Is the 4-h Club dying?

By 2020 the Jamaica 4-H Clubs will become the leading youth leadership organization in the Caribbean.

The goal of 4-H Club is to develop citizenship, foster youth leadership, responsibility and life skills of youth through experiential learning programs and a positive youth development approach. Though typically thought of as an agriculturally focused organization as a result of its history, 4-H Club today focuses on citizenship, healthy living, science, engineering, and technology programs

The foundations of 4-H Club began around the start of the twentieth century, with the work of several people in different parts of the United States. The focal point of 4-H Club has been the idea of practical mentoring programs for youth and hands-on learning, which came from the desire to make public school education more connected to rural life. Early programs tied both public and private resources together to benefit rural youth.

The 4-H Club  program aims to educate youth in arts and sciences and encourage fellowship through,community youth programs and service opportunities. With continued urban sprawl, 4-H Clubs continues to develop new projects like life skills for youth for its members well beyond the traditional agriculture, animal husbandry,  photography, conservation, cooking, public speaking, sports shooting , history, art, leadership program for youth and other life skills.

4-h membership hit an all-time high in 1974 as a result of its popular educational program about nutrition, Mulligan Stew, shown in schools and on television across the country. Today, 4-h clubs and activities are no longer focused primarily on agricultural activities, instead emphasizing personal growth and preparation for lifelong learning. Participation is greatest during the elementary school years, with enrollment in programs and activities peaking in the 4th grade.

The 4-H Pledge

"I pledge my head to clearer thinking,
My heart to greater loyalty,
My hands to larger service,
and my health to better living,
for my club, my community, my country, and my world."

The Jamaica 4-H Clubs is now in its 73rd year of existence and over that time we have distinguished ourselves as an organization to be reckoned with. Our reputation and our proven track record in training the nation’s youth is a standard not to be taken lightly. At this juncture, there has been a change of the guard in terms of leadership. On May 1, 2013 the mantle was transferred to me, so I have taken up the task of standard bearer. It is a task that I am deeply honored to receive and I humbly accept.

The middle class worker Fitted in well!

The Middle Class Worker

 In the Richest Nation in the World lies a Large Industrial City. A site of one of the largest slave labor camps. Near the center are community settlements where slaves live. Each Morning, people move "herd-like" from those quarters into the Industrial Camp. Each one is in his or her station by 7:30 A.M. Here they report to their masters for their duties. Then they remained chained until 5:00 P.M when they are released. They have no choice on how many hours they must labor , sometimes they are required to work overtime until their master tells them when they may leave.

Each year , they are told when to take their vacation , for how long, and when they must return. They have little choice as to how much money they earn. They are allowed very little time for lunch and coffee breaks during these labor hours. They remain in their chains with great fear because the masters punish them with the "lay-off" whip. It is said that some slaves that are good and faithful, have felt the sting of the whip. Day by day, year by year they toil until the master decides that is time for them to stop working.

He then releases them to retirement camps where they are forced to sit idle and wait for death. Its a well known fact that the old slaves that try to work are sometimes whipped with the "stop-your-pension" whip.

I know these slaves camps really exist, for I am a free man who lives among the slaves. I am business for myself. I am truly free In the morning called for by my own schedule. I decide my own hours, I can even sleep-in late while the slaves are at work. I can vacation when, where and how long I please. I am free to take my coffee break  and lunch break when I decide, and course I decide my own paycheck because am no longer a slave. I can choose to work when and where I please. I am free to stay in the city for as long as I want or to move to greener pastures if I decide to.

This is extracted from an unknown Author.

I worked for Target Corporation for 9 years and this was my exact story. I always felt trapped, I felt enslaved and was asked to enslave others. That was a difficult thing for me to do, I did, it was my Job. I was fired, then told I was retired. I did not make that decision someone made it for me.