University of Illinois Extension
Share Your 4-H History

[October 10, 2022]    Illinois 4-H is proud of the rich history of 4-H and our 4-H alums near and far. If you were a member of the Illinois 4-H program, you are one of 25 million Americans who share a unique bond.

The new Illinois 4-H History project initiative is seeking to reconnect with Illinois 4-H Alumni to hear their stories and share their 4-H memories. You can share your 4-H story at go.illinois.edu/4-Hstory. Learn more about the project and upcoming 4-H reunions at go.illinois.edu/4hbythedecades. The Illinois 4-H Alumni Association will seek opportunities for storytelling, video history, and developing a new history website.

Illinois 4-H dates back to 1899 with the start of W.B. Otwell forming the first boy's corn club in Macoupin County, Ill., followed by A.B. Graham, founding the first 4-H club of boys and girls with officers and projects, and record requirements in Clark County, Ohio, in 1902. Illinois then established the first 4-H club, Union Pig Club, organized by C.C. Coots, in Macoupin County in 1915.

4-H has impacted each of us differently, during a different time of life, and has provided skills or memories that have lasted a lifetime. We are interested in gathering your memories, photos, or photos of memorabilia of those special moments in which 4-H impacted you.

Illinois 4-H has a well-founded history, and each generation may have a different perspective of 4-H but the values and goals remain the same to build our next generation of capable young adults, we look forward to hearing 4-H alumni stories and the impact 4-H has made on their lives.

We hope you will reconnect with Illinois 4-H and register as 4-H alumni at go.illinois.edu/4halum to keep up to date on Illinois 4-H, learn about 4-H alum opportunities to engage as volunteers, or through networking opportunities and receive a quarterly newsletter. We have thousands of 4-H alumni from past decades we hope will register and reconnect with us. National 4-H week is a great time for a call to action.

The Illinois 4-H Alumni Association seeks to create a lifelong connection with our 4-H alums through free membership in the Illinois 4-H Alumni Association. The Illinois 4-H Alumni Association was established in 2016 and sought members to build a network of 4-H alums throughout Illinois and beyond.
 

The mission of the Illinois 4-H Alumni Association is to create a lifelong, statewide community of 4-H alumni and provide increased opportunities for meaningful engagement to increase awareness, pride, participation, volunteerism, and philanthropic commitment to Illinois 4-H.

[Tina Veal, Alumni & Constituent Manager for Illinois 4-H, University of Illinois Extension]