring
HANDS - Giving, Working
HEALTH - Being, Living
The 4-H Pledge
I PLEDGE ….
My HEAD to clearer thinking,
My HEART to greater loyalty,
My HANDS to larger service,
My HEALTH to better living,
for my club, my community, my country, and my world.
The 4-H Creed
I believe in 4-H work for the opportunity it will give me to become a useful citizen.
I believe in training of my HEAD for the power it will give me to think, to plan and to reason.
I believe in the training of my HEART for the nobleness it will give me to become kind, sympathetic
and true.
I believe in the training of my HANDS for the dignity it will give me to be helpful, useful and skillful.
I believe in the training of my HEALTH for the strength it will give me to enjoy life, to resist
disease and to work efficiently.
I believe in my World, my Country, my State and my Community and in my responsibility for
their development.
In all these things I believe, and I am willing to dedicate my efforts to their fulfillment.
Some Famous 4-H Alumni
Faith Hill, Reba McIntyre, Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, Johnny Cash, Reggie White, Dolly Parton, Al Gore, Roy Rogers, Herschel Walker, Archie Manning, Charley Pride, Glen Campbell, Johnny Carson, Jermaine Jackson, Russel Honore, Pat Nixon, Jerry Huckaby, Vince Gill
Bossier Parish Highlights
Community Service is Bossier Parish 4-H’s middle name. We engage all of our members in this important character building skill. This past year our members donated 3,332 food and personal need items which benefited our local food bank and the Northwest Louisiana War Veterans Home. In addition, the school clubs partnered with the Muscular Dystrophy Association and sold $7,021 in MDA Shamrocks for that organization! We want our 4-H’ers to learn the importance of giving back to their community.
Bossier Parish 4-H understands the importance of being a part of the parish’s school curriculum. Our focus was on LEAP lessons. 4-H agents compiled materials for each month’s lesson plan and created member involvement in an effort to motivate learning. The lesson subjects included anatomy, geography and our environment.
Bossier Parish 4-H members, leaders and volunteers were recognized for their outstanding performances. Scholarships totaling $4,600 were awarded as well as 54 trophies, 310 certificates, 22 medals and ribbons and 5 volunteer leader awards. The awards and scholarships are sponsored by our school clubs, local community sponsors, Bossier 4-H Foundation and the Louisiana 4-H Foundation. We are proud of all the Bossier Parish 4-H’ers.
Our Service Learning Team met on a monthly basis at the NW Louisiana War Veterans Home, Allendale Friendship House, and with the Therapy Dogs at the Glen Retirement Center. During the holidays, members volunteered at the NW Developmental Center and wrapped club donated gifts for the residents. They do these things all in the name of community service.