Jennie Allen, daughter of Doug and Linda Allen of Louisville, will be receiving the Nebraska 4-H Diamond Clover Program’s highest honor, Level 6 – Diamond, at the annual Achievement Party on Sunday, November 1 at the Expo Building on the Cass County fairgrounds, Weeping Water, Nebraska, beginning at 3:00 p.m.  This award is equivalent to the Boy Scout Eagle Scout Award.  The Diamond Clover Program was introduced into Nebraska 4-H in December, 2007, and Jennie will be Cass County’s first 4-Her to receive this honor.

The Nebraska Diamond Clover Program is designed to encourage 4-H youth ages 8 – 19 to engage in a variety of projects and activities that will enable members to acquire the life skills necessary to lead successful lives as competent, caring and contributing citizens.  The program’s overall goal is to provide 4-H members a rich and diverse learning experience.

The program consists of six levels that require a 4-H member to plan and report a broad range of age-appropriate accomplishments.  The program is designed to enable every 4-H member willing to exert the effort an opportunity to be recognized, regardless of how they are involved in 4-H.  Jennie successfully completed all six levels as well as the community service project within Level 6. 

Jennie’s Diamond Clover project contributed to the community of Louisville.  She chose to overhaul the local Flag Pole Garden at the Riverview Cemetery in Louisville due to the need for a permanent, deer resistant, more appealing garden.  Jennie researched plants, garden maintenance, and design to increase knowledge; met with several professionals for advice; met with and presented her proposal to the Louisville City Council for approval; contacted all necessary city personnel after approval; researched funding sources and solicited funds for the project; recruited and managed volunteers to help with the work; and made provisions for the project to continue through the efforts of her 4-H club.  Jennie has 110 hours invested in this project with over 100 hours of match time from youth and adults and $2,854.83 worth of donated labor. She was able to negotiate a 35% savings for flowers and had a total of $176.34 actual cost for flowers, supplies, and adornments.  Local organizations, city government, residents and visitors were pleased and impressed with the scope of her project and final result of her efforts.  Jennie would like to thank the Louisville City Council, community organizations, her parents, her 4-H club members and leaders and Diamond Clover Review Committee for funding, labor, donations and time for her Diamond Clover Project.

Jennie has been active in 4-H for twelve years as a member of the Country Crickets 4-H Club and has served as a Junior Leader for six years and as a youth member of the Cass County 4-H Council for four years.  She is a 2009 graduate of Louisville High School and is currently attending Midlands Lutheran College in Fremont, Nebraska as an Anderson Scholar majoring in Business and is a member of the girls track team.

The public is invited to attend her celebration in conjunction with the Achievement Party.

Diane Mayfield, Extension Associate
University of Nebraska Extension in Cass County
8400 144th Street, Suite 100
Weeping Water, Nebraska  68463
Phone:  (402) 267-2205
Fax:  (402) 267-5375
E-Mail:  dmayfield1@unl.edu
              Cass-county@unl.edu