Volunteer service. That is one of the things we try to stress as part of our 4-H program. It is important for our youth to give back to their community and realize they are serving as a role model for younger youth who will one day follow in their footsteps. This summer we had four teen volunteers that we recognized; Chris Bullard, Megan Hurst, Korina Pittman and Santiago Acuna-Robinson. All four youth spent days and weeks of their summer working with other youth and volunteering (granted in a couple of cases they might have been voluntold) for various projects. Of course, they do not expect payment or reward for their efforts so that makes it especially nice when we can offer them something to say thank you for their help.
The teen volunteer retreat location was a secret. It was top secret as the teens tried to bribe their 4-H Agent with Diet Coke, hugs, undying grattitude and other spendiferous things to learn the final destination. However they would not learn the secret destination until we walked through the front doors of the most wonderful place we have gone yet.
The teen volunteer retreat location was a secret. It was top secret as the teens tried to bribe their 4-H Agent with Diet Coke, hugs, undying grattitude and other spendiferous things to learn the final destination. However they would not learn the secret destination until we walked through the front doors of the most wonderful place we have gone yet.
We loaded our van up and pulled out just before ten. After a leasurly drive to Mrytle Beach we hunted for a destination lunch spot. Joe's crabshack seemed like the perfect location to scan the tourist attractions and check out all sorts of fun places. Little did our teen volunteers know that our table overlooked our destination spot and they worked to figure out where we were going. Things such as ice skating, zip lines, and sky diving were all mentioned. After a few photos and an filling lunch (but not too filling becuase as we told them, they were going to be active after lunch) we loaded back up and headed towards the main attraction.
Aggie and Shea Ann pulled a few more bluffs on the teens before heading into one of Mrtyle Beach's newest attractions, Wonder Works. Wonder works is a hands on science fun palace, or as they term it an amusement park for the mind. It includes activities such as an indoor ropes coourse, laser tag, and an adreline package. What our youth didn't know was this was not only a retreat for them to learn and have fun but we were using them to determine if this would be a good spot for our Bio-tech day camp. At the end of the day I can tell you they gave it a resounding two thumbs up and asked if they could come back.
Some of the things we experienced were super natural. We started in a hurricane wind tunnel where our youth donned safety glasses before experiencing hurricane force winds and had to hang on or they would have been tossed against a wall.
From there they experienced the 360 bicycles. These extreme machines would rotate them up and over if they peddled hard enough. Santiago and Korina's efforts got them around not just one time but two. There were examples of levers and pullies attached to seats. As you sat in them you were expected to pull yourself up. It sounds and looks easier than it is, especially if you don't have the right set up on the pullies. There were grip machines, virtual air hockey, video walls, jumping meters, pitching machines, and so much more. All of that was just on the first floor.
Aggie and Shea Ann pulled a few more bluffs on the teens before heading into one of Mrtyle Beach's newest attractions, Wonder Works. Wonder works is a hands on science fun palace, or as they term it an amusement park for the mind. It includes activities such as an indoor ropes coourse, laser tag, and an adreline package. What our youth didn't know was this was not only a retreat for them to learn and have fun but we were using them to determine if this would be a good spot for our Bio-tech day camp. At the end of the day I can tell you they gave it a resounding two thumbs up and asked if they could come back.Some of the things we experienced were super natural. We started in a hurricane wind tunnel where our youth donned safety glasses before experiencing hurricane force winds and had to hang on or they would have been tossed against a wall.
From there they experienced the 360 bicycles. These extreme machines would rotate them up and over if they peddled hard enough. Santiago and Korina's efforts got them around not just one time but two. There were examples of levers and pullies attached to seats. As you sat in them you were expected to pull yourself up. It sounds and looks easier than it is, especially if you don't have the right set up on the pullies. There were grip machines, virtual air hockey, video walls, jumping meters, pitching machines, and so much more. All of that was just on the first floor.
Our youth were so excited about laser tag that they skiped over the next floor and went straight to the top level. There they played laser tag and braved the indoor ropes course that ran along the rather high ceiling in a rather large room. 
They were attached to steal beams and could chose which way to go and what obstacles to face. Unfortunatley that is all the time we had as we had to drive home to meet waiting parents. Needless to say our teens were exhausted but had a wonderful time, learned something and knew that their volunteer efforts were appreciated. We hope that they will continue to volunteer with 4-H and give back to their community in the future. 
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