or 4-H clubs, organizations for boys and girls from 9 to 19 years of age. The group is part of an educational program designed to improve techniques of agriculture and home economics, promote high ideals of civic responsibility, provide training for community leadership, and foster international understanding. Founded (about 1905) to enable rural youth to "learn by doing," the American 4-H program is run by the Cooperative Extension Service of the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture, with the aid of state land-grant colleges and universities. Local groups are guided by Extension Service workers and volunteer leaders. Each group elects its officers and plans its activities and programs. The club motto is "To make the best better"; its pledge is "My Head to clearer thinking, my Heart to greater loyalty, my Hands to larger service, and my Health to better living, for my club, my community, and my country."

The 4-H club movement has grown to include cross-cultural exchange and training programs with similar groups in over 85 countries. A national 4-H Club congress is held annually in Chicago at the same time as the International Livestock Show; club members display their achievements in such fields as breeding and raising poultry and cattle, cultivating vegetables and fruits, canning and preserving foods, handicrafts, and needlework. In response to the steady decline in the U.S. agricultural population since World War II, 4-H has expanded its program to include groups for youngsters living in the nation's cities and suburbs. There are more than 5.5 million members in the United States.

The Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition Copyright© 2004, Columbia University Press. Licensed from Lernout & Hauspie Speech Products N.V. All rights reserved.

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