Clubs and Activities

4-H

General 4-H Information

Here's a link to the State's 4-H page: http://www.utextension.utk.edu/4H/ 

Here's a link to the contact page for all of the counties in Tennessee: http://www.utextension.utk.edu/4H/counties.htm 

Here's the contact information about Knox County:: Knox 560 City/Co. Bldg., 400 W. Main Knoxville 37902 865-215-2340

Knox County Home School 4H Groups

West Knox 4-H Club

Open to kids grades 4 and up. Younger siblings are welcome to observe as long as they are quiet. The group meets the first Tuesday of every month from 3:00 to 4:30 p.m. at the Cedar Springs Presbyterian Church in the Fireside Room. Contact: Linda Hudson  

The Smoky Mountain 4-H Club

We have a homeschool 4-H Club that meets in Maynardville ( in Union County and about 20 minutes from Halls Crossroads) on the second Tuesday of each month at 1pm. It is open to students from 9 to 18 years of age. The purpose of the club is to learn leadership skills, parliamentary procedure, public speaking, and learn to serve others via a 4-H 'project' that the student chooses. We also have several club contests such as Baking Contest, Essay Contest, Poster Contest, Public Speaking and Photography Contests. Students will need to commit about 2-3 hours per month to work on their 4-H activities at home. There are no membership fees. If interested in more information contact, Parent Volunteers, Bill or Debby Morgan 865-278-3975. 

Activism and Speech

Guardian Speech and Debate Club

A Speech and Debate training community, part of Christian Communicators of Tennessee

Books and Reading

BOOK IT! Reading Incentive Program. 
The enrollment period is March 1 - June 30. Late orders will be filled on a first-come first-served basis.Orders are taken on an individual home school family basis only; home school group orders are no longer accepted. Each family must submit their own individual request.

Chess

KNOXVILLE CHESS CLUB (Formerly Farragut Chess Club)

The Knoxville Chess Club is an intramural, community scholastic club. It is open to kids from any school. We meet most Saturdays in early November to early March, at the Sacred Heart Cathedral School located at 711 Northshore Drive.

Knoxville Chess Club provides an additional opportunity beyond weekly scholastic clubs for kids who are interested in playing more chess. Its primary purpose is to provide a bridge to assist competitive players making the transition from scholastic to adult tournament play. However, it is also open to beginners, and we have special instruction tailored just for them.

Each meeting is two hours long. We divide the children into two groups, and dedicate the first hour to a lesson. The Novice group consists of players who have little or no tournament experience and is taught by Dr. Judd Jones. The Advanced group consists of USCF rated players with more tournament experience and is taught by Matt Marsh, Corry Marsh, Leonard Dickerson and Peter Bereolos. During the second hour the players are paired against each other and play a game under tournament conditions. We strongly encourage the players to record their games.

Registration fees are modest: $35 for the entire season for the first child in each family, $25 for the second child, and $15 for the third.

Any child, from any school, is welcome at the Farragut Chess Club!

Knoxville Jewish Day School Chess Club

This is an after school enrichment program for the Knoxville Jewish Day School which meets on Tuesdays from 3:30 to 4:30. Home school kids have attended and are welcome! Mr Leonard Dickerson, our Chess Coach,  is the Webb Chess coach and the Chess Camp instructor. This program is for elementary school age kids and we have lots of beginners. The school will again be meeting at Downtown West next to Academy Ballroom, in hopes of their property on Wallace Road being ready the first of the year.

Stanford Eisenberg Knoxville Jewish Day School 
Miriam Esther Wilhelm - Head of School 
1308 Wallace Road 
Knoxville, TN 37919 
865.560.9922

West Knox Library
Saturdays at Noon run by Richard Bennett. 588