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Ohio Valley Youth Groups Have the Cure For the Summertime Blues

Photo Provided A group of Boy Scouts engage in a round of tug-of-war. Games and camp activities help Scouts work together and make lifelong friends.

MARTINS FERRY — Children often find themselves with a lot of free time on their hands — but there are organizations that can help those children take that spare time and turn it toward constructive and helpful activities.

4-H is an organization that teaches young people around the globe all about responsibility, leadership and a variety of other skills. Members take part in a wide variety of activities, completing projects in agriculture, health, science and more, according to the organization’s website. 4-H stands for Head, Heart, Hands and Health, and all members of the organization learn a pledge that teaches them what the group is all about: “As a true 4-H-er I pledge my head to clearer thinking, my heart to greater loyalty, my hands to larger service, my health to better living for my club, my community, my country and my world.”

Any child from ages 8-18 is eligible to join 4-H, with nearly 6 million members in the United States alone. Membership in 4-H is relatively easy, as unlike some other youth organizations there are no required uniforms or national dues and other costs are kept to a minimum The participants each work on a number of education programs during their time in 4-H, helping them learn responsibility and other skills that will remain useful throughout life.

One of the activities 4-H is best known for is its animal husbandry projects, in which youngsters raise an animal of their choice from birth, taking care of it and learning all of its needs along the way. The time and effort such a project requires helps to teach the youths responsibility, patience and compassion for another living being. 4-H members are a regular sight at county fairs and animal shows, where they can proudly show off their livestock to the public.

Agriculture projects such as vegetable farming and other such pursuits are also popular among participants. In addition to the life lessons they teach, 4-H projects also help children learn valuable practical skills that can be applied throughout their lives and instill a sense of teamwork and camaraderie among the participants.

Other popular youth organizations are the Boy and Girl Scouts of America.

These organizations provide a place where young men and women, respectively, have a place to go where they can take part in a number of fun activities while also learning duty and responsibility. Scouts are ranked into different groups according to their age, such as Cubs, Bears, Webelos and so on. The BSA also offers a Venturing Program, a high-adventure base program for young men and women ages 14-20, as well as the Career Exploration Program in which young men ages 14-20 can learn more about a variety of potential career choices. Bob Drury, Scout executive for the Ohio River Valley Council, said scouting has a recognizable, positive effect on the lives of those who participate in the programs.

“It teaches the kids how to set goals and accomplish what they set out to do,” Drury said. “The purpose of the Scout program is to develop character, citizenship and physical fitness.”

Scouts in both organizations participate in a wide array of activities from camping to learning first aid and fire safety at a local first responder station. Scouts diversify their skills by working to earn badges in various subjects ranging from outdoors skills such as fishing and fire building to home skills such as weaving or baking. The requirements of earning the badges help the Scouts grow closer to their community, which is a key part of the Scout Oath.

As they continue to age, Scouts have the option to move up higher in the organization by completing a project that gives back or benefits the community in some way. The projects can take a wide variety of shapes, including benches in a park, an update or renovation to public space in their area or other similar civic works. This helps the Scout earn the highest honors in their organization — the Gold Award for Girl Scouts, and the rank of Eagle Scout for the BSA. Scouts continue to use the skills and values they have learned throughout their lives.

“It’s definitely one of those experiences where you are part of something much larger than yourself,” Drury said, adding that it is a great feeling to be able to help out the young men with whom he works.

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