History

In the Territory of Hawaii, 4-H began under the auspices of the Federal Agricultural Experiment Station and leadership of Frederick G. Krauss, Harvey F. Wiley and Mabel Greene. It was launched in 1918 with a 31-member pig club on Maui. In 1923, Miss Greene integrated the 4-H club work with the public schools with teachers who were trained in agriculture and home economics.

1956 National 4-H Conference: Ron Au, Amy Nojiri, Jane Miyashiro, Kelly Chung, and Charlie Maruyama

By 1926, there were 4-H clubs on Oahu, Hawaii, and Kauai. That year, the Pollyanna 4-H club of Honolulu exhibited in Chicago and won a national prize. It was the first time a club had participated from such a "distant place" as Hawaii

In the decades which followed, 4-H clubs in Hawaii played important roles in major events of their times. During the 1930's Depression, groups of older boys and girls organized into junior farm and home demonstration clubs. During World War II, 4-H clubs developed horticultural practices such as grafting macadamia nut trees and coffee plants.

After the war, the beef calf program made its debut, financed by Bank of Hawaii. Under this arrangement, loans of up to $125 for the purchase of beef calf were offered by the bank to qualified 4-H club members. Another major activity was collection and sale of pasture grass and legume seeds.

As the decades passed, the 4-H broadened its scope, thanks to increased public funding through the Extension Service, assured by acts of Congress. In 1927, both the 4-H motto, "To make the best better", and the four-leaf clover emblem were approved. By 1977, the 4-H council had been created by a merger of the 4-H Club Foundation and National 4-H Service Committee.

Meanwhile, programs were evolving in line with the needs of youth in a changing society. During the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s, increased emphasis was given science, work with low-income people, minorities, and urban youth

Early History of 4-H Club Work

Boys and girls 4-H club work was started in Hawaii in 1918, during the first world war. The slogan "Food Will Win the War" was used, and Hawaii's boys and girls joined in with adults to grow food

Club work became a part of the Agricultural Experiment Station of the Departmment of Agriculture in 1923. Miss Mabel Greene was appointed Territorial 4-H Club Leader to do the work in Hawaii

In 1926, when the Smith-Lever Law was amended to provide funds for the Territory of Hawaii, the Copperative Extension Service at the University of Hawaii was established. Miss Mabel Greene then became Hawaii's first home demonstration agent. She was assigned to do Extension work on the island of Oahu. During 1928 and 1929, 4-H Clubs were organized on the four major islands.

First 4-H Conference

The first conference was called the Territorial 4-H Club Week. It was held on the Manoa campus of the University of Hawaii, June 16-20, 1930. At this gathering, there were in attendance eight boys and eight girls from the island of Hawaii, four boys and four girls

1961-62 State 4-H Federation Officers. Seated: Cheryl Kaneoka, Thelma Hashimoto, Raleigh Awaya, Kay Ito, and Geraldine Hamai. Standing: Terri Tamashiro, Jeannette Siangco, Evangeline Gumapac, Milton Kanemoto, Juliette Miranda, Shirley Matsushima and Pearl Ota.

each from the Islands of Kauai, Maui, and Oahu. Eleven adult leaders chaperoned the group.

Yearly conferences continued for two years. The next conference was held June 10-14, 1939 with a total of 120 4-H club members and 17 leaders in attendance. The boys were housed in the Mills Building and the girls in the Kawaiahao Building at the Mills School, presently known as Mid Pacific Institute.

4-H Ahaolelo

No additional conferences were held until 1947, when the name "Ahaolelo,"--a Hawaiian word meaning "to come together for a meeting,"--was adopted as the offical name of the territorial 4-H gathering. Ninety-nine 4-H member delegates and local club members attended. The 4-H delgates were selected on the following basis of two boys and two girls from each county plus one delegate per 100 members enrolled and/or major fraction thereof. Separate enrollment for boys and girls was considered the basis for determining the number of delegates. In addition, two club leaders, one for the boys' and one for the girls' clubs, came from each county as delegates.

The 1949 Ahaolelo theme was "Better Living For A Better World". Ninety-six members and eighteen local leaders were officially registered. The judging contest was one of the main events, and the combined boys' and girls' score won Maui judging championship that year.

Gifts to the Alii

One of the distinctly Hawaiian features of the 4-H Ahaolelo is the annual presentation of representative products of the land to persons who symbolize the highest type of leadership in Hawaii. This is called the "Gifts To The Alii" presentation. This tradition was started in 1953 when Governor and Mrs. Samuel Wilder King were recognized. Other recipients are as follows:

1958 Cherry Pie Baking Contest State Finals. Showing their final product are ?, ?, Audrey Takitani, Arleen Horio Taguchi, Margaret Silva Bailey, and Louella Chun Chang.

Friends of 4-H

The tradition of recognizing people who have made significant contributions to 4-H Club work throughout Hawaii was begun in 1955. Dr. Frederick G. Krauss, former director of the Hawaii Extension Service; U.H. President Gregg M. Sinclair; and Mr. Morley Theaker, Manager, Hawaii Sears Roebuck and Company were honored. Subsequent recipients are as follows:

Conference Newspaper

During the 1930 4-H Club Week, a daily newspaper called the HOIKI PU KA LA meaning daily report was published. It continued to be published in 1931 and 1932. No conference paper was issued until 1955 when the publication was called NUUAHOU AHAOLELO. It meant 'news of the Ahaolelo.' It was discovered that the first word was misspelled, so before the conference ended the name was changed to HUHOU AHAOLELO. Molokai submitted the name. The newspaper was not resumed in 1956 but in 1957 it was published issuing only a single edition. In 1958 three issues were printed.

