Liberty Farmers 4-H prepares for parade, project books and demonstrations

At the Liberty Township Community Center in Panhandle, eight Liberty Farmers 4-H members spent the evening on parade plans, project books and calf demonstrations. The club met May 28 at 6:30 p.m., with Joanna Kimmerly, Destiny Grooms, Gabriella Yates, Paul Yates, Parker Young, Mnenetha Hoop, Marley Patrick and Credence Patrick present along with advisors Linda Kimmerly and Sam Kimmerly Jr.

The meeting opened with the Pledge of Allegiance and the 4-H Pledge before members turned to club business. They discussed an upcoming 4-H parade, finalized a T-shirt order and worked on project books, the kind of record keeping that often decides whether a member can finish the year with a complete project. The club also voted to give advisor Sherri Centers $100 for scrapbook supplies and printing pictures, a small but practical expense that helps keep the group’s history in order.

That attention to paperwork fits the larger 4-H system in Adams County. Ohio 4-H Youth Development says its project guide connects members to project books, each built for group work or independent work at home with guidance from a parent or interested adult. Adams County Extension also told families on Feb. 10 that Feb. 15 was the enrollment deadline for youth who wanted to exhibit at the Adams County Fair, compete in project judging or remain eligible for the Ohio State Fair. For local members, the spring meetings are where those deadlines turn into actual preparation.

The club’s demonstrations showed the hands-on side of that preparation. Gabriella Yates gave a presentation on her dairy feeder calf, and Paul Yates presented on his beef feeder calf, putting public speaking and livestock knowledge into the same meeting. Attendance was light because of market chick pickup, a reminder that these members are balancing club obligations with the work that comes with raising animals.

Even with the small crowd, the meeting still made room for a Mother’s Day gesture: every mother in attendance received a candle. The club had already scheduled its next meeting for June 11 at 6:30 p.m. at the same community center as a covered-dish gathering, keeping the calendar steady for a group that connects family routines, fair projects and the county’s next crop of youth leaders.