The old saying “If you’re not growing, you’re dying” has a lot of truth in it for many things. Well that saying will not apply to Winston 4H any time soon. The Winston Extension staff has offered new programs to include: Sport Fishing, Bicycling, and Photography.
These programs have been met by the community with open arms, and 4H is seeing growth that is having positive impacts with all participants. Sport Fishing has introduced 4Hers to many things to include: knot tying, fish ID, snake ID, to different baits and lures commonly used. Not only has this program been educational, it’s been a lot of fun as well. These 4Hers are learning by doing, we’ve fished a local State Park, landowner’s pond, and Lake Tiak O’khata so far with more to come. Some participants have baited their hook for the first time, and some have caught their very first fish.
Bicycling is another program that has brought new faces to our 4H program. We’ve had a lot of fun learning the road rules of cycling, and how to handle bikes safely. This program got the attention of a local bike shop (BoardTown Bikes) in Starkville, and they donated bicycle helmets for any youth participating that did not initially have their own. We could not have impactful programs without this kind of support.
To date, we’ve rode at the Louisville City Park, had quality instruction inside the Louisville Coliseum, and did a downtown Louisville ride hosted by the Louisville City Police Department.
There is no way to write about 4H growth without mentioning the newest program to get underway, Winston’s first 4H photography, aka Winston Photo Snappers. This program has taught participants: camera evolution throughout history, camera’s capabilities, how to take close-ups, proper lighting, and much more. This group has had the opportunity to learn from great volunteers that are photography experts. We’ve had the opportunity to do photo shoots at beautiful Lake Tiak Okhata grounds, Noxubee Refuge, downtown Louisville, with an upcoming shoot scheduled at Legion State Park.
We’re not done yet, Winston 4H will now have the State’s first (and only) Kayakers Club. These participants will of course get to do just what the 4H Slogan says “Learn by Doing”. We’ll not only learn kayaking safety, rigging techniques, and kayak types, but we’ll actually do some really fun kayak trips around Winston and surrounding counties. This program has the potential to initiate a state-wide effort to promote water sports, and safety through the 4H brand.
If you’re interested in anything mentioned in this article, and you’d like to add a new face to Winston 4H, contact the local MSU Extension office for more information. The number is 662-773-3091
