4-H Junior Leaders Make Halloween Fun
By: Betsy Reason
Sisters Laine Ross, 10, dressed as a skeleton; Rosie Ross, 7, as the grim reaper; and Jolie Ross, 8, as a clown, attended the Hamilton County Junior Leaders’ Halloween Carnival, Haunted House and Hayride, on Oct. 3 at the Hamilton County 4-H Fairgrounds in Noblesville. They are the daughters of Monica Ross and are all students at White River Elementary School. Their favorite activities at the event were “prizes,” said Rosie; “candy,” said Jolie, and “Everything,” said Laine. It was their first time at the event.
Caroline Herrington (left), 12, a seventh-grader at Noblesville West Middle School and the daughter of Rob and Maggie Herrington, does face painting for Oaklee Jones, 6, Noblesville, a first-grader at White River Elementary, during the Hamilton County Junior Leaders’ annual Halloween event on Oct. 3 at the 4-H Fairgrounds in Noblesville.
Youth at the Hamilton County 4-H Junior Leaders Halloween Carnival participate in the Cake Walk.
Kids try their hands at Ring Toss during the Hamilton County Junior Leaders’ annual Halloween event on Oct. 3 at the 4-H Fairgrounds in Noblesville.
Guests take a hayride at the Hamilton County Junior Leaders’ Halloween Carnival at the 4-H Fairgrounds in Noblesville.
A child plays a game at the Hamilton County Junior Leaders’ Halloween Carnival at the 4-H Fairgrounds in Noblesville.
Youth play a fishing game at the Hamilton County Junior Leaders’ Halloween Carnival at the 4-H Fairgrounds in Noblesville.
I attended last week’s 4-H Junior Leaders annual Halloween Carnival, Haunted House and Hayride at the 4-H Fairgrounds.
The event was formerly known as Junior Leaders’ Community Halloween Party.
There were lots of fun kids games, a haunted house created by Junior Leaders and hay wagons pulled behind tractors.
There were more families at this event than I’ve ever seen. In fact, more than 500 families attended, a record attendance, Lisa Hanni, Purdue Extension Hamilton County program assistant, told me.
Hamilton County 4-H Leaders is such a great program for our middle and high school-age kids.
The 4-H Junior Leaders do all of the work for the Halloween event. They set up the night before, they volunteer at the event, work the games and haunted house, and they stay afterward and break down.
For the Junior Leaders, the party is one of the most fun events of the year, besides the 4-H Fair.
AnnaMarie Belt, a Carmel High School junior, dressed as Belle from “Beauty and the Beast,” and Sydney Strange, a freshman at Fishers High School, dressed as Little Red Riding Hood, and are both Junior Leaders who headed up the event’s Cake Walk game.
Belt also likes helping with Mini 4-H. “I’m one of the many Mini 4-H coordinators, and I love working at the (Junior Leader) Shack at the 4-H Fair.” (Mini 4-H’ers are grades 1 and 2, which are pre-4-H age)
“I love seeing all of the little kids’ costumes and seeing them get really happy when they get their treat,” said Belt, a 16-year-old Carmel resident.
Strange also loves doing activities with Junior Leaders. She said they feel like “we’re a family.” Her favorite 4-H projects? “Arts and crafts, and Horse and Pony.”
What’s the most satisfying? “Seeing all the kids have fun at the things we organize,” said Bekah Vanderpool, 16, a Carmel High School junior and president of Hamilton County 4-H Junior Leaders is heading into her ninth year of 4-H. Dressed in costume as an M&M candy, she headed up the Halloween event, organized all of the kids’ games and helped with the candy.
What Vanderpool likes most about Junior Leaders? “I have a lot of fun.” She joined Carmel 4 C’s 4-H Club before getting involved with Junior Leaders, which is her biggest involvement in the 4-H program.
In the 4-H program, Junior Leaders is a project that allows members in grades 7-12 the opportunity to serve as mentors to and role models to younger 4-H members. Junior Leaders volunteer many hours during the 4-H Fair each July, at the 4-H project check-ins and check-outs, at the Producers’ Tent, and the Junior Leader Shack, which is manned totally by Junior Leaders.
Enrollment is now open to join Hamilton County 4-H for the 2024 year, now through Jan. 15, with the theme, “Let’s Have S’More Fun.” Enroll in 4-H and earn a s’more kit. Stop by the 4-H Office in the Exhibition Center at the 4-H Fairgrounds 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. weekdays. Enroll online at https://in.4Honline.com. Also, order poinsettias now through Nov. 14 from any Hamilton County Junior Leader at $10 per 6-inch pot with pickup in early December.
-Betsy Reason writes about people, places and things in Hamilton County. Reach The Times Editor Betsy Reason at betsy@thetimes24-7.com.