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Liberty County

Statewide 4-H Event Comes to Liberty County

Published: 2019
By Jesse Fulbright
District 2 of Montana 4-H, which consists of the six counties from Glacier to Phillips across the northern tier of Montana, hosted the statewide 4-H Rec Lab at Chester-Joplin-Inverness High School in Chester in March, 2019. Approximately 90 youth and almost 30 adult leaders and volunteers attended this two-day yearly event, which provides an opportunity for youth and adults to enhance their leadership, communication and team building skills in an action-packed and interactive setting. As the host, Liberty County MSU Extension and the Liberty County 4-H Council facilitated and chaperoned the attending 4-H youth. With a county 4-H population of just over 50 youth and 40 adult volunteers, involving as many 4-H teens and club leaders was necessary to cover all logistics, including organizing meals and helpers for preparing and serving meals. Local 4-H volunteers and youth who helped serve meals contributed over 30 hours of community service. Youth learned interpersonal relationship skills by interacting with others through team building activities. Youth can attend 4-H Rec Lab if they are 13 years old as of Oct. 1. With permission from all counties in the district and the state 4-H office, underage youth, or those who turned 13 after Oct. 1 and who were in seventh grade from the district, were able to attend for the day. This led to an awareness of Rec Lab and 4-Her's anticipated enrollment in the event next year when they are eligible to attend the entire event. Youth also learned life skills that can help them be more independent and proficient as teen leaders in their respective 4-H clubs.
Liberty County 4-Her's gathered together for the 2019 4-H Rec Lab, hosted at Chester-Joplin-Inverness High School.