4-H NEWS

1-Eight Elected to National 4-H Council Board of Trustees
(Washington, DC) The National 4-H Council Board of Trustees has elected eight new members who who contribute expertise in their respective professional fields and a passion for 4-H youth development to the national organization.

They are George L. Brown, Washington, DC; Eligio Kika de la Garza, Mercedes, TX; Dr. Dorothy McCargo Freeman, Minneapolis, MN; Lynn O. Henderson, St. Louis, MO; Amber Joy King, Belgrade, MT; William A. Linnenbringer, St. Louis, MO; Nancy A. Redd of Martinsville, VA; and Herman L. Scott, Washington, DC.

"Our eight new Trustees bring an abundance of expertise in leadership, management, youth development and business, and the election of eight new board members at a single board meeting is unprecedented. The National 4-H Council Board is not only rising to its full potential, it is soaring to new heights, " said Gary L. Davis, Chairman of the National 4-H Council Board of Trustees and Executive Vice President and Chief Human Resources and Administrative Officer, J.C. Penney Company, Inc.

George L. Brown
Currently vice president for business development for the architect/engineering firm, L. Robert Kimball Associates, Brown has had a distinguished career in journalism and government and was one of the Tuskegee Airmen during World War II. He was named a King Fellow to the Colorado University School of Journalism in 1959, and, in 1962, was one of four American journalists selected by the State Department to tour Europe and Africa. He served five terms in the Colorado Senate from 1955 until he became Lieutenant Governor of Colorado in 1975.

Eligio Kika de la Garza
De la Garza has had a long and illustrious career in public service. He served six terms in the Texas House of Representatives and was a Congressman from Texas 15th District from 1964-1998. de la Garza became a leading force on the House Agriculture Committee and served as chairman from 1981-1994. As House Ag chair, he was a champion of 4-H. In 1976, he founded the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, which he chaired from 1989-1991. He has been a strong supporter of civil rights safeguards who successfully fought for improved access to health care for the elderly and veterans, better living conditions for low-income individuals and the impoverished, and access to educational opportunities for all Americans.

Dr. Dorothy McCargo Freeman
Freeman is state 4-H program leader and assistant director, Center for 4-H Youth Development, University of Minnesota. Prior to joining the Minnesota 4-H staff in 2003, she spent 27 years with Virginia Cooperative Extension, most recently as a 4-H extension specialist. She is a former president of the National Association of Extension 4-H Agents. She received her Ph.D. in human development from Virginia Tech in 2001.

Lynn O. Henderson
A 4-H alum, Henderson is president and CEO of Doane Agricultural Service Co., a leading provider of information and business solutions for agricultural producers, the professionals and corporations that serve them, and purchasers of commodities. Doane's media interests include the Agri Marketing, Ag Retailer, Crop Decisions and Ag Lender trade magazines, AgriTalk and The Bottomline Reports radio programs and the Doane's Agricultural Report newsletter. Henderson currently serves on the boards of directors of the Agricultural Retailers Association (ARA) and the World Agricultural Forum (WAF).

Amber Joy King
A 10-year 4-H member, King is executive director of the National 4-H Youth Directions Council. She is a freshman political science major at Montana State University where she is involved in Collegiate 4-H and is a member of the cheer squad. She is a Montana State 4-H Ambassador and a member of the Montana for 4-H Committee and American Foundation for Suicide Prevention Board of Directors.

William A. Linnenbringer
Linnenbringer retired from PriceWaterhouseCoopers, LLP, (PwC) in 2002 as one of its most senior leaders, managing their financial markets and practices. During his more than 30 years with PwC serving major companies and financial service industry organizations, Linnenbringer led the development of audit, tax and consulting services for the financial services industry. He was one of the few financial leaders to restructure agriculture financial markets during the 1980s. He was PwC's financial service industry representative to the World Economic Forum from 1993-2001.

Nancy A. Redd
Redd, the current reigning Miss Virginia, is a 4-H alum who currently serves as a Virginia 4-H Foundation Trustee and a 4-H advisor on the Ford Foundation's National Partnership for Trust in Government. A Harvard graduate, Redd has written for PBS Online and was a contributor to the Princeton Review's The Girls Guide to the SAT. She was a top 10 finalist in the 2003 Miss America pageant, one of Glamour magazine's Top 10 College Women in 2002 and has won $250,000 on Who Wants to Be a Millionaire.

Herman L. Scott
Scott is founder and managing director of Response Group, an executive search and human resource management consulting practice based in Washington, D.C. Response Group has grown to become a highly-respected business advisory and consultancy to corporate, non-profit, and governmental organizations throughout the nation. Prior to starting his own consulting firm, Scott held management positions with American Airlines; Citibank; International Group Plans, Inc; MCI and Maxima Corporation. He is adjunct professor of organizational behavior and change management at the Johns Hopkins University and is actively engaged with several community-based non-profits providing counsel on board selections, training and governance and ethics.

