Blair County 4-H Volunteers Pave Way To Program’s Success
ALTOONA (Blair Co.)
Today more than ever, youths
have many questions about their
future. Changing lifestyles, in
creased mobility, technology ad
vances, communication, all have
great effects on their expecta
tions. It is these factors that
make the 4-H program so effec
tive and necessary today.
Volunteerism is the integral to
the American way of life, and the
National 4-H Council Announces
National Volunteer Recognition Effort
CHEVY CHASE, Md. The
Salute to Excellence Fund has
been established to recognize the
contributions and achievements
of outstanding 4-H volunteer
leaders.
On an annual basis, states and
territories will nominate merito
rious candidates for selection of
two National 4-H Volunteers of
the Year.
The Salute to Excellence Vol
unteers of the Year will each re
ceive a monetary award of up to
$lO,OOO and round-trip travel for
each of them and a guest to
Washington, D.C. for the recog
nition ceremony. This program
has been initiated through the vi
sion and generosity of Gene and
Sharon Swackhamer, of Sparks,
Maryland. Gene Swackhamer is
a former national 4-H council
board of trustees’ member and
board treasurer.
Lynn D.W. Luckow, national
Adams County 4-H’ers
Attend Science Retreat
GETTYSBURG (Adams Co.)
Adams County 4-H members
participated in the Regional
Super Science Pre-Teen 4-H Re
treat held at Refreshing Moun
tain Camp, near Denver, Lancas
ter County. The program focused
on helping 4-H youth become
better acquainted with 4-H youth
throughout the area and intro
duce them to a variety of life
skills through science and new
4-H projects.
The program began Friday
evening and concluded Sunday
morning. Eight workshops were
offered: 1) “What Buzzin;” 2)
“Soils Alive;” 3) “Rocket Cars;”
4) “Duck and Cover;” 5) “Pop
up Cards;” 6) “Electric Excite
ment;” 7) “Elegant Earth
worms;” and 8) “Food Funda
mentals.”
4-H Youth Program Makes
Major Contribution To Nation
STROUDSBURG (Monroe
Co.) 4-H, one of America’s
largest informal educational pro
grams for boys and girls, ages
eight to 18, makes a major con
tribution to our nation by helping
youth acquire knowledge and de
velop life skills that help them
become self-directing, productive
and contributing members of our
society.
Monroe County 4-H chal
lenges you to take a look at us
now and you’ll see more than
young people talking about the
future you’ll see them becom
ing the future. 4-H members find
that learning can be fun. 4-H
projects range from sewing,
foods and nutrition, rocketry,
key to the success of the 4-H pro
gram. I voluntarily came involv
ed in the 4-H program as a
youngster and received much
guidance from the volunteer
leaders in the clubs in which I
participated. As I look around,
many of the volunteers in Blair
County all grew up in 4-H, or
knew of it as youth, and are now
volunteering to help mold the
youth in our county.
4-H council board of trustees’
chair said, “It is the selfless dedi
cation of volunteer leaders that
makes a difference in the lives of
young people as they develop im
portant life skills. I’m thrilled to
know that citizens are stepping
forward with donations to ensure
that 4-H will be able to encour
age other adults to become vol
unteer leaders by recognizing
outstanding volunteer perform
ance.”
“The goal of Salute to Excel
lence is to recognize two out
standing volunteer leaders each
year beginning in 2002, 4-H’s
Centennial year. Volunteers play
a vital role in 4-H. Last year,
494,260 adult volunteer leaders
donated their time and energy to
the 4-H youth development pro
gram,” said Don Floyd, national
4-H council president and CEO.
One award will be conferred for
Adams County 4-H members
participating were: Jessi Nolan,
Fairfield; Sarah and Jessica
Gray, Biglerville; Lee Wilkinson
and Sara Myers, Aspers; Amy
Becker and Shaun Scott, Gard
ners; Kyle Tuckey, Dwight
Byers, Amanda and Amber
Coinbert, Biglerville; and Cody
Riley, Gettysburg.
Amber Grimm and Josh
Buckley, Abbottstown served as
teen counselors for the over 100
youth from eight counties who
participated. Cindy Riley, volun
teer 4-H leader from Gettysburg
and Darlene Resh, Extension
Agent 4-H, served as chaperones.
Darlene Resh presented a work
shop for the preteens on earth
quakes.
theatre arts and almost every
thing in between. In addition to
working on a 4-H project in their
club setting, members give uun
onstrations, attend camp, partici
pate in county and state events
just for 4-H’ers and have fun
with the new friends they’ve
made.
Monroe County 4-H invites in
terested adults to work with our
young people in the 4-H pro
gram. We need adults to teach
members about caring for ani
mals, growing plants, and caring
for the environment, as well as
other topics. If you are interested
in helping children get involved
in today’s issues, develop job
skills, meet other kids, and just
These volunteers are the back
bone of a program that delivers
practical educational experiences
to Blair County Youth, as well as
youth all across the nation. The
time, travel, energy and support
that the Blair County volunteers
contribute is valued highly by all
those involved in the 4-H pro
gram.
These volunteer leaders help
shape 4-H youth into tomorrow’s
lifetime achievement and the
other for outstanding perform
ance by a volunteer with less
than 10 years of experience.
Floyd further said, “It is the
dream of many associated with
4-H that these awards will be
come the ‘Oscars of 4-H’ cele
brating the very best of volunteer
leader success.”
