Oklahoma Farmers Union - American Farmers & Ranchers

The $200 scholarships went to any state college or university for the following year, and
were made available to applicants who had attended at least one junior camp, and whose
families were Union members. Thereafter, the awards were increased in amounts over
the years.
The John F. Kennedy Administration asked the Oklahoma Union to help sponsor
one of its programs in 1962. The director of the Agricultural Division of the Peace Corps
asked Barney to serve the state region on an informal basis. She immediately began
recruiting farm youth to serve as volunteers for the program.
Arvle A. Haire, a former vocational agriculture teacher, was hired in 1965 to
assist President Stone and youth programs. Seven youth camps were conducted that
summer.
Oklahoma Torchbearers took an active role assisting at the national convention in
1968. In September 1968, young adults attending Southwestern State College in
Weatherford adopted a charter and formed the Southwestern State Farmers Union
Collegiate Club. Barney helped to organize it at the initial meeting, and the local
manager of the farm cooperative was named as the sponsor. To encourage the students,
Barney distributed copies of “The Corporate Invasion of American Agriculture” for the
students to study.
With much fanfare, Barney retired in 1972. As a Farmers Union employee, she
proudly remembered she had listened to more than 3,000 contest speeches, supervised
6,000 young people at summer camps in Oklahoma and Colorado (national camp) and
worked with more than 300 Farmers Union scholarship winners. She toured the East
with speech winners 12 times, and each year conducted a series of leadership training
programs around the state. She received hundreds of letters and cards from former youth
expressing appreciation for her guidance and advice through OFU.
Following Barney’s retirement, Joan Bailey, secretary to President Stone, assumed
additional responsibilities to direct the young people.
OFU President Jimmy Jarrell worked to increase the amount of scholarships
offered by the Farmers Union. Soon the scholarships were increased from $200 to $400
per year. A few years later, the amount was increased again to $500. Currently, the
amounts range from $650 to $1,000, depending upon the level of involvement by the
youth.
In June 1983, Jarrell named Greg Williams, a participant in the youth program for
many years, as full-time director of education. He was the first full-time director since
Barney’s retirement. In 1985, Lee Streetman, newspaper editor, was given additional
duties as education director.