NEW Schoharie County 4-H Community Club Filling A Gap and Debunking Misconceptions

By Heather Skinner

COBLESKILL — What are your interests? Organizational Leaders Marissa Colvin & Anthony McGibbon, along with Xzavier, have started a new Schoharie County 4-H Community Club where kids ages 5-18 can explore a large array of tangible life skills and interests. Many assume owning livestock is a requirement to join 4-H, but they want you to know livestock isn’t a requirement and 4-H is so much more. 

On October 30th, Schoharie County 4-H Community Club held their 1st meeting at Cornell Cooperative Extension. Organizational Leaders asked members their goals and desires to build future meetings around. Suggestions included skills taught in existing specialty clubs (some not taking new members currently) like Cornell's woodworking, equine, archery, fishing & game, and Master Gardener clubs. Clover Bunnies is also open to being a Schoharie County 4-H Community Club resource. Both kids and their parents expressed wanting to work on cooking skills, which is a perk that the Organizational Leaders are happy 4-H offers; the ability for parents and kids to learn together. Practical crafts were brought up like crochet and basket weaving. Many are also interested in butterflies, board game nights, coding, and music. 

Colvin shared, “We saw a gap in the community. We’ve been in 4-H for about a year, and we noticed that there are a lot of specialty clubs, but we never saw a big, general club where people could dip their toes into different subjects here and there or focus on children' s individual needs and interests.” McGibbon added he hopes their 4-H Club will not only fill a need for the community, but also help with reconnection in a time of division and, “I hope we can at least be a jumping-off point for kids to not feel intimidated to join and find their niche.”

McGibbon confirmed that some meetings will continue to take place at the Cornell Cooperative Extension building, while others will be at on-site locations, allowing kids to get out and use their energy for activities like park clean-up and fishing trips. They plan to offer other additional activity options during fishing so you can still attend, even if fishing isn’t what a member wants to accomplish during that meeting. Member, Renée Bilby, pointed out that will help meetings not be, “So structured that the magic can’t happen.”

Bilby joined 4-H because she trusts the Organizational Leaders and their 4-H knowledge, and is happy to have a place for her son, Honor, to meet more friends. Bilby said, hands-down most exciting is an upcoming Peanut Butter Jelly Time meeting that will incorporate cooking, baking, and nutrition curriculums. Organizational Leaders plan to take allergies into account to adjust the activity as needed with members' specific needs and suggestions in mind. Bilby said now more than ever we need opportunities like this to teach kids the value of putting in time, effort, and seeing a task through to the end and loves that the project will allow members to, “All enjoy the fruits of our labor together.” 

There used to be a community garden plot on the fairgrounds. The 4-H Organizational Leaders hope to get approval to revive that garden for teaching members about horticulture, agriculture, and plant care. McGibbon said when the garden was active, anything grown in it was sold in the annual Fair auction where money is raised for next year’s 4-H funding and ribbons. If they don’t get fairgrounds plot approval,  they still plan to find a gardening space and are considering reaching out to local libraries. Before becoming Organizational Leaders for Schoharie County 4-H Community Club, they  helped Librarian & Director, Yvonne Keller-Baker, set up planters outside of Schoharie Library.

Helping with 4-H Club planning and harvesting seeds to germinate for the 1st meeting has opened Xzavier’s eyes to lots of community service opportunities. In addition to running the Club, the Organizational Leaders are running a Cans for Cakes drive that was inspired by participating in the 4-H For Good Challenge, wanting to help those who may not have the means to get cake right now and help the community where they can. 

4-Hers can participate in the 4-H For Good Challenge, which is inspired by the movie, Wicked. Step 1-”Do a good deed (big or small!); 2-Snap a pic of your *heart;* 3-Share your good deed with #4HForGood + tag @national4H and your local 4-H (on social media); 4-Challenge 4 friends to keep it going!” 

The Organizational Leaders have been working closely with Cornell Cooperative Extension’s curriculums and representatives like Kat and Schoharie & Otsego County 4-H Resource Educator, Catherine Roberts. Kids can join as many 4-H clubs as they would like at a time and can be homeschooled or public school attendees.

During their 1st Schoharie County 4-H Community Club meeting, families could drop in at Cornell Cooperative Extension (173 South Grand Street) throughout the day to plan future events, fill out initial paperwork, and kids could participate in a scavenger hunt, gluten-free cookie decorating, seeing the ease of pea seed germination, board games, and an arts & crafts station. Their 3rd meeting will have a similar drop-in format with activities and an ongoing planning discussion on November 13th from 12 PM- 6 PM. 

Their 2nd meeting will be on November 8th; they’ll be taking more meeting suggestions based on member interest and availability, discussing the Jan./Feb. 4-H Has Heart project, and a slideshow of members’ pets will be playing while they bake dog treats. 

Also, volunteers are needed, “The more, the merrier!” 18 and up can volunteer to fulfill college, intern, and community service requirements. Kids and adults interested in volunteering can help with different roles at different levels.

To join as members and/or volunteers and follow updates, search Schoharie County 4-H Community Club on Facebook, or email Colvin at marissacolvin96@gmail.com. Join the Club anytime, but join by May 1st if you would like to take part in showing your 4-H accomplishments in the annual Schoharie County Sunshine Fair’s 150th year in August 2026.

At Schoharie County 4-H Community Club’s first meeting, members visited on a drop-in basis. The Club’s Organizational Leaders on either side are (far left) Anthony McGibbon, (far right) Marissa Colvin. (Kids in the middle left to right) Xzavier, Honor, and Gemma. 4-H Pledge: I PLEDGE my HEAD, to clearer thinking, my HEART to greater loyalty, my HANDS, to larger service and my HEALTH to better living, for my club, my community, my country, and my world.”