4-H camp is a great experience for all
Clean cabin: This cabin of girls ages 13-15, took a moment to pose for a photo to celebrate their clean cabin award. The girls earned the award July 8 and were rewarded for their efforts with popsicles after lunch. Every day, a cleanest and dirtiest cabin award is given to both the girls and the boys. Those with the cleanest cabin get popsicles and the ones who live in the dirtiest cabin have to do some cleaning in the bathrooms. Beacon photo by Josie Sellers
ST. LOUISVILLE – Jensen Hocter believes 4-H Junior Camp is a great place for kids to learn and grow.
“It’s a place to get away from your life at home that you know you will have fun at and learn about nature and a lot of other things,” she said. “You also learn about responsibility.”
Hocter was a camper for six years and just finished her second year as a camp councilor.
“I saw the older kids being councilors and thought it looked like fun,” she said.
Coshocton County held its 4-H Junior Camp July 5-9, at Camp Ohio in St. Louisville. Jenny Strickler, extension educator, 4-H youth development, said 143 area youth came as campers and 21 participated as councilors.
“There are so many new campers this year,” Hocter said. “I think that’s really cool. I like seeing the new faces.”
Children 8 years old and in the third grade as of Jan. 1, 2014 to any youth finishing the eighth grade and entering the ninth grade could attend as campers.
Cole Tatro enjoyed the new Amish Life program offered at camp.
“I liked seeing all the animals, the equipment they use and just how they lived,” he said.
William Doyle also enjoyed learning about Amish life.
“We washed a buggy and mowed their lawn they way they do,” he said. “It was really cool.”
This was Doyle’s fourth year at camp and Tatro’s second.
“I like meeting people,” Doyle said.
In addition to making new friends, those who attend also had the opportunity to participate in shooting sports, go on hikes, fish, swim, experience a high ropes course and zip line, go canoeing, experience farm life and pioneer life and much more.
“We provide them with fun activities where they can be safe and learn while being outdoors,” Stickler said.
Some of the activities also focused on the camps theme, Island Adventure.
“A special activity we had for them was to build boats,” said Jean Haumschild, one of the adult helpers at camp. “They were given cardboard, duck tape, bamboo, string and material for a flag. When they were done building them they had to float them and put a kid in them with a life jacket. One sank in seven minutes, but I know the winner made it longer than that. It was nice to see them work together and cheer each other on.
Haumschild has been involved with camp for a number of years. She was a camper, councilor, mother of campers and has been an adult volunteer since at least 1998.
“I really believe that kids who take advantage of 4-H learn lessons that they can use anywhere in life,” she said. “They learn to be competitive, but they also learn to be gracious losers, how to evaluate their shortcomings and work to be stronger individuals and about responsibility and finishing projects. 4-H just offers so much to kids through its programs.”
josie@coshoctoncountybeacon.com
Category: Clubs & Organizations
