4-H fears being put out to pasture

The Lowell Sun ^ | Thursday, August 21, 2003 | AMANDA KRUPKOSKI

[Willie Green]

For education and discussion only. Not for commercial use.

WESTFORD -- Sheep will be sheared, horses will be mounted, and local youths will display prowess honed with a multitude of other beasts and crafts when the 48th annual Middlesex County 4-H Fair opens tomorrow.

But the fair and the 4-H Youth and Family Development Program may be an endangered species.

"4-H is very much in limbo-land right now," says Mary McBrady, executive director of the Massachusetts 4-H Foundation, a non-profit organization that holds fund-raisers to support 4-H training and after-school programs statewide.

4-H is funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, which designates one university in each state as a land grant university. In Massachusetts, the University of Massachusetts Amherst is responsible for funding many programs, including 4-H, through its Cooperative Extension office.

Because of budget cuts at the university this year, 4-H's budget of $1.4 million was cut by $975,000. That resulted in 18 4-H staff members receiving layoff notices. Earlier this month, however, notices for six extension educators and four part-time secretaries were rescinded. The other layoffs are effective Oct. 11. The cuts will also close five of the 12 field offices statewide by Sept. 30, though none local.

But 4-H officials fear the cuts may be the beginning of the end.

They have heard that there will no longer be liability insurance for 4-H clubs and volunteers, which would mean they would have to stop meeting.

"The program could completely disappear because the program was completely gutted with this decision," McBrady says.

But Stephen Demski, director of the UMass Amherst Cooperative Extension, says it's not time to panic.

"Any suggestion that the 4-H program is ending is absolutely incorrect," Demski says. "The university will continue to provide liability insurance for the 4-H program in exactly the way we have before."

Demski admits some staff members have received their pink slips and that some county offices will close, but says the university is pitching in $150,000 beyond what is left in the 4-H budget. He says the ideal solution to would be for the Massachusetts 4-H Foundation to contribute $100,000, for $150,000 to come from grants and donations and for 4-H members to pay membership fees of maybe $25 per person, which he is hoping will bring in about $100,000. Currently, 4-H members only pay fees to their individual clubs, not the program. Fees run the gamut, but some are as little as $10 a year.

In 2005, UMass will stop funding 4-H, but will maintain extension educators on campus. At that point, the 4-H Program must be completely self-sufficient, Demski says.

Eugene Tworek, president of the state 4-H advisory council, has been lobbying state and U.S. legislators about the problem. And meetings across the state have been held, but with no quick solutions.

"4-H has been dealt a near-fatal blow, but I have a lot of hope that the legislators will provide some assistance," Tworek says.

In Middlesex County, the annual fair draws a huge crowd an estimated 10,000 for last year's three-day run. But members participate in programs all year. They belong to clubs, attend meetings, go to seminars and give visual presentations.

"We allow kids to work on their passions and interests in such a way that they're learning life skills in a very hands-on way," says Wendy Marcks, northeast extension educator for the Massachusetts 4-H Program. "They learn things like rocketry, aviculture, science and technology, communications, art and career development."

The 4-H Program, which marked its 100th anniversary last year, reaches about 50,000 children annually and has about 5,000 volunteers in Massachusetts. The value of volunteer time has been estimated at $7.7 million, McBrady says.

"Kids learn leadership skills, team building, working together as a club, public speaking and community service," McBrady added. "4-H (which stands for head, heart, hands and health) is based on good values and helping others and learn by doing. To lose that opportunity for future generations is a grave concern for the volunteers."

But Demski says information about the future of 4-H has been skewed and blown out of proportion.

"I believe 4-H is going to prosper," Demski says. "I believe sincerely that there is a very deep reservoir for 4-H throughout the state and that individuals, corporations and foundations will be willing to support the 4-H financially."

Marcks and Karen MacPherson, a member of the Middlesex County 4-H Fair Inc. board of directors, say if 4H did cease to exist, the local board would try to run a similar fair, but it wouldn't nearly as big.

Until the air clears, Marcks says she is not going to give up on 4-H. She will continue support the members, starting this weekend at the fair.

"The fair is for people to come and enjoy," Marcks says, noting that members are not going to go out of their way to discuss the funding crisis. "There will be (4-H members) to talk to if people are interested and want to help, but they shouldn't have to worry about being harassed."

[E.G.C.]

BTTT!!!!!!

[tiamat]

Sounds like you had a great time.

Most of our 4-H kids have no illusions about sex, though my daughter WAS amazed when she had "That Talk" at school. ( I had made sure she knew the real deal before, and she has seen llamas mating ) Anyway, she comes home and says, "Mom, those people at the school don't know ANYTHING abouut breeding!"

Tia

[farmfriend]

Indexing.

[farmfriend]

One more.

[tiamat]

Thanks! Forgot about that guy!