“Tennessee 4-H: Wired for Success”
Amber Futrell, Crockett County

         Any electrician will say that when putting up a light, if wired wrong, the attempts to have light will be unsuccessful. The key to have light is wiring correctly. So, what does it mean when one says that Tennessee 4-H is “Wired for Success?”

         Three wires make up the electrical wiring for all every day appliances: the ground wire, the hot wire and the neutral wire.

         The first wire is the ground wire. It is the safety. It makes sure that everything goes smoothly and if something were to happen, makes sure everyone remains safe. This represents our Extension agents, continuously working to see that kids, parents and bosses are happy, running smoothly and safe.

         The second wire is the hot wire. It is the electricity provider. It gives the “juice” to make the whole gadget work. This represents the members of 4-H. Without them, there would be nothing to move 4-H forward, nothing to power it.

         The last wire is the neutral wire. The neutral wire is the volunteer and parent. It guides the hot wire as to when it can create electricity to power the appliance. Hence, the volunteers and parents of 4-H. They allow their children to be a part of this great organization, assisting in ways that create that spark.

         The actual appliance is the last part. It is the 4-H program. It works best when all three components are working together in harmony.

         In conclusion, when someone asks what is meant when we, Tennessee 4-H, are “Wired for Success,” one can say that it is all of our wires working together in harmony to power the machine we know as Tennessee 4-H.