need to be in it for the entire lifespan of youth, meeting them where they are and how they define their needs. And now we are not. Look, Al rebuts, no one does PYD better than us. In fact, no one has anything like we do. We are a proven answer. We have a proven answer. All we need is to get people to seewhat we do, and they will knock down the doors to get to it.
Around and around and around.
As the debate continues over themonths, the larger institution within which 4-H operates begins to slip into problems. The LGUwas always where everyone went to college. It was the state. Goldand orange banners were outside of every house. Alumni sat at the helm of every business. In fact, if you wanted to succeed in this state, youhad better have gone to the LGU. That was the network. Those were the leaders. But in the last decade, applications have been in decline. As newcomers have arrived, products of schools across the country and especially on the East Coast, the growing force of young people is looking not inward to the LGUbut outward to the nation. “Rah for the Orange and Gold” is now seldom heard as a greeting on the street or in shops or board rooms. Those used to be the first words out of anyone’s mouth. Football tickets are still at a premium, but you could throwa basketball into the stands at a game and not hit a soul. Outreach to minority groups, never very strong in the Admissions Office, has also lagged. The Deanof Admissions, DeclanO’Brien, declares it is because no one is qualified, but there is no strong recruitment process and no summer Tune Up programfor incoming freshmen. At its last meeting, Henry Smith, a black alum who heads an investment firm in Fairfield, Connecticut and only joined the Boarda year ago, asked some very hard, very uncomfortable questions of the President and the BoardChair. How can this economy be booming and this school shrinking? Howcan there be so many new people in this state, many of themsuccessfulminorities, and no minority recruitment push? How can this LGUbe the answer to the ladder to themiddle class, andhave absolutely no emphasis on reaching those poor kids who need a chance to get a foothold on the first rung? What business arewe in?
O’Brien is under the gun to provide answers.
In his 20 years as President, Dr. Samuel Robertson, J.D., MBA, Ph.D. has givena lot of speeches, most of them about the importance of education and most of them exhorting commitment to opportunities for young people. 4-H has not been mentioned in a single one of those speeches.
Playing the Partnership Card
Weary of the debate after a year, Clare takes two senior county leaders aside. Look, she says, wewill never solve this problem at the monthly table. I’mdone talking. We are going to have to cut through this or close the doors. I had dinner last night with BettyBrooks at the State Chamber of Commerce. They havemore members now than they know what to do with. Everyone is clamoring for programs that promote business and at the same time that reach into community.
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