Vistan is volunteering to get kids involved in leadership

By: TOM MORROW - For the North County Times | Sunday, December 30, 2007 10:11 PM PST ∞

BONSALL ---- For the past four years, Vista's Bill Woodall has devoted 12 or more hours each week as a community leader for the Bonsall 4-H Club.

Contrary to popular belief, he said, 4-H is far more than just an agricultural-based organization ---- it's about teaching young people leadership skills.

Woodall, who operates his own computer networking and business security firm, jumped into the Bonsall club with both feet, taking his five youngsters with him. Heavily involved in the club are his four boys, ranging in age from 17- to 5-years-old, and his 12-year-old daughter. His wife, Melissa, works alongside her husband.

"4-H is more than just raising chickens, pigs, sheep and calves," Woodall said. "We're teaching our kids leadership skills through our various projects, many of which have nothing to do with agriculture."

This year the Bonsall club is concentrating on robotics.

"We get heavily into science, engineering, and technology, exposing our kids into a lot of different areas," he said. "Last year we built a bridge."

4-H clubs are run by a board of directors made up of the members themselves.

The adults are there to make sure all of the rules of the state and county are followed.

Listening to Woodall explain the many facets of 4-H, it sounded like the organization is quite similar to Scouting.

"The things we do are very similar to Scouts, only we involve children aged 5 to 19, both boys and girls," he replied. "We encourage our kids to do all sorts of projects and presentations."

Keeping the youngsters motivated is a big part of what Woodall and the other adult volunteer leaders do.

While he says only about eight to 12 hours weekly of his time are devoted to 4-H, he admits that during fair season, it's a full-time job.

"I'm fortunate that because I have my own business, I can arrange my schedule around those times of the year," Woodall explained.

There are three big events that take up most of a week: the San Diego County Fair at Del Mar; the Fallbrook Youth Fair, and the Ramona Youth Fair.

Keeping interesting programs and projects flowing is almost a full-time job for the adult leaders.

"Recently, we had a retired Navy captain come in and do a demonstration on the many knots used in seamanship," he recalled. "And, we had a falconer come in and explain the art of raising and training falcons."

One of the community leaders, Vista's Nancy Roche, has an ongoing project teaching a group of Bonsall 4-H members floral design in her Oceanside florist shop.

"We try to expose members to a wide variety of vocational activities, talents, and professions," Woodall said. "4-H is about helping members create, design, and develop a project, which can be almost anything from raising a farm animal to building a computer."

When it comes to raising animals, Woodall said, the leaders try to encourage the members to treat the process like a business.

"The member has to buy the animal for a certain amount of money, then it takes so many dollars to feed it to get it ready for showing at the fair, but often the youngster forgets about how much time they've spent caring for the animal," he explained. "We try to teach them about all of the costs."

Two local foundations, the Fallbrook Ag Boosters and the San Luis Rey Ag Boosters, assist the Bonsall members with their livestock projects.

"The Fallbrook folks help the members with equipment, facilities, etc., and the San Luis Rey group comes in and helps with money at the fair," Woodall explained.

He said one of the goals for raising livestock is to make money for the club members' future education, and often an animal won't bring a price at the fair that will even cover the cost of raising it.

"The San Luis Rey folks have been good about coming in and making up the difference so the member can at least see a small profit," he explained.

Woodall said San Diego County, per capita, has more 4-H members than any other county in the state.

"But, we're the best-kept secret," he said, chuckling. "There's just a lot most people don't know about what 4-H does and can do for young people."

He said a new club is forming in Oceanside, which will make a third club joining Bonsall and Fallbrook.

The next big event will be Super Saturday, Feb. 2, at Hilltop Park in Poway.

Each club throughout the county brings projects to display. Bonsall will be bringing three of its projects.

For more information, call Woodall at: (760) 809-5732.