Teen Leaders Receive A Thank You

Being a teenager is tough. It is hard enough getting yourself through the world much less worrying about others. For three 4-H teens who took the time to not only think about others but act on their thoughts it has paid off. Korina Pittman, Christopher Bullard, and Tierra Troy all volunteered for various tasks this summer and were a great help to the 4-H staff. They did it all for no monetary reward, not a thought of anything at the end, they did it just to help.

Christopher and Tierra volunteered to help with the 4-H Summer Fun Day Camps. Each took on added responsibilities and gained leadership skills while being part of the camps. For the 4-H staff Christopher and Tierra were incredible assistants and even helped lead activities. It would have been difficult to have the incredible experience our youth had without them. Korina helped with a variety of projects behind the scenes. Both Korina and Christopher were instrumental in helping to put together our 4-H county scrapbook. With the leadership of 4-H volunteer Libby Burney we had a first place scrapbook this year.

So how do you say thank you to three teens who spent a great deal of time helping and learning, but mostly selflessly thinking of others? Mrs. Aggie and Miss Shea Ann had to think long and hard on it. In the end they decided that a day just for the three of them, that they did not have to think of anything and could just have fun was in order. They also wanted to make sure these incredible teens had the opportunity to do something that we would not normally do with our other youth, so they knew it was a day just for them. The plan started with a surprise telling them that we needed them at the office at 7:30 am for a special project. The five loaded up in a van and headed to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina to Broadway at the Beach. Specifically they went to the Palace Theater to see Narnia, a musical play. After viewing the play they got a chance to meet the cast, shake their hands and have their photos taken with them.

Then we hit the fudge shop and tried a few of the confections and saw them making the sweet stuff. We each went home with a slice of our favorite flavor, to remind us how sweet the day was. After enjoying the play and the confection making, we headed to lunch. Since it was a day of adventure we thought we would try something different. We found a Chinese buffet and hibachi grill. Christopher may have been the most adventurous of us all trying octopus for the first time. However we all stretched our horizons, practiced our table manners and had a fantastic lunch together. As the adults were saying thank you to our teens, our teens said thank you to the adults for a wonderful day of surprises, experiences, and an unexpected reward which made volunteering that much sweeter. Each of them said they would not only do it again, but would encourage their friends, and not tell them sometimes you get unexpected rewards for your hard work.