Liddell: Fha No Longer Just A Cook-and-sew Organization

July 27, 1986|By Lisa Renee Taylor of the Sentinel Staff

The Orlando Sentinel: What is the greatest myth or misconception about the Future Homemakers of America?

Louisa Liddell: That we only cook and sew.

Q: So what does FHA do?

A: We offer food nutrition, child care, consumer education and home management. And there is a division of home economics called home economics- related occupations, which prepares students for entry-level jobs in food service, clothing and textiles, and child care.

Q: FHA offers programs on teen pregnancy, alcohol and drug abuse, sexually transmitted diseases and single parenting. How and why has FHA changed from the days of just cooking and sewing?

A: The organization always has been in the forefront of social issues. In fact, we've had projects in teen pregnancy for the past 15 years. We were in this before it appeared to be a national social problem. It doesn't mean that we solved it, but we keep working on it. The home economics curriculum in schools has changed over the years, obviously. When home economics started, back with the Smith-Hughes Act in 1918, there was more emphasis on cooking and sewing. Today the home economics curriculum has branched out to include social issues, but in particular, has branched into consumer education. Parenting education and child care are major issues -- not to discount the fact that people still prepare food and are still interested in the care of clothing and textiles. But people recognize that the role of parenting in society is more encompassing, complex. The role of preparing young people to work in child care centers, for instance, or indeed to have an influence with their own children is more complex, more necessary than it used to be. It always has been necessary, but it's of increasing importance, particularly to so many single-parent families.

Q: General Mills recently updated the image of Betty Crocker to reflect today's changing woman. What is FHA doing to update its image to reflect today's FHA member?

A: We have a lot of debate about our name. For many people the term means cooking and sewing. We believe right now that the name of our organization is probably more relevant than ever because the work around a home, the concerns around family life, and the social dilemmas young people find themselves in are rooted so much in parenting and homemaking.

Q: Has the possibility of a name change ever been discussed?

A: Yes, and it is under constant discussion by the members and leaders in the organization. The interesting thing is that nobody has ever been able to come up with a better name.

Q: What kind of role do young people play in FHA?

A: The young people run this organization. I don't mean to say that they manage it from a national staff. Obviously you have adult leaders in the organization that give guidance to the young people. We believe that we are unique in that we provide opportunities for young people to be involved in positions that make the organization go.

Q: Is FHA an all-girl organization or do boys get involved?

A: About 10 percent of our membership is male.

Q: Is the male membership increasing?

A: I wouldn't call it an explosion, but I would say there's certainly an interest there. The interest goes back to the roles men play in families. There's great potential for a young man to be part of an organization to recognize his role as wage earner and homemaker.

Q: Are the young men hassled?

A: Most of them. The hassles occur at the local level. By the time they're in leadership, they are able to articulate why they are a part of the program and what they're gaining from it. They are very good at articulating the dual role of the homemaker and the wage earner. More and more boys are coming to the national convention. Hey, it's a great opportunity to see girls.

Q: FHA has grown from an initial membership of 92,000 in 1945 to 325,000 members today. How has the membership composition changed over its 41 years?

A: We have always had men in the organization. I can't be very specific and tell you percentages because we, quite frankly, didn't keep very good membership statistics back in the early days in relation to the male-female ratio. For about 10 to 15 years we have had a fairly stable male membership of 10 percent to 11 percent. The organization is an integral part of vocational home economics education, and as there have been more men involved in vocational home economics, we have seen a lot of interest in the organization in terms of how long they belong.

Q: When did membership peak?

A: It peaked in 1963 with about 600,000 members. That's when Future Homemakers merged with New Homemakers of America, which was an organization in the Southern states for young people who were in racially segregated schools, so that was a black membership. NHA started about the same time in 1945.

Q: Since 1980 the organization has lost about 65,000 members. What are some of the reasons?

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