4-H clubs began as an outgrowth of farmers institutes and agricultural experiment stations in the U.S., and Boys' and Girls' Clubs for rural youth. The first club was started in Illinois in 1900 as the Boys' Corn Club, and by 1903 other states were beginning to start their own clubs for farm youth. The first Junior Agricultural Club in Kentucky was organized in Fayette County in 1909. Each boy pledged to grow an acre of corn and report his yield and cost at the end of the season. By 1924, 18,458 boys and girls were enrolled in club work in Kentucky.
The Smith-Lever Act of 1914 established the Extension Service, funded jointly by federal, state and county governments and run by land-grant universities to assist farmers with the latest scientific information on agriculture and homemaking advances. The University of Kentucky Cooperative Extension Service was responsible for 4-H coordination and events in the state and began organizing public demonstrations on practical skills such as canning, sewing, woodworking, cooking, agriculture, and animal husbandry. The goal was to get rural youth to experiment with advances in these areas in order to spread these practices. Camping became a popular event as well with the first 4-H camp in Kentucky held in Ballard County soon after the end of World War I. 4-H week brought in club members from across the state to participate in demonstrations, fashion revues, and social events on the U.K. campus.
Kentucky clubs changed their name to "Junior 4-H Club" in 1928, gradually omitting the "Junior". The 4-H emblem is a four-leaf clover with an H on each leaf, standing for: Head, Heart, Hands, and Health. These four "H"s are reflected in the official pledge: "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." The official motto is "To Make the Best Better."
Today, the focus of 4-H clubs has shifted away from agricultural practice and towards the personal growth of the individual. The mission now focuses on three areas: Science, engineering and technology; Healthy living; and Citizenship.
From the description of Kentucky 4-H records. (University of Kentucky Libraries). WorldCat record id: 317567395
