A History of 4-H
Providing over 100 years of service to youth


Betty Mysak
2007-2008
Leader of the Year

Are you a dedicated but sometimes worn out parent, raising your kids through the unique challenges of the 21st Century? Ever feel like you are isolated and alone in this endeavor? Well, if you could use a little help to inspire yourself and your child, you need look no further than Betty Mysak, the 2008 4-H Leader of the Year. Betty has been a local volunteer 4-H leader for over 11 years and currently leads the 4-H Horse Project, a free educational program for youth in Jefferson County. Betty's 4-H Horse Project is growing exponentially this year with five clubs and almost 50 youth participating. It seems clear from those numbers that Betty's intense love of horses is positively influencing youth and families across the county.
    Betty grew up in a little California town, Santee, where horses were an integral part of her life. Speaking with emotion she shared, "I loved horses when I was a little girl – to start with I collected horse statues. When I turned 10 or 11, we kept our horses boarded with an elderly Navaho man, Ron Hunga, who had 60-70 acres for cattle."
    Betty's Navaho Indian pony, Pebbles, was an older Roman-nosed  horse. "He was the best babysitter you ever saw. We used him as a diving board in the summer, in fact we would swim with him and he would then roll in the sand and lay with his head in our laps."
    Betty was about 14 years old when she acquired another 2-year-old horse, Dude Boy, from Ron Hunga. He was brought in off the range in a stock trailer and was not as calm as Pebbles. With Ron Hunga's guidance she trained him for trail riding and bareback (partly because she didn't like the work related to saddling him).
    After becoming an adult and moving to Jefferson County, Betty became a 4-H parent and club leader when her own daughter, Crystal became interested in horses. Betty and Julie Clouse then co-lead the Silver Spurs 4-H club for 3-4 years. Asked why she continues to serve 4-H youth today, even though her own daughter is now an adult, Betty stated, "I want to help the younger kids coming in. It's hard to explain why, but when you see the younger kids coming in who are shy and bashful and don't know much, and you see them grow up through 4-H and see them become poised young men and women, gain in confidence and go on to college - it's such a transformation."
    Betty feels that 4-H activities provide kids with an exciting, supportive environment. "It's something that when you are in school, some kids like English, Math, etc. In 4-H everyone's doing something they love. It makes it exciting that they share a common interest together."
    Of course, the horse shows and other large events that Betty leads could not be accomplished without teamwork and she is the first to always recognize her team members. "We have parents, 4-H youth, leaders and community members who all pitch in and enjoy doing it. We have families, Halcombs, McMillans, Crosbys, Norcutts, who continue to contribute and participate even though their youth have graduated."
    Asked about the satisfaction of being a 4-H leader, Betty stated, " I go to sleep at night with a smile on my face because of the rewarding aspects of this work. It's a positive experience for everyone. It's fun and energizing to work with youth."
    To join 4-H or to become a 4-H leader, call Pamela Roberts, 4-H coordinator, at 379-5610 ext. 207 or go to http://4h.jefferson.wsu.edu.


Linda Gately
2006-2007
Leader of the Year

Linda Gately has been named the 2006-2007 Jefferson County 4-H Leader of the Year. Linda has been a 4-H leader for 18 years. She currently leads the Cedar Tree Performers club, which meets at the Cedarbrook Adventist Christian School. Initially the club studied clowning for a couple of years and then, because Linda likes to garden, they began sponsoring spring plant sales. Now they have a beautiful garden at the school. It is 1600 square feet with raised beds, flowers, and edible plants. It also has fruit trees and berries. Linda stated, “We do a lot of math related activities figuring out square footage, how many seeds to fill a certain area, etc. We have also conducted science process activities, including seed germination tests where we establish controls and then variables such as amount of sunshine, amount of water, soil types, etc. to see how the plants react.”

Linda reminisced that when she started as a youth it wasn’t easy to enter 4-H. “I started in 4-H when I was in seventh grade and I had to be put on a waiting list. I had to wait two years and it was only because my mother agreed to be a leader that I was let in.” Like most of the girls of that time, she studied home economics while the boys took primarily agricultural projects. “We had a lot of teen activities then and you could stay in 4-H all the way until you were 21.” Linda specialized in gardening and vegetable judging.

As a young adult Linda attended the University of Buffalo and University of Puget Sound, studying to be an occupational therapist. Linda saw 4-H as instrumental in her career aspirations. “ I did not know what occupational therapy was, but a friend of mine knew that I liked to explore many things and that I was creative. She knew this by watching me in my 4-H activities. She encouraged me to become an occupational therapist. I went on a job shadow and that confirmed my interest.”

Linda loves teaching responsibility, safety, and resourcefulness through 4-H projects. Youth practice analytical thinking, project completion skills, hands-on learning, public speaking and community commitment through exploring their interests. She shared, “4-H also helps youth learn to manage their money because they often have to make tough choices about what they will purchase and what is most important to the success of their project.”

4-H clubs and programs are provided to all K-12 county youth free through collaboration between Jefferson County and Washington State University Extension. If you have any questions or would like to join, call Pamela Roberts, 379-5610 ext. 207 or write to her at proberts@jefferson.wsu.edu. For an overview of available opportunities, you can go to http://jefferson.wsu.edu and click on 4-H.


Laura and Norris Short



Norris Short, 4-H and Fair Leader from Jefferson County, WA, passed away on March 24, 2007.


Norris Short's passing truly marks the end of an era for Jefferson County 4-H and the Jefferson County Fair Association.

Norris and his wife, Laura Short, were the heart and soul of 4-H in our county for many years. As a team they led the development of the wonderful 4-H youth programs and Fair that we enjoy today. Their legacy of volunteerism and commitment to youth will continue to inspire our county community for generations.

Norris' memorial service and reception will be held on:

April 14 at 2 pm

Jefferson County Fairgrounds

All 4-H families are invited to attend and pay their respects to Norris and his family.

About Laura and Norris. Laura Short served as a 4-H leader for nearly 50 years. She and Norris impacted the lives of hundreds of youth in the Dairy 4-H Club. They gave major leadership to the development and growth of the Jefferson County Fairgrounds. In the early 1950s Norris and his father built the 4-H building on the fairgrounds, with the help of 4-H members and their families. In 2000 the 4-H Exhibit Building was dedicated in Norris' and Laura's name. Laura served as County 4-H treasurer and as State 4-H fair bookkeeper for years. She spent many years as the expert in the Home Economics Department and was very involved in the Food for all Occasions contest, bread baking, and clothing activities. She worked as 4-H building superintendent for more than 30 years, with Norris as her assistant.

In 1999 Laura and Norris received the Washington State Volunteer Excellence Award and in 2000 they received recognition at the Western Regional Leader Forum in Hawaii. Laura preceded Norris in death.

Join 4-H Today!

Call Pamela Roberts, 4-H coordinator, at 360-379-5610, ext 207.
201 W. Patison, Port Hadlock, WA 98339