4-H is a community of young people across America who learn leadership, citizenship and life skills. Young people who participate in university-based 4-H programs in their local communities gain these skills through experience-based activities. National 4-H Council is the private sector partner of the 4-H Youth Development Program and its parent, the Cooperative Extension System of the United States Department of Agriculture.

The diversity of the National 4-H Council Board of Trustees reflects the best that America has to offer. I look forward to working with each of these talented individuals as we continue to dedicate ourselves to 4-H youth development, said National 4-H Council President and CEO Donald T. Floyd, Jr.

2-Spirit of Community Awards Recognize 72 4-Hers
Seventy-two 4-H members from across the United States have been recognized by the Prudential Spirit of Community Awards for outstanding commitment to their communities.

The Prudential Spirit of Community Awards is a program across the nation designed to honor youth for commendable acts of volunteering. State Honorees, Distinguished Finalists and Certificate of Excellence recipients earned their awards for their involvement in volunteer projects that includes assisting disabled, disadvantaged, and the sick; tutoring and mentoring younger children; supporting American troops serving overseas; and serving their communities in a variety of other ways. For more information on the organization and awards, visit www.prudential.com/spirit or www.principals.org/awards/prudential.cfm

Fifteen 4-H members are among the award's 104 State Honorees. They are Andrew Bell, Georgetown, DE; Cameron Parker, Forsyth, GA; Megan Sack, Mendota, IL; Alexandra Holderman, Mishawaka, IN; Erin Rosen-Watson, Waltham, MA; Brittany Sanders, Oakview, MO; Jessica Bobb, Richardton, ND; Warner Phipps, Kearney, NE; Leah Wolsten, East Brunswick, NJ; Rachael Lambin, Minden, NV; Matthew Burnham, Newark, NY; Lindsey Brenkus, Butler, OH; Peyton Healy, Aberdeen, SD; Kristin Farris, Houston, TX; Shilo Summers, Fairmont, WV.

Each State Honoree receives $1,000, an engraved silver medallion, and an all-expense-paid trip to Washington, D.C., in May for several days of national recognition events. At that time, 10 State Honorees will be named 2004 National Honorees and receive an additional $5,000, a gold medallion, a crystal trophy and a donation in their name of $250,000 worth of children's products to needy children in their communities.

Twenty-four 4-H members each received an engraved bronze medal as Distinguished Finalists. They are Seth Sumners, Russellville, AR; Nicholas Pulley, Rohnert Park, CA; Ashley Buford, Cordele, GA; Katherine Oliver, LaGrange, GA; Emily Kraft, Evansville, IN; Allison Hammer, Tompkinsville, KY; Kristie Waddle, DeRidder, LA; Adam Philley, Monterey, LA; Lindsey Songy, New Roads, LA; Jennifer Gardner, Ronan, MI; Anna Greenberg, Stillwater, MN; Emily Hunt, Clinton, MS; Dennisa Nolan, Clarksdale, MS; Brooke Herbig, Central City, NE; Emily Wemhoff, Clumbus, NE; Alex Wilson, Yerington, NV; Devan Hickey, Bryan, OH; Shannon Mitchell, Findlay, OH; Tiffany Grant, Tulsa, OK; Julie Hill, McAlester, OK; Kelsey Tharp, Amber, OK; Welland Burnside, Murrells Inlet, SC; Laura May, Waverly, TN; Kathleen Simpson, Georgetown, TX.

The 33 4-H members who received the Certificate of Excellence are Sydney Steely, Murfreesboro, AR; Ashley Lewis, DeQueen, AR; Carolyn Bridwell, Yreka, CA; J.Lauren Dueck, Littleton, CO; Heather Orlando, Sanford, FL; Anna Daniel, Jackson, GA; Rebecca Miolen, Newnan, GA; Tabitha Todd, Claxton, GA; Adam Johnson, Hamilton, GA; Brendon Dunbar, Adel, IA; Kori Agin-Batten, New Plymouth, ID; Stephanie Waltz, Bedford, IN; Joelle Blecha, Belleville, KS; Stephanie Garcia, Louisville, KY; Remus Blount, Baton Rouge, LA; Lauren Ogles, West Monroe, LA; Jody Waller, Rayville, LA; Brooke Boeser, Waconia, MN; Tyler Kilpatrick, Franklin, NY; Jami Harper, Grand Island, NE; Elizabeth Malone, Albuquerque, NM; Amanda Westbrook, Owego, NY; Amy Thompson, Ada, OK; Cassie Marsh, Shippenville, PA; Erin Bartley, Shelbyville, TN; Margaret Crilly, Knowville, TN; Garrett Martin, McMinnville, TN; Kyle Schielack, Cameron, TX; Sarah Ingram, Angleton, TX; Michael Thomas, Ritzville, WA; Julie Edler, Appleton, WI; Heather Gillich, Martinsburg, WV; Stoni Sell, Basin, WY.

The Spirity of Community Awards, run by Prudential Financial, Inc. in partnership with the National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP), has honored young people for exemplary acts of volunteerism for the past nine years.

