Mobile County 4-H Volunteers
Inducted March 19, 2013
Seldom do you find a couple who ask “what can we do for 4-H, rather than what can 4-H do for me and my children?” Robert and Joy Herring have served as 4-H volunteers for the past 10 years and have been faithful to do more than their part.
The Herrings have spent many long nights chaperoning 4-H’ers at the 4-H Center, always with a firm hand and a loving heart. They have served as judges for the 4-H Competitive Events from local to the state levels. They have been the backbone of the 4-H exhibit booths at the Greater Gulf State Fair.
They have led countless Classroom in the Forest: Forest in the Classroom TM presentations both in the classroom and in the field. They will forget more than most of us will ever learn about nature and life lessons from our vast natural resources. They truly make the forest come alive with intriguing stories that will be repeated for years to come. They make the best better.
Joy is an educator at McDavid Jones Elementary School and organizes 4-H parent volunteers to lead 4-H clubs in every classroom for more than 1,000 children. Walk the halls of McDavid Jones Elementary School on the first Friday of the month and you will find children excited about learning and volunteers fully engaged with hands-on learning activities. The Clover Bud program focuses on cooperative learning and age-appropriate activities. You will hear children repeating the 4-H pledge and learning to be concerned about the welfare of others.
In the Wildcat Junior 4-H Club, you will hear children reciting the 4H pledge and conducting 4-H club meetings using parliamentary procedure to conduct the business part of the meeting. Children are learning how to chink and developing creative thinking skills, thus giving them a chance to make decisions on their own. They are learning how to make wise choices and use their time wisely.
In Mobile County, children are being prepared to become good citizens and make wise choices. Robert and Joy Herring are one of those couples who change lives and make a significant impact on their community through 4-H.
Nominated by Jane Hartselle, Regional Extension Agent
