Outside of Work...

       The saying goes "All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy."  This is true for all kids.  We are reminded at report card time that grades are an important part of academics.  We encourage our kids to study more, and get good grades.  Which is great!  I say keep it up. Good grades are important. Grades and the classroom are not the only place where education happens.  In fact many times the important social education that we want our children to get happens on the playground and on the sports teams they participate in.  Sometimes though we forget about some outside organizations that also provide the much needed social education.  Here I am talking about groups like the Boy Scouts, Girls Scouts, or 4-H.

     For many people 4-H is seen as being for younger kids, while FFA is seen being for older kids.  This is not true.  4-H offers the same opportunities to all kids not just younger ones.  In many ways, the two programs will complement each other.  I will also tell you that as an adult leader, I helped our Extension educator with her other projects, such as the 7 mile Bicycle Ride through the Wichita Mountains in southwest Oklahoma.

      4-H is one of the organizations that I participated in during High School.  That led me to later be an adult leader. As my friends will tell you, I wasn't anti-social in high school, but I was socially awkward.  My mother insisted that I participate in something outside of school.  As I had an interest in marksmanship and hunting, I participated during high school in the 4-H Shooting Sports program.  In 4-H you learn by doing.  I simply did not learn from a class, or book.  I was expected to go out and participate with the group.  I was very fortunate to have a wonderful coach, Marie Ketchum, who taught me a number of things besides Trap & Skeet.  I learned how to interact with both adults and peers in a social environment.  I learned a great deal how to talk to people in many different ways.  I learned how to accept criticism without taking it personally.  I also learned how recover from failure without it ruining my entire day. Trust me if you only break one clay out of 25 you will have a lot of self doubt.  Most importantly, I learned that every person you meet can teach you something if you are willing to learn.


   For me Shooting Sports was how I participated in 4-H but it is not the only way to participate.  I encourage everyone to seek the local Agricultural Extension office and find out the 4-H program in your area.  If you are part of the military, Contact your local MWR office for the different 4-H opportunities that are available in your community.

     Organizations like 4-H are another way that teachers and parents can work together to build a community based on a shared interest. I encourage not only parents to get involved but also teachers.  I enjoyed working with other 4-H volunteers from around Oklahoma.  Our common interests in student enrichment made for a great time, and for a lot of learning all the way around.

     If you take nothing else from this article, take away that it is in everyone's interest to get involved.  There are lots of young people in your community will have interests in something that you have an interest in. If you nurture that interest in the young people of your community, you help the community improve.