'We Fought Like Hell'...

I look at King County 4-H and see a “well-connected” community of loving parents, passionate volunteers and Leaders, civically minded and engaged youth.  However, I see little action until the final moment when all hope may be lost on one County Council Vote!  I am perplexed by this overall unwillingness to really speak with one another about the issues at hand and how to not only try to thwart it for the coming year but long-term too?  The lack of foresight for an organization that is all about growing, leadership, learning, civic engagement and community is beyond me.  That is why I wanted to get involved, to begin some sort of open forum utilizing current technology which hundreds of parents and volunteers are already connected to in order to facilitate conversations and action!  Instead fear was shown, overwhelming fear that the internet and technology can create more harm than good!  Well, I have to say that I don’t disagree completely, but I certainly do not agree.  Because of time constraints it’s the groups best bet in organizing collective action, whether it be a letter writing campaign, a protest (see image from newspaper clipping below) or a video diary of current 4-H’ers experiences to share with new members, new community members, to create new networking opportunities and to build support for what seems to be a dying organization. 

On a positive note, the following was shared with me via email by the King County 4-H Adminstrator I have been working with as a gate keeper.  Some of the information is troubling and needs to be addressed as far as youth participation is concerned because it directly reflects what many Council members may be thinking or feeling when it comes time to vote on the funding initiative for 2011 this coming October/November:

“At this time I have been working with clubs and the King County 4-H Association 
on being more visable. I have to amit I have been busy with risk management like getting every one to turn in their paperwork so I can background screen everyone. We also lost 100 4-H member this year wether we would have 4-H. We also gained 167 new member." 

"There is elements of 4-H that has not been encourage by the leaders like Public Presentations and record books.  In Pierce County they have over 200 members doing county presentations while in King county I have had 10 members. There is a lot of work that need to be done in King County. "
 

We will know more about were King County stand when the King County proposed budget is released next month.” (Email correspondence from May 12, 2010).

This is the state of King County 4-H—a “wait and see” mentality.  I’ve joined the bandwagon out of respect.  However, by the end of June, my planning process may change considerably to become more proactive and to perhaps reach out to the greater community of leaders and volunteers on the web as a “concerned citizen” rather than a CD Practicioner or Planner.  Through strategic questioning and concerns, I hope to get to a point where all King County 4-H community members have a sense of “faith in themselves to tackle whatever issues come along” (Wolff 2001).  I only hope to assist with the “visioning process” (Wolff 2001).  I remember at the very beginning of this semester reading through the AMESH), and having one particular bit strike me; a small question to ask the community members, “What story do you want your grandchildren to tell about their home? How would you like your community to look in twenty years?” (Waltner-Toews et al. 2004). These are the questions I want to pose to the 4-H Community, these are the things I’ve asked myself, and I know that I want to be able to share 4-H with my grandchildren or at least tell them stories of how ‘we fought like hell’ to save it. 

On a closing note: I, Alex Conn, Pledge my HEAD to clearer thinking, my HEART to greater loyalty, my HANDS larger service and my HEALTH to better living, for my club, my COMMUNITY, my country and my world.  

Wolff, T. (2001). A practioners’ guide to successful coalitions. American Journal of Community Psychology, 29(2), 173-191.

Waltner-Toews, D., Kay, J., Murray, T.P., and Neudoerffer, C. (2004). Adaptive methodology for Ecosystem Sustainability and Health (AMESH): An Introduction. In G. Midgley and A Ochoa-Arias (Eds). Community operational research: OR and systems thinking for community development (pp. 317-349). New York: Kluwer Academic.