Organization continues to grow in EOT

Contributed photos
A new 4-H group has been formed in Ottertail. The Ottertail Lakers 4-H group began meeting on October. Ottertail Lakers 4-H members include: Front row: Makayla Menze, Joshua Dahn, Elizabeth Dahn, Everett Horn and Emmett Horn. Back row: Kane Olson, Jacob Menze, Byron Olson, Cade Strege and Ella Horn. Not pictured: Lane Dilly, Addison Dilly and Mac Dilly.

By Chad Koenen

Publisher

Ottertail has a new 4-H group to call its own. The new Ottertail Lakers 4-H group met for the first time in October with 15 members. The group is an offshoot of the Henning Shining Lights, which in just under 10 years, had grown to approximately 62 members.

Members of the new Ottertail Lakers 4-H group held their first meeting in October. They carved pumpkins and picked out their new name.

Denise Menze, who is helping to organize the new Ottertail group, said having so many members in one 4-H group is a blessing, but did create some challenges when coming up with projects and activities that everyone wanted to do. Since a set percentage of people must attend a meeting each time for it to count as a meeting, scheduling around different activities also became difficult. 

“When you are trying to schedule meetings and do stuff they want to do it is hard,” she said. 

As a result, a group of 12 members from the Henning Shining Lights, mostly from the Ottertail area, opted to form a new group that is based in Ottertail. The new group now has 15 members. 

The Henning Shining Lights will continue to meet and complete service projects in the greater Henning area. The new group will be based in Ottertail and had its first meeting in October. The group carved pumpkins, picked out their own name and selected officers. In November they are planning to help decorate the park for Christmas and help with upcoming festivities related to OtterDazzle in December. 

The group will be meeting in the community center in Ottertail on Sunday afternoons. For more information about the group, contact Denise Menze, or the East Otter Tail County Extension Office.