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4-H originally began in 1902 as the Boys and Girls Club. It w
as established to encourage agricultural education through "learning by doing". The first 4-H emblem appeared around 1907-08 and was originally only a 3-leaf clover: Head, Heart, and Hands. In 1911, it was proposed to add the fourth H, but it was originally going to stand for Hustle: "to render ready service, to develop health and vitality". It was not changed until another proposal, in the same year, suggested adding the fourth H for Health. MSU Extension came around in 1914, but under another name: Cooperative Extension Service or CES. CES served as an organizational entity of the USDA and was created to "conduct educational programs of an 'informal, non-resident, problem-oriented nature.'"
4-H officially became the name of the organization in 1924 (although it had been proposed as early as 1918). The 4-H Pledge was written by Otis Hall, State Leader of Kansas, and was adopted officially in 1927 by the State 4-H Leaders at the first National 4-H Camp. It was unchanged until 1973 when it was modified to include the words, "and my world". The first recorded bulletin of a "Fair-like" showcasing of agricultural products by 4-H-aged youth in Livingston County was in January of 1915. Boys between ages 10 and 18 were encouraged to show off their best crops of corn, potatoes, apples, or a livestock project (one pig from weaning to market or one dairy cow for an entire lactation). Girls of those same ages were encouraged to showcase their best projects related to housekeeping, garment making, canning and marketing, or gardening and canning. All youth were encouraged to showcase poultry and market gardening projects. The first ever recorded 4-H Club in Livingston County was organized in 1919 in the Brown School in Conway Township. It was called the School Lunch Club (sometimes The Brown School Club). It's primary leader was Miss Florence Rogers and it reached 18 members. The first successful livestock club for Livingston County was called the "HOMAGO Livestock Club" which surfaced in 1922. HOMAGO was the combination of the 3 townships that the members of the club were representing: Howell, Marion, and Genoa.
