Robeson County 4-H

  We were all business on day two of our 4-H Biotech day camp.  Today all four counties met at the 4-H office for some teen lead science experiements.  After learning how to make a lava lamp, make milk colorful, squish marshmallows without touching them, and imploding a can with air preasure we had our snack and then loaded up for a day of science and learning.   Our first stop was U. S. Cold Storage in Lumberton.  We were met by Steve Musselwhite, the plant manager.  He told us that U.S. Cold storage flash freezes fresh foods for transportation around the state, country, and even world.  We learned that there is not a spot on the globe that they don't transport to (trust .  As part of learning about their business we also got donned in heavy parkas as we hit the storage areas and saw just how cold their day is.  Not only do they use science to make things cold (actually they don't make things cold they extract heat which makes things col...

  It's probably the most popular week of our 4-H Summer Fun Program each and every year.  That's right it's Biotech day camp!  This year we are calling it 4-H Bio-tech 4 the Quad experiment.  It is a week full of new and exciting opportunities based on science!  For those of you not familiar with this award winning program, the premise is quite simple.  Youth from four counties (10 youth from each) get together to go to the science experts.  This is not a lecture series.  Everywhere we go is full of fun, hands on opportunities, and the chance to learn how things work in everyday life so they can use that knowledge to build on for their lifetimes.   Our first day this week started with a very early morning and a trip to Wonder Works in Myrtle Beach , SC.  It was very exciting as we entered the topsy turvey building to begin a day of exploration.  After making it through the spinning walkw...

  Friday was our last day at camp and full of mixed emotions.  Honestly, just like our safety officer for the day, Damien,  we didn't know whether to hug everyone and everything, laugh or cry.  Our tired and tuckered youth packed up their things and dragged their stuff up to the luggage drop off points around the camp.  We also enjoyed our last meal together at breakfast.  From there our normal daily schedule took another turn.   We all headed to the rec hall for the official lost and found auction.  You would be amazed at what gets left around the camp.  Then it was time for camper awards.  Each cabin counselor called their cabins up and gave awards to each camper, from the swag award to the super camper, and even the questionator the awards were matches for each camper while they were enjoying their week of camp.  After the awards and before the goodbyes we had one more surprise.  It was time for...

  When you think camp you might think about camp fire songs, but rarely, outside of maybe a square dance do you think of dancing.  However on our last full day of camp there was a whole lot of singing and dancing going on and we will get to that in just a minute.   Our day started much like our others with breakfast, cabin cleanup, and figuring out the schedule of events. While our youngest campers headed toward the pool, lake, and archery range, our middle aged campers hiked up to the high ropes course.  There they had a chance to climb a rather tall pole and jump off (while safely harnessed in and attached via safety ropes to the ground), and climb up to walk across a horizontal pole and or a rope bridge.  Our adventurers were waking up at the outpost and the Trekkers made their way to Pilot mountain after canoeing the river the day before and camping out.   Back at camp our campers had a satisfying lunch and moved on to play game...

   How much fun can we have at camp?  Well in present times, apparently only so much but when you go back in time, at camp, it is a lip smacking, corn bread cracking, pioneer kind of a good time.  You guessed it there was something new and different on the schedule today, a visit to the colonel village.  Okay maybe not a village, but here at Betsy Jeff Penn 4-H Educational Center there is a section with an old log cabin, wood shed, campfire, and garden that will make everyone feel like they are back in the 1700's.  Our youngest youth had the chance to make cornbread over a campfire, and make their own candles, hand dipping the wicks in wax over and over to make them bigger.  They also learned about different tools that were used in the pioneer days and experienced a little bit of the life style.   Another new thing for our youngest campers today was fossil collecting.  Of course we had our usual activities such as pool time, crafts, and ki...

  If you thought Monday was fun, watch out!  Tuesday at Betsy Jeff Penn 4-H Camp was jam packed with new challenges, new friends, and some wild activities that might have gotten our campers a little wet.   Our second day of camp started with our younger campers participating in morning activities such as; canoeing, shooting arrows at archery, making ice cream, swimming in the pool and making crafts.  While our middle aged campers (makes them sound like they are in their 30's and 40's doesn't it?) jumped in the pool and rode horses.  However it was our adventurer and trekkers that hiked up to the ropes courses to test their mental and physical strengths, challenging themselves on the ropes course. The ropes courses are really neat and hard to visualize through photos.  There are a series of different challenges, all rather high up in the air.  Please don't worry, each camper is wearing a helmet and a harness with multiple safe...

