4-H Cloverbud Camp ‘goes to work’ in 2-day camp
Sabrina Yoder, Keim secretary of the building materials department, helps a youngster craft a toolbox during 4-H Cloverbud Camp at Harvest Ridge.
The hope of the Ohio State University Holmes County Extension, the Holmes County Junior Fair Board and the Holmes County 4-H clubs is youngsters between kindergarten and third grade might one day become vital members of one of the many Holmes County 4-H clubs and assume leadership roles in the county’s 4-H clubs.
Until they become old enough to join 4-H, they will have to settle for being a member of the Cloverbud crew, which serves as a way to introduce young children to the many joys of 4-H.
On Wednesday and Thursday, June 21-22, fifty youngsters participated in the annual Cloverbud Day Camp at Harvest Ridge.
This Holmes County 4-H program is designed to help children recognize 4-H is full of fun activities and also includes character-building times where teamwork and creativity are enhanced.
This year’s program was centered around career opportunities with “Let’s Go to Work,” and thanks to a community effort, there were eight different careers the kids invested in, plus two more feature activities.
Holmes County 4-H Extension member and event coordinator Ella Lorentz said this event is always enjoyable and important in the process of growing the county’s 4-H program.
“While these kids aren’t officially considered 4-Hers yet, this is a great way to introduce them to the program as Cloverbud members,” Lorentz said. “The hope is that this sparks a genuine interest for them in everything 4-H offers and is about. We work hard to make this event fun. Because if this is fun, then the kids will correlate that to 4-H and the fun it offers.”
Lorentz praised the many volunteers who made the program a success, pointing out many county teens in 4-H who serve on the Holmes County Junior Fair Board and as camp counselors were involved in guiding the groups from station to station and providing help wherever necessary.
Junior fair board member Garrett Fowler said getting a chance to help pique the interest of the young children in the county and showing them the ropes of what 4-H can be is an exciting opportunity for the board members, all of whom have been involved with 4-H for many years.
“Part of our goal is to participate with the kids and make sure they stay on task but to also encourage them to have fun,” Fowler said. “This is about being active and engaged with a purpose.”
Any downtime during a session resulted in the counselors leading games and songs, which kept the children focused.
“A lot of what this program provides is an opportunity for kids to see things they might not see or experience every day,” Fowler said. “It’s a great time for them to experience new things and maybe spark an interest in a career.”
June 21 featured a musician, veterinarian, mailperson and cake decorator while June 22 featured an obstacle course, paleontologist, a member of the Holmes County Health Department and a soil scientist for Holmes Soil & Water Conservation District.
Local musician Phin Johnson, who along with his brother Gus make up the music duo Low Gap, brought his talents and taught music. The crew from East Holmes Veterinarian came with some furry friends to talk about animal care. Special guest Bonnie Porter taught kids what takes place in the mail world, helping them make postcards and mailing them. Cass Dawson and Rodhe’s IGA presented a cake and cookie decorating event that featured chef’s hats.
Day one wrapped up with a presentation from Keim that saw professionals from the company promote woodworking by providing material to make birdhouses and toolboxes the kids could take home.
Day two returned with more community professionals, with Holmes County Junior Fair Board member Jarrett Schafer guiding the kids through a safety obstacle course, Sara Sponseller-Uhl taking the kids through the world of paleontology, Tara Conner of the health department talking about the importance of healthcare skills with a handwashing station and SWCD’s Darby Sherman walking the children through some conservation practices before building their own Soil Sam snacks.
Day two ended with the kids being invited to a Touch-a-Truck event that featured several vehicles from the community.
Lorentz said she chose this particular variety of careers because she felt they would keep the kids’ interest and be informative.
“We started to think about some different careers and the people who could partner with us,” Lorentz said. “We’ve got a lot of wonderful partners throughout the community who are really supportive of the 4-H program.”
The two-day event came and went quickly, but the preparation was arduous, according to Lorentz.
“June is packed full of camps for us, and all of the hard work we invest in preparing each event is well worth the effort,” Lorentz said, noting the “Let’s Get to Work” theme came about through one of their open house gatherings this winter.