The 4-H Older Youth Group gives members new opportunities to develop leadership skills and new adventures as they grow older.
“It gives them the opportunity to meet kids throughout the county and to network and perform additional leadership roles,” said Terri Brunner, 4-H program assistant and adviser for the group.
The group is open to all 4-H members who are in sixth grade and above.
The Older Youth Group, of OYG, provides a voice for what members feel is working and what isn’t. For example, their input led to changes in the achievement banquet that had been the same for many years.
The OYG said the October banquet was becoming too boring. The new program not only recognizes the 4-H members, but also the leaders and is more of a family event.
“We run things past them for new ideas,” Brunner said. “Our 4-H Experience was devised by them.”
The members do two or three community service programs each year, such as caroling at the nursing homes and raking leaves for those who can’t do it themselves.
For one of the projects they tried to get enough food donations for Safe Haven to fill Brunner’s courthouse office. Although they didn’t fill the office, they brought in a carload of food.
The OYG members have the opportunity to attend winter leadership programs, the State 4-H Congress in Madison, the Citizen Washington Focus in Washington, D.C., and more.
A new adventure, The American Road Trip, was started last year. It enables members to visit other states. The local group went to Colorado last year.
“Selected kids plan their trip,” said Brunner, who went along last year.
After Colorado was chosen as the destination, the kids had to learn to read a map. They spent nine days camping, sightseeing and learning about the state. This year, they are going to Georgia.
To be picked for these trips, members need to be active in OYG, fill out a six-page form with their resume and portfolio, and participate in an interview.
To earn funds for their activities, the members work at the 4-H food stand during the flea market and the Shawano County Fair.
Club officers are Katherine Kugel, president, Casey Clark, vice president, Aubrey Netzel, secretary, and Steve Aprill, treasurer. The eastern representative is Dustin Graf, and the western rep is Shannon Palmer.
The OYG meets at 7:30 p.m. on the fourth Monday of the month, every other month, at the Shawano County Courthouse. For more information, call the University of Wisconsin-Extension’s Shawano County office at 715-526-6136.
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