The lasting legacies of 4-H
Alumni look back and assess the impact of 4-H involvement on their skills,
passion and commitment to agriculture.
It’s been more than 50 years since Angus Park
attended his first 4-H event in Trochu, Alta. He was
also a participant in the first-ever 4-H Inter-Provincial
Exchange sponsored by RBC Royal Bank in 1963.
As part of the Exchange, Park toured the University
of Manitoba’s Faculty of Agriculture where researchers
were working on a brand new crop: triticale.
“4-H was a terrifically important experience,” Park says.
“It wasn’t just what I saw and learned; I also met and
learned from other 4-H-ers.”
Not only did 4-H offer a solid grounding in crop
production, Park says he also learned how to speak in
public and run a successful meeting. He has put these
skills to work as a volunteer with 4-H as well as other
community groups and his local gas co-op.
Park’s 4-H example was followed by his three children,
who participated in clubs for beef, horses and small
engines. “Whatever field you choose, 4-H gives you a
leg up,” he says.
FROM BEEF TO BANKER
Gwen Paddock was a 4-H member in the 1970s and
’80s in the Puslinch Township in Wellington County,
Ont., where she was active in the beef club and
participated in the provincial leadership camp.
In 1981, Paddock took part in a 4-H Inter-Provincial
Exchange trip to Prince Edward Island, sponsored by
RBC Royal Bank, who eventually became her employer.
“I can’t say enough about 4-H,” says Paddock, now
an RBC Royal Bank farm finance specialist based in
Guelph, Ont. “It was a great opportunity to develop
leadership skills. You gain a lot of self-confidence from
the experience and bring that with you wherever you go.”
Paddock continues to serve 4-H as RBC Royal Bank’s
representative on the Ontario 4-H Foundation. She
recently worked on the send-off activities for the Ontario
contingent of the 2005 4-H Inter-Provincial Exchange.
THE FUTURE IS THEIRS
Kim McConnell’s family legacy is steeped in 4-H. At one
time in the small town of McConnell, Man., 27 of the
4-H club’s 35 members answered to the name McConnell.
The club was focused on beef, but McConnell says
he enjoyed the public speaking component. “4-H
forced me to start public speaking at a young age,”
he recalls. “We also learned how to conduct a proper,
well-chaired meeting, regardless of whether it was in
a business setting or in a volunteer capacity. I use that
skill regularly.”
4-H has a deserved reputation for building future leaders
of Canadian agriculture. Kim McConnell serves as one
example. He is currently the CEO of Calgary-based
AdFarm, a communications agency devoted exclusively
to agriculture with four offices in the U.S. and Canada.
THE 4-H SHARED BOND
As sales and marketing manager for Ketchum
Manufacturing based in Brockville, Ont., Kevin
Dalrymple travels widely in North American agricultural
circles. Wherever he represents the company’s line of
livestock and meat identification products, Dalrymple
never fails to bump into 4-H alumni.
His 4-H years began at age 12 with the South Dundas
Dairy Club in eastern Ontario.
“4-H is a common bond all over North America,”
he says. “Everyone you meet who was in 4-H has
something to share.”
Dalrymple says he also appreciates the training
he received, especially how to communicate with
confidence. “The model of ‘Learn to do by Doing’
is a great one.”
Chris Forrest, communications manager with the
Canadian 4-H Council in Ottawa, speaks with 4-H
alumni every day. Each has a story to tell about the
friends and experiences, and how the organization
helped them set their course in life. Over time, the
32,000 Canadian youth enrolled in 4-H today will have
their own stories to tell.
“4-H alumni are like a ‘Who’s Who’ of leadership in
Canadian agriculture,” says Forrest. “4-H truly does
create generations of leadership in our industry.”
According to the Measures of Success survey
conducted for 4-H by Ipsos-Reid, 4-H alumni attain
higher education levels, earn higher salaries and are
more involved in community work compared to the
Canadian average.
Interested in getting your children involved in your local
4-H chapter? Visit www.4-h-canada.ca/join_4-h.html,
or call (613) 234-4448.
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