Blaine County 4-H Teen Leaders to Host Carnival and Spaghetti Dinner
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In the spirit of a carnival barker, bold red and white striped posters around town attempt to attract patrons to an entertainment event: Come one; come all! The Blaine County 4-H Teen Leaders will be hosting a Carnival and Spaghetti Dinner on Friday, April 12. This family-friendly event will take place from 6:00-8:00 p.m. at Chinook High School, located at 528 Ohio Street. Carnival games for all ages will be set up in the Floyd Bowen Gymnasium, and a free-will donation spaghetti feed will be served in the high school lunchroom.
According to Juli Snedigar, Montana State University-Extension 4-H Agent, Blaine County currently retains seven 4-H Clubs: Bear Paw Buddies, Big Flat, Harlem Variety, North Chinook Boosters, Paradise Pals, Valley Clovers, and White Pine. The Teen Leaders from these clubs will use the funds earned at the carnival event to travel to different leadership events, to attend workshops and to finance other trips. Every other year, the teen leaders plan a trip outside the area.
The Blaine County 4-H Teen Leaders are a group of 4-H members, ages 14-18, who in addition to their regular 4-H club activities want to learn more about team work, leadership, and personal development. These teen leaders assume leadership roles for the program. They put on workshops, host events, sponsor activities, and mentor younger 4-H members on their projects. The teen leaders are also called on as support staff by adult volunteers, assisting with many different aspects of club work. For example, the teen leaders help out with events such as the 4-H Project Day and the Blaine County Fair.
Members of the teen leaders include Kourtney Hanson, Allyssa Schoen, Ross Reed, Victoria Kirby, Raynee Hasler, Cody Kirby, and Alyssa Gruszie. Their 4-H Key Leader is Shandel Fouts.
“The 4-H teen leaders are a vital part of the Blaine County 4-H program. They do a great job at whatever task they are asked to undertake,” Snedigar commented.
The carnival games that will be available on Friday night include the cookie walk, football toss, fish pond, ping pong toss, lollipop bean bag toss, putt putt golf, ring toss, Olympic rings, basketball shoot and face painting. Each of these games will be managed by a member of the teen leader group. Game tickets will be available for purchase at the event, and small prizes will be awarded for all the games. Participants can also use their tickets for drawings for larger prizes.
“We didn’t add any new games this year because we are down on teen leaders, but we added 50/50 for the adults,” Fouts explained. “We also have some pretty cool big prizes that the kids can win, such as a drone, a scooter, and a nerf gun. We actually have 13 total larger prizes up for grabs. When players win at a booth, they can either pick between a smaller prize or a ticket to enter for a chance to win one of the larger prizes.”
Regarding the free spaghetti dinner—for which a free-will offering is appreciated—Snedigar reported that the spaghetti sauce recipe was passed down from the Chinook Parent Teachers Organization (PTO) group that used to host the carnival. “So, don’t worry about cooking dinner on Friday; we have that covered,” she said.
Research conducted by Montana State University Extension claims that 4-H is the largest, out-of-school youth development program in the state, reaching nearly 20,000 youth in all 56 counties each year. Relying on trained adult volunteers who work with youth as partners in hands-on learning, 4-H offers more than 200 different projects. From learning how to cook or sew, to raising an animal or learning about topics like conservation and robotics, 4-H offers a wide range of choices and opportunities that actively engage youth in growth and learning experiences.
