Fun with a Tractor

HOP TO IT CLUB 

_Fun with a Tractor_ 
(4-H Club Program #5) 
12:30:00-12:40:00 P.M. 
WHCU, WHCU-FM, Rural Radio Network 

SOUND: CAST: CLUB MEETING NOISES 

ANNCR: Come on all you 4-H'ers! Gather 'round for another meeting of the HOP 
TO IT CLUB. 

SOUND: RAP OF GAVEL

NICK: Order! Order! Let's come to order! The HOP TO IT CLUB is now in session. 
(RAP OF GAVEL) 

MUSIC: THEME .... FADE FOR 

ANNCR: From the Radio Workshop comes another meeting of the HOP TO IT CLUB 
.... a special bi-weekly program which tells the story of 4-H Clubs all over 
the state. Today's dramatized story is called "Fun with a Tractor." And 
following our play you'll hear the latest news and information for all 4-H 
Clubbers. 

MUSIC: UP TO 12:31:05 

(DURING ABOVE MUSIC FARM AND HOME HOUR JOIN BY FADING IN) 

MUSIC: (AT 12:31:05) FADE FOR 

ANNCR: The HOP TO IT CLUB is assembled here in the studios of the Radio 
Workshop ready to bring you today's story "Fun with a Tractor." . . . The boys 
of the HOP TO IT CLUB have decided to take the new project offered in Tractor 
Maintenance. We find them at one of the first meetings held for the project 
.... the meeting is nearly finished, as we hear Mr. Avery, their project 
leader: 

MR. A: ... so at the next meeting boys, we'll have a report from each of you 
on your tractor maintenance. Don't forget to take along your set of work 
sheets. Do a good job on those tractors, and I'll see you all at the next 
meeting. That's all for today. Meeting adjourned! 

SOUND: BRIEF CROWD NOISE UP AND UNDER AT 

MR. A: By the way, fellows, don't forget to bring your fathers to the next 
meeting. We have quite a bit to talk over with them. 

SOUND: CROWD UP 

CAST: All right, Mr. Avery. O.K. Sure (and the like) 

NICK: Hey Jim! Jim. Wait a minute. 

JIM: Oh, hi Nick. 

NICK: You going home? 

JIM: Uhuh. Come on over. 

NICK: Ride home with me. 

JIM: O.K. 

SOUND: CROWD FADES OUT BEHIND 

SOUND: FADE IN CAR BG. 

JIM: Wasn't that a swell meeting? I sure learned a lot about our tractor. This 
is going to be fun. 

NICK: Have fun with a tractor? Don't kid yourself. It's hard work and dirty 
too. 

JIM: Did you get a set of the work sheets on tractor maintenance? 

NICK: Naw. I didn't bother with it. 

JIM: Well, how are you going to take care of your tractor if you don't know 
how it works? 

NICK: Oh, I took a couple of notes during the meeting, and besides--anybody 
who owns a tractor should know how it runs. 

JIM: I didn't know all those things about ours. 

NICK: Well, I did. I've puttered around motors for years. It was just the 
basic facts he told us. Everybody should know those. 

JIM: Say, why don't you come over to the house tomorrow after school, and 
we'll work on my father's tractor together. 

NICK: O.K. If it doesn't take too long. I've got to fix my Dad's too. 

JIM: It'll only take a couple of minutes. After all, what's so hard about 
looking at a tractor motor? The hardest thing I have to do is persuade Dad to 
let me fix it. 

MUSIC #2: TRANSITION 

JIM: Evening, Dad. 

MR. J.: Oh, hello, Jim. Well, how was your meeting tonight? 

JIM: Oh, swell. We learned about tractors--how they run and how to keep them 
running. 

MR. J.: Mmmm. Sounds like it was a good meeting. But tinkering with tractors 
is serious business. Hope you learned something. 

JIM: I sure did (PAUSE). Say Dad .... 

MR. J.: Yes. 

JIM: Our tractor hasn't been running too well lately, has it? I mean it stalls 
and uses a lot of gas. 

MR. J.: Now, Jim. Don't get any ideas. 

JIM : I just thought, seeing as how I know quite a bit about tractors now, I 
might look at it. 

MR. J.: No, Jim! 

JIM: Just peek? 

MR. J.: No, I'm going to have our dealer's service man up to look at it in a 
few days. He'll fix it up for us. 

JIM: But Dad, I have to look at it. We have to make a report at the next 
meeting on servicing the air cleaner on our tractor. And if I don't have any 
report they'll . . . well, they'll think I'm awful. 

MR. J.: But Jim, I .... 

JIM : And you're supposed to come to the meeting too. 

MR. J.: I am? 

JIM: Yes, and you wouldn't want me to stand up in front of all those people 
and say you wouldn't let me touch our tractor. 

MR. J.: No, I .... 

JIM: They'd laugh at me. 

MR. J.: They would? 

JIM: Yes, and you too. 

MR. J.: They wouldn't. 

JIM: Please, Dad. 

MR. J.: All right. You win. But remember, don't touch anything. 

JIM: Thanks, Dad. And don't you worry, I'll just look. 

MUSIC #3: TRANSITION 

NICK: You sure you know what you're doing, Jim? 

JIM: Now, Nick. You just stand there and watch. 

NICK: But I thought your father said you weren't to touch anything? 

JIM: Now how'm I going to learn about tractors if I don't work on them? You 
have to have a little practical experience too. You just can't read about it 
all the time. 

