The 4-H story

In celebration of National 4-H week (October 1-7), the Eagle is reprinting "The 4-H Story," written by LaVerne Major. The story originally appeared in Shifting Scenes, Volume I.

The 4-H Club program is part of the nationwide educational system of the Cooperative Extension Service, a three-way partnership of the United States Department of Agriculture, the State land-grant colleges or universities and County government.

Carter and Fallon Counties have been served by a joint County Agent since 1934. This came about rather interestingly through the necessity of administrating the government programs of the '30s.

Keith Sime became the first agent for both counties in 1934, Mr. Sime being particularly interested in 4-H club work. He said, "There is a great need for 4-H club work to be promoted and carried on particularly in Carter County, due to the fact that the boys and girls are far from the railroad and far from town. A great many boys and girls, as soon as they finish the eighth grade go back to the farm or ranch and do not get a chance to meet new people or do new things or carry on any project of their own".

4-H clubs in the early years of the work in the counties were one project clubs for the most part. Also, there were boys clubs and girls clubs instead of the mixed clubs we have today. The clubs were organized in the spring of the year due to the fact that so many youngsters had to board away from home during the school year and this made it hard to carry on the work. Road conditions made winter travel to meetings difficult. This made for a very busy summer of 4-H work as all of the work had to be accomplished during the summer and early fall months.

The first clubs organized were corn clubs and home improvement clubs for boys and sewing and cooking clubs for girls.

There were 4-H Clubs in Carter County in the late '20s and early '30s. Miss Lucille Kelly, Home Demonstration Agent stationed at Baker did a great deal of work in Carter County organizing Home Demonstration Clubs and encouraging them to assist in the 4-H Club work.

Ida Ewalt Brewer tells of belonging to a 4-H club in Ekalaka during the late '20s. She doesn't remember many things about the club but remembered they were to can a variety of things and among the things she canned were some thistles for greens. She also won a prize on her potatoes at the Fair in Ekalaka.

Gladys Burch Mosely helped lead a club in the Ridgway community in 1929 and '30. Their first project was sewing. The first lesson was to darn a sock, using a diamond shaped darn to reinforce around the hole. The girls did one because it was "an Assignment" but they all said they wouldn't wear one; it would "show". They'd rather just pull the edges of the hole together and sew it up!

Mrs. Moseley reported that in the summer, young ladies from College were Extension Agents for a few months. She remembered two of them coming to the Robert Burch home on Box Elder. As they crossed the creek the axle on the car broke. The young ladies were treated to home-made ice cream and helped back to Ekalaka.

In 1930 the Smiling Sailors club was organized in the Capitol community. This was a clothing club with Mrs. Walter Enerson as the leader. Ruth Enerson Tiegen was the secretary of the club and still has her book as a keepsake. The members were Dorothy, Ruth, Eleanor, Agnes, and Mildred Enerson, Amy and Ruby Bonefield, Bessie Davis, Bessie Wright, and Louise Teigen.

The Happy Hustlers Corn Club of the Capitol community was also active in 1930. Otto Enerson was the leader and his assistant was Raymond Teigen.

Ruth reported that the two clubs put on a carnival and dance at the Capitol Community Hall April 11, 1931. All the club members attended 4-H Camp at Opeechee Park in the summer of 1931.

Mrs. Bob Renshaw was leader of a sewing club in the Sykes community in 1930.

From July 1931 to August 1, 1933 no Extension work was carried on in either Fallon or Carter Counties except as an aftermath of the work previously started due to the fact that the program had been voted out by the Fallon County Commissioners.

Eleven Clubs were organized in 1934 after the Extension Program was reinstated. Girls sewing clubs at Albion with Mrs. Jim Butcher and Mrs. Earl Borneman; North Carter with Mrs. Olaf Strand and Margaret McLean; Opeechee Park with Mrs. T.G. Parker and Mrs. C.F. Welch. Mrs. Grace Martin and Mrs. F.N. Hammon were leaders of four clubs in Ekalaka, two sewing clubs and two cooking clubs. Corn clubs were organized in two communities. The Box Elder Corn club in the Sykes community with Stanley Wells as leader and Purple Sage Corn Club in North Carter with Walter Guyer and Oscar Quam as leaders.

