Rabbit leaders respond

This letter is in response to the previous articles that were recently submitted in this column concerning the Jay County 4-H Rabbit Project.

Before commenting on specific details that were mentioned in the previous articles, a review of the Jay County 4-H rules, policies, and procedures must first be examined.

All Jay County 4-H volunteers and leaders are appointed by the Jay County 4-H Council President and the Jay County Youth Extension Educator. Rules and 4-H policies are presented and voted upon first at by Jay County 4-H Livestock Committee and then upon approval from this committee, the rule changes are presented to the Jay County 4-H Council for final approval and induction. After a new rule or change has been accepted at this level it then becomes the responsibility of the Jay County 4-H Council and the appointed volunteers to see that these rules, both new and old, are strictly enforced so that everyone is on the same playing field. Mention should also be made that all Jay County 4-H functions and meetings are open to the public. All office seats of the 4-H Council are elected positions. The members of the committee nominate and elect the officers.

Each child enrolled in the 4-H program and his/her parents are required to sign a behavioral expectations form. This form simply states that the child and his/her parents are to conduct themselves in an appropriate and sportsman like manner while at all 4-H functions and they agree to abide by the rules of the projects they enroll in. All 4-H volunteers are also required to sign a similar form. Before an individual can accept a volunteer assignment within the 4-H program a background screening process is completed by Purdue.

It is the responsibility of the 4-H Council President to appoint a volunteer as the Barn Superintendent for each species of Livestock and the Youth Extension Educator appoints volunteers to serve as Club Leaders. For unspecified reasons, the 4-H Council President and the Youth Extension Educator appointed new volunteers to the Jay County 4-H Rabbit program (this year).

The decision to accept these appointments for the babbit project was difficult for us to make because of the certain and expected scrutiny that was sure to follow. Not because we are in any way unqualified for these positions, but simply because a change was made. A change that was obviously unwelcome by some, but was deemed necessary by the proper entities.

Between the Barn Superintendent and myself as the Club Leader we offer 30 years of combined 4-H experience and service. I (Janet Butcher) was a 10-year Jay County 4-H member and was enrolled in as many as 25 projects per year my last four years in 4-H. One of my several ten year projects included rabbits. I traveled the U.S. taking my rabbits to local, state, and national shows. I head up the Jay County Rabbit Breeders Association, which holds ARBA sanctioned shows here in Jay County and have for the past fifteen years.

I was the Club Leader and Superintendent of the Jay County 4-H Dog project for the next ten years following my tenth year in 4-H. Due to time restraints with several other service organizations, I stepped down from my position with the 4-H dog project and started with the rabbit project this year. The Barn Superintendent has been involved in Jay County 4-H for the past nine years being actively involved in the shooting sports program as a NRA certified volunteer instructor. We are both members of the 4-H Council and the Livestock Committee and Rich is a member of the Buildings and Grounds Committee. Our records throughout all of our combined experience has been exemplary and has seen no incidents or complaints until now. If Rich and myself are guilty of anything, it was by agreeing to take the positions and agreeing to see that the rules were followed. This abuse was waiting in reserve for whoever was appointed as the replacements. The scrutiny would have been felt the same no matter whom the individuals were taking these positions. The end result would have been the same.

Upon accepting these positions, we were informed by the 4-H Council President of Purdue’s policy of handling conflicts with uncooperative individuals.

The proper procedures were explained to us after informing the Council President of our fears of anticipated problems. Any and all aspects concerning the rabbit project, including the details surrounding the Pennville Legion Lions Fair this year, were done under the direct advisement and supervision of the 4-H Council President and his executive committee, which was under the direct advisement and supervision of the Purdue officials, which were all done to the letter.

Any and all materials distributed to 4-Her’s must have prior approval. If the materials are not directly concerning a Jay County 4-H activity or any of its approved functions, the materials are not to be submitted. The Pennville Legion Lions Fair is not a Jay County 4-H approved or supported activity and cannot be advertised as such, therefore any other materials must be pre-approved before dispersal. When the adult individual would not cease with the distributing of the unauthorized flyers, the council president was called per our directions under the terms of the “conflict with uncooperative individuals” clause.

As for the local authorities being called, the Council President made that executive decision and we cannot speak on his behalf. However, we feel confident enough in saying that it was not without just cause due to the disturbance the adult was presenting with the flyers.

Let the general public be assured that no loud yelling or arguing was heard by anyone, and the conversations between all of the adults involved were held in private and there were no children upset and certainly none to the point of tears.

