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Dinwiddie 4‑H reports membership growth, seeks full‑time program technician
Summary
Anna Bishop told supervisors Dinwiddie County 4‑H grew from about 49 members to roughly 220 and described programs, volunteers and a ‘golden ticket’ effort; she said she has requested a budget item to make a 4‑H program technician a full‑time county position.
Anna Bishop, Dinwiddie County 4‑H youth development educator, told the Board of Supervisors on Jan. 21 that the county’s 4‑H program has expanded substantially and is seeking additional staff support.
Bishop said membership rose from roughly 49 members when she started to about 220 so far this year, and that annual program participation across clubs, school programming and camps has reached several hundred — between about 700 and 1,000 students in recent years. She described a mix of volunteer‑run clubs (including horse and livestock projects, a large shooting program, a dog project and Cloverbud clubs for ages 5‑8), school programs such as embryology and drone curriculum, and a growing set of camps and specialty weekend programs at the county 4‑H center.
The program uses an Alvin Baja Memorial Endowment and other funds to subsidize camp and programming; Bishop described a “golden ticket” initiative that awards a full scholarship to camp for selected students identified by school resource officers and staff. She said the program offered 10 golden tickets last year and seven recipients attended; the program plans to offer 10 more this year.
Bishop outlined a slate of near‑term priorities: launching a health‑science club, expanding school‑based volunteers and training, growing a local teen leadership council, and standardizing club management. She also said she has discussed a budget request with county administration to make the existing 4‑H program technician position full time. “I’ve talked with Mike Parish, of course, about putting in a budget request to make our 4‑H program technician a full‑time position,” Bishop told the board.
Bishop provided attendance and volunteer figures: roughly 75 adult volunteers support clubs and school programs each year, and the county’s teen volunteer corps is among the largest in the Southeast 4‑H district, she said. Camp registration for 2025 will open Feb. 20; Bishop described demand so strong that some sessions filled within minutes last year.
Supervisors praised the program and thanked Bishop for her work. Bishop closed by thanking volunteers and partners, and invited questions from the board.