Mr. Sime remarked in his 1934 report that the corn clubs were practically a failure as far as dollars and cents were concerned but all of these clubs completed their work with as much enthusiasm as they started. He said it would take more than two years of drought to overcome such members. In 1935 boys and girls’ clubs were organized in the Ridgway community. Since a great deal of interest was being shown in Crested Wheatgrass the boys club decided to introduce the Crested Wheatgrass project. They became the Cloverleaf Crested Wheatgrass Club. John H. Johnston and Horace Genre were the leaders with 13 boys enrolled. The girls organized a sewing club with Mrs. E.A. Major as leader.

The Little Missouri Crested Wheatgrass Club in the Albion Community with Frank Arbuckle and George Hinds as leaders was organized in 1935.

These early years of the 4-H program were plagued with drought, grasshoppers, and hailstorms but 4-H work was actually at its best in these years.

In 1935, twenty-four clubs were organized in the two counties with 204 members and in 1936 there were twenty-nine clubs organized.

The County Agent is very important to the 4-H program. He is the supervisor of the work and the one to call on when assistance is needed. Carter County has been fortunate to have had some very good men serve our area. Gib Ziedler, George Severson and Bradley Dooley preceded our present agent Gene Hoff. One Agent at Large who contributed a great deal to the 4-H program was Lee Rovig.

The 4-H Council has always been active in the county. The Council assists the Agent in the planning of the 4-H events. In April 1931 a South Carter County Council was organized at Capitol.

This group was very active. They planned for Home Demonstration and 4-H Achievement Day to be held at Albion that summer. The committee appointed for the event was Mrs. Gail Kockenderfer, Mr. and Mrs. Hinds, Mrs. W. Emerson and Mrs. Bonefield. In 1934 a joint council with Fallon County was organized. Grace Martin, Ekalaka, was president, and Mark B. Nies, Ekalaka, was secretary. The council was discontinued in 1942. It was reorganized in 1948 with each county having its own council.

The 4-H Council has been a member of the Montana Local Leaders Association for many years. Three of Carter County’s local leaders have served as District vice president; Ellis Burch, Harold and LaVerne Major. Harold Major served as State President of the Association in 1961. Projects are the learning by doing part of 4-H and the activities add interest to the program. Demonstrations, judging events, dress revues, camps and parties add to the fun part and the personal development of the 4-H member.

4-H Camps have always been an important part of the program. From 1926 to 1940 camps were held at Opeechee Park, in the pine hills east of Ekalaka. These camps were for members from Carter and Fallon Counties. The 1926 report stated that a very successful camp was held with a fee of $1.50 being charged to cover all costs for the camp including six good meals. In other years no fees were charged for the camp. Each club brought sufficient food for their members for the period of the camp; the food supplies were pooled, and a committee of 4-H Leaders took charge of the cooking and preparation of the meals. Mrs. Floyd Ellis served as chairman of this committee a good many years.

The main part of the camp in those early years was devoted to recreation including baseball tournaments for the boys and swimming. In 1936 the report showed that the Colverleaf Crested Wheatgrass Club of the Ridgway community won the baseball championship after three hotly contested games. The 1939 camp report showed that 175 members and leaders attended from the two counties. The food committee was Mrs. Floyd Ellis and Mrs. R.A. Gee. The Chaperones were Clarence Morgan for the boys and Vivian Castleberry for the girls. This was the largest camp on record.

The facilities at Opeechee Park consisted of a Community Hall where the activities were held and on rainy nights the girls slept, also a small kitchen shack from which those delicious meals were dispensed.

The members brought tents to sleep in. John Johnstone always bought a sheep wagon for his headquarters. Everyone remembers with nostalgia those times spent in the pines of Opeechee Park; the early morning chill, the buglers call, the raids up and down the valley as scores were evened between the girls’ and boys’ sectors of camp.

In 1941 the camp moved to the CCC camp south of Ekalaka and became known as Camp Needmore. There were 100 members and leaders attending this camp. The last day being on a Sunday, a Bicounty picnic took place with a large crowd (325) interested parents and friends joining the 4-H’ers for the day. Church services were conducted in the morning by Rev. I.N. Stanley of Ekalaka. The campers presented a program after the picnic lunch and the remainder of the afternoon was spent in games and contests.

During the war years of the ‘40’s the camp was not held and in 1948 the 4-H Camp at Camp Needmore became an area camp including five surrounding counties. This has grown and in 1975 seven Montana counties and one North Dakota county took part in the camping program.

In recent years an extensive program has been carried on modernizing the camp. The old CCC barracks have been cut in two and moved back in the pines to provide comfortable cabins for the campers. A new building was constructed for the restrooms and showers. The mess hall kitchen has been remodeled. This has been a large effort on the part of many people and many organizations but the man who has been instrumental in keeping the program of renovation going and to whom much credit must be given for its success is Gene Hoff, our County Agent.

