Mike Stickle, of Cassopolis, is a leader with the Busy Friends 4-H club and a former member of Cass County 4-H Leaders’ Association. Stickle was recently honored as one of Cass County’s 4-H Outstanding Leaders of the Year during a ceremony March 20.

How did you get involved with 4-H?
I was in 4-H as a child, when I was real little. I did ceramics, horses and rabbits, and other still exhibits. We [my wife and I] got our children into it. Through people I knew over years, they wanted me to get more involved with the leaders association, so that’s what I did.

How did you get your start with Busy Friends?
I have two daughters who were in 4-H, and that was the group that was closest to us and we knew the leaders, so we joined, probably in 2005.

How did you get involved in the leaders’ association?
Through some other leaders I knew. They wanted me to get involved because it was something I enjoyed doing, helping the kids out. I guess it was just being able to further the kids’ knowledge of 4-H and their projects was of real interest to me.

What are some of the roles you had in the leaders’ association?
A big part of me winning the award was because I was so involved with scholarships for the kids that we hand out [and] the exploration days, where the kids go to [Michigan State University] for a week and they get to do other 4-H projects to increase their knowledge of them. I was one of the leaders that went to MSU for the week with them. We have all the other fundraisers within the leaders’ association that I helped out with. I was a pretty big part of getting the 4-H auction going for the leaders’ association, and that helps bring in more money for scholarships and other things we do to support the kids.

Do you still have a leadership role in Busy Friends?
I am still on for a leader for rabbits, environmental and dogs. I am still the citizen leader [too]. I enjoy helping out wherever I can.

What are your thoughts about winning the Outstanding Leader of the Year award?
I had nominated other people for that [award] for years, and helped put that together. It was a real joy to see important it is for people to get that, and when I got it I was like, “I can see why this is so important.” It is a real honor to have that award. You are nominated by someone else to get that award, and they think enough of you that you have earned it over the years. That was really great.

What is the thing you enjoy most about volunteering in 4-H and working with the children?
To see them grow and to go on a get more involved with 4-H as they get older. Some of these kids are coming as leaders now. It is just amazing to see them help out, that they enjoyed 4-H so much they want to help out further in their lives. That is a big joy for me to see that.