NICK: What are you going to do first? 

JIM: Clean the air cleaner ... so cleaner air can get into the engine. Let's 
see now. Air cleaner ... air cleaner, oh yes, here it is. I'll just take this 
clamp off. 

NICK: Jim, that's the carburetor. 

JIM: What daya mean carburetor? I know an air cleaner when I see one. 

NICK: But look at this diagram in the work sheets. It looks just like that 
thing, and it's labeled carburetor. 

JIM: Gosh, you're right. Even though I like motors, I can still learn a lot 
(PAUSE). Here it is ... isn't it? 

NICK: Let's see. Hmmmm. Yep, that's it. 

JIM: If I can get it off ... there. Boy, look at it. It's all dirty. 

NICK: Ya. Full of dust. 

JIM: Well, I'll clean it up so it's like new. . . . Say Nick, look at that 
pipe. 

NICK: Where? 

JIM: Right there where I took the air pre-cleaner off. A pipe--and it's dirty 
too. 

NICK: Oh yeah. Looks like dirt and ground up leaves. 

JIM: I better take that off too and clean it. 

NICK: Now Jim. Don't go fooling around with that pipe. 

JIM: But it's full of dirt. Look, I can't even get this screw-driver in the 
center .... it's so clogged! 

NICK: Maybe it's supposed to be plugged up. You don't even know what it is. 

JIM: Sure I do. It's a pipe .... an air intake pipe. It takes the air into the 
cleaner from out in the open. 

NICK: Well, maybe. 

JIM: You just watch me, Nick, and in no time I'll have this tractor running 
like it was brand new. 

MUSIC #4: TRANSITION 

JIM: (REPORTING AT THE MEETING) . . . and after I got the air cleaner and the 
air intake pipe cleaned, I put them all back together again. 

MR. A.: Well, Jim, you certainly have made a good report on your tractor 
maintenance. I'm glad you learned something from the last meeting. Is there 
anything else you'd like to say before we go on with the rest of the reports? 

JIM: Yes, there is, Mr. Avery. You see, my father told me not to touch 
anything in the tractor, just to look. So if he finds out that I did all this,
he might get mad at me. So do you think you could sort of keep it secret? 

MR. A.: Ha, ha. ... Why, Jim, if your father were here now, I bet he'd be glad 
that .... 

MR. J.: (FADE ONE) But I am here. Been here for some time. 

JIM: Dad! What are you doing here? I thought you said you wouldn't be able to 
be here tonight. 

MR. J.: Well, I sort of changed my mind after I started the tractor. I thought 
I ought to see you right away. 

JIM: Oh! Is ... is there something wrong, Dad? 

MR. J.: Wrong! Jim, I told you not to touch our tractor. But you did . . . and 
for once I'm glad you disobeyed me. You fixed that old tractor so it runs like 
a new one, and you saved me an expensive repair bill. 

JIM: Why, thanks, Dad. Oh, Dad, I'd like you to meet Mr. Avery. He's our 
instructor in tractor maintenance. 

MR. J.: How do you do, Mr. Avery. You certainly are doing a fine job teaching 
these boys. I only wish that more of the parents could come to these meetings 
and see how they're run. 

MR. A.: Thank you, Mr. Johnson. And any time a parent wants to come to one of 
our meetings, he's welcome. We like to see them here so we can show them what 
a fine job 4-H is doing for their youngsters. 

MR. J.: Well, Mr. Avery, you can count on me to attend more 4-H Club meetings 
in the future. And just to show you and the boys here how grateful I am, I'm 
going to take the money that Jim saved me by fixing my tractor and have the 
biggest party for you that you've ever seen! 

SOUND: CROWD REACTION ("swell," "wonderful," etc.). 

JIM: See, Nick--didn't I tell you that working with a tractor is really fun! 

MUSIC #5: CURTAIN 

ANNCR: And now here in our studio is Carlton Edwards--Agricultural Engineering 
Specialist. Do you agree with Jim Johnson that working with a tractor can be 
fun, Mr. Edwards? 

EDWARDS: (1:00 REMARKS) 

ANNCR: Thank you--Mr. Carlton Edwards. 

"Fun with a Tractor" featured students of the Radio Workshop under the 
director of Richard Wanamaker. Heard in the cast were .... 




The original script was written by: William Mallin. 

(PAUSE FOR OPTIONAL WHCU CUT OUT) 

4-H Clubbers! An attractive booklet--_The 4-H Way and You_ is yours free for 
the asking by writing to the station to which you are listening. The booklet 
shows 4-H Clubbers in this state in action .... with pictures of some of the 
many projects that make up the important year-round 4-H Club program. Send for 
your copy of _The 4-H Way and You_ ... today. The HOP TO IT CLUB is a biweekly 
program for all 4-H Clubbers. Listen again at this time a week from today when 
the HOP TO IT CLUB will bring you another dramatized story. Meanwhile, be a 
good 4-H Club member. Attend all meetings of your club, and always let the 4-H 
pledge mean something to you. 

CAST: "I pledge my head to clearer thinking, my heart to greater loyalty, my 
hands to larger service, and my health to better living for my club, my 
community, and my country." 

MUSIC: UP TO FINISH AT 12:39:55 

ANNCR: The HOP TO IT CLUB is a production of the Radio Workshop. 

______________________________
Original broadcast: circa 1951