The ‘40’s were the war years of World War II. An all out effort on the part of club members, leaders, and parents was urged to salvage scrap, plant and preserve food, and buy saving stamps and bonds. The 4-H Victory program figures show that the boys and girls were serious about the program. In 1942, thirty-two girls completed the food preservation projects canning 2,666 quarts and storing 3,328 pounds of fruit and vegetables. Bone, rubber, paper, horse hair, aluminum, and iron were collected. In 1943 the 4-H members were reported to be owning $8,821.85 worth of war stamps and bonds.

Achievement Day is considered one of the high points of the 4-H year being the time when awards are given out and clubs and members are honored for their years of work. In the early years of 4-H the Achievement Day was a full day with judging, contests, demonstrations, and dress revue being held on this day. The members and leaders came early for the contests and spent the day. Mr. Sime reported that the Achievement Day was only successful due to the interest of the Local Leaders and the cooperation given by the people of Ekalaka. These days included both counties and were always held in Ekalaka. In 1935 the Commercial Club of Ekalaka, served a free lunch to 165 4-H members. The First National Bank of Ekalaka donated money to be used for the purchase of pins for all members who had been in club work for three years or more.

Clubs chose teams to judge at the County Event. In 1935 the Twelve Miles Busy Workers (Albion) won first in the clothing judging, the Sunny Kitchen Cooks (Ekalaka) won first in the foods judging. Phyllis Putnam was county winner in foods preparation. Winners of Home Economics Judging in 1939 were teams from the Thrifty Six (Tie Creek) Betty, Mary and Alice Cridland, and the Long Pines Cooking Club, Ida Lee Kennedy and Betty Kingsley tying for first. The Agriculture Judging contest was won by the team from the Cloverleaf Club (Ridgway) Harold Major and Arthur McKnight the members. In 1943 High Individual scores in Home Economics went to ErmaLee Taylor and Verna Frye and in Agricultural judging to Madge Malmquist and Roger Nies. Later years show teams being chosen to compete at the State 4-H Club Congress in state contests. Folas Burch, Raymond Carlisle, Robert Nies were chosen in 1957; Ronald Knipfer, Torn Figg, Robert Burch, Edward Powell in 1960; Ross Major, Lester Phillippi, Ronald Rosencranz in 1966; Colleen Courtney, Tim Thomas, Dallerie Walker, Paul Brence in 1974.

The dress revue has been the high point for the girls in the clothing projects. In 1935 the winner was Olive Dean, 1936 Nelle Guyer, 1937 and 1938 Gladys Stitsen, 1939 Mildred Macnab, 1940 LaVerne Malmquist. In the ‘50s the county began sending the style review winner to the State Contest. Some of the participants have been Elsa Loken, Lorene Anderson, Barbara Teigen, Ginger and Trixie Stieg, Merrilyn Johnston, Marcia McKnight, Sue Anne Gardner, Mary Speelman, Jennifer Larson, Gayle, Kathy, and Virginia Major, Lezlie and Colleen Courtney.

Demonstrations are an important part of the 4-H teaching program, all members give demonstrations in their local clubs and many have given their demonstrations at the County and State levels. In 1930 Eleanor and Ruth Emerson were chosen to go to Billings as a demonstration team and in 1931 Ruth Enerson and Louise Teigen gave a team demonstration on setting in a sleeve in Billings. In 1936 the winners of the County demonstration contest were Virgil Major and Gerald Johnston with a demonstration “How to Make a Self Closing Gate.” In 1959 Carter County sent five demonstrators to the State Contest. They were Virginia Wocicki, Gayle Major, Sharon Richards, Orman Lende, and Douglas Melum. Sara Kerr was Home Agent at this time and gave the 4-H program a big boost.

Trips have always been part of the Achievement program. The State 4-H conference, which later became known as 4-H Convention, and today is called 4-H Club Congress, is held every year in Bozeman on the campus of Montana State University. This is a coveted trip and a long line of members have attended over the years. In 1930 Morine Renshaw (Sykes) and Alex McNab, Jr. (Ekalaka) were members attending with Mr. Walter Enerson (Capitol) and Charles R. Fuller (Mill Iron) as the leaders chosen to attend. Attending in 1935 were Olive Dean, Gladys Stitser, and Marvel Shoemaker from Carter County and Marie Reiger from Fallon County with Mrs. Floyd Ellis (Ekalaka) and Mrs. Jim Butchex: (Albion) as the Leaders.

