Sandusky County Cooperative Extension Office: 4-H Clubs records

4-H is a non-formal educational, youth development program offered to individuals from age five to nineteen to encourage hands-on, experiential learning that allows learning by doing. This youth development program began in 1902 when Albert Belmont Graham, superintendent of Springfield Township Schools, in Clark County, Ohio, organized a youth program to further agricultural learning through applied involvement. The group became known as the "Boy's and Girl's Agricultural Club." Graham's program quickly spread to other counties through the influence and cooperation of the Ohio State University. In 1914, the Smith-Lever Act placed the agricultural clubs under the control of the Ohio State University Extension Office. Two years later in 1916 the organization formally became known as 4-H.

Sandusky County 4-H Clubs began operating in 1923, making it one of the earlier organizations to form in the state, when fourteen clubs were organized with 29 advisors and 124 members. In 1922 the state of Ohio only had 4-H groups in eighteen counties. Some of the first clubs in the county from 1924 included the following:

Blue Bird Sewing Circle - Rice Township Busy Bee - Clyde Busy Bee - Rollersville Rural Busy Bee - Rollersville School Busy Bees - York Township Green Creek Food Club - Clyde Green Spring Junior - Green Springs Jackson Township Calf Club - Jackson Township Jackson Township Pig Club - Jackson Township Lafalot Sewing Club - Jackson Township Princes Pat - York Township Pure Blood Pig Club - Green Springs Rice Township Willing Workers Club - Rice Township S.E.W. - Green Springs The Pride of Ball Clothing Club - Ball School The Willing Workers - Ladd Ridge Willing Workers - Lindsey Willing Workers - Woodville From its meager beginnings in the early 1920s the 4-H program blossomed in Sandusky County, as it did on the state level. In 1952, the county organization had 65 clubs with 148 advisors and 981 members. Presently, in 2008 there are forty-four 4-H Clubs throughout Sandusky County.

Sandusky County 4-H members have been very active. Youths have participated in 4-H camp since 1923 to the present day. In 1928, Sandusky County sent its first representatives to the 4-H Club Congress at the Ohio State University. Delegates to this first annual event included:

Norman Hasselbach - Rice Township Wilda Price - Ballville Township Haldon Sabroske - Ballville Township Irene Smith - York Township Guilia Wertz - Scott Township Marie Pember (Advisor) - Scott Township 4-H has sponsored a variety of community events ranging from tree plantings to chicken barbecues. Members have been energetic participants in the Sandusky County Fair displaying livestock and home economics projects, while also operating diary bar facilities at the fairgrounds in the early 1970s. Other past activities have included soybean growing contests in 1965 and 1966 and certain members attended vegetable growing tours in California, Florida, New Jersey and New York. All of these efforts of the Sandusky County 4-H Clubs have helped realize the 4-H goal of fostering "a community of young people across America who are learning leadership, citizenship and life skills."