Wayne County 4-H News

Wayne County 4-H members attended the first annual Ultimate Outdoor Weekend at WVU Jackson's Mill in late April. Youth that participated include (l-r): Kinley Thompson, Aubrey Dillon, John Apostolon, Zachary Apostolon, and Trendon Ritchie. If you are interested in outdoor recreation and shooting sports, please call our office at 304-272-6839.

The Whites Creek Critters 4-H Club met on May 14 at Beech Fork State Park to learn about pollinator friendly flowers as well as flowers that are good for monarch butterflies. All club members got several flowers to plant in their garden due to generous grant funding secured earlier this year. To learn more about opportunities through this 4-H community club, please call our office at 304-272-6839. 

The Wayne County 4-H Ambassadors met on May 14 and made lots of dog and cat toys for a local animal shelter as part of their monthly community service project! To learn more about teen leader opportunities through the Wayne County 4-H program, please call our office at 304-272-6839.

Our Genoa Warriors 4-H Club met recently and learned about safari habitats, animal tracks and migration in safari environments. The club plans to meet one more time this school year. Please call our office at 304-272-6839 to learn more about this club and opportunities to participate.

On May 19, camp volunteers came to the Extension Office to reconnect and participate in trainings in preparation for 4-H camp in June. 4-H volunteers must complete a background check, online trainings and attend meetings to prepare and plan for camp each summer. If you are interested in volunteering in future years, please call our office at 304-272-6839 for more information.

Last week, Bruce Crockett of Wayne was awarded a certificate of recognition from WV Governor's Office for his 18 years of service as the Head Coach of the Wayne County 4-H Sharp Shooters. 
To learn more about the Wayne County 4-H Shooting Sports program, please contact the WVU Extension Wayne County office at 304-272-6839.

Since 2004, Bruce Crockett has served as the 4-H Club Leader of the Wayne County Sharp Shooters 4-H Club and program. Bruce is a product of the Wayne County 4-H program, having been an active member as a youth participating in club, county, state, and national 4-H programs. The program made an indelible impact on him. Therefore, he wanted to give back and support a program to better serve the youth in Wayne County. He identified firearm safety and shooting sports as a program to champion, given the prevalence of hunting and outdoor recreation in Wayne County. Furthermore, he appreciated the life skills taught in 4-H Shooting Sports which include firearm safety, sportsmanship, teamwork, communication, and conservation. Additionally, Bruce knew that a program like shooting sports would strengthen families through participation in lifelong recreational activities. Given all this, he made the decision to start a 4-H club focused on shooting sports eighteen years ago.

Congratulations to our county 4-H Poster winners. These posters by Benton Hall, Ava Crockett and Conner Hall will go onto the State 4-H Poster Contest - results will be available later this year.

To learn more about this annual contest and other opportunities with 4-H, please contact our office at 304-272-6839.

This year's recipient of the Wayne County 4-H Endowment Scholarship program is Brenna Barnett of Fort Gay and Alex Hall of Huntington. These scholarships are awarded to active 4-H members who have served as role models throughout their time in the Wayne County 4-H program. Brenna is graduating from Spring Valley High School this spring is planning to attend Mountwest and enroll in the Surgical Tech Program pursuing a career in obstetrics. Alex Hall is going to Marshall University to study criminal justice through the ROTC program and someday be an officer with the United States Army. To learn about scholarship opportunities through 4-H, please contact our office at 304-272-6839.

Our 4-H Ambassadors have done a wide variety of community service projects the past two years. On April 14, 2022, we celebrated their hard work with a fun and educational trip to The Greenbrier due to the generous support of various donors. The youth had the opportunity to do a historical walking tour, a tour of the Bunker, a visit to the President’s Cottage, lunch at Drapers, and afternoon tea. 

The 4-H Ambassadors will hold their next meeting on May 7. Youth will work on a community service project making dog and cat toys for a local animal shelter as well as spend time working on their Learning to Lead 4-H project. The meeting will conclude with time spent fishing at Beech Fork Marina. To learn more about age requirements and other information, please call 304-272-6839.