Dear Governor Walker,
My name is Mason Prindle. I know you are quite busy right now and probably taking everyone’s comments on the budget to mind. With that said I myself have a few concerns about the budget now sitting on your desk. I’m 16. I’m a member of a youth organization called 4-H. 4-H has impacted my life tremendously. I practically grew up with it, and it is as much a part of the state as anything else. The budget will significantly cut funding to the UW-Extension which organizations like 4-h are a part of. Because of the cuts more than eighty uw-extension workers will lose their jobs. Thirty of those are in Madison alone I will include a longer more detailed letter about how 4-h has effected me that I sent to the Joint Committee co-chairs at the end of this letter. The cuts will also severely effect my family. Both my parents work in the Human Services field. My mother is a care manager at CareWisconsin and my father is the Executive director of cooperative care. which has offices in Wautoma, Oshkosh, Green bay, and many more across the state. The budget will cut state funding that go to my parent’s businesses that provide care and care management to those in need. This will open up the very real possibility that my mom will lose her job in layoffs. You see our insurance is paid by my mom’s company. My dad’s company does not provide very good insurance at all. This and my Dad’s company would also have to downsize. His job is secure but the jobs of many others at his company would not be. No offense governor, but this doesn’t sound like an Ideal situation. If you want to create jobs and stimulate the state’s economy you don’t cut funding that would cause hundreds of people to potentially lose their jobs. Please Governor walker before you pick up that pen please just think about how it will effect others and the families across this great state, my favorite state!
I can’t vote in the next presidential election, but I wish you luck in 2016.
Sincerely,Mason Prindle
(here is the letter about 4-h)My name is Mason Prindle. I’m 16 and I live in Green Lake County. I’m a member of 4-H.It would mean the world to me if you could support the county and state 4-H programs. 4-H has had an extremely positive Impact on my life. My older sister Maddie was in 4-H when I was younger, so even before I was old enough to join I attended the meetings. Then when I was in kindergarten I became a clover bud. As a clover bud we made many projects and had a lot of fun. still have some of the things we made: A wooden pumpkin, a cement walking stone, and many more. I practically grew up with 4-H.
4-H has the reputation for being agriculturally based and for “farm” kids and that’s simply not true. Agriculture is an important part of 4-H but it is not everything. It’s true that 4-H has a many projects for those who own live stock, but there is cooking projects, communication art, photography, Videotography, performing arts, and even fashion and clowning!
4-H also dose many volunteer projects. They help clean highways, build parks, build birdhouses, mail boxes, and many more community orientated projects.
But to return to how 4-h has impacted MY life. 4-H has taught me much about leadership. How to keep a cool head when debating motions, how to keep an engaging and productive conversation making sure to be inclusive. It’s taught me basic parliamentary procedure and Robert’s rule of order (which is used in every meeting) It’s also exposed me to many new, unique ,and diverse people. All of them with interesting backgrounds and everyone one of them with something to teach me.
4-H allows many youth to be able to go on trips and learn. The include state conference, space camp, American spirit, Citizen Washington focus, and many more.
You would think my favorite trip would be something like space camp, but no. I did enjoy space camp, but my favorite was the state conference right here in Wisconsin. It’s in Madison only an hour away from me. The reason is because I’m a member of a state 4-H team. The 4-H drama company. The Drama company (or D co. as it is affectionately called) is made up of 4-h youth all over the state who have one thing in common: A love for drama. Out of everything 4-h has done for me Drama company has had the biggest impact on my life. It taught me that I’M appreciated and so are my Ideas and that we all have something to share. I particularity like D co. because during our planning weekend the entire company sits down and comes up with what we like to call “norms” The Norms this year include things like “Be Inclusive” “Be open to constructive criticism” and "Embrace change".For a week at conference we live by these norms and create an original show in four days to perform for over four hundred delegates. Then after the state conference we perform during state fair three times a day for 4 days at the youth expo center on the fair grounds. There we create a show out of all original skits and sketches.These skits and the creative process that goes into them highlights one of my favorite aspects of 4-H our ability to come together, have fun, and to make something great. Another thing I LOVE about D co. is the people and how we are like one big family. I didn’t know many of these kids before a couple weeks ago when I went to conference as a D co. member for the second time. Now I actually keep in touch with practically all of them. Some of them on an hourly basis i’m ashamed to say! In drama company we all feel like we can truly be our selves.
There are other state teams too! There is the Press Team, Art Team, Show Case Singers, and the Youth Leadership Counsel. Many of the youth in these teams learn valuable life lessons and skills.
I’m also a member of the 4-h county ambassadors. Their job is to reach out to the clubs and the community. To show non 4-hers what its like and to help involve those already in 4-h on the county and state level. There we organize events like Super Saturday. A day full of different sessions that kids from all over greenlake county can sign up for. Things like candle making, chess, LEGOS!!, and too many others to mention here.
I’m still excited of what I will do next in 4-H the possibilities are nearly endless. I have at least two maybe three years left of 4-H so if the budget on 4-h and the extension is cut It wont affect me for long , but I want the same opportunities to learn and grow that I had and have to still be there for those that come after me. So that they too can grow as a leader and change the world around them. I ask of all of you to support the UW-extension 4-H programs. It would mean so much to me and so many others.
I know I’m not 18 and can’t vote yet but there are many in 4-h that can. I hope you can over look this and focus on all the 4-h can and dose do.
- Sincerely,
Mason Prindle