Monday marked our very first and very full day at Betsy Jeff Penn 4-H Camp .  We started early with breakfast and flag raising and after our stomachs were full and the official duties were finished our campers hit the camp hard.  Our younger campers started with Arts and Crafts making their very own spirit sticks.  They also had a chance to hit the archery range, learn safety rules and take their first shot at the target.  Some of our lucky campers started their day in the pool which made them very happy.  Others started by hiking to the beaver dam, riding horses, and of course our oldest members hit the lake in canoes.   After 10 everyone switched activities and they even added a little kickball, boulder wall, and ice cream making into the schedule at this point.  I have to interject that the boulder wall is brand new at BJP.  It is different from the rock wall in that the rock wall allows a youth to climb up and repel down (the rock wall is ...

  As parents arrived at the 4-H office this morning there were some nervous looks as they got ready to send their child off for the trip of a lifetime.  That's right you guessed it.  It's time for our annual trip to 4-H week long, overnight camp at Betsy Jeff Penn 4-H Educational Center in Reidsville, NC.  Fortunately it was a quiet ride to Richmond County where we picked up a few more campers, stopped at Golden Corral for lunch and then pulled up the drive to our new home away from home for the next week.   After getting our luggage off the bus and thanking our wonderful driver for getting us here safely we headed to the rec hall to check in and get cabin assignments.  As soon as we could we lugged all of our stuff to our new cabins and moved in, making beds, unpacking and learning the lay of the land.   After a brief tour and some fun get to know you games it was finally time to eat dinner.  We ate under the picnic shelter thi...

  A previous post this week mentioned our Cloverbuds going to overnight camp.  In 4-H terminology Cloverbuds are 5-8 year olds.  We differentiate their classification becuase most of what we do for them is noncompetitive, and it is geared toward building their self confidence so that as they get older they are willing to try more things.   This week they attended Cloverbud overnight camp at Betsy Jeff Penn  in Reidsville, NC.  This is the same camp we take our older youth to just a week later.  The Cloverbuds get a chance to do just about everything the older campers do except at a faster rate becuase they are only there until Wednesday morning.  So they had a chance to go swimming, climb the rock wall, get into the lake and canoes, go to the archery range, ride horses, and well just be kids running and playing for three days.  They also had a slide show before leaving camp, and received camper awards and t-shirts.   ...

  Its not often that our cloverbuds (5 to 8 year olds) have the opportunity to travel.  However today is special.  Today, thanks to our County Extension Director, Cathy Graham, ten cloverbuds are headed to Betsy Jeff Penn to attend 4-H overnight camp.   The group met this morning, filled out paperwork, got car seats secured in the van and then loaded up for a big adventure.  They had a three hour ride to Reidsville, NC with a brief stop for lunch at Golden Corral in Asheboro.   After getting to camp everyone got checked in, met their counselors and moved into their cabins.  After learning where everything is and having an outdoor picnic for dinner, everyone had a chance to play on the field and make new friends.  Then it was time to hit the water and cool off before heading back to the cabins for the night and getting tucked in.  It will be important to get a lot of sleep before all the excitement of the first full...

  In honor of the celebration of America's independence, the All Around All Stars 4-H Arts and Craft Club moved their July meeting back a week so they could have a doubly good time this month.  In celebration of our Country and our world (as the 4-H pledge says) the club members took on an up cycling project.  If your not familiar with up cycling let me clue you in.  Up cycling is when you use something that you would throw away for a new purpose, giving it a new life, saving it from the trash pile.  That's what our club members did today, and they benefited the birds, yes the birds.     The club members decorated plastic bowls and plates.  Blinged them out shall we say?  Then used cording to connect the items.  The plates serve as squirrel shields while the bowls hold bird food for the birds.  The youth can hang their new feeders in the trees and not only help wildlife, but also save the ...