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A changing culture impacts 4-H
By NATALIE HESS
The News-Sun
Walt Brazel was a 4-H participant.
Later his three children were. Now his grandchildren are starting
4-H projects. Over the years some details of 4-H have changed
a lot, yet Walt believes the fundamentals are the same.
"Walt influenced our children's participation in 4-H, because
he believed it taught responsibility, money management and relationship
building between counties," said his wife, Anne.
When Walt became active in 4-H, people were living off of the
livestock they raised and the food that grew in their gardens.
"Gardens and wildlife were survival back then. Sewing was
necessary for clothes," recalls Walt. "They're more
of a pleasure or hobby now."
When Walt was young, pheasants were provided by the state for
4-H participants to raise and reproduce. Walt said this phase
of 4-H tried to restore pheasant populations and was the only
time he recalls wildlife game popular in 4-H.
The cattle and swine raised when Walt was young was also different.
"They went from small, squatty calves to big calves to mid-size
calves," Anne said about the trends of 4-H. Anne watched
the size of calves grow from the small sizes to the huge sizes
while her three children went through 4-H. Now her grandson shows
cattle. His cattle are more of the mid-sized range than the ones
Anne's youngest son, Chris, used to show.
"I think they thought there would be more meat in the huge
cattle. But the mediocre-sized calves have just as much meat
of the same, if not better, quality," Anne said.
Walt said they used to strive for "coke bottle" swine,
equipped with big hams, or buttocks.
"Now there's not a market for lard. People now grow leaner,
more muscular swine and cattle, because people are eating leaner
meat," Walt said.
4-H has also been impacted by the number of college-bound students.
In the beginning days of 4-H, participants had to be 10 years
old and were allowed to participate for a total of 10 years.
As years went by, organizers realized that kids who started when
they were 10 were entering college before their 10th year and
having difficulty juggling their 4-H participation while away
at school. To avoid this interference, the age requirement switched
to third grade so that 8- and 9-year-olds could join in order
to get their 10th year done by high school graduation. The Brazels'
grandson, Tanner, is a product of this 4-H change. Tanner began
4-H as a 9-year-old third-grader.
Over the years, Walt has witnessed more projects being added
to 4-H to accommodate different people, different tastes and
a growing population.
When the Brazels' daughter, Cheryl, was in 4-H, the trend was
to do many projects. One year Cheryl took 21 projects to the
fair. Now the 4-H judges concentrate more on quality than quantity,
so participants are back to doing fewer projects again.
"It seems school activities are more demanding now. Coaches
want their players there, so many kids don't have the same time
for 4-H that they used to," said Anne, who recalls a time
her son Chris had to return from the Indiana State Fair in time
for football practice in order to play the last game.
Anne has photographs of an entire table and chair set that her
daughter, Cheryl, stripped and finished for a 4-H project.
"They've revised 4-H a lot. You don't see whole bedroom
suits anymore. Now you'll just see pieces of home furnishings
or a book with home decor ideas," said Anne. "Maybe
(4-H leaders) think (buying home furnishings) is too expensive,
but we'd shop around at auctions with Cheryl."
Walt remembers when 15 to 20 first-year members would enter 4-H.
Today about five new members join each year. The Brazels agree
a number of reasons account for the decrease in new membership:
the higher demands of extracurricular activities in school, the
expense involved with getting equipment and animals and the competitive
level 4-H has reached.
"Our grandkids are lucky, because we've been able to pass
down a lot of equipment that our children used," said Anne.
"Starting with nothing gets really expensive."
"It used to be that we would just tie an animal up and rinse
it off," said Walt. "Now there are all kinds of grooming
equipment and tools to make the animals look good."
The Brazels have watched 4-H further the careers and lives of
their children and hope it can continue to be there for future
4-Hers. The Brazels still value the work ethic, cooperation and
education that 4-H instills in its members.
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