For the comments on hearing the 4-Her’s say “this just isn’t fun anymore,” perhaps those comments came from the 4-Her’s that had left previous 4-H fairs feeling cheated because they followed the rules and others didn’t have to and won anyway.

The question asked in the previous column shouldn’t have been “so what” that the flyers were handed out? But rather why didn’t the adult seek prior approval, and why cause a public disturbance? Other questions that should be asked of the author of the letter is why she didn’t ask the council president her questions instead of publicly advertising her disapproval without knowledge of the reasons behind the actions that were taken, and if the council president is not the final authority, who is?

Let’s examine a couple of situations that directly involve the two authors of the columns. First, while your child and your dog attended one of the 4-H dog clinics and your dog became unruly and I (Janet) was bitten, did I seek medical compensation for my injury? No.

Second, while your child was attending a dog clinic and you were more than thirty minutes late picking up your child, did I allow your child to use my phone? Yes. And then upon your request did I take your child and your dog home, which was out of my way? Yes. Did I seek monetary compensation? No. So that brings us to the true underlying question of why I was the good guy for the ten years while in charge of the dog project and now because I replaced your friend in the rabbit project I now became a bad guy?

One of our first responsibilities as volunteers of the rabbit project began with reviewing the current rules for the project. After reviewing the rules, the decision was made to leave the rules as written and accepted. Our only goal was to see that the existing rules were enforced and followed. The only change was a new and easier to follow rabbit livestock enrollment form.

One rule states that each rabbit shown must have a permanent and legible tattoo in the left ear. Problems in the 2003 Jay County 4-H Rabbit show with illegible tattoos delayed the show on several occasions causing mass confusion and frustration. To prevent this problem from happening at the 2004 Jay County 4-H Rabbit show and future years, the Barn Superintendent announced at the first rabbit meeting of the 2004 year that any rabbits having illegible tattoos would be disqualified by the rabbit judge at the fair, as the livestock rule reads. After making this statement a tattoo clinic was announced for the following meeting. All 4-Her’s were informed and encouraged to bring their rabbits with questionably legible tattoos to this meeting to have their rabbit’s tattoos either verified or re-tattooed. With only a handful of kids attending this meeting and tattoo clinic, our hopes were that there would not be any tattoo problems at this year’s fair.

At the time of livestock check in for the 2004 fair the Barn Superintendent checked each rabbit’s tattoo and verified that they were all recorded and properly enrolled on the rabbit livestock enrollment form. This procedure of the enrollment form is done in conjunction with another rule that states that the rabbits must be in the 4-Her’s possession by a specified date. This is very strictly enforced so that each 4-Her is required to care for their animals for a minimum designated amount of time and not just simply purchase animals prior to the livestock check in. These rules are the reasons why the legible tattoo rules are so strongly enforced. During the check in process approximately 200 rabbits were assigned pens, which was approximately the same amount of rabbits that were assigned pens at 2003 fair. Only six to eight of the two hundred rabbits were considered to have a questionable tattoo by the Barn Superintendent. He informed each 4-Her of his inability to read their tattoos clearly and consideration should be made to have them re-tattooed before the show on the following afternoon. The 4-Her’s were also informed at that time that it would be the rabbit judge who makes the final call on the legibility of the tattoos.

Be assured that everyone checking in rabbits were all subjected to the same entry rules. There were no acts of favoritism or discrimination to any individual at any time. If a rabbit’s tattoo did not match identically as to how it was enrolled on the livestock enrollment form that was due in May, the rabbit was not checked in and was ineligible for competition. This rule is again to make certain that each 4-Her must have ownership and be the immediate caring source for the rabbit for a designated amount of time. After all, anyone can purchase a winning rabbit the day before the show. But as we teach the importance of animal husbandry to our 4-Hers, they learn that proper nutrition and care is needed to keep it a winner or learn the necessary skills to reproduce and select a winner from their own breeding stock.

Prior to the Rabbit show on the following afternoon, the Barn Superintendent informed the rabbit judge of the problems with the 2003 rabbit show with the confusion of illegible tattoos and the tattoo clinic that was preformed earlier in the year. He then told the rabbit judge that she had the final and only call on the legibility of each rabbit’s tattoo and it was at her discretion as to the placement of an animal with an illegible tattoo. He stated that he did not foresee any problems with illegible tattoos as any and all 4-Herís having questionable tattoos were advised of their options or consequences.

