Feature Programs

This month we would like to congratulate the Lucky Sprouts 4-H Club for being awarded the Nebraska 4-H Club of the Month for March 2018. This club from Aurora, Nebraska, in Hamilton County, has truly made a difference in its community. The club is dedicated to building strong citizenship and teamwork through various activities.

The Lucky Sprouts 4H Club works hard on community service projects. In December 2017 they decorated a Christmas tree at the Plainsman Museum in Aurora, Nebraska. The Plainsman invites community organization to decorate a tree each year and then hosts an Open House displaying all the trees. Each year that the Lucky Sprouts decorate a tree, they choose a theme for their tree that supports their current community service project. This year the Lucky Sprouts supported the Backpack Program in Hamilton County which provides school supplies for needy families. The program also sends a backpack of food home with students on Fridays to ensure that they have food to eat over the weekend when school lunch is not available to the student. The backpack provides food the student’s entire family.

To decorate our tree, each member brought some school supplies that they used to decorate the tree including rulers, crayons, pencils, pens, and paperclips. Each member also brought specific food items to be used by the Backpack Program which were wrapped up as gifts under the tree. Once the tree came down in January, the food items and school supplies were donated to the Backpack Program. The Lucky Sprouts also serve concessions at the 12th Street Cinema in Aurora every second Friday of the month. The 12th Street Cinema is operated primarily by volunteers in Aurora, which allows them to keep the prices very low and provide a way for families to have fun in Aurora.

The Nebraska 4-H Foundation provides the 4-H Club of the Month program to all Nebraska 4-H clubs throughout the state. Clubs can nominate themselves by telling why their club should be chosen as Club of the Month. A different club will be chosen each month and will be awarded a certificate and $50 cash card. For more information go to the Nebraska 4-H Foundation website or e-mail ne4hclubofthemonth@gmail.com.

This month we would like to congratulate the Boots ‘N’ Hooves 4-H Club for being awarded the Nebraska 4-H Club of the Month for February 2018. This club from Waverly, Nebraska, in Lancaster County, has truly made a difference in its community. The club is dedicated to building strong citizenship and teamwork through various activities.

Throughout the 4-H calendar year, the club likes to perform a community service project at least once a month. They have done projects that range from bell ringing for the Salvation Army, participating in the March of Dimes, donating to the local animal shelter, and picking up trash in nearby wilderness trails.

Additionally, this year Boots ‘N’ Hooves helped lead the first 4-H horse levels testing prep clinic. This clinic helped other 4-H’ers and parents involved in horse projects– both beginners and experienced–learn what to expect to pass their desired level.

These community service acts all stem from the members’ goals for the club. They pride themselves on presenting good sportsmanship, herdsmanship, and fellowship. They know that there are many people outside of the club that enjoy horses as much as they do. They are also taught that the experiences they make and the people they meet in 4-H will impact their futures.

The Nebraska 4-H Foundation provides the 4-H Club of the Month program to all Nebraska 4-H clubs throughout the state. Clubs can nominate themselves by telling why their club should be chosen as Club of the Month. A different club will be chosen each month and will be awarded a certificate and $50 cash card. For more information visit the Nebraska 4-H Foundation website or e-mail ne4hclubofthemonth@gmail.com.

This month we would like to congratulate the Brush Creek 4-H Club for being awarded the Nebraska 4-H Club of the Month for January 2018. This club from Atkinson, in Holt County, has truly made a difference in its community. The club is dedicated to building strong citizenship and teamwork through various activities.

The Brush Creek 4-H Club from Atkinson has a total of 60 members. Many are third and fourth generation 4-H members. The club leaders, Linda Olson and Barb Shane, have both been leaders for more than 25 years. They served as club leaders when their own children were in 4-H. They began leading the club again in 2010 so that their grandchildren would be able to belong to the same club that their parents did. Since then, the club has seen great growth.

The club has ten regular meetings and does several service projects throughout the year. Their meetings are very traditional, with youth leaders conducting the meeting, saying the pledges, and doing demonstrations. The club continues to clean up the same three miles of road ditches that they have for the past 20 years in the Adopt-a-Highway program. They spend one day each year at the fairgrounds cleaning and getting a building ready prior to the county fair.

The club also helps with BINGO at Parkside Manor, the local assisted living center, each year. During National 4-H Week Brush Creek members work to encourage youth to join 4-H by hosting 4-H trivia on the radio morning show and giving away prizes. Additionally, they serve lunch at a local horse show once a year as a fund raiser, and with that money they have donated trophies each year to the county fair.

Sadly, this year one of the club families lost their mother due to cancer, and another family lost their father. To show its support, the club purchased these families a tree for a memorial.

The Nebraska 4-H Foundation provides the 4-H Club of the Month program to all Nebraska 4-H clubs throughout the state. Clubs can nominate themselves by telling why their club should be chosen as Club of the Month. A different club will be chosen each month and will be awarded with a certificate and $50 cash card. For more information visit the Nebraska 4-H Foundation website or e-mail ne4hclubofthemonth@gmail.com.

Nebraska 4-H is proud to recognize the following outstanding volunteers for their commitment to the program.

Dixie Zeigler of Hamilton County is the Nebraska 4-H Volunteer of the Year. Zeigler is a dedicated 4-H mom, club leader, and volunteer. She has served as a Hamilton County club leader for six years and as the home environment co-superintendent at the county fair for two years. Zeigler is committed to keeping the traditional 4-H program strong, while helping youth be engaged in today's society through new and unique activities. 

Christina Lyons of Gage County was named the Nebraska 4-H Lifetime Volunteer of the Year. Lyons has volunteers for the Gage County 4-H program for 13 years. In addition to serving as a 4-H club leader, she helps train 4-H volunteers, serves as a superintendent at the county fair, and is a member of the Gage County 4-H Council. Lyons has expanded the use of 4-H curriculum to local public school educational efforts to help the school meet state educational standards. Her compassion shows through her conviction that 4-H can benefit all youth regardless of income level, family structure, race, religion, or political belief. 

Both Zeigler and Lyons are now eligible for regional awards in the North Central Region. 

Did you attend the Husker football game against Ohio State on October 14^th? If so, you probably saw Nebraska 4-H featured on Husker Vision during half time. As the band exited the field, the NU for NE: Shaping Future Nebraska Leaders video was shown to thousands of Husker fans. The one-minute video shows how Nebraska 4-H is shaping future Nebraska leaders.