PETTING FAIR AT LOCAL BUSINESS HELPS 4-H DELIVER ITS MESSAGE

When most city dwellers think of 4-H clubs, they think of them as being only for rural kids.

But Donna Fields, 4-H youth specialist for Cape Girardeau County, wants the public to know that 4-H is for everybody.

"Four-H is for all kids," Fields said Friday at a petting fair conducted by 4-H at Cape Girardeau's Orscheln Farm and Home Supply, which sponsored the fair. "Four-H has just as much to offer city kids as farm kids because there are so many projects that don't deal with animals."

Fields said 4-H is a youth development organization for ages 5-18 that focuses on leadership, citizenship and learning. In fact, she said, the new, national 4-H promotional statement is "4-H -- more than you ever imagined."

Cape Girardeau County has 14, 4-H clubs, including one in the city of Cape Girardeau. The clubs have a total of 280 members.

Fields said she wants to start more clubs in the city as interest increases. The petting fair was one way of reaching the public, she said.

The four H's stand for head, heart, hands and health. The clubs provide activities to promote the four H's in each individual member. Head activities, or activities that emphasize use of the mind, include rocketry, computer skills and electrical projects.

Fields said that 4-H puts emphasis on building leadership skills. Four-H members learn parliamentary procedure, elect their own officers and conduct their own meetings, she said.

"Leadership is a fundamental skill that is necessary for success, no matter what career you choose," said Fields. "I've heard college professors say that they can tell students who have been in 4-H because they are more composed and skilled when making presentations."

Heart projects include building citizenship skills, which is done in part through community service projects such as sponsoring an annual back-to-school safety day. Some clubs have fund-raisers and donate to charity.

The hands aspect of 4-H commands a large emphasis also, since the 4-H motto is "Learning By Doing."

Fields said that 4-H members not only gain knowledge with their heads, but engage in many hands-on skill projects. "We put our knowledge to use," she said.

There are 120 projects to choose from. Projects that don't involve caring for animals are numerous. They range from woodworking, photography, small engines, fishing and hunting, to cooking and sewing.

Of course, there are also projects that involve the care and feeding of both large farm animals and small animals such as dogs, cats, rabbits and guinea pigs.

The health aspect of 4-H involves members learning healthy lifestyles such as good nutrition and physical activities.

Christin Nothdurft, 14, a Gordonville 4-H Club member, said: "Four-H is not just for rural kids; anybody can do it. Four-H is another way of getting together with your friends. And you learn leadership and responsibility while having a good time." Nothdurft has been in 4-H for six years.

A junior leader from Burfordville, 16-year-old Denise Aufdenberg also enjoys 4-H. "I think 4-H is really fun," she said, "because not only do you get to learn, you also get to help younger kids."

Aufdenberg likes another aspect of 4-H. "We get to go on a lot of trips," she said, "such as to the annual 4-H Teen Conference and the Club Congress, both in Columbia; to an annual three-day camp; and to the Citizenship Workshop in Washington, D.C."

Club members also can go on exchange trips through International 4-H Youth Exchange. Fields went to India and stayed with farm and city families for four months in 1978. "The purpose was to create better understanding between our cultures," said Fields. "It was a once-in-a-lifetime experience."

John Nothdurft, 12, of Gordonville, says he likes 4-H because he likes helping the community.