There’s a new club in town, and it’s in full swing.
Legacy 4-H was started on Sept. 12 by Key Leaders Linda Bogue and Rachele Ward (a mother-daughter team with a combined total of 46 years of 4-H leadership experience).
Before the first club meeting, more than 50 members and 27 project leaders had committed to the club.
At the September meeting, the club’s enrollment reached 75 members and 30 project leaders.
For October, the club held a Halloween party/hayride attended by more than 100 4-Hers, friends and parents.
November was the club’s final member sign-up for the year, and enrollment soared to 92 members and 43 project leaders.
At the first meeting, members voted to name the club “Legacy” because 4-H is “a family tradition” for these families.
Community service is high priority for the club. At the November meeting members brought in non-perishable food items for the local food pantry in Cassopolis (Helping Hands).
On Nov. 13, 4-Hers made Christmas cards for military servicemen and women sponsored by the American Red Cross.
Legacy 4-H Club also adopted a county road through the Cass County Road Commission, with cleanup beginning next spring.
Legacy 4-H Cloverbud youth (under the organizational leadership of Penny Knepple and Roxanne Roush with their group of parents/project leaders) started community service projects in combination with the regular Cloverbud meetings.
In November, youth made tied fleece blankets for the Lioness Club in Three Rivers.
The blankets are given to child victims of domestic violence. At each of their monthly project meetings, members bring in personal hygiene items, such as soap, deodorant, toothpaste and toothbrushes, to be donated to the Compassion Cupboard at the Church of God’s pantry in Cassopolis and the Marcellus Food Pantry in Marcellus.
In December, the club held a family fun night, a Christmas bowling party with more than 70 in attendance.
Legacy 4-H Club members met Jan. 7 at the Penn Township Hall in Vandalia to work on their 4-H projects and community service projects.  This month the 4-H members made pine cone bird feeders.
The youth spread sugar-free peanut butter all over jumbo pine cones, rolled them in bird seed and attached hangers to them.
They also assembled Popsicle sticks into snowflakes and covered them with peanut butter and bird seed, too.
At 1 p.m., participants traveled to Cass County Medical Care Facility in Cassopolis and hung the feeders outside patients’ windows so they could enjoy watching the birds feed this winter.
At the Jan. 8 business meeting, another food collection was held and items were donated to the Compassion Cupboard in Cassopolis; on Feb. 11, Legacy  families will be attending Discover Winter Nights at T.K. Lawless Park near Vandalia for an afternoon full of family fun and snow tubing.
Legacy 4-H Club key leaders said they feel there needs to be a variety of activities to keep youth interested and involved in 4-H. They also said there needs to be family involvement, fun for the youth and parents alike and a variety of projects, activities and community services.