Celebrate Indiana and its bicentennial

Putnam County 4-H is offering a Spark Club (not associated with the Greencastle City Parks and Recreation program) activity to celebrate Indiana's Bicentennial.

A 4-H Spark Club is a club focusing on a specific discipline for at least six hours with an opportunity to share the experience. Celebrate Indiana will be an educational and fun program with three field trips to discover and learn about Indiana's rich cultural and historical heritage.

The program is available to any grade 3-12 youth as of Jan. 1, 2016 who may join a 4-H Spark Club. For Celebrate Indiana we will be limited to 40 youth per outing. There will be at least three outings to learn. One of these will be a walking tour locally while two others will be bus trips to the Indianapolis area.

When you ask? For starters, June 2, we will visit the Eugene and Marilyn Glick Indiana History Center, Indiana State Museum, capitol building and downtown monuments. The group will depart the Extension office around 8 a.m. and return by 6 p.m.

On June 29 the group will stay local with a greater Greencastle walking tour of the Courthouse Square, Putnam County Library archives, DePauw University archives, revisit the John Dillinger bank robbery, visit the DAR Cabin and Putnam County Museum. Plans for this day start at 9 a.m. and conclude at 3 p.m.

Wrapping up on July 8, a visit to Connor Prairie in Fishers is planned. The group will depart the Extension office at 8 a.m. and return at 6 p.m.

If one is not already a 4-H member, there will be a $15 program fee to join 4-H as a Spark Club member. Those who are already 4-H members have already paid this fee. Additionally the Indianapolis and Fishers locations will have a $10 facility entry fee for each event.

Individuals should plan to pack his or her own lunch for the day. Snacks and bottled water will be provided. Transportation has been sponsored to offset the cost.

Registration can be completed by using the Celebrate Indiana Spark Club enrollment form located on the Purdue Extension Putnam County website no later than Thursday, May 26 with payment to the Purdue Extension Putnam County office located at 152 E. Columbia St., Greencastle, (PNC Bank drive-up parking area) or mail to Purdue Extension Putnam County, 12 Central Square, Greencastle 46135.

Also a health form will be required with a picture of the youth attached to the health form by departure day.

The leader volunteer for this event is Elena Wilson who is a Greencastle teacher. Parent chaperones are also welcome. There must be a youth-to-adult ratio of no greater than 10:1. Contact the Extension Staff at 653-8411 for details or email mevans@purdue.edu to contact Mark Evans, 4-H Youth Development Educator. There will be no cost for chaperones.

Visit www.extension.purdue.edu/putnam or you can contact the local Purdue Extension Office by calling 653-8411 for more information.

Upcoming Events

May 9 -- Junior Leader meeting, Fairgrounds, 7 p.m.; officers 6:45 p.m.

May 11 -- Camp counselor training session 1, Fairgrounds, 5-8 p.m.

May 14 -- Purdue Master Gardener plant auction, Fairgrounds, 10 a.m.

May 15 -- Due date all online 4-H livestock enrollment (except poultry, rabbit meat pen, steers).

May 15 -- Deadline to enroll in 4-H camp during June 8-11.

May 15 -- Last day to drop or add a 4-H project for 2016.

May 18 -- Camp counselor training session 2, Fairgrounds, 5-8 p.m.

May 20 -- Gardening Brown Bag -- Coping with Wildlife, 12-1 p.m., Extension Office.

May 26 -- Buyer Beware: Ins and Outs of Buying Property, 6-8 p.m., Fairgrounds (register by May 19 at 653-8411)

June 2 -- Celebrate Indiana Field Trip No. 1 to Indianapolis.