Pulaski County 4-H Teens In Action! Leadership Retreat

Submitted by Jake Mitchell, 4-H Teens In Action! Reporter

The W.E. Skelton 4-H Educational & Conference Center

On the weekend November 9-11, 2018, Pulaski County 4-H Teens In Action! held their Annual 4-H Teen Leadership Retreat at the Skelton 4-H Center, in Wirtz, Virginia. Seventeen members, two adult leaders, and our 4-H Extension Agent, all arrived at the Extension Office by 4:00 pm, after everyone got out of school, packed the county transit bus and adult leader’s vans with our supplies and suitcases, and then departed for a weekend full of fun and team building. Before reaching the 4-H Center we stopped at Cici’s Pizza in Roanoke, where we ate our dinner fill and enjoyed the company of our friends. After leaving Cici’s, we headed over to Walmart to pick up our groceries and all the items we would need for the weekend to prepare and cook all of our meals. Once we reached the 4-H Center, we dropped off our cooking utensils and groceries at the JOCO Kitchen and Building then headed to the lodges. With our suitcases unloaded, we enjoyed some good fellowship before we settled in for bed.

We've arrived for an exciting Teen Leadership Retreat

 

On Saturday, our Breakfast Crew cooked up a good meal of scrambled eggs, sausage, and pancakes, complemented with fresh fruit and yogurt. After breakfast we changed into warmer clothing to work and clear the Shoreline Trail, our annual service project to the Skelton 4-H Center, as adopted many years ago by Pulaski County 4-H Teens In Action!

The Trail Crew is ready to work the Shoreline Trail

Along the trail, we moved branches, cut low hanging limbs, and cut and moved fallen trees off the path. The Lunch Crew left early to prepare lunch and then the rest of us moved on to the Challenge Course where we cleared off many of the elements along with the main path of all of the leaves.

Mr. Horne clearing a section of the Shoreline Trail, supervised by 4-H Teen In Action! members.

The uphill part of the trail....hi ho, hi ho...

Once our morning service project was complete, everyone headed back to JOCO to eat a delicious lunch, prepared by our peers, of gourmet, made to order grilled cheese and tomato soup. After lunch, our 4-H Teen Officers led us in some team building activities starting with rock, paper, and scissors, and everyone’s favorite group game of bandana tag, where everyone was separated into two teams where the objective was to work collaboratively to get the other teams bandanas.

Rock, Paper, Scissors type game led
by 4-H Teens In Action! Officers 

Team Bandana Tag

After these games we moved to the Challenge Course where we tried the All Aboard element where the trick was figured out quickly. Next the Spider Web where a lot of fun was had trying to figure out how to complete the element. After the Spider Web, we moved on to a newly added Zip Line Ball Toss element where we had to throw a ball into a hoop while swinging down a small zip line. The final element was the 14’ Wall, with the objective to get everyone up and over, starting from the ground. Collectively we worked together making human ladders, learned how to brace and which hand-holds worked the best for providing support to our teammates attempting to get over the wall. After team building, we went back to the lodges and rested while the Dinner Crew went to prepare dinner. 

Everyone Up and Over the 14' wall

The Dinner Crew prepared a delicious meal of Pulled Pork Nachos with all the fixings. Once the Dinner Crew had cleaned up from dinner we had our November 4-H Teens In Action! Meeting where I was inducted as the Reporter for the club, hence why I am writing this article on the event. We concluded the evening with several hours of free time where we played Crash Racing on the PS2, Bouncy Ball Wars, and other games and concluded with S’mores, hot chocolate and coffee by the fireplace.

Sunday Breakfast Crew preparing a great meal for our peers.

On Sunday, the Sunday Breakfast Crew prepared a tasty pancake and sausage breakfast. After breakfast, we packed our bags and sleeping gear, cleaned the lodges, and then loaded everything in the transit bus and the vans. On the way out, we stopped by JOCO and collected all of our cooking supplies and set out for home after taking a picture at the Skelton 4-H Welcome Center sign. Lunch was enjoyed at Dairy Queen and Bojangles. Following lunch we headed back to the Pulaski Extension Office where we unloaded everyone’s belongings and said au revoir to our new friends and promised to see each other again.

An Awesome Delegation of

Pulaski County 4-H Teens In Action! mebers and leaders.