People as caring and committed as these young students are critical to the future of our neighborhoods, our cities and our nation, said Arthur F. Ryan, chairman and CEO of Prudential Financial. By recognizing these honorees, we hope to encourage other young people--our future leaders--and all Americans to think more about the value and importance of volunteering in their communities.

3-Building Community Inclusion Request for Full Proposals Announced
National 4-H Council, in partnership with Mitsubishi Electric America Foundation (MEAF), will select up to seven implementation sites across the nation, including at least two currently involved in the Engaging Youth, Serving Communities Rural Youth Development program, with a desire to advocate for youth-adult partnerships and change the local, state, or national view of inclusion of youth of all abilities in community programs. This will include youth roles in governance, working in partnership with adults. Each site will be trained in National 4-H Council's Youth-Adult Partnership curriculum and receive an implementation grant of up to $10,000. (100 percent funding match required: 25 percent cash with remaining 75 percent in-kind/cash.)

This program will enable sites to provide support for inclusion of youth with disabilities in youth/adult partnerships and in program implementation with community awareness activities jointly supported by a local program partner--a community governance group. National 4-H Council will only award funding to 4-H programs/sites. A 4-H site is defined as a program or office which is either the program manager or implementer, or a primary partner in a collaborative community group, but in any case acts as fiscal agent for the program.

The community governance group could be a youth service council, county fair board, 4-H or other youth organization executive board, county government and city council committee, school board or other school-based committee. With the help of the Youth-Adult Partnership curriculum and inclusive practices for community programs, the governance group and the youth participants will work together to develop strategies and implement action plans to create an environment of inclusion for youth of all abilities to take action in their communities. Each prospective site must connect with and gain written commitment from a local governance group or groups for the implementation of this program.

Each implementation site will be coordinated by a leadership team of at least two youth and at least one adult, with and without disabilities, who will create a workplan that details specific action steps that will be used to achieve the program objectives and outcomes listed below, as well as other goals and outcomes that may be identified as the sites recognize issues that need to be addressed within their community. The workplans will include the number of youth and adults to be directly involved in their program and the estimated number of people indirectly affected by the program.

The site leadership team will identify three representatives (which could include leadership team members) to attend a national youth-adult partnership training provided by National 4-H Council to be held in Chevy Chase, MD. Tentative dates are August 17-19, 2004. The teams will gather together at the end of the training for a roundtable discussion of the workplans for each site. Sites will share their workplans with the large group and have the opportunity to adapt their workplans based on the feedback from the group. After completion of the workshop, teams will return to their communities and facilitate youth-adult partnership training for all participants in their program including the members of the governing board.

Selected sites will be provided with additional resources and training through HalfthePlanet Foundation (HtP), a nonprofit promoting independence, economic self sufficiency, social inclusion and empowerment of people with disabilities. HtP is a technical assistance provider to national grantees funded through this MEAF initiative, and is compiling a resource guide for sites to aid them in locating awareness resources, assistive tehnology, and additional funding. They will also be providing a session entitled Disability and Awareness Inclusion at the youth/adult partnership training in fall.

Results of this program will be shared with 4-H youth development professionals at conferences, workshops, and meetings nationwide to provide youth development professionals interested in expanding their youth programs with an awareness of new ideas, strategies, and components of successful initiatives. Possibly, youth workers who had not thought of reaching out to their full community to work with youth with disabilities will find it easier to draw together fiscal, coordinating, and volunteer support from community members.

If the Building Community Inclusion grant opportunity is of interest to you, a Word version on the RFP/Application is available for download at www.n4h.org/programs. You can request a PDF version by sending an e-mail to twexler@fourhcouncil.edu Complete application packets are due by 5 pm Eastern Time on May 7, 2004. Packets should be sent to: Sally Miske, Building Community Inclusion, National 4-H Council, 7100 Connecticut Avenue, Chevy Chase, MD 20815.

4-Oregon 4-H Leader Plans to Retire
Oregon 4-H Program Leader Jim Rutledge has announced plans to retire at the end of 2004 so he can become a 4-H volunteer once again. You see, Rutledge's two grandsons, who do not live in Oregon, are almost old enough for Cloverbuds. I simply have to be there, Rutledge said in a letter he wrote to his colleagues that appeared in the March 2004 issue of Oregon State University 4-H Youth Development Education's 4-H Youth Staff Newsletter.

Rutledge has spent 33 years as a county agent, area coordinator, specialist and program leader. He also is a National 4-H Council trustee. It all began with a county 4-H horse show in August of 1971. Well, actually, it all began with a white Shorthorn heifer name Snow White in the fall of 1957, Rutledge recollected. 1957 was the year 10-year-old Jim Rutledge joined the new 4-H club his parents had started.

Rutledge said he made the announcement so early to allow adequate time to find his replacement by the beginning of 2005. It will take time to find as dedicated a leader, but we're glad to hear that Jim Rutledge will still be involved with 4-H as a volunteer.