By Jean Braithwaite
Tribune Correspondent
REESES MILL - Codie Shrout was one of the 67 youths who attended Younger 4-H Camp, and she summed up the importance of the week’s activities by saying, “Friends are made here at Camp Minco.”
Throughout the week at the Reeses Mill facility, many campers that were from the third grade through age 13 spoke about making friends.
C.J. Anderson, going into the fourth grade at Frankfort Middle School and attending 4-H Camp for the first time, stated, “At first, I was a little nervous, then I made friends with those in the same cabin as me, and began to have fun.”
Agreeing with Anderson, Cole Weaver is also a first time 4-H camper, and he said he will definitely come back next year.
“I had to get used to being at camp, and after I met new people it started being fun,” Weaver said, also mentioning the craft of tin design was his favorite part of camp.
“I am in the same cabin as last year, with the same friends,” said camper Clarissa Carnell, adding, “I am having an awesome time.”
Kept busy with times of recreation, the 4-Hers visited the Keyser swimming pool and Dan’s Mountain Park, where Rachel Messenger, chief of the Mingo Tribe, said, “Swimming is a good part of camp.”
Teaching several varieties of dance, junior counselors wanted the campers to “get into the groove” by participating in learning steps to folk, disco, and hip hop music.
Among the items created throughout the week by the younger 4-H members in craft classes included the construction of birdhouses, fleece purses, piñatas, and
 personal productions of artwork.
With the purpose of teaching cooperation and teamwork, campers took part in games as bull ring and box hockey, while a favorite was capture the noodle.
On most days of camp classes were given, and one offered was Water Wise, taught by Tommy Nester, who also instructed the same class to those attending Older 4-H Camp.
Giving facts to the campers, Nester stated only 17 percent of the world’s entire population has access to safe drinking water.
He also gave tips for the conservation of water, with one being to immediately fix a leaking toilet, telling the campers 18,000 gallons per year for each household can be wasted when the fixture leaks.
Telling about how nutrition, Veva Nield, part of the Family Nutrition Program of the West Virginia Extension Service, gave a class named Healthy You.
Nield spoke to the campers about such healthy choices as eating five fruits and vegetable and three foods containing calcium each day, along with selecting correct portions when eating meals and snacks.
In the campfire circle area of the camp, Sarah Umstot gave a demonstration to the campers called Outdoor Cooking.
She taught the students how to cook hobo packets, baked apples, and monkey bread in an outside setting.
Rachel Whitehair, a recent graduate of Keyser High School and serving the 4-H Camp as a junior counselor, presented the Save Face program.
She told about the dangers and harm to the physical body of using smokeless tobacco.
On Wednesday of the Younger 4-H Camp, Cloverbuds were invited to spend the one day at Reeses Mill.
Amanda Bogdan. Lindsay Amtower, and Lexi Nester, gave the Cloverbuds, who are 4-H members from ages 5-8, a tour of the camp, enabling them to know what to expect as they approach the age requirement for attending camp for the entire week.
Throughout the day, the Cloverbuds members participated in activities offered to all the other 4-H campers.
Attending Younger Camp for the fourth year, and looking forward to being part of Older Camp, Garrett Ickes wanted to send a message to those that do not yet take part in 4-H clubs.
“I want to tell them it is fun,” he said.