Lisa
Terry, 4-H & FCS
MEAFCS President
MSU Extension Agent
Stillwater County
PO Box 807
Columbus, MT 59019
406-322-8035
406-290-4460
As we move
into the fall season here in the Mountain West, I am reminded of the changes
that happen to each of us in life. My first employment opportunity with
Extension Services began more than two decades ago and found me working deep
within the Ouachita Mountains, located in central Arkansas. With broadleaf
trees predominant, our highways were lined with yellow, orange and blazing red
foliage come fall. Here in Montana we now are seeing the first tinge of
changing color among the Aspen growth dotting the countryside.
As will be
reflected in this year’s NEAFCS Annual Session, change is part of the growth
and advancement process of our work force. When I began my role in Extension, the
home economist was just beginning the transition into Family Consumer Science.
The formative years of our occupation, at the turn of the twentieth century,
were comprised of in-depth knowledge of foods and farm life, combined with
hands-on work in kitchens throughout the various counties. Gradually the Extension
Agent’s role became accepted at the local level and our expertise was solidified
as research based information, in a myriad of FCS related topics, and was
disseminated through our offices. We became members of the faculty bringing the
university to the people.
As
technology changes and advances, as more and more of our constituents log into
cyberspace, and as each generation of youth flow freely and independently with
new and somewhat raw technology, we as staff of the Land Grant Universities
must adjust to the changes. Never before have we been able to discover, connect
and engage as we are now able with the advancement in technologies. And not
merely adjust, we have the opportunity to stay ahead of the curve, making
technology work for us.
Rather than
see change as yet another hurdle, we may leverage new opportunities. Each county
seat and each population center, the rural family included, have for years
relied on our faculty, training and expertise to help them transition through
changes in family life and the workplace environment. As the culture around us transitions
to more single parent homes, and even within two parent households where both
parents are working, time constraints may make it difficult for families to
stay engaged and connected. We want them
to discover that this is the “niche we fill. It may seem daunting, but we are
the profession many look to for answers. And without prejudice, I might add
that Extension faculty fulfill our obligations as well as any professional
organization!
As we gather
in Big Sky next week, I want us to reflect on the rich heritage of our
occupation and the various roles we fill within our counties. In addition, I
encourage each member to embrace the rapidly changing world in which we find
ourselves living and working, taking encouragement in the fact that we are
supported by some of the brightest researchers located in the Land Grant
Universities. That most agents throughout the country feel the same about their
university system as I do Montana State, speaks to the pride we share in who we
are and what we accomplish in the field. Not only is change “in the air”, it is
an opportunity to be mastered.
