Carol Ann Weaver of Penn Township leads Circle Round, a group which focuses primarily on sewing. The group had a display outside of Sunnyview Nursing and Rehabilitation Center in Butler on June 15. Weaver sat down and discussed the 4-H program and sewing with the Butler Eagle.

Butler County is filled with a variety of people doing interesting things. This weekly feature offers snapshots of some of them by asking them five questions. The latest installment appears below.

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Most people associate 4-H groups with raising livestock or riding horses. But according to Carol Ann Weaver of Penn Township, groups can encompass a range of interests from photography to marksmanship.

For 15 years Weaver, 62, has led a group called Circle Round, which focuses mostly on sewing. Here, Weaver shares insights into Circle Round and Butler County's 4-H program, which includes more than 20 groups:

QUESTION: What is the criteria for being in 4-H?ANSWER: (Members) have to be 8 years old as of Jan. 1 of the year they're going to join. Then it's 8 through 18 years of age. They also do have a club that's like a precursor to 4-H. It's called Cloverbud. They have to be 5 years of age.

QUESTION: Is 4-H limited to rural youths?ANSWER: It's not just about farms and animals. There are so many things that 4-H has to offer — even to inner city youths. They can do after-school programs. For example, they might do a short program on embryology: hatching eggs and that sort of thing. They do that, then they can enter their project into our county fair and our Butler Farm Show. They offer those programs through the (Paul Laurence) Dunbar Community Center, and I think the YMCA does some.

QUESTION: What interest areas are growing and declining?ANSWER: I think the (hobby) that has been really growing by leaps and bounds is the shooting sports (like archery, rifles and shotgun). Declining? I don't know much about travel club. With the economy I don't know if they have suffered, because they get to go and plan a lot of trips. I don't know if the economy has hurt that in any way.

QUESTION: Is sewing still popular?ANSWER: I'd have to say it's more popular. They just established a new club over in Sarver ... called Buttons and Bakehouse. We also have one called Home and Heart, which is a spinoff of my club. ... It's more in the Saxonburg area. The very first sewing club that I know of is called Unionville Sewing. That's Helen Voegler. She has been a leader probably 30 some years.

QUESTION: How can potential leaders start new groups?ANSWER: Contact Ellen Fogel (at the Butler County Cooperative Extension). ... You are interviewed personally by her. They do background checks. You must have your clearances. ... You would tell them what your specialty is, and then generally you have five young girls (and/or) boys (to start the group).