One day I went to Weaver’s Lumber for a board for a project. I tied it across the handlebar of the bike and started down the driveway when Henry Weaver’s watchdog must have sensed that I was stealing Weaver’s lumber. He came running after me. He soon caught up with me, grabbed the leg of my pants, and the bike came to a halt. Just then Henry Weaver came out of the building and yelled for the dog to stop. I never liked Boxers after that experience.
Mr. Plasman would let us go down to the 4-H room and work on our projects if we had our school assignments completed. What he didn’t know was what goes on when a group of unsupervised boys are alone in the school basement while he was upstairs teaching a class.
The highlight of the 4-H program was the annual achievement day held in Holland where all the projects were judged and given a ribbon. It was held at the Holland Junior High School on River Avenue and Sixteenth Street. We had the opportunity to explore the downtown streets as a group in the morning. Holland was the big town for us at the time.
Four years of 4-H was a good experience and taught us skills both in woodworking, but also some business skills like taking responsibility, making decisions, and making purchases with our own money.