I have not posted much and for some reason I needed to re-register. Anyway...
I was a 4-Her and my son's were both in 4-H as was my husband. My son's both graduated from 4-H due to a mother's persistence that you finish what you start. A few projects were finished in the car on the way to the Mille Lacs County fairgrounds. I learned a great deal about animal husbandry too, so I was learning along with them. It was great!
I am still a 4-H volunteer and a judge. I can tell you that I love to judge 4-H; we have some incredible youth. I judge primarily in the Home Ec areas-cooking, food preservation, sewing, quilting, demonstrations, consumer, etc. I tell people that my idea of fun is sitting in a metal shed in July and August when it is hot and humid; the weather can be extremely uncomfortable but I adore the youth and their projects.
I encourage you to share your talents to mentor and teach youth and encourage them with their projects. So many things are not being taught in schools anymore and a whole generation never learned to cook and sew, or know that things can be fixed, etc. I see so many youth trying to teach themselves or they give up because they do not have anyone to teach them.
From a judge's persective teach the youth to "sell" their project to the judge, if the 4-Her does not believe in their project how can the judge? I love it when a 4-Her takes the lead in the judging and I can see their leadership emerge. I also like judging the Cloverbuds (Kindergarten to 2 grade, I know some states have a different name for this age group), they either talk away or you need to pull every word out of them and they cannot wait until they are a "real" 4-Her.
I do feel passionately about the subject and got a bit away from the subject line. 4-H definitely helped me in my life and I am grateful for those that mentored me.