4-H Clubs

Much of Lethbridge's culture comes from the agriculture industry and one of the most best examples of this are the area's many 4-H clubs. 4-H is an international group of clubs for young people with clubs in Canada, the United States, and the United Kingdom. The 4-H's motto is "learn to do by doing" and its name stands for Head, Heart, Health, and Hands which are all the things needed to be true to its motto.

P19910027002-GA Hand made horseshoes

4-H clubs in Alberta came from a unique combination of government and grass-roots interest. In 1917, W.J. Elliot, an ex-principle at the Olds Agricultural School, was working as an extension agent for the department of agriculture in the Olds area. Elliots duties as extension agent were to supervise summer school fairs, and in while doing this job he organized a boys and girls pig club as a part of the fair. 24 people joined that program and, with money from the Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce, each bought and raised 2 pigs for slaughter. The first project was such a success that by the next year there were 15 such clubs and 225 members. By 1920, each district agriculturist was in charge of organizing and operating local 4-H clubs.

Lethbridge's participation within 4-H has been long-lived and interesting. It was in Lethbridge, in 1923, that Alberta's first 4-H beef club was formed. District agriculturist M.L. Freng and local farmer Charles Giffen organized the club which let young people buy calves, raise them and then sell them. The clubs territory was large, it went from Iron Springs, in the North to the American border, and from Taber, in the East, to Mountain View, in the West. Originally the club was called the Junior Farmers Beef Calf Club, but in 1950 changed its name to the Lethbridge-Coaldale 4-H Beef Club. Although the club had always purchased its calves from the McIntyre Ranch, near Calgary, in 1973, the year of the club's 50th Anniversary, members went off in a new direction, deciding to raise imported European calves. Now in its seventh decade of operation the Lethbridge-Coaldale 4-H Beef Club is one of the oldest and most successful 4-H clubs in the province.

All forms of agriculture are important of 4-H club members.

Beef and pig clubs are some of 4-H's better known types of clubs, but what is interesting about Lethbridge area 4-H clubs are their many different types. Among unique clubs in the Lethbridge area is the Brant Little Stitches 4-H Clothing Club. The club was established in 1969 by Vicky McNiven, Judy Green, and Mrs. S. Vanderplog to teach young women the skills of sewing and clothes-making. Members and leaders would host an annual exhibition to display and sell their creations. Although sewing was the main job of the club, it also acted as a social organization which would take its members to interesting places, host parties, and teach public speaking skills.

Another new idea in 4-H clubs took place in 1968. In that year Cal Brandley, District Youth Representative and Milo Barfuss, Regional 4-H Supervisor began work on creating the Lethbridge 4-H Light Horse Club. Brandley and Barfuss approached the Whoop-Up Saddle Club with the idea and the club agreed to it. Since then the club has hosted a variety of events, including a Horse Camp where members enjoy a trail ride and camp-out.

Cattle are a very important aspect of 4-H

One of the more recent and interesting clubs is the Oilers and Flames Multi Club. The club has many activities such as photography, cooking, crafts, working with small engines and computers, and skiing. One of the clubs (although many 4-H clubs participate) best known events is the highway clean-up done each year in the ditches around southern Alberta's highways.

4-H, in its seventy-plus years in southern Alberta has done much for the community. It has trained young people in agricultural technology and practices in an entertaining way, provided social connections for rural and urban youth, and, generally, contributed to southern Alberta culture. 4-H clubs are still going strong in the Lethbridge area as one may see when noticing the signs displayed by local merchants which read "we bought a 4-H calf".