The Durant news. (Durant, Miss.) 1882-1985, 1948-03-04
100000 Ali Club
Boys And Girls
In Mississ: ppi
BY Virginia M. Smith,
Home Demonstration Accent

This is National All Club Week.
During this week. parents and lead
ers and the general public are hear
ing and seeking the results of the
work and activities of almost 100000
All Club boys and girls in Mississip-
pl.
All Club work in Mississippi has
grown in members. projects, and act
ivities since its beginning over forty
years ago in Holmes county.
The first club in Mississippi was a
corn club organized by w. H. Corn
Club Smith in Holmes county in
1907. In this first club Mr.. Smith re-
quired each club boy to grow one
acre corn demonstration. The boys
producing the most corn were award
ed prizes at the county corn show
that fall.
With this beginning many other
counties took up the work. BY 1910
the boys corn clubs had grown so
known then as Farm Demonstration
that the State Extension Service,
Work, appointed state corn club
agent. P. P. Garner was chosen for
this job, thereby becoming the first
state club agent in the United States.
Girls club work began in Missis-
sippi in the spring of 1911. The to-
mato clubs organized in Lincoln and
Copiah counties under Miss Susie v.
Powelrs supervision were the first
girls All Clubs in the state.
In 1914 when the Smith-Lever Act
was passed, boys and girls club work
became part of the Cooperative Ex-
tension Service throughout the Unit
ed States.
Boys and girls club work had its
first real forward movement under
the food production campaigns of the
first World War. The boys were en-
couraged to conduct demonstrations
in growing pigs. beef cattle. dairy
calves and other farm enterprises.
The girls program was extended
from tomato clubs to include gar
dens, poultry, clothing and home i'm
provement.
During the time the first junior
farm mechanics short course was
held at A. & NJ College. now Missis-
sippi State College. This program,
the forerunner of today's annual All
Club Congress, gave the boys a
chance to study improved farm ma
chinery and visit and study expert
mental tests and programs at the Ex-
tension Station and college labora-
tories.
Both boys and girls came to the
short course in 1924. From this time
the program has grown in numbers
attending. in activities and in &C.
complishments.
All Club work grew and develop
ed widely under the leadership of j.
E. Tanner as state boys club agent
and Miss Elaine Massey as state girls
club agent. Miss Massey became
state agent for girls in 1923. Mr..
Tanner succeeded Gully A. Cobb,
who had been state agent since 1910,
in December 1919.
Under their leadership All Club
work grew from scattered individual
members and county clubs to large
membership and wide range OF
projects.
On July /, 1912, All Club pro-
gram was organized under one head
H. S. johnson, who was district club
agent from January. 1924, to July,
1885, was appointed state leader of
All Clubs and older youth.
All Club membership reached an
all time high in Mississippi in 1947.
The total enrolment of 106,486 mem
bers conducted 220,108 project de-
monstrations. These members are
organized into 1892 All Clubs and
assisted and advised by more than
5000 local volunteer adult leaders.
There are $50 Al girls and 243 All
Club boys in Holmes county. They
are enrolled in twelve clubs over
the county and conduct their pro-