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Volunteer gives his time, talent to 4-H"I have pretty good luck with the kids, and they seem to respect me pretty good," he said. "I try not to make them feel like they are different than anybody else. I also don't like to put them on a pedestal and make them feel better than anyone else."
Nebraska Roger Eaton and Don Huls didn't know what they got themselves into. The first meeting of their 4-H dog training class was close to total chaos. Dog owners of every age, from young kids to grandparents, stood around with nearly 80 dogs. And all the dogs were barking. "The room was filled from head to tail," said Huls, a retired University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension educator in Dawes County. In order to keep the place under control, Huls said Eaton did what he has always done in his many years of volunteering for 4-H. He used his integrity, work ethic and creativity to help people learn and give back to his town of Chadron. "My best memories of volunteering," Eaton said, "are going and doing it and figuring out how to do it after we get there." Eaton, a 58-year-old body shop manager, has been a constant volunteer in many 4-H clubs in Chadron. He helps teach woodworking, shooting sports, small engines and dog training. Eaton lives with his wife, Connie, and has two sons, Casey, 30, and Cody, 26. He said he joined 4-H as a helper in 1978. His neighbor's children wanted him to help them with dog training, so he started a 4-H club for it. "I just kind of got hooked on it," Eaton said. Eaton has volunteered since then, particularly in shooting sports. He teaches courses with rifles, BB guns and archery. In 2005, his BB gun team placed 20th nationally out of 39 teams invited to the competition. Huls said kids respond well to Eaton because they can relate to him. "He's the only 50-year-old teenager we got," Huls said. Sandi Schiaffo, a Dawes County Extension office manager, said Eaton has plenty of affection for the 4-H kids too. "He loves kids," she said. "He's very involved and very high energy." Eaton said he tries to be a role model for the kids with whom he works. "I have pretty good luck with the kids, and they seem to respect me pretty good," he said. "I try not to make them feel like they are different than anybody else. I also don't like to put them on a pedestal and make them feel better than anyone else." One of Eaton's most popular courses involves lawnmower racing to promote and exhibit small engines. The racing course eventually led to the creation of the small engines course. He began the lawnmower racing project about six years ago when he first saw a lawnmower race. "I saw it on TV one day," Eaton said, "and I thought 'that's almost redneck enough for us.'" Eaton said he will continue teaching his courses for 4-H unless the childrens' interests go in another direction. He said he wouldn't mind following the kids' interests if they changed. He said he's going to keep volunteering until 4-H tells him not to. Huls said this type of work ethic allows Eaton to be a good leader. "He's a hands-on man," Huls said. "He doesn't like the papers and the rules. Just like a kid, that's when you thrive the best." Nebraska 4-H and UNL Extension are part of the university's Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources. For more information about being a 4-H volunteer, contact a local UNL Extension office.
Date: 5/8/08 Advertisement
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