As the Salute to Excellence
Fund reached the funding mid
point this week. National 4-H
Council honored 97 donors from
22 states and Puerto Rico, whose
contributions to the fund total
$150,000. In appreciation of the
hard work of the many volun
teers and staff who made the
program a reality, the board of
trustees of national 4-H council
authorized an $ll,OOO gift to the
fund, matching a contribution by
a donor earlier this year.
National 4-H Council works to
advance the 4-H youth develop
ment movement to build a world
in which youth and adults leam,
grow, and work together as cat
alysts for positive change. Na
tional 4-H Council partners with
the Cooperative Extension Sys
tem, communities, and other or
ganizations to provide technical
support and training, develop
curricula, create model pro
grams, and promote positive
youth development to fulfill its
mission.
The National 4-H Conference
Center, a full-service conference
facility, and the National Supply
Service, the USDA nationally au
thorized agent for the interstate
sales of paraphernalia bearing
the 4-H name and emblem, are
also under the management of
National 4-H Council. The 4-H
name and emblem is protected
under 18 U.S.C. 707. National
4-H Council is a nonprofit
SOl(cX3) organization.
For further information on Sa
lute to Excellence or 4-H pro
grams, please click on
www.fourhcouncil.edu.
have fun we’U be happy to hear
from you.
To provide a safe environment
for jouth involved in extension
activities, Penn State Coopera
tive Extension has implemented
a process for screening individu
als who desire to work with
youth. This screening process is a
prerequisite for becoming a 4-H
volunteer leader.
For more information on the
Monroe County 4-H program, or
to become a 4- leader, contact
Sherri Abbruzzi, 4-H program
coordinator at Penn State Coop
erative Extension in Monroe
County, 4499 Route 611,
Stroudsburg 18360, (570)
421-6430, or e-mail at
sla4@psu.edu.
leaders. These volunteers not
only give leadership to 4-H expe
riences; they keep the program
relevant to the local community
needs and interests. Today, more
than 50 4-H adult volunteers in
Blair County work with approxi
mately 300 members from 8- to
19-years-old. These volunteers
share their skills and experiences
by assisting young people with a
variety of 4-H projects and activ
ities.
Volunteers do not have to be
experts in specialized subject
matter areas. They can rely on
the Cooperative Extension Serv
ice at Penn State University, to
provide them with training, edu
cational materials and resources
to use in the 4-H program. The
land grant system makes 4-H
uniquely qualified to meet both
the constant changing needs of
both the youth and adults.
Many people question why
they should become a volunteer,
being a volunteer in the 4-H pro
gram gives you many rewards.
This opportunity allows you to
help youth become better citi
zens, helps you learn about your
self as well as youth, and gives
you the opportunity to broaden
your circle of friends, and ac
quaintances.
Lancaster County 4-H horse club champions, from left,
Alisha Liles, Reid Fellenbaum, and Sarah Bechtel.
Lancaster County Names
4-H Horse Winners
LANCASTER (Lancaster Co.)
Thirty-four 4-H horse club
members were recognized for
their outstanding horsemanship
skills. The 4-H youth have
worked hard all year trying to
“make the best better” with their
4-H horse projects. Those horse
club members fortunate enough
to own horses are responsible for
the daily care, management, and
record keeping of their project
animals as well as providing
leadership and community serv
ice within their club.
Sarah Bechtel was named the
junior high point award winner.
At the county horse show, Sarah
placed first in pleasure pairs, sec
ond in English grooming and
showmanship junior, second in
hunter seat equitation junior and
third in hunter hack horses. At
the district show, she won first in
English grooming and showman
ship, junior and first in pleasure
horse pairs.
Senior high point winner was
Alisha Liles. At the county show,
Alisha placed first in pole bend
ing horses, first in clover leaf bar-
Many times leaders do not re
alize exactly what they are to a
child. In doing some research, I
came up with the definition of
leader:
• A leader is a person who
guides or directs.
• A glutton for punishment, a
person who offers themselves
willingly for services without
pay.
• A friend, a person attached
to another by feelings of affection
or personal regard.
• A teacher, a person who in
structs.
• A protector or guardian.
• An adviser/counselor, one
who gives advice.
• A role-model, and example
for imitation.
• A public passenger vehicle,
used to transport many individu
als from place to place.
• A person who answers any
questions asked.
As you can see, a volunteer
leader is many different things
all at once, and all these are very
important to the youth in Blair
County, as well as youth across
the nation.
Anyone who is interested in
becoming an important part in
the life of some Blair County
youths, call (814) 940-5989.
rel race horses, first in raised box
keyhole horses, third in western
grooming and showmanship sen
ior, and third in western riding.
She then won first in pole bend
ing horses and clover leaf barrel
race horses at the district show.
Alisha also placed fifth in the
clover leaf barrel horses at the
state horse show.
Reid Fellenbaum was named
Horseless Member of the Year.
Reid submitted an essay explain
ing his participation and leader
ship in the 4-H horse program.
Other winners included Julie
Anspach, Shelly Fairchild, Ash
ley Hammer, Stacy Landis, Al
isha Liles, Heather McCormack,
Keith Miller, Sara Shimko,
Megan Showers, Callihan Schil
laci, Lindsev Shreiner, and Mol
lie Shreiner received bridle bags
for placing at the state horse
show. Kim Weidman who also
received a bridle bag, won the
first place horsemanship award
in the junior division at the State
4-H Trail Ride.