By Tracie Abram
Students going into grades 3-7 attended the 4-H Civic Club provided by Mackinac County 4-H Volunteer Ethel Wells and Mackinac County MSU Extension 4-H Program Coordinator, Tracie Abram. The students met twice per week during the Three Lakes Summer School program. 
Ethel Wells applied to become a 4-H Volunteer and was accepted into the 4-H family in June. Wells, an active volunteer in the Curtis area, wanted to start a program to introduce students to civic engagement. She wanted children to witness the fun (enrichment) you can receive by engaging and serving in your community.
Abram helped Wells by choosing leadership curriculum teaching the basics of leadership and civic engagement.
The students learned what it means to be a global leader and what the five competencies of a global leader are: Character, Communication, Creativity, Culture and Citizenship. The students also learned the four leadership styles: Laissez Fair, Democratic, Dictator and Servant. They heard examples about each leadership style how people in the community benefit from each.
The students learned from Pat MacLachlan what a township clerk does and toured the Portage Township offices to see the voting machine. Mary Gowan also visited the club to talk about what the Curtis Chamber of Commerce does. The students learned where in the community that adults volunteer and learned that they too can volunteer to enrich the community.
The student’s provided community service at Marcy’s Pantry getting orders prepped for distribution day and weeded the school gardens. The cultural piece of the program was learning how to make egg rolls with another Mackinac 4-H Volunteer, Adam Chan. The students were eager to start each session and showed interest in continuing the club. Plans are set to meet in September and October after school.
