2024-2025 Opportunity Fund Report

What are Opportunity Funds?

In the fall of 2024, the 2024-25 Dakota County 4-H Federation passed a motion supporting, Club Opportunity Funds.  

Opportunity Funds are designated funds from Dakota County 4-H, to be used for club programmatic purposes.  Funds can be requested for either $750 or $500.  All clubs, regardless if they manage funds, are eligible.  Clubs can apply for the funding to do something fun, educational, service related, or innovative with their group!  Youth are to be involved in the decision making.

Club representatives will need to attend one Federation meeting to report on their club activity and share how the funds were used to be eligible for funds in subsequent years.  

What did the Wild Wescotts propose?

During the November Wild Wescotts Business meeting, the Opportunity Fund was discussed.  Club members discussed options for using the opportunity funds as well as the need to attend a Federation Meeting.   First, they noted that a request for $750 would be appropriate since the Wild Wescotts is a large club.  Next, they discussed upcoming activities and the costs associated with them.  A motion was passed to utilize the funds as follows:

• Use $525 (70% of the available funds) to subsidize the cost of the Wild Wescotts Dogsledding Actvity.

• Use $105 (20% of the available funds) to subsidize the cost of the Wild Wescotts Winter Curling Activity.  

• Use $75 (10% of the available funds) to subsidize the cost of the Wild Wescotts Youth Leadership Team Winter Teambuilding Activity.

Finally, they decided to attend the March 11th Federation Meeting at 7pm and the Dakota Conservation and Extension Center in Farmington.

Details on Dogsledding

The Wild Wescotts club partnered with Silent Run Adventures to provide a 3-hour Dogsledding adventure in January, 2025.  The club used a sign-up genius to collect information about planned participation.  27 Youth Members along with 24 Parents (51 individuals in total) ventured up to Monticello to learn about the Mushing Dogs (Siberian Huskeys) and then take to the trails in the Dogsleds.  Our Families also spent time visiting the barns and enjoyed the animals that were onsite.

Details on Curling

The Wild Wescotts club partnered with the Dakota Curling Club to teach members about the unique winter sport of Curling.  In curling, teams slide granite stones across the ice towards a target.  The club members first were instructed on the sport and the proper way to slide stones.  They learned how to "sweep" the ice and hopefully hit their targets.  

Both youth and adults were surprised at the level of skill (and balance) needed to effectively "curl".

Details on Team Building

The Wild Wescotts club leans on a team of youth leaders to administer, manage, and lead the club activities and business meetings.  Unlike traditional clubs, these are not officer roles.  Instead, the entire team of youth leaders collaborate and rotates responsibilities based on interest, availability, and needs of the club.  This Youth Leadership Team meets outside of regularly scheduled meeting to build agendas, discuss opportunities, etc.  Additionally, they update our website with minutes and with photos.  They truly go above and beyond to help the club run.  

In December, we hosted a "Chopped" Inspired Cooking challenge with the Youth Leadership Team.  The youth self-organized into 2 teams.  They were provided a "basket" of ingredients for an entree and a "basket" of ingredients for a dessert.  In 2 cooking rounds (each about 45 minutes), the teams had to use the ingredients from their baskets and present plates to the judges (club leaders).  

Here's what one of the youth leaders had to say about the activity:

"I thought that the cooking challenge was a great opportunity for us youth leaders to get to know each other and work together.  With there being 2 teams, we had to find a way to work together both within our teams and across the team (we were sharing a kitchen).  With the limited time, it forced us to divide up work and trust our partners to do their parts.  We have a great team.   My team won!"