BECKER County
FAIR WEDNESDAY-SAturDAY
AUGUST 7-10, 2013
at the
2013 Becker County Fair
August 8-10
Becker County Fair Grounds
Grand Stand • events •
THURSDAY, AUGUST 8 • 7PM Miss Becker County Fair Pageant FRIDAY, AUGUST 9 • 7PM Demo Derby, Stock Car, Compact Pickup/ Minivan. Chain and Go Pickups SATURDAY, AUGUST 10 • 7PM Pick-up & 4 Cylinder Demo Derby
MEMBERS OF THE HAPPY HILLLSIDE 4-H CLUB marched in the Northwest Water Carnival Parade, helping show the color 4-H can bring to a youth’s life.
Happy Hillside turns 75
4-H club receives Diamond Anniversary Award BY LIBBY LARSON
llarson@dlnewspapers.com
We still deliver. Some thingS never change
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The local Happy Hillside Chapter of 4-H has recently reached a major milestone. Turning 75 earlier this year, the club was recognized for its achievement with a Diamond Anniversary Award at the annual Becker County 4-H Achievement Awards Program, and is one of the longest running clubs in the area. Sara VanOffelen is the current club leader, and said she’s been involved with the Happy Hillside group for 18 years, starting when her oldest son was 5 years old.
Since then, all four of her children have been involved with the program. “My kids have benefitted greatly from public speaking and demonstrations,” she said. “They learn about different areas they’re interested in outside of school. “It’s an opportunity to direct their own learning.” Of the level of involvement and interest in the club, VanOffelen said, “our club does well. We hold our meetings in Detroit Lakes, so we draw from a larger population.” Estimating current involvement to include around 20 kids, she said, “we’ve maintained
a pretty steady membership,” with younger kids growing into the program, and a fair number of older, more experienced participants. As leader, VanOffelen organizes the meetings, which are held monthly and are often run by the youth. Participants often share demonstrations, providing additional educational opportunities. 4-H was first developed in the late 1800s in an effort to promote youth involvement in agricultural advancement. The program has evolved to include a broad range of activities and opHAPPY HILLSIDE to page 3 ➤