If you?ve ever had an experience that really opened your eyes, or got you excited for what?s out there and available to you, then you?ll certainly be able to relate to the way I feel right now. I, Robby Venturino, am feeling quite enthused, to say the least. Here at Alpha I, State 4-H camp at Jackson?s Mill, things are looking up and I?m glad to say that it?s only the second night of camp.

I wondered to myself tonight, just what new things are in store for me, in this program. Looking ahead, I can honestly say, the people I?ve talked to about the future of 4-H have me on the edge of my seat. This week at Alpha I, we have a ?tech? camp going on inside our traditional summer camp. In addition to all the traditional workshops and activities, campers have the opportunity to take technology based workshops, which range from learning and teaching the basics of computing, to competitive gaming. Going on my thirteenth year of 4-H, I?m excited to see this, as I?m a pretty avid gamer myself. Just before coming to camp this week, I?d hacked apart my personal laptop to install a new motherboard. I?m not coming to you from my own laptop though, as I must?ve missed a couple of things when putting it back together. I?ll get one of our tech campers to tell me what I did wrong, ha.

Going to sleep tonight I know I?ll be thinking about all the other things that we can bring into this already wonderful program. The 4-H motto, ?To make the best better?, really rings true here in West Virginia. The youth involved are always eager to forge ahead, stepping outside the box, to see how we can make 4-H even better.

I am proud to be back among my 4-H friends this week. Time for me to sign off and rejoin the festivities, so keep yourselves excited and open to the future and all the wonders it can hold.

Robby Venturino