We call ourselves the Darien Dragons.  Our group consists of 6 4-H members ranging in ages 8-15 and 4 Clover Bud members, ages 5-7.  Everyone in our club holds an office or committee chair position, giving every child an opportunity to practice organization and leadership skills.  Our club is also unique in that one-third of our members have special needs, including Down Syndrome.  We provide an inclusive experience for these individuals to learn from and to teach their peers.  Currently, our President, Reporter, and Recreation Leader positions are held by children with Down Syndrome.

Our club chose Cooking 101 as a group project this year, preparing a recipe together at every meeting.  Members have also present demonstrations of various cooking skills they have been practicing at home and participated in cooking experiments like How to Choose a Microwave-Safe Bowl.  We also participate in a Clover Bud curriculum activity each meeting, often led by our Jr Leaders or our Program Chair.  So far we have had fun learning about wind and the physical properties of air, explored seasonal weather trends, and prepared Valentine cards and cookies for a local assisted living community.   Club members also participate in individual projects outside our monthly meetings.  Among those are aerospace & model rocketry, veterinary science, interior design, and theater arts depending on the child's interest.  The possibilities are endless!

Fun is always top of the list, whether it's making homemade ice-cream at the end of a meeting, dressing up for a ghoulish Halloween party, or smashing cascarones at the Cinco de Mayo party hosted by our Event Planning Chair.  We'll be concluding this 4-H year with some of our members will be exhibiting projects at the DuPage County Fair in July, hoping for Blue ribbons!

The Darien Dragons are also involved in the community.  We are presently organizing a community garden program designed to bring fresh foods to local communities that cannot otherwise have access to them.  We hope to secure a grant from the University of Illinois that will help us in this effort.