4-H Club Members participate in the Bicycle Rodeo.

Are you looking to have fun by joining a club?

How about a club that offers fun things to do like attending summer camp, participating in a bicycle rodeo, learning about the wetlands in St. Bernard Parish, helping your community through community service, learning how to be an officer in your club or just having fun with your friends?

Then you should think about joining a 4-H Club. 4-H Clubs are open to all youth in grades 4-12. There are a couple of ways you can participate in 4-H. One way is to join a club at your school. This year there will be 4-H Clubs at the following schools:

• Arabi Elementary
• Chalmette Elementary
• Davies Elementary
• Smith Elementary
• Gauthier Elementary  
• Andrew Jackson Middle School
• Trist Middle School
• St. Bernard Middle School
• Chalmette High School
• Chalmette High School 9th Grade Academy
• Our Lady of Prompt Succor
• Lynn Oaks School

If you don't attend school in St. Bernard Parish but are a resident, you can join 4-H as a Mailbox Member.

As a 4-H Club member you will receive a monthly newsletter that will have information about parish wide 4-H events. There are many activities in which to participate as a 4-H Club member including:

• October -- Bicycle Rodeo and Officer Leader Training
• November -- Pet Show
• December -- Christmas Craft
• January -- Cookery Contest
• February -- 4-H Night at the Hornets Game
• March -- Wetlands Poster Contest
• April -- Youth

  Junior Leader Club Members get to know each other by participating in team building exercises at the National Guard Ropes Course.

  Wetlands Week
• May -- End of the Year Field Trip
• Summer -- 4th-6th Grade Summer Camp and 7th Grade LOST Camp

Teenagers who have turned 13 years old before Jan. 1, 2012, are welcome to join the St. Bernard Parish 4-H Junior Leader Club. This club meets the second Thursday of the month at the 4-H Office, located at 8201 West Judge Perez Drive, Chalmette, LA 70043. This club offers many opportunities to become involved and have fun with your friends. This group plans service projects, helps coordinate activities for younger club members, learns about the wetlands and attends 4-H University on the Campus of LSU. Members can apply to be selected to attend additional trips such as Marsh Maneuvers, Wild Woods Wandering, National 4-H Conference, Junior Leadership Conference, Washington Citizenship Focus, Louisiana Focus and Co-Op Conference.

Members of the Junior Leader Club may also want to apply to serve on one of the State 4-H boards which include the State 4-H Executive Committee, Fashion Board, Food and Fitness Board, Tech Board or Citizenship Board. Interviews and elections to these

4-H Club Members enjoy a presentation about Louisiana wildlife at a 4-H Club Meeting.

boards is held at 4-H University each June. Junior Leader Club members can also apply for several college scholarships during their senior year that reward club members for leadership and service.

There are so many ways you can become involved, but you have to take the first step by joining one of the many clubs in St. Bernard Parish. You can download an enrollment card below and give it to the 4-H leader at your school or mail it to the 4-H Office at: St. Bernard Parish 4-H, 8201 West Judge Perez Drive, Chalmette, LA 70043.

If you would like more information, you can contact the 4-H leader at you school or you can call 4-H staff members Lauren Faust or Wayne Burgess at 504-278-4234.