By Staff
CASSOPOLIS - Oct. 2-8 is National 4-H Week.
Several clubs will be celebrating throughout the week by completing community service projects, holding special club meetings and promoting 4-H to others in their communities.
Local happenings this week include:
North Red Hill 4-H Club of Dowagiac will be holding its annual harvest gathering Thursday to honor club members with special recognitions.
Mechanicsburg 4-H Club in Niles will be holding a bake sale and car wash at the Tractor Supply Co. in Niles on Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. to benefit refugees from Hurricane Katrina who were relocated to southwest Michigan.
In Cass County, more than 900 4-H members and 300 volunteers are involved in 4-H in 24 clubs.
The 4-H motto, "To Make The Best Better," was expertly demonstrated by 15 youth who received the Best Recognized Achievement Validated Outstanding (B.R.A.V.O.) award for their 4-H still exhibit projects entered in the 2005 Cass County Fair; 2005 marked the second year for this honor awarded to projects that exemplify the 4-H motto "To Make the Best Better."
The B.R.A.V.O. award replaced an award that had been in existence for more than 40 years, the Merchant's Award.
4-Hers awarded a B.R.A.V.O. are given a special ribbon on their project at the Cass County Fair and the award recipients along with a parent and the sponsors of the awards are invited to an appreciation dinner where the youth are able to thank their award sponsors and share their experiences. To celebrate National 4-H Week 4-Hers have written a little bit about their B.R.A.V.O. award projects. If you would like to sponsor a B.R.A.V.O. Award for the 2006 fair, please contact the MSU Extension office.
Rochelle Krueger, 16, of Dowagiac, received the award for her cake-decorating project. She is a member of 4-W and North Red Hill 4-H Clubs. She said she chose the project because she liked the design. "The project is increasingly more challenging each year." She offers the following advice, "If you make the project challenging for yourself, you'll be happy with your hard work when you are done."
Monica Schroll, 13, of Union, is a member of Flaming Youth 4-H Club. Monica has collected more than 60 leaves in three years for her Native Michigan Trees project.
She says, "Collecting the leaves is a lot of fun, but don't give up on the project when labeling leaves gets boring."
Kelli Klimek, 16, of Cassopolis, offered similar guidance based on her wood-burning project experience.
The Country Trailblazers 4-H member transformed a stump into a lamp and table.
Kelli said, "I spent hours on this project. It takes a lot of commitment and patience; my imagination overflowed and it was my responsibility to keep the project strong."
Jennifer Fox, 17, of J.O.Y. 4-H Club in Cassopolis, exhibited a sketched drawing of a squirrel. Jennifer tells other 4-Hers, "Whether of not you think you can draw, you should just go for it." She almost didn't exhibit her drawing at the fair.
"Be very patient and don't try to rush yourself," are the suggestions of Becca Proctor, whose leathercraft project earned her the award. Becca is a 15-year old member of Busy Friends 4-H Club from Edwardsburg.
Brandon Knapp, 14, of Dowagiac, knows, "You have to make it unique to impress the judges." Brandon is a member of the M-40 Hustlers 4-H Club. His 2005 B.R.A.V.O. award project was a peach pie.
Nick Srmek of Silver Spurs 4-H Club turned his interest of electricity into a project.
Contact 4-H youth development educator Betty Jo Nash at 269/445-4438 or e-mail nashbett@msu.edu.