Freeholders Learn from 4-H Members Group’s Value

CREST HAVEN — Jimmy Papperman, a member of the Hop To It 4-H Club wore a large, black cowboy hat and a black and white Wrangler shirt to the Tuesday, Sept. 23 meeting of the Cape May County freeholders.
Although he could barely reach the podium’s microphone, Papperman played a big role in the meeting. He led the 4-H Pledge.
Accompanied by older 4-H members, his brother Joey Papperman, and Kelsey Champion, Kylie Smith and Brittany Fritsch, Papperman impressed upon the county governing body the importance of youth and 4-H as it prepared to celebrate National 4-H Week Oct. 5-11.
The older members gave portions of a report about the 4-H program.
In 2007, there were 352 youth members in Cape May County’s 4-H program. In addition, there were an estimated 4,300 other youth impacted by 4-H in the county through community partnerships and special events.
There were also 170 adult volunteers guiding those members last year, they stated.
There were eight new clubs formed, including photography, therapeutic horseback riding, after-school reading club at Woodbine Elementary, and after-school environmental club at Lower Cape May Regional High School, a shooting sports club, bicycling club, and two new horse clubs. They bring to 22 the number of clubs countywide.
Included in the number were 126 students in Ocean Academy who held their first Environmental Science Fair.
Nearly 300 county teens attended the Peer Leaership Conference, co-organized by 4-H Youth Development Program and Cape Assist.
In July, the annual 4-H fair, a major tourist and locals’ attraction, had 185 animal entries, an increase over the last year. Included in those exhibits were rabbits, poultry, lambs, goats, hogs, and horses. There were 250 general exhibits in the Lockwood Center and fair.
Also at the fair, 3,000 chicken dinners were served.
The Junior 4-H Horse Council established a Horse Memorial Brick Walkway this summer to honor the memories of horses that had played an important roles in members’ lives. The memorial is open to all horse owners in the county. To date there are 19 horses so honored with engraved pavers.
The 4-H also established a Junior Master Gardeners program at Woodbine Elementary School. This past summer, 48 summer school students planted tomatoes and parsley and took them home to grow over the season. Their efforts won the Partnership Award at the 4-H Fair.
4-H Teen Ambassadors donated 335 hours to present the 4-H Get Moving-Get Healthy exhibit at 13 school health fais and children’s activities last year. There were 1,130 youth and 266 adults in those activities.
Each 4-H member performs community service in their club every year. Some examples of those services include preparing shoebox “care” packages for soldiers, gathering canned goods for local food banks, taking pets and even horses to nursing home visits, holding fundraising trail rides and organizing toy drives for Toys for Tots, and holding beach cleanups and trail maintenance for Cape May National Wildlife Refuge.
A 4-H Open House will be held Oct. 8 at the Lockwood Center from 6-8 p.m. where all clubs will have representatives to explain their projects in order to interest potential members. There will prize giveaways and refreshments there.
During that open house, the 4-H Program will participate in the first National 4-H Science Experiment. Groups across the nation will take part in this water conservation experiment through 4-H National Youth Service Day, then communicate results with each other via the Internet.