Making the Connection in 4-H through Programming

by Nancy Noyes
4-H Youth Development Program Assistant

One of the biggest showcases of our Douglas County 4-H Program, the Douglas County Fair, once again was a success with our members! We love ending the year on a high note. I hope you were able to attend some of the shows and visit the exhibit halls to view the year’s project work.
There were contests in a variety of project areas to test the skills of competitors- Photography, Horticulture, Family & Consumer Science, Livestock and Poultry Skillathons, Reading and Livestock Judging. Many of these contests also determine county teams to advance to the 4-H State Contests held in Manhattan and at the Kansas State Fair.

Behind the scenes this programming thread has been nurtured for years. Some of our members began as Cloverbuds for 5–7-year-olds; a non-competitive program to introduce the seven project areas of 4-H, then become 4-H members in their respective community clubs, all the while developing skills unique to their interests. The adult volunteers and mentors have cultivated a bountiful crop of 4-H members who make Douglas County proud at Regional and State level events. It is this kind of support that equips our members with essential life skills, in addition to subject knowledge.

We will begin our new year on October 1st and will welcome back re-enrolling members and hopefully will have new enrollments from the connections we have made in the community, from school enrichment programs and friends of current 4-H members eager to find out for themselves how much fun 4-H can be!

We hope you can join us for the Achievement Celebration held in November when we honor excellence in our volunteer leadership, project work by our members, and celebrate the achievements of the total membership. This year we congratulated twenty-one of our 4-H members on their High School Graduation, and while a little wistful of their departure, we wish them the best in their future endeavors and feel confident the life skills gained through their 4-H career will serve them well!