4-H offers a variety of Clubs to ensure every Member can get the most from their 4-H experience. From chocolate to chickens to gardening, there’s absolutely a 4-H Club for every Member to enjoy participating in. In addition to learning the tangible Club skills, Members also learn a variety of transferable skills that will benefit them now and in the future. To provide a better idea of what a Member can learn in a 4-H Club, we had 4-H Member, Nicole French, share her 4-H story. After all, what better way to understand what 4-H means to its Members than hearing it from the Members themselves. ___________________________________________________________________________ My 4-H Story By Nicole French 
Over my two years in 4-H I have learned many new things, made new friends and faced new challenges. I have participated in over 10 Clubs. Some of my favorite Clubs are the Garden Tractor Pulling Club, Maple Syrup, Sew Easy and the Dairy Club. In the Fall, I was in the Grow A Large Vegetable Club. I was trying to grow a really big pumpkin. We were given a seed from an 800 lb pumpkin. We learned how to file down the seed and then plant it in some soil. We then got to bring home our seed to look after and grow. This is where the fun begins. I had to water it and keep it in a window with sunlight. When it got big enough, I had to transplant it into my garden. Then came the next challenge…….bunny rabbits! So I can control watering and weeding my pumpkin…..but how was I going to keep Mr. Bunny Rabbit out of my garden. Well, my Oma brought me some chicken wire over to put around my pumpkin. I also put out some stakes with pie plates on them. I think the noise they make when the wind blows them, scares the bunny rabbit away. I really like watching my pumpkin grow. It gets bigger every day. This is a good example of our Club motto, Learn To Do By Doing. This is a really hands on Club, that requires me to stay focused and learn new things by trying different strategies. I have also had some great help from my Leaders. They have really made the Clubs fun and interesting. They help answer many questions I have. The Club Leaders have been a big part of my 4-H experience. One thing I really like about 4-H is reciting the 4-H pledge at every meeting.
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 and my country.
This pledge helps me keep focused on what 4-H really means. It reminds me to live a good life by staying focused on what I want to do. The best part is I get to learn all of this by doing things. That is the 4-H motto to Learn To Do By Doing. When we have to say our pledge at the start of every meeting, some people may think, “Oh we have to say that silly pledge again?” But for me it reminds me to think positive, help others, stay healthy and overall, be nice to everyone I meet. I will take my 4-H experience with me wherever I go and remind people that no matter what you think you know, you can always learn more. That is what 4-H has shown me. I encourage everyone to give 4-H a chance to try new things and make new friends. When you say 4-H the first thing that pops into my mind is an awesome, fun and active experience. I’ve invited my friends to come and experience 4-H. I love 4-H and everything that I am learning. It is helping me to become a better person with a wide range of skills. Nicole French is a 4-H Member from Region 4. She has been in 4-H for two years and has already completed an amazing 13 projects! Nicole has also taken on many executive positions in her Clubs including Club President, News Reporter and Treasurer.