Another trip that was awarded annually in the years between 1922 and 1941 was the trip to Chicago for National 4-H Club Congress and the International Livestock Exposition. The C.M. & St. P. Railway encouraged the 4-H work by providing free transportation and pullman fares for the delegates from each county in the state. In 1930 Ruth Enerson, Elmer Enerson and Frances Fuller were delegates. In 1935 the delegates were Nelle Guyer and Gladys Stitser from Carter County and Marie Reiger from Fallon. Ruth Albert was a delegate from Carter County in 1940. The last delegates to attend under this program were LaVerne Malmquist (Carter) and Clyde Williams (Fallon) in 1941. This program by the railroad was discontinued in 1942 due to World War II and now the delegations for National Trips are chosen by a State Committee. Some winners of National Trips have been Folas Burch to the National Tractor Driving Contest in Kansas in 1957, Raymond Carlisle, range management judging in Denver in 1959, and Bryce Johnston won a trip to Denver in range management in 1973.

The ‘50s saw a resurgence in the 4-H program with new clubs being organized and new people being involved. The coming of the Women Agents to the County Extension program was a definite help in the 4-H program with new clubs being organized and new people being involved. Miss Sara Kerr came in 1958. Her enthusiasm sparked many a youngster to do a better job. In 1964 Miss Dianne Undem became Agent and her fresh approach to the 4-H program was very beneficial. Other agents who contributed a great deal to the program were Linda Giesick, Sandra Nickolson and our present agent Minnaclare Lavender.

Among the activities during these years was a County-wide Rural Life Sunday observance. The first of these was held at the Ellis Burch ranch July 18, 1954. The program was sponsored by the Up ‘n Comin’, the Gumbo Gophers, and the Box Elder Feeders from Fallon County. All the clubs in both counties were invited to attend and take part in the Worship program as well as the picnic and games. 250 people registered for this very enjoyable day.

Another event that created a lot of interest in these years was the 4-H Talent Show. This was sponsored by the 4-H Council as a money-making event and also as a means of choosing someone to attend the State Talent Contest held in Bozeman. These contests were held at the Ridgway Community Hall with large attendances. Some of the winners were Frankie Allan, Carole Curry, Weston Mader, and the Gumbo Gophers Square Dance team.

The Carter County Fair was reorganized in 1955. This was a boost to the 4-H program. Prior to this date the Fallon County Fair had been the official fair and had been hard for everyone to attend. This first year of the Fair the Home Economics exhibits were displayed in the old Charters Store building and tents were set up on a vacant lot adjacent to the Court House for the livestock exhibits. The Fair has grown larger through the years and buildings have been constructed at the Fairgrounds to house the exhibits.

A very worthwhile trip developed for 4-H club members in the 60’s. Citizenship short courses are held at the National 4-H Center at Chevy Chase, Maryland near Washington D.C. This is a week spent in the National Capitol to give the 4-H member a chance to better understand the meaning of Citizenship. Ned Summers and Ross Major were among the first to attend one of these courses. They came home with such glowing reports that many more young people were encouraged to apply for the trip. In 1968 a large group took advantage of this opportunity to visit the nation’s capitol. They were Fay Williams, Frankie Speelmon, Kathy Major, David Gardner, Rodney Tauck and Carl King.

The Range Ride for 4-H people and other interested parties was developed by the Box Elder Conservation District in 1962. The first tour started at the O.J. Teigen ranch and went to Lantis Springs. Many tours have been made since in practically all parts of the county. The groups enjoy the ride and the study made of the vegetation and historical points in the areas visited. The supervisors of the B.E.S.C. do a fine job of managing the ride. One of the long-time supervisors on this ride has been Teddy Bickerdyke.

In 1961 the Extension report has this to say about 4-H members in Carter County, “The Carter County members stay in 4-H longer and have more boys as members; most of the girls take agriculture projects as well as home economics.” In 1962 twenty-five projects were listed as having been carried by 4-H members in the counties. The clothing project has always had the most members enrolled. There are no corn clubs today and the sheep and beef projects are the largest agricultural projects.

In 1975 there are eight clubs in Carter County, in the Alzada, Ridgway, Capitol, Mill Iron, Chalk Buttes, and Ekalaka communities. The faces have changed through the years but somehow the family names do reappear proving that 4-H is truly a Family Affair.