In 1959 it was a daily during the 4-H Ahaolelo. 4-H reported from each county met each day with the Extension editor and published a very creditable paper. There was no news paper during the 196O Ahaolelo. During 1975-78, a daily paper, KA LEO O'AHAOLELO was published. No newsletters have been printed since.

Ahaolelo Tree Planting Ceremony

Although the tradition of tree planting during the 4-H conference was started in 1947, it was not until 1953 when trees were planted in memory of some person or persons. It was then that a group of five Samoan coconut trees were planted in memory of Richard Sumida and his family.

Trees planted by 4-H members during the past years are:

• 1947 - Balsa, Orchroma Lagopus (near Ag Eng. bldg, on EW Road and Dole St.)
• 1948 - Gold Tree, Cybistax donnell-smithii (near Ag. Eng. Bldg. on EW Rd.)
• 1949 - Pua Kenikeni, Fagraea berteriana (near Ag. Eng. bldg., tree died)
• 195O - Octopus, Brassia actinophylla (administration bldg, ewa corner near information offices)
• 1951 - Kukui, Aleurites molucccana (front of Gilmore)
• 1952 - False Olive, Elaeodendron orientale (quarry side of Frear Hall)
• 1953 - Samoan Coconut, Cocos nucifera (Manoa side of Gilmore Hall - Richard Sumida family)
• 1954 - did not plant
• 1955 - did not plant
• 1956 - Hernandis ovigera (ewa side of Sinclair Library (Dr. Lyon))
• 1957 - did not plant
• 1958 - Flame Tree, Brachychiton acerifolium (Eric Rapoon)
• 1959 - 4 Gold Trees, Cybistax donnell-smithii - Frederick Krauss, H.H. Warner, Harold Wadsworth and Baron Goo - 4 Extension Directors.
• 1960 - Rainbow Shower, cassia fistula x javanica - Dr. Robert C. Clark, Wisconsin.

1955 National 4-H Conference delegates: Wallace Kunimoto (Hawaii), Gretchen Shiroma Kawabata (Oahu), John Stormont, State 4-H Leader, Helen Yoshikane Aoki (Oahu), and Randy Honda (Maui).

No record of trees were planted till 1985 when a Pua Kenikeni tree was planted in honor of Betty Zane Shimabukuro, In 1986, a Norfolk pine in front of Bachman Hall was planted in memory of Lt. Col. Ellison S. Onizuka.

Annual Leaders Meeting at Ahaolelo

The Territorial 4-H Leaders' organization was organized on a trial basis during the 1953 Ahaolelo. In order to put it on a permanent basis, Mrs. Florence Jurgemeyer, president, called a special meeting of the representative of county councils in June 1954. As a result of this, the first meeting of the leaders was held during the 1954 Ahaolelo when new officers were elected. Toshimasa Tando of South Oahu was chosen president in 1955 and the leaders met during Ahaolelo until 1961.

Through funds made available by the Sears-Roebuck Foundation, western division, outstanding 4-H leaders were able to attend the National 4-H Congress held annually in Chicago.

In 1953, Mrs. Mary Lee, a lO-year club leader from Molokai had the honor of being the first leader-delegate to the Congress. Other recipients were:

• 1954 - Robert Fujimoto, Hilo
• 1955 - Mrs. Misao Mihata, East Oahu
• 1956 - Toshimasa Tando, South Oahu
• 1957 - Amy Kimura, South Oahu
• 1958 - Maurice Ishimoto, West Oahu
• 1959 - Mrs. Gladys Tashiro. Kauai
• 1960 - Larry Nakamoto, South Oahu
• 1961 - Mrs. Mikiyo Hirano, Kauai

Since 1962, the State 4-H Leader's Federation and the Hawaii 4-H Foundation have supported sending a leader or leaders to the National 4-H Congress.

4-H Club Federation of Hawaii

Two Territorial-wide 4-H club conterences were held from July 1, 1947 to June 30, 1948. During the 1947 conference the delegates decided to form a territorial organization of 4-H clubs. They elected officers and decided that these officers and the county agents draw up the constitution and bylaws which may be presented at the subsequent 4-H conference.

Officers elected were: Junko Uyenoyama, President, East Hawaii, Hisao Yamada, Vice President, Maui, Amy Nagaue, Secretary, East Hawaii, and Walter H. Murakane, Treasurer, Hilo.

During the 1948 4-H conference which was held June 14-19, a constitutional convention was held with President Junko Uyenoyama presiding. At this meeting a constitution and bylaws were adopted. The official name of the organization was the 4-H Club Federation of Hawaii. Officers elected for 1948-49 were Clarence Nihei, President, West Oahu, Norma Ito, Vice President, East Oahu, Fumie Ouchi, Secretary, South Oahu, and Roy Ganiko, Treasurer East Oahu.

The objectives of the Federation adopted were: "To unite all county 4-H Club Federation into a territorial affiliation; to improve the quality of 4-H Club work; to provide opportunities for leadership; to encourage 4-H member participation in state and national events; and to assist in the training and developing of 4-H members as better citizens." Presidents of the Federation in the ensuing years were:

The Board of Directors meet twice a year, once during the Christmas holidays in a county determined during the annual meeting and the second during the Ahaolelo (the annual meeting).