[Photo Story] Lebanon 4-H Friends Club showcases 2024-2025 projects

Throughout the year, kids in the 4-H Friends Club have been hard at work learning new skills and undertaking projects. On Thursday, they showed off their favorite projects during the annual Roundup event at the Expo Center.

In the 4-H Friends program, kids aged 8-18 learn skills ranging from woodworking to public speaking under the guidance of experienced project leaders.

Kids are also connected with volunteering opportunities in the community and complete community service projects.

Tenley Fetzer, who said she has been in the 4-H Friends Club for four or five years, has participated in projects including crocheting, digital scrapbooking, food preparation, and public speaking. She said sewing has been her favorite activity so far, and showcased a dress she made herself Thursday.

“I’ve really enjoyed that you can do your own thing, and everybody in the community can see what you’re working on,” explained Fetzer.

Fetzer said the club has helped her develop leadership skills, and said the public speaking group has made it much easier for her to talk in front of groups.

As kids walked to the front of the room with their creations, volunteers read descriptions of their projects and the work they had done within the program, including volunteer time.

This year, there are 79 members of 4-H Friends and 29 “Cloverbuds,” kids aged 5 to 7 on track to join 4-H Friends.

This year, kids completed 140 projects total, though each participant only showcased one project.

This was the 40th year of 4-H Friends, Friends director Linda Siegel explained.

Siegel said the showcase is her “favorite part of the whole year,” though an emotional time, as she got choked up while hugging Olivia Morrissey, who helped lead the ceremony and is in her last year of the program.

4-H summer intern and 2025 Lebanon Area Fair Queen Morrissey explained that in her 11 years in 4-H Friends, she has both learned leadership skills and been introduced to a lifelong passion. She first learned to sew in the program, and the recent Annville-Cleona High School graduate now plans to attend the Savannah College of Art and Design majoring in fashion design and minoring in fibers.

“Without being in the 4-H Friends program, I might never have developed my passion for fashion design,” said Morrissey, explaining that she fell in love with sewing soon after being introduced to it. Over the years, she has designed her own patterns (including a handmade plaid jacket she showed off during last year’s showcase.)

This year, Morrissey showcased a leadership poster, which also won first place at the Pennsylvania Farm Show. She said she wanted to emphasize to younger peers the importance of being a leader who lifts others up and helps those around you.

Morrissey was one of a few 18-year-olds aging out of 4-H Friends.

Many kids showing off their work Thursday had already submitted their work to competitions like the Farm Show or the Lebanon Area Fair, or other contests focusing on a specific skill.

Siegel thanked the Dixon Foundation for a grant that allowed the club to not charge members dues and pay for various trips for kids, including fees for the five members that traveled to the State Leadership Conference.

Leaders of the club emphasized that, going into the 2025-2026 year, the 4-H Friends are in need of project leaders, including for the following fields:

• Cooking

• Cake-decorating
• Electric work
• Sewing, including adults without extensive background in sewing who could teach younger kids

• Small engines
• Digital scrapbooking

Those interested are asked to reach out the PennState Extension at LebanonExt@psu.edu.

The 4-H Friends Club is a free program for kids 8-18, which meets seven times annually with additional meetings for specific programs. Learn more on the PennState Extension website.