DARKE COUNTY – The Jr Leaders 4-H club is an opportunity for kids who are 13 years and older who yearn to grow in leadership and to better serve their community. Dedicated to building leaders by teaching valuable skills and community service opportunities, this is a fantastic opportunity for young people who want to grow in the 4-H community.
The Jr Leaders 4-H club is non-project-based, meaning anyone is welcome, with or without having projects signed up. The club is led by Mercedes McFarland, Blake Addis, GraceLynn Harter, and Katie Brown, all with an extensive background in 4-H, full of leadership, project-taking, and community service success. The advisors know how important it is to incorporate community service and leadership skills to 4-H youth projects, resume building, and their lives.
In this club, members will have the opportunity to impact their community by doing simple tasks. At the first meeting, members painted rocks that were hidden all over the Darke County Fairgrounds.
People of all ages were able to find these special rocks and were awarded a little 4-H token, inspiring that 4-H is all about curiosity.
In the next meeting, members got to play games like “Know your Fellow Leader”, games dedicated to getting to know each other better and to help inspire teamwork. Along with games, members filled and decorated lunch bags for First Responders and farmers, showing appreciation for all their hard work. After the meeting, members dropped off their bags to whom they decorated for.
This is just a start for the Jr Leaders 4-H Club. With more recognition and added members, this club can provide members numerous opportunities for community service and leadership skills that they can hold on to for the rest of their lives.