As a child growing up in rural South Dakota, I, like most of the neighborhood children, was a member of the Prairie Rangers, our local 4-H club. When I think back on these times, I have fond memories of my fellow club members, the activities in which we participated including the county and state fairs, the preparation that went into the projects we showcased in those fairs, the talent shows and the service projects we did.  The comradery was special and the lessons I learned have been valuable for my entire life.

The 4-H organization has a motto that has been a part of the institution since its inception, thus the reason for the name 4-H representing your head, heart, hand and health.  At the beginning of each meeting, the club members would recite the following oath:

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. 

Since my membership concluded nearly 50 years ago, the clubs added the words, “my family” and “my world”.

I ran into some 4-H club members the other day and it got me thinking about that motto and the meaning of those words which of course as a (much) younger person, I just recited as I was supposed to at the appointed time, never giving them much thought. I researched how the organization started, checking to see if it had religious origins, but that was not the case.  It was begun simply as a youth organization to “engage youth to reach their fullest potential while advancing their development”.

Whether intentional or not, the motto of this organization is clearly how God wants all of us, young and old to live our lives. He tells us this in scriptures over and over again.  He wants us to think clearly and do what is right.  He wants us to be loyal to Him and follow His ways.  He wants us to help others in service to their needs. He wants us to take care of the Earthly body He gave us. He wants us to love and care for our immediate families as well as our local communities, the world and all that is in it. In short, He wants us to be good, loving, obedient, faithful stewards of each other and our surroundings. By His example, this is the unconditional love God shows us everyday in our lives and hopefully we can emulate His ways in our own lives as we go about our daily living.

Patty