Evening star., 1937-06-19
By.Elna Wharton.
VOLUNTARY apprentices Of the
! buines Of farming are some

buiness Of farming are some
" 10000 rural boys and girls
NOV between the ages of 10
and 20. Tley don't call themselves ap-
prentices. They're members OF the
<-H clubs instituted and guided by the
United SAtes Department of Agri-
culture aid the Cooperative Agri-
cultural Htension Service. There are
All clubsin all 4s States, in Hawaii.
Alaska a d Puerto Rico. A great
number o the boys will be the future
farmers Il their communities. Some
OF the giE will be in the farm busi-
ness. too. although most Of them will
he the sic partners in farm homes,
always 81 closely tied to the farm
business.
A possile return to some form OF
the approtice system is much in the
sducationl air just now. There is a
recognized shortage of trained skilled
workers / many trades. In the All
clubs, agriculture has its own type OF
apprenticeship, which merits more
than passing attention as valuable
type OF ynth guidance.
Apprenticeship in the form OF All
club worlcosts nothing but an honest
effort to complete \ given project Of
productio. designed to show some
better prctice on the farm or in the
home or community. There are no
national dub dues, no obligatory uni
forms, ne political faiths to subscribe
to or apport, no fixed term Of
membership and no required number
Of credit to be obtained. The All
clover binds for hat or sleeves cost
but FEY cents. 1t is true that some
States hive special pins, and so on,
which Enify the important place
club vok holds in the lives Of the
membera but no farm boy or girl Is
barred rom membership because of
lack Of the price Of such emblems.
The proect is the only real require
n1ent, With its sequel, an exhibit or
demonstration.
The askmasters set over these
IounE apprentices to the business Of
farming are invisible. They are the
STANDARDS of the best agricultural and
home economies practice, and the
inner uHe in each one to learn enough
70 meet those standards. Club work
has Geed. symbolized by the four
H's in II insignia-"I pledge my Head
10 clea,er thinking: my Heart to
greater, loyalty: my Hands to larger
service;l and my Health to better
living, flr my club, my community and
my country"
CLUB members are serious and en-
thkiastic about the tasks they
Get themselves in the projects they
select. Spurs along the way are the
chances to outdo their friends in the
neighbdhood, to win prizes and trips.
70 sell quality products and earn
money IS they 60. to become leaders In
club AMI community, and, as they get
older, Y work for an ideal farm house
life. Hetty clear-cut objectives, Of
4 kind We Americans indorse.
The projects carried on by club
membeis differ, of course. according
to the farm practice in different Sec
tions More than 80 different phases
Of farming and homemaking may be
undertaken by these boys and girls.
All projects are listed in all States,
but some are more conspicuous in
one ara than in another The same
InembeE may change projects from
year I'd year until they have COM
pleted work in several fields. Sur
prisingE, you will find girls with
dairy and live stock projects and
Boys Who want to learn canning as
well as crop production.
Boys and girls often taken seven or
eight years of club work, the years
corresponding to the last part Of
grade school and most Of high school
sometimes the club members are
continuing in school, carrying club
work ~ q side line. Sometimes they
have already left school, ard their
club undertakings Ill u gap that has
come al too soon. Often the club
member who has \ garden furnishes
the family table with vegetables. The
poultry club member supplies chick
ems and eggs, besides selling the sur
plus as farm youngsters have always
done. The girl who Is learning meal
planning and preparation takes over
1ome Of her mothers work. or cans
many quarts OF food products for
family use and for sale.
Out IN the Middle West there are .
number of baby beef. swine and other
1--we Stock projects. Potatoes may be
chosen by the Maine boys who expect
to 90 IN for them In 4 big way later
on. Forestry Is . project IN several
Of the Northern tier Of States. in
Tennessee and West Virginia South
ern club work emphasizes, gardenss