When some Wayne County 4-Hers learned to rap at the recent Ohio 4-H Conference, it was more than just a lesson in hip hop.
They were gaining confidence to speak in front of others as well as learning a fun activity to take back to their clubs.
In fact, Joyce Feather-Hyatt said she and her daughter Kenzie have already introduced the free-style rap exercise to their club, the West End Rowdy Ranglers, as a unique way for members to get to know each other.
The Hyatts were among 29 Wayne County 4-Hers who attended the conference, which brought together volunteers and teens throughout the state to learn from each other. The day-long conference in Columbus drew 1,500 teens and adults, said Doug Foxx, Extension educator, 4-H Youth Development in Wayne County.
Participants attended a wide variety of workshops, including Hip Hop Hooray - Using Hip Hop to Spice Up Your Camp and Club, in which groups were given five minutes to create a rap to a particular topic. Hyatt said the activity helped draw kids out of their comfort zones and learn memorizing skills.
In a workshop titled Baskets of Love, Laurel Sidle, a member of the Springville Cowpokes 4-H Club, and Sara Wolf from the Clinton Lads N Lassies 4-H Club, weaved baskets for Nationwide Childrens Hospital in Columbus. The baskets are to be filled with toys and given to young patients at the hospital.
Weaving was something I had never done, Sidle said.
Foxx said the workshops focused on developing leadership and life skills and providing instruction for project areas. While Foxx led a workshop on working with elected officials, other topics dealt with bullying, running clubs effectively, dealing with difficult people and conversations, social media, career information, time management, character building, and getting the most from the 4-H experience.
We brought so much home from the conference, Hyatt said. We met new people and heard about what other counties are doing (in 4-H). It was fun and very informational.
The conference also recognized the importance of volunteer contributions to the 4-H program. Ohio has more than 30,000 volunteers who contribute more than 1 million hours to young people each year, according to the Ohio 4-H office. Wayne County advisers who were recognized for years of service were:
Jim Badger of West Salem, 49 years; Sandra Gordon of Rittman, 46 years: Priscilla Sprang of Shreve, 44 years; Sharon Emler of Shreve, 42 years; David Emler of Shreve and Shirley Pittenger, both of Wooster - Turquoise Clover for 40 years; David and Miriam Zech of Wooster - Saphire Clover for 35 years; Lisa Gress of Shreve, Laura Massie, Elmer Myers and Janet Werstler, all of Wooster, Lisa Pride of Burbank, and Kathy Redinger of Marshallville - Ruby Clover for 30 years; Becky Croft of Creston, Pamela Schafrath of West Salem, David and Cheryl Wengerd of Dalton, and Scott Krug and Cherie Smith, both of Wooster - Emerald Clover for 25 years; and Ralph Gill and Jeff Thompson, both of Wooster, Ann Hange of Dalton, and Linda Wright of West Salem - Diamond Clover for 20 years.
