Montgomery County 4-H is part of the West Central Camp Association, which is comprised of 22 counties in Indiana that conduct 4-H Camp at Shakamak State Park. Located in Jasonville, Indiana, Shakamak State Park has been home to 4-H Camp since August 1931. There were 400 boys and girls from five surrounding counties that made up the first camp group to use the new Group Camp facilities at the park. 93 years later, this partnership remains today as the Group Camp is still used to host 4-H Camp.
4-H Camp is for youth that are in grades 3-6 and our trained camp counselors are 4-H members that are in grades 9-12. Annually Montgomery County 4-H camps with 4-H youth from Boone, Tipto, and Hendricks counties. This is a fun, educational and popular trip with our 4-H members. 4-H Camp is three days and two nights and filled with fun and educational classes taught by our trained camp counselors.
Camp counselors go through 9 hours of training with counselors from the other counties to prepare for camp and teaching classes. Classes that were offered to youth this year were crafts, boating, fishing, outdoor cooking, group dance, recreation, hike and color scavenger hunt, and fire building. Camp counselors work together to plan classes and prepare materials for campers.
This year, Montgomery County had 44 campers and nine camp counselors, making it the largest county in our camp group. Each year has a unique theme that is selected by camp counselors and campers. This year’s theme was Star Wars, with the slogan ‘May the 4-H’ be with you. Camp counselors had fun using this year’s theme to have cabin and group names that went along with Star Wars, as well as group chants. We would like to thank the Montgomery County Community Foundation and the Harold B. Taylor Endowment for providing the financial means to secure transportation to camp. This financial contribution helps keep the cost low for our 4-H youth to attend. I am already excited for next year’s 4-H Camp.
Abby Morgan is the Montgomery County Extension Education, 4-H Youth Development Educator. The office is at 400 Parke Ave., Crawfordsville; 765-364-6363. She may be reached by email at asweet@purdue.edu.
