Provided in part by Melvin Merton - Genesee County - Retired

Provided by Harry L Case, Chenango County - Retired

With the 2000 by-law changes, members could chose to belong only to the NYSACCE4-HE and not pay the NAE4-HA dues. This was done with the intention of increasing state membership as the national dues continued to rise.

1. 
   Bob Adams Scholarship Fund (from 4-H Club Agents' Story). In 1934, the Robert M. Adams Scholarship was started with $100 from Kid Boosters Treasury as a memorial to Robert M. Adams, 4-H Vegetable and Crops Specialist. Money, which was turned over to the College Scholarship Fund in June 1936 made one scholarship available in the fall of 1937. Money was contributed by individual agents, club members and friends. 3y 1939, $2300 was raised towards the goal of $2500. Kid Boosters Association voted on March 30, 1939 to contribute the balance and turn it over to the University Scholarship Committee for young students in Agriculture and Home Economics.
   
2. 
   Rufus Stanley Loan Fund (from "4-H Club Agents' Story"). A 4-H Student Loan Fund of $1500 was set up by the Kid Booster Association in 1940. To honor this 4-H pioneer (as mentioned in the "Brief History"), the "Rufus Stanley Loan Fund" was established by the Kid Booster Association in 1940.
   
3. 
   W. J. Wright Loan Fund. In 1944 the Kid Booster Association established the W. J. Wright Loan Fund, in honor of this Former State 4-H Leader. This loan fund was made possible through the good management of the State Fair Cafeteria under F. E. Heinzelman, Assistant State Leader and Mrs. Ernestine Thayer, Manager. As club members repay their loans, this loan fund will go on to assist other young people.
   
4. 
   Agents' Children Scholarships. In 1959 grants of $100 scholarships were started for agents' children in their final term of a four-year college course. These scholarships were discontinued in 1973.
   
5. 
   Agent Scholarships. At that time $200 scholarships were given to agents on sabbatical study leave. These have since been discontinued. In 1968 loans were made available to association members for graduate study only.
   

Following the 1994 NAE4-HA Conference hosted by New York State, a profit was generated. It was decided on by the Board of Directors to use a percentage of the interest generated to provide professional development scholarships to current members. This scholarship program is still operating today and is awarded through an application process conducted by the Member Recognition Committee.

The 4-H Club Agents appointed a committee in 1932 to meet with Daniel Ackerman, Director of the State Fair, to talk over the cafeteria food situation. F. E. Heinzelman, Club Agent in Onondaga County, at Syracuse, was chairman and George Burkhardt and Arthur Woodward were the committee members.

The committee met with Director Ackerman, who was sympathetic to demands for a change in the cafeteria situation. His final word at the meeting was, "Well, why don't you run it yourselves." We told him we would. A memorandum of agreement was drawn up at a meeting of Director Ackerman, W. J. Weaver, Albert Hoefer, Assistant State 4-H Club leader and F. E. Heinzelman, Chairman of the Agents' Cafeteria Committee and the agents' committee started work.

The procedure from here on, till we took over the operation of the cafeteria, is not clear. I presume we reported to a meeting of the club agents and were given the "go ahead" sign, I find nothing about this momentous change in any minutes of the Club Agents' Association. I'm not sure of how we procured Mrs. Mildred Stevens Essick, an Assistant State 4-H leader, to take over the operation of the cafeteria along with the committee, but she did. I remember that as soon as we were given authority to go ahead with the operation of the cafeteria I contacted a Kiwanian friend in Syracuse who was operating a very successful lunch room. He took me around to the places where he bought his food, introduced me to the persons in charge, who promised me cooperation in providing high-quality food at reasonable prices. These contacts were a great help during our first year of operation at the Syracuse State Fair.

During my participation in the 4-H Department at the State Fair from 1923 to 1932, I had become acquainted with Mrs. Wall of Solvay who provided the help we needed for our operation, which was run in the neighborhood of 40 to 45 persons per year. In the eyes of the committee, the operation the first year was quite successful. A profit of $300 or $400 was realized. This, with the little experience any of us had in operating a food establishment, made us feel good.

The next year we hired a person from Hastings on the Hudson, who we thought had more experience than was actually the case. That year we just about broke even, $1.50 I believe.

In 1935, the cafeteria was a big business. 11,000 club agent hours were given to the project and 20,970 meals were served and $16,442 taken in with expenses at $15,561. Edward Bower, Karl Grant and other agents are full-time cafeteria workers at State Fair.

Provided by F. E. Heinzelman (from "4-H Club Agents' Story")

Since 1955 Ed Bower served as Chairman - retiring in about 1958 or 1959. Bower was assisted by M. J. Merton, Karl Grant and Merle Cunningham. From 1959 or 1959 through 1964 Cunningham served as Chairman. The committee of 3 was increased to 5 with different length terms for the new agents. Grant and Merton continued and 2 new members were added - Dave Barnes and Allyn Smith. Grant, Merton and Cunningham have retired from this committee and Dave Barnes took over as chairman in 1965.

The number of meals served in the cafeteria has fluctuated from a low of 7,000 in 1948 to a high of over 25,000 in 1950.

The operation of the cafeteria has become a rather successful and profitable enterprise for the New York State Agents' Association.