During the rabbit show, each 4-Her takes their rabbits individually to the table for the judge to evaluate and to place by the specific breed. As the judge places each rabbit in the class, reasons for placement are announced. To ensure that rabbits are shown in the proper class, each 4-Her is required to sign each rabbit up on a comment card with comments to be filled out at the table at the time the placement reasons are given. The first thing the judge does prior to giving reasons for placement is to verify that the tattoo is legible. When the judge came to an illegible tattoo, she awarded the rabbit with a red ribbon instead of disqualifying it. Rabbits awarded a red ribbon were not given detailed reasons of evaluation because rabbits receiving this red ribbon award are not considered for placement beyond the class. Rabbits receiving a red ribbon award were those that were eliminated from competition for reasons such as an illegible tattoo, over or under the weight requirements, entered in the wrong class, etc. Each 4-Her and their parents are encouraged to listen as the judge gives the reasons for placement. At no time was the judge informed that her placement decision was wrong. The incident spoke of in an earlier letter stated that the judge was corrected by me, the club leader. The fact was that I had mistakenly written blue ribbon on the card and the judge corrected me saying that the rabbit was to be awarded with a red ribbon instead. I then simply asked for verification from the judge so as to write the comment on the card, “that’s because of an illegible tattoo. Correct?” Several attempts were made by the judge to read each difficult tattoo. Even attempts aided by a flashlight to the back of the ear sometimes still did not help to reveal the tattoos, but all efforts were made by the judge.

We agree that 4-H helps to equip our youth with the necessary life skills. But part of those life skills should not include how to dodge the rules. No matter what we do or where we go in life, everyone is governed by rules and laws of some sort. There are over seven hundred 4-Herís enrolled in the Jay County 4-H program and all know that they have to abide by the rules. Why a select few feel they don’t have to is beyond comprehension and is an unacceptable role for our youth to follow. Just because a rule was not enforced in the past does not mean that it doesn’t exist now or that because individuals didn’t have to abide by a rule before doesn’t mean that they become a grandfathered exemption to it.

Problems can’t be fixed unless you roll up your sleeves and work hard. Being firm believers in jumping in to help out and not to sit back and cast stones is the reason why we took this endlessly thankless volunteer job. We are sorry that there are those of you that feel that the decision to enforce the current rules is wrong and because of this it will result in you enrolling your child in a different county. That decision is yours to make and you are free to do so. But we would like to encourage you to help to make the project stronger by standing beside us in enforcing and following the rules instead of publicly and privately discrediting the program and discrediting the volunteers that willingly spend immeasurable amounts of their valuable free time with your children.

However, we feel confident in saying that if the big winners of this year’s rabbit show were asked, which were all first and second year members, if they had a case of the 4-H flu that was going around, they would tell you no but rather a feeling of satisfaction of finally all being on the same playing field.

The “life lessons” spoke of that we are trying to instill in our youth through the rabbit project is that everyone has an honest chance of winning because everyone must follow the same set of rules. The true disgrace is that 4-H had to take a black eye because of an assorted handful of adults that feel they don’t have to follow the rules. 4-H is for our youth, to teach them responsibility and the rewarding feeling that comes with the dedication of hard work.

Parents are the number one teachers of “life lessons” to their children and should set the prime example as to how they should conduct themselves as future adults. What is our youth learning by criticizing this program and its volunteers in this manner? If you truly are supportive and believe in the benefits of this program and its volunteers, why choose to abuse its good name and reputation? Why not try to nurture and assist itís growth? No benefit has or will come from columns such as these. Perhaps some individuals should read over the 4-H pledge one more time, “My head to clearer thinking and my heart to greater loyalty.” Our loyalty will remain in backing this organization and this project because we believe in the benefits it offers to our young people of this community.

We swayed on the decision of submitting this article several times. 4-H doesn’t deserve yet another punch below the belt, but on the other hand we were personally called out and made to look as the villains and that simply isnít the truth. The image of 4-H and its hard working volunteers has always been a positive one in the community and should remain so. This type of publicity is harmful for everyone involved and we feel that it is our duty as volunteers and strong supporters of 4-H to commit to uphold that reputation. But unfortunately by keeping with this pledge to the organization, our own personal and ethical reputations would remain tarnished. With the concerns of our reputations at stake, we felt we had no choice but to provide the public with the “whole” truth so as to set the record straight and give the readers the opportunity to at least be provided with the actual facts surrounding these public attacks on our characters.

Will the 4-H program suffer needlessly because of this public display? Hopefully not. Hopefully present and future 4-Herís and their parents will see that the rabbit project is finally a place of 4-H Fair-ness without flu-like symptoms.

Janet Butcher, Jay County

4-H Rabbit Club Leader, and

Rich Emery, Jay County

4-H Rabbit Superintendent[[In-content Ad]]