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4-H kicks off year; join one of many clubs in county

Trick or treat? La Plata County 4-H wants to wish everyone a fun and safe Halloween. It could get a little scary out there, so remember to use your head, heart, hands and health to keep ghosts and goblins away.

4-H clubs across the county are beginning to start their 2014-15 year. This is a great opportunity for young people and their families to consider joining this positive, youth-development organization. 4-H programs teach young people great life lessons like responsibility and commitment.

4-H club members attend monthly meetings. These youth-led meetings encourage active participation and involvement. At the beginning of each year, clubs elect a team of club officers, which include president, vice president, secretary, treasurer, reporter, parliamentarian and sometimes other important positions. These roles carry different responsibilities, and they promote team-building skills.

I had the great opportunity to deliver my first officer training of the year to the Bayfield Riders 4-H Club on Monday. Big thanks to club leader Jesse E. Kugle and volunteer parents for opening her home and providing a great meal. The training was great fun. We worked on leadership skills, creating smart business meeting agendas and running meetings using parliamentary procedures. This club has a great team of young women excited about helping club members thrive.

4-H strongly believes in our motto, “Learn by Doing.” Each member is enrolled in at least one project, which comes with a learning manual and resources to complete successfully. La Plata County 4-H also strives to find volunteer project leaders to assist members with their projects. However, with the vast amount of projects, sometimes a member must be self-motivated. Visit www.Colorado4h.org for a complete list of projects. In addition, call the Extension Office for more details about locally available resources.

4-H clubs are located throughout La Plata County. We have clubs in Durango, Florida Mesa, Sunnyside, Bayfield, Ignacio, Allison and Fort Lewis Mesa. A complete list of clubs and contact information is available at the Extension Office. I recommend contacting a club leader first and attending a monthly meeting to see which club would be best for your family.

Diversity and inclusion are major priorities of our Land Grant University Extension system and the National 4-H Program. To develop strong, vibrant communities, it is essential all voices of our community are represented. This coming year, I would like to make a greater commitment to community inclusiveness through engaging and encouraging participation of minority and under-served populations.

La Plata County is in a culturally rich part of the Colorado. It would be a great benefit to celebrate these cultures in our programs. In addition, we can make our program more accessible to special-needs youths.

If you have any questions or inquiries about how to get involved, contact me.

felsengh@co.laplata.co.us or 382-6463. Greg Felsen is La Plata County 4-H youth development agent.



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