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Who are the local 4-H homemaking club leaders? During the winter months of I978. the Home Eco- nomics Branch carried out an intensive provrnce-wrde survey among the leaders attending spring training sL‘ltools. A questionnaire made up of sixteen questions was answered by 2.495 4-H Homemaking Club lead- ers. Once completed. the questionnaires were parcelled oil to Toronto. where members of the Economics Branch of the Ministry 01‘ Agriculture and Food. edited and prepared the answers for key punching and the creation ol‘ the computer tape. Armed with a great deal of information that spilled out of the computer. Central Statistical Services. Ministry of Treasury. Ecoâ€" nomics and Interâ€"Governmental Services. tabulated and analyzed the data and prepared a report. From all areas ot'Ontario. the most important rea- son given for becoming a leader was a belief in the merits of the program. The next most important rea- sons were either because the leader had been re- quested to lead a club by the local Women‘s Institute or because her own children were 4-H Homemaking Club members All Women's Institute members will be delighted to learn that the Institutes are very active in the spom stirsltip of the clubs. In fact. the Institutes sponsor over 75'? ol‘ the clubs. many giving financial support. Many ladies are reluctant to divulge their age and. exerting their prerogative to remain silent. 423 leaders kept their age a secret. 01‘ those who did reply. the largest number fell into the 36-45 year age group. Of the entire group. three-quarters were between the ages ot‘ IH-cli years. Twenty-four leaders were over 65 years. OI‘ the LitSb‘ leaders who had children living at home. [.078 of the children belonged to a 4-H Homer making Club. The leaders had previously led an average of 7.3 clubs. an or [H.615 ol‘ the people completing the ques- tionnaire were new leaders. This is a high percentage. and the Home Economists hope this trend will conâ€" tinue. in order that the province can be assured ot‘sull Iicrent leaders in the years ahead. It was indeed grat- ifying to discover that 83.5? of all the leaders fullintended continuing with club work. In Temiskammg. ltltl‘i’. that is. all 28 ot‘ the leaders. said they would be leaders again. - The Home Economics Branch staI‘I wondered how many leaders had been either 4â€"H Homemaking or Agricultural Club members themselves. It was dimly. ered that 46.5% had belonged to the Homentutin Clubs and a further 12.7% had been Agricultural I tub members. Grey County had the largest number or leaders who had been club girls themselves; a (1...; “r 61.3% of their leaders. Grey was closely follow.‘ In the leaders in Brant. Carleton. Perth and Walt ‘ .‘, Previous 4â€"H Agricultural Club membership was i _i.. est in Bruce and Perth Counties. Over 479.9 ofthe leaders had completed high .\| and a further 27% had a university degree or u . diploma. Dundas and Kenora bad the highest nu r of leaders with a post-secondary education. It was interesting to discover that the leaders i do live in the rural areas of the province. Almm: live in rural Ontario. OI~ the 2.495 leaders sun L318 actually live on a farm. 587 live in the co and 508 live in a village or small town, Not Lint“ . edly. Huron. Perth and Middlesex had the |.w I number of farm dwellers. Algoma and Nipissin; | the largest number ofleaders living outside t'Ut'alr and one out ot'every four leaders in Nipissing at dwellers. Oneâ€"third of the leaders were also members t‘ Women‘s Institute. In Muskoka. nine out of Hit leaders surveyed belonged to an Institute. In I Middlesex and Prince Edward Counties. 75? u: leaders were not Institute members. Perhaps branch and district public relations officers in I counties would beat this in mind. when holdnr cruitment drives. Huron. a truly agricultural county. had the h. number of leaders; a total of 157. Kenora and ‘ koka tied with the smallest number. ten leaders ea Attending the training schools presented no , tent for 7H ot‘ the leaders. Fourteen per cent for: more difiicult because of work commitments. wht‘ Found it hard to obtain a baby sitter. In conclusion. the Home Economics Branch u to thank all of the 2.495 leaders who took the lil- complete the questionnaires that have revealt much useful information and for conducting the throughout the spring months of the year. The branch also would like to thank all the I lutcs who sponsored clubs. Their eITorts reallt much appreciated by the Ministry of Agricullurt Food. Characteristics of a typical 4-H Leader . lives on a farm. . was a 4-H Homemaking Club member herself‘. . has a daughter enrolled in 4»H. . has led 7 clubs. . has completed high school. . is sponsored by the Womcns‘ Institute. . believes in the 4-H movement. I4