Charles G. McBride, Extension Agent for six western PA counties, had his office in Mercer. He held meetings in fall of 1912 in cooperation with the Grange to organize a corn growing contest in 1913. One girl and 14 boys entered, and Aleen Fell, the girl, won. Harry Small was president of that first PA 4-H club, which met in the Mercer courthouse under McBride’ guidance. The club held a week of camp at Hamburg, PA, had several picnics, and finished the year with a trip to visit Penn State University on the “Boomer” train from Pittsburgh. The superintendent of schools and McBride sent invitations for a roundup meeting and display of the boys’ corn club and girls’ breadmaking club. About 1,200 people attended in the Mercer courthouse assembly room on Dec. 5, 1913.
In 1914, a Young Farmers Club was organized. Boys who won 1st prize in the corn club or produced a yield of 75 bushels or more could join. It brought together young men who had shown initiative and ability to accomplish goals so they could work as a unit. They voted to hold “Camp Corn Tassel” for a week in July. The last afternoon the girls canning club members and their friends came to a picnic lunch. There were 175 people present, and they had a rousing campfire at night. In 1915, Mercer Co. added a girls camp. Many characteristics of that early youth program exist today: camp, life skills, character building, participant involvement, campfire, roundup, livestock judging, teambuilding and more.
