Ten 4-H members from Lauderdale and Clarke Counties were honored with a reception on Tuesday, August 24, to celebrate their dedication and hard work creating record books.
This is the first time that a reception has been given, and there was a great turnout to show support for the kids and their amazing projects.
“The record book program has been around since the start of the 4-H program, and we’ve seen the numbers dwindle on how many record books are being done every year. Typically, our kids who do record books get a $15 premium check and a small trophy at the end of the year. There’s an awful lot of work that goes into these record books. It takes the kids about 60 hours to complete a record book if they do it correctly, and there’s a lot of writing that goes into it. A $15 premium check and small trophy aren’t much of an incentive for the kids to get that done,” expressed Clarke County Extension Agent Christy King. “I had a brainstorm one night on something that might help incentivize getting the record books done and talked with Lacey from Lauderdale County about it. She was on board with doing a joint reception for our kids who actually completed doing a record book. We had the idea that we could have a reception where they got to decorate a table that represented their 4-H career, very similar to a senior reception in high school. This is the first year we’ve done this, and I’m really excited about the turnout.”
This is not the first time that Clarke and Lauderdale Counties have combined to work with the record books. Lauderdale County Extension Agent Lacey Dysart was also excited about combining with Clarke County again. She knows just how impactful the event can be for the students and the opportunity that it opens up for them.
“Lauderdale and Clarke County are adjoining counties, and Christy and I work very well together. We co-hosted a record book workshop together because her mom is a retired agent and an expert at record books. I’m a new agent and needed a little help, so we combined and worked very well together,” explained Lacey. “A lot of the record books aren’t honored well. They usually just get a trophy and a little bit of money, and this is a much better way to honor their hard work. They put hours and hours of work into their record books each year. This way, the kids are able to talk about their project, meet people, and gain more life experiences.”
The record books are an important element in 4-H. While many kids aren’t willing to put in the work and effort that is required, they teach necessary skills that will help the students as they mature and are forced to tackle “real-world” issues. That is one of the central reasons why Christy King believes in the program and wants to do what she can to encourage others to participate in it.
“I believe in the record book program. I think it sets them up for success later in life,” declared Christy. “If you look at what you have to do when you fill out tax forms, you have to go back and pull all this information you had to keep over the year. Doing record books just helps set them up for that success. We have to teach them these record keeping skills so that they can be productive citizens later on in life.”
Parents also see exactly how important the record books are. Tyler and Jonathan Hearn’s mom, Janet Hearn, appreciates the lessons that the record books are able to teach her boys. While she will admit that it is very challenging to make sure that both of her boys do what they are supposed to and meet all the deadlines, she is willing to take on the stressful task because of how great the benefits are. She makes sure that they have pictures for everything they are involved in and can remember the different dates and information for events so that they are able to include it in the detailed book.
“Tyler has been doing 4-H since he was five and shows in swine. Jonathan has also been doing it since he was five and shows in swine. This year, Tyler did the 4-H fishing tournament and shooting sports. He shows at county, district, and Dixie National. He did a fishing rodeo where he caught a catfish and won first place with it. Jonathan did the same events,” informed Janet. “All the information of what they do—from how they show during a show, how they take care of the animals, and anything else they do—goes in the questionnaire for the record book. The first part is several pages of answering questions, and they have to know what they’ve done for the whole year. Anything from July to July of the following year is supposed to go in the record book. After answering all the questions, you turn around and write an essay telling about you and what you do and did for your project. You have to be very detailed about everything. It’s one of the hardest things to do in 4-H. I always tell my kids that doing the record book will help them when they get to high school and college.”
While the record book is challenging for all of the 4-H students who choose to participate, it can also be very rewarding. The program works well with anyone and allows to the students to be successful if they desire to complete it.
“Tyler has a goal to keep doing the record book because he wants to win that free trip to Georgia when he is eligible for it. It has a reward, but it takes time to experience. That is his goal, though,” stated Janet. “Like school, 4-H works really well with any kind of special needs, and since Tyler has dyslexia, dysgraphia, and ADHD, they allow him to type his essay instead of the usual method of writing it neatly with a pen on unlined paper. He has more challenges, but he’s overcome that. He actually does better with the record book sometimes because it’s something he really wants to do and enjoys.”
Clarke County actually has a great record of students being able to win the trip because of superb record books.
“I’ve only had one senior 4-Her who has attempted to earn the trip and never earned it. We have a really good track record of getting our senior 4-Hers on that trip and doing the record book is the only way to earn it. It’s a life changing trip,” said Christy. “Every 4-Her we’ve ever sent on it has come back a changed individual. It is a leadership development experience. I’ve sent shy, reserved children who were uncomfortable in their own skin on that trip, and they’ve come back outgoing and have become leaders in their community.”
Although the trip is a great incentive to work hard on record books each year, it is not an immediate reward for all the hard work the kids put in each year. The kids were proud to be able to present their projects and record books to anyone from the community who attended and saw what all they have accomplished. The reception was definitely a success and achieved its purpose of honoring their dedication. Hopefully, there will be many more receptions with more students in the upcoming years.
