Discord between state leaders of the 4-H youth agricultural organization and volunteers and parents with its Boulder County chapter continues to emerge surrounding its programs involving guns and how they’re funded.
A woman who volunteered for the Boulder County 4-H Sharp Shooters Shotgun Club withdrew from leading the group Wednesday as a result of what she calls “societal anti-gun sentiments” from 4-H officials.
Samantha Sweeney opposed February decisions by Colorado State University 4-H Extension employees to cancel a newly planned gun display at an annual tack show at the Boulder County Fairgrounds and remove a St. Vrain Valley Friends of NRA advertisement for a gun raffle from the county’s monthly 4-H newsletter.
In emails between Sweeney, 4-H volunteers and CSU 4-H Extension officials shared with the Times-Call by Sweeney, she claimed she was met with resistance from 4-H leaders when she tried to address her concerns regarding the group’s support of shooting sports programs in a meeting in March at which youth members were present.
“While the behavior of some within the volunteer and paid ranks of 4-H was unnecessarily ugly and unprofessional, I’m resigning due to a strong philosophical misalignment with the CSU Extension on the subject of societal anti-gun sentiments. I believe the topic should be met with sensitivity, levelheadedness and reason; and with conviction in the principles of the 4-H Shooting Sports program,” she said in an email to the Times-Call.
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