I pledge my Head to clearer thinking, my Heart

to greater loyalty, my Hands to larger service,

my Health to better living, for my club, my community, my country and my world.

– 4-H pledge

Every month this simple pledge is recited at the beginning of meetings for groups like the Greeley Go-Getters, Happy Hustlers and Tri-Town Hoyas. It represents an organization that has benefited millions of children across Iowa, the United States and the world. An organization that gives members opportunities to learn skills ranging from raising animals to public speaking, and to meet other 4-H’ers through conferences, workshops and trips.

Of Iowa’s three public universities, Iowa State is the one responsible for the 4-H program. 4-H’s state offices are located in Curtiss Hall, and its local clubs are coordinated through ISU county extension services.

These are the offices that organize everything from the county fairs to the 4-H Exhibit building at the Iowa State Fair and the local county councils to the State 4-H Council.

Providing numerous opportunities for Iowa’s youth to become involved in their communities, 4-H also gives youth the chance to make new friends and learn how to become leaders. All for only a small fee of $10 per member.

The fee was introduced last year to help compensate for the budget cuts. Many counties already pay this fee for their 4-H’ers through fund raising, and scholarships are available around the state. But the state legislature thinks the program should be free for everyone.

Under two proposed bills, Senate File 2027 and House File 2328, the 4-H program would no longer be able to charge a fee; Iowa State would be able to receive voluntary donations to subsidize the extension service.

Iowa State’s extension services are already dealing with budget cuts, facing a shortfall of almost $340,000 in 4-H. Program administrators hoped the $10 fee would subsidize up to $250,000 of the shortfall, combined with another $10 fee to be charged in 83 of Iowa’s 100 state districts. The fees have already contributed $185,000.

In a Feb. 21 article, ISU Provost Rollin Richmond said each of the counties in the state agreed to the proposed fee and “no one is being excluded from these programs at this point.” But this all depends on the amount of money the program has to work with. If the

4-H program does not have enough money to provide its members with all of the services and opportunities it’s known for, its quality will go down along with its membership numbers.

Iowa’s 4-H program is one of the best in the country, but state legislators will push it downhill if they vote to get rid of the fee.

Where else is the money supposed to come from? Iowa State doesn’t have any, and it’s the only state institution charged with the responsibility. Administrators recognize the important role their organization plays in the lives of Iowa’s youth. They know the cost of running a quality program and have designed a solution to address budget cuts.

4-H is an organization with simple ideals, but everything costs money – something state legislators don’t seem to understand.

editorialboard: Andrea Hauser, Tim Paluch, Michelle Kann, Charlie Weaver, Omar Tesdell