June 9, 2011
According to the calendar, it is early June which is technically late spring, but it’s obvious that summer has arrived with the temperature of the past few weeks already in the 90's. The hot summer days also remind us that 4-H camp is already underway across the state of Georgia. On Memorial Day, we started with Cloverleaf Camp for 5th and 6th graders at Wahsega 4-H Center, Junior Camp for 7th and 8th graders at Fortson 4-H Center, and at Jekyll Island 4-H Center we held the first of seven weeks of military camps that will be either coordinated or supported by Georgia 4-H during the summer of 2011. Summer camping in Georgia 4-H was begun in 1918 at Salem School in DeKalb County when pupils and teachers made beds of wheat straw and blankets, built tables and “settees” in the yard, cut wood, arranged a kitchen and dining room in the schoolhouse. Twenty-five canning club and poultry club girls met for three days, they canned, studied and a string band of boys came and entertained the girls. The girls went for a boat ride at Morris Mill Lake and they had a stunt night. They called it “camping”. In later years, 4-H’ers camped at Camp Wilkins on the University of Georgia campus and other facilities around the state, and Georgia 4-H acquired Wahsega 4-H Center in 1937. On June 6 we began our 56th summer of camping at Rock Eagle 4-H Center. We also have been camping at Burton 4-H Center on Tybee Island since 1946. 4-H camp is a great opportunity for young people to spend a special week connecting with their county Extension staff and the volunteers who assist the county staff with the camping program. The week is filled with educational programs, lots of fun, recreation, opportunities for social development, and particularly it is a week of growth and development for the nearly 10,000 young people who attend 4-H camp in Georgia each summer.
Georgia 4-H is also fortunate to have 90 college-age well trained summer camp counselors who give of their time and talents and make the summer camping program a special experience for 4-H’ers of all ages throughout Georgia. One of my favorite moments each year is to be at Rock Eagle 4-H Center on a Friday morning during camping season for the awarding of the tribal shield. As the young children prepare to board the bus for the return trip home, it is an uplifting experience to observe the joy in their faces and the bond they have created with one or more of their favorite counselors throughout the week. We hope these young people will remain involved in 4-H so they can continue to grow and benefit from the many opportunities the Georgia 4-H program can offer them.
As always, we continue to be busy with other educational programs, events and contests that help young people learn and develop life skills. Over the past few weeks, we held our Target Challenge Weekends. The state competition is over and state winners have been named in Archery, Shotgun or Modified Trap, and the Trap and Skeet Contests. The winners’ names can be found on the Project S.A.F.E. webpage. Congratulations to the many winners in 4-H Project S.A.F.E. competition during 2011. This year we saw over 2,700 young people compete in some phase of Project S.A.F.E. at the state level.
During May, we also held our State 4-H Horse Judging Contest. The winning team was from Bartow County, with team members Emily Pike, Zina Chatman, Savannah Porter and Gibson Priest. This team will have the opportunity to represent Georgia at the AQHYA World Championship Show, Oklahoma City, OK. The High Individual in the Horse Judging Contest was Emily Pike. We thank Dr. Kylee Jo Duberstein, Dr. Kari Turner and other faculty and staff of the Department of Animal and Dairy Science at the University of Georgia for their support of this contest. We also thank the Georgia Quarter Horse Youth Association, Debbie Lisabeth, Youth Advisor for their support of the Georgia 4-H Horse Judging Competition.
In late May, Taylor County won the State 4-H Food Product Development Contest. While I was unable to attend the contest, I did take a few moments to review the Food Product Development manual that was developed by the Taylor County team. The five individuals on the team were Rebekah Huffmaster, Will Jones, Samantha Fain, Joseph Peed, and Megan Fowler, and the amount of work they put into this contest shows the great deal of collaboration and support from adult volunteers and agents. We appreciate the support of Dr. Rob Shewfelt in the Department of Food Science at the University of Georgia for his support of this contest.
It appears that we’ll have a long hot summer but certainly there will be plenty of 4-H work going on across the state. We know that most of our county Extension agents are involved in providing local programs in which children will participate during the summer.
If you have some time, visit us at one of our 4-H centers during the summer. Please be sure to keep Saturday, August 13, on your calendar for Twilight on the Lake at Rock Eagle 4-H Center. This will be a wonderful evening of 4-H alumni fellowship and music by the group Grapevine. Tickets are now available.
Until next time, continue To Make the Best Better.
Sincerely,
