4-H'ers enjoy summer activities

Kevin D. Tatum, County Extension Coordinator, Coffee County

Coffee County 4-H enjoyed three summer activities during the month of June. On Monday, June 14, and on Thursday, June 17, 4-H members traveled to Valdosta to the Wild Adventures Theme Park. They were able to enjoy rides, see exotic animals, and have fun in the water park. The students were able to enjoy a buy one day, get a second day free ticket.

On Friday, June 18, 4-H members traveled to Macon to enjoy an evening at the Macon Bacon baseball game. While at the ballpark, they enjoyed unlimited hot dogs, hamburgers, chicken sandwiches, and soft drinks. Some almost made themselves sick eating so much. The Macon Bacon team won the game and the weather was almost perfect (just a little warm).

On Tuesday, June 22, the 4-H members traveled to Savannah, GA, to drop off nearly 500 pounds of can tabs that have been collected over the past 2 years to the Ronald McDonald House. Next, the 4-H members enjoyed a lunch at Cici’s Pizza, and then off to Tybee Island to take a Dolphin Cruise around Tybee Island. After seeing a lot of dolphins, we traveled to River Street to visit the candy store before riding home.

The 4-H members enjoyed this summer’s activities and the 4-H staff loved working with these students.

GEORGIA NATIONAL FAIR MINI-BOOTHS

Each year, the Georgia National Fair provides contests for youth in 4-H, FFA, FCCLA, and TSA. One of the contests that 4-H members can enter is called mini-booth exhibits. These are small triangular shaped exhibit booths where students can put an exhibit about their main project. It is a great way for 4-H members to share information about their main 4-H project to help build their DPA portfolio. The two back walls of the booths are 24 inches tall by 30 inches wide. The bottom of the booth is triangular shaped and with dimensions of 30 inches by 30 inches by 36 inches across the front. These booths are designed to quickly educate the public as they browse through the educational hall. Therefore, information on the booth should be succinct and large enough to read easily.

4-H members interested in signing up for a mini-booth need to come talk to the 4-H staff and get started preparing it now. We will have a county contest to determine which four will advance to the fair (the fair allows only four per county). The county entry deadline is 4 PM on Friday, August 20.

WINNERS WORKSHOP

Ashton Ates, Jeremiah Brantley, Muskan Minhas, Glenn O’Steen, and Ishika Sadarangani traveled to Alma on Wednesday, June 23, with local 4-H staff to participate in the 4-H Winners Workshop to help prepare them for the upcoming State 4-H Congress competition. During the workshop, they learned about table etiquette to help them with the banquets at State Congress, they gave their presentation twice to be critiqued, and they had two practice interviews over their 4-H DPA Portfolio.

Ashton Ates is competing in the Foods for Fitness project. Jeremiah Brantley is in the Performing Arts-Drama project. Muskan Minhas is competing in the Health project. Glenn O’Steen is in the Engineering and Mechanics project. And Ishika Sadarangani is in the Food for Health and Sport project. Austin Strickland is also advancing to State Congress in the Performing Arts-Other Instruments project but was not able to attend the Winners Workshop. We want to wish all six of our 4-H members the best of luck at State Congress which will be held July 20-23 in Atlanta.

If you have questions about the Coffee County 4-H Club program, or questions around the farm or home, please feel free to contact the Coffee County Extension office at (912) 384-1402. Remember, we are YOUR local connection to the University of Georgia.