[Congressional Record Volume 158, Number 102 (Tuesday, July 10, 2012)]
[Senate]
[Pages S4819-S4820]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         ONE HUNDRED YEARS OF 
                                UTAH 4-H

 Mr. LEE. Mr. President, Thomas Jefferson once wrote in a 
letter to George Washington: ``Agriculture is our wisest pursuit, 
because it will in the end contribute most to real wealth, good morals, 
and happiness.'' Before their faces were chiseled into monuments and 
printed on dollar bills, many of the patriots who founded our Nation 
and who fought and died for the freedoms we cherish were simple 
farmers. Washington, Jefferson, and others like them were doing much 
more than just growing food to live off of; they were laying the 
groundwork for a culture of self-reliance that played a role in 
America's fight for independence and its sustained growth over the past 
200 years. While technology has changed the focus of our economy from 
agriculture to a variety of other sectors, it is crucial that we 
remember the principles set forth by our Founders. For the past 100 
years, the 4-H Club of Utah has provided youth with the opportunity to 
cultivate and continue our Nation's rich agricultural heritage while 
simultaneously training them in the technologies and advancements of 
the future. Thus, Utah 4-H's centennial theme--``Celebrating the Past, 
Creating the Future''--is particularly pertinent. I find it appropriate 
to commemorate Utah 4-H at its centennial in the halls and records of 
Congress.
  The four H's stand for Head, Heart, Hands and Health. The head 
represents the quest for knowledge, the heart symbolizes love and 
service to others, hands signify hard work and the development of 
diligence, and health emphasizes the importance of healthy habits and a 
healthy lifestyle. While the educational arm of the program was 
originally centered in farm communities, the program has extended far 
beyond that with over a third of its members living in metropolitan and 
suburban areas. Roughly the same percent of members represent minority 
populations.
  The express mission of 4-H is to ``engage youth to reach their 
fullest potential while advancing the field of youth development,'' and 
as its motto states, ``to make the best better.'' The 4-H of Utah 
strives to broaden horizons and connect participating youth with 
greater opportunities than would otherwise be available to them. 
Scholarships are offered to high school seniors and college students in 
need to allow them to take their 4-H education and skills to college 
and beyond.
  The 4-H Club was established in Utah in 1912 but its roots run much 
deeper--back to the 1888 founding of the ``Agricultural College of 
Utah,'' which is now known as Utah State University. The purpose of the 
4-H Club was to educate youth about new agricultural technology so that 
they might pass them to their own farm communities and improve the 
State's agricultural industry. By 1931, Utah's 4-H Club was declared to 
be the fastest growing in the Nation, and now in 2012, it serves over 
75,000 youth. From holding a strict focus on agriculture, cooking, and 
home economics, 4-H has grown and now offers over a thousand programs 
ranging from robotics to skateboarding. The program has succeeded in 
large part due to the dedication of a group of volunteers who are 
passionate about the work of 4-H. I commend and express gratitude to 
the 9,500 current 4-H volunteers, and the tens of thousands that came 
before them. I owe Utah 4-H a personal debt of gratitude, as my own 
chief of staff, Spencer Stokes, is a program alumnus who has brought 
skills and principles he learned in 4-H to his leadership role in my 
office.
  The world is no longer a simple place for the youth of our Nation. 
They face a cloudy economic horizon with an excess of workers competing 
for a dearth of jobs. 4-H gives participating youth a tremendous 
advantage and competitive edge from a young age--helping them build 
healthy relationships, cultivate fruitful habits and hobbies, and learn 
skills to take into their communities and industries. 4-H has played a 
tremendous role in making Utah a better

[[Page S4820]]

place for our youth and making our youth better contributors to our 
communities around the Nation.

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