Jumping Pound 4-H Club

In the M.D. of Rocky View #44, the area west of Calgary changed drastically after the opening of the Trans Canada Highway.

The communities west of the City of Calgary, including Jumping Pound, Springbank and Brushy Ridge and their surrounding areas, that had been primarily ranching and dairying operations, experienced phenomenal growth and development and became primarily country residential.

Dairy and Beef operations dwindled in numbers and this took its toll on the Springbank Beef and Dairy Clubs. The area south of the Bow River ceased to have a 4-H club in the spring of 1972. The Rudiger, Moore, Copithorne and Buckley children had to travel a considerable distance to join the newly formed Bearspaw 4-H Beef Club.

In the fall of 1975, ranchers Harvey Buckley, Ken Copithorne, Richard Copithorne and Bill Copithorne met with Dennis Sereda of the Calgary Region 4-H Office and Dale Riddell, with the hopes of forming a new Beef Club in Jumping Pound.

The Inaugural meeting was held on October 6, 1975 in the Jumping Pound Community Hall with Leader, Dale Riddell and Assistant Leader Sam Copithome. Twenty-one members registered for the 4-H market steer project, one member also registered for the Carcass Class and his 2nd Year of the Heifer Project.

Due to the fact that only five of the members had been in 4-H before, their first guest speaker spoke on “How to Choose a 4-H Calf’. Meetings followed with speakers covering the usual topics of Feeding, Showing and Grooming Your 4-H Calf. Weigh Day took place in December.

In January 1976, the Jumping Pound Beef Club chose the Buffalo as their symbol with brown, green and gold as their club colours. Encouraged by their leader, Dale Riddell, the emphasis was put on all round achievements in all aspects of the 4-H purpose, “Learn to Do By Doing.” Although cattle played a part of this experience, sharing with others including different communities and 4-H Clubs, public speaking seminars, fund raising and an awareness of others and the environment became very important to this club.

With Dale’s help, strong parent support and the assistance of Sam, this young club grew and became very adept at helping any new members without a rural background.

As the years pass, many fond memories and experiences come back: the nervous feeling by all at the first meeting of the year when you had to stand up in front of all those people and state your name, where you came from and your project, the public speaking seminars, judging clinics, field days at Matthew’s and the Awards Banquets. Who could forget the fund raising events; bake sales, bingos, raffles, turkey shoots and delivering telephone books in the City of Calgary? What an eye opener that was for a group of kids from the country! In summary it was a worthwhile experience which developed skills, good citizenship and personal growth.

Highway Clean-Up was first introduced when this Club was in its infancy. If you could keep the kids from saving all the junk they picked up along the ditches, you also had to keep them from straying into the neighbouring fields and cleaning them too!

Come spring everyone was busy getting ready for the Regional Show, 4-H on Parade, in Calgary. Connie Longeway painted the Banner to hang in the show barn at Stampede Park. The mothers and girls cut out brands and attached them to burlap for hanging above the stalls, Name plates for each member were carved out of wood, while fathers and sons gathered, painted and fixed all the boxes, barrels and storage units to make sure all was in order for the “Big Show”. In the beginning years of the club, the whole community donated white shirts and blouses which were kept in a borrowing library for anyone who needed them. The traditional 4-H uniform was blue jeans, white long sleeved shirts or blouse, 4-H Bolo tie and the 4-H crest on the left arm. For many years the Jumping Pound Beef Club carried on this tradition at 4-H on Parade.

In 1980 Dale Riddell retired as leader of the Jumping Pound 4-H Beef Club and Dr. Scott Rairdan, DVM led the club for two years. Following Scott, Bill Bateman had two very successful years as leader. He encouraged the members as in previous years and assisted many of them in attaining their goals. In 1984, Al Kumlin led this enthusiastic club of twenty-five members. In the following years some of the earlier members that had benefited from the 4–H movement such as Laurie Edge led the Jumping Pound Club. It continues to be successful, at one point became a multi club and some members actively raised chickens and other small animals to show. Although the membership changes as the years go by and the population changes to mainly urban type residences, the 4-H movement continues to be a wonderful experience and achievement for the young people today.