Union County 4-H was pleased to partner again this year with Tractor Supply for their annual Clover Sale, which helps youth raise money to pay for a week at summer camp at the Clyde Austin 4-H Center in Greeneville, Tennessee.
4-H members who are interested in participating in the fundraising event sign up for shifts at the Tractor Supply store in Halls where they collect donations to help cover the expenses of camp registration and transportation. This event represents a successful partnership between Tractor Supply and Union County Extension for several years running. This year, participating 4-H members raised over $6,500 to help send 21 students to camp.
The Clyde Austin 4-H Center in Greeneville has been in operation since 1949 and offers a cozy blend of traditional camp activities and modern facilities nestled in a beautiful outdoor setting. Junior Camp, held the second week of June, is geared towards students who have just completed 4th, 5th or 6th grades. Activities range from canoeing and fishing in the private lake to woodworking, tie-dying, and arts and crafts.
Shooting sports include archery, riflery, muzzle loading, and trap shooting. There is a nature center and fossil room to explore, plus numerous special events campers can sign up for each day, such as the Early Morning Breakfast Cookout, where campers get up extra early to cook their own breakfast over a campfire, or late-night astronomy hikes that start after dark for stargazing and learning about constellations and phases of the moon.
Special invited guests bring demonstrations to camp each day, too. This year, campers had the opportunity to climb through and explore a fire engine with the local fire department, sit in the driver’s seat and honk the horn of a FedEx semi truck, and watch a local dog training organization demonstrate how they teach different skills to dogs who compete in agility events.
The camp also boasts an Olympic size pool with a 130-foot water slide and two diving boards, one of the most popular spots on campus on any given day. All campers must pass a swim test upon arrival to determine their skill level and ability to safely dive in the deep end.
Those who want to work on their swim skills while at camp have the option to attend Treaders classes during the daily rest and relaxation period. Here they work directly with certified lifeguards and instructors to improve their confidence and skill at jumping into the deep water and swimming all the way across with a lifeguard treading alongside to offer encouragement and a rescue float if they feel the need to take a break or regain their rhythm.
Several of our own campers took advantage of this opportunity and went from being unsure about jumping off the side of the pool to realizing they could do it and graduating to leaping off the diving board in all kinds of creative dives by the end of the week. The classic “cannonball” proved to be an exceptionally popular style, sending splashes high into the air and at least one, ahem, adult supervisor continually retreating from the water’s edge in attempts to stay dry.
Camp is a great way for youth to experience new activities they may not have access to otherwise. It is also a place where they can build confidence and social skills, being away from home and meeting new people and making new friends. The 4-H Center also has a Junior High Camp, held later in July, that offers age-appropriate activities for students who have completed grades 6th, 7th, and 8th, too. For more information about getting your child involved in one of these camps, please contact the Union County Extension Office at (865) 992-8038.