4-H Auctioneer Mentors Children on the Value of Livestock and the Value of Life – Opinion

Ashley Home Stores and East Idaho News are looking for individuals to recognize for their contributions to the community. They honored Dan Williams from Rexburg County in Idaho, who is an auctioneer as well as a high school teacher. William’s focus is agricultural auctions, and for 15 years he has been involved in 4-H auctions and mentorship.

Since high school, 4-H has been something I’ve never heard of. I frankly was surprised to see it’s still around, and equally surprised that its main goal is to build leadership skills in our youth.

These programs are a huge benefit. Unfortunately, in the last decade we’ve seen deficits where these programs are not available.

4-H is shorthand for the organization’s original motto: “head, heart, hands, and health.” In 1927, the motto was incorporated into a fuller pledge:

My Head to clearer thinking
My Heart to greater loyalty
My The Hands to larger service
My Gesundheit to better living
To my club, to my country, to my nation, and for my entire world.

It’s Friday Feel-Good Friday, and I think back to Corion Evans who was a Mississippi teenager that saved three young girls and a cop from drowning. The young man was a model of clarity, mental strength, endurance, care, and compassion. This should inspire more youth. It is a good thing that programs like 4-H still exist and commit to building these values in our nation’s young people.

The 4-H program has an extensive national network and infrastructure through the college and university systems. However, it focuses on the local after-school and in-school programs. Children and teens work together in projects related to science and health, as well as civic engagement with adult mentors.

Williams is an example of both his passion and love for youth development. He has been doing this work for over 15 years.

According to Nate Eaton of East Idaho News, Williams’ personal motto is:

“We don’t have kids to help raise our livestock. We have livestock to help raise our kids.”

The video shows Williams being humble and modest in his contributions to the community. He teaches leadership, problem solving, responsibility and economic investment to the 4-H youth. In his particular arm of agriculture, the children are put in charge of an animal’s well-being. They must first purchase the animal. Once purchased, the child is responsible for the cost of the animal’s maintenance, growth, and upkeep. This means that the child must get up each morning and feed and change their bedding at night.

It’s enough to care for three dogs, but I don’t see myself caring for animals. While I’ve learned a lot from caring for canines, it is hard to imagine how much I would know about managing equine and bovine farm animals.

This 4-H component aims to have the animal reach the correct weight by the time it reaches full maturity. Williams can complete the circle by bidding on his youth mentors’ animals. The mentees also get to witness their dedication and hard work returned to their community.

Williams’ investment in the youth of his community goes beyond 4-H, and it’s an investment that they will draw from for the rest of their lives.

More people like Dan Williams are needed, as well as more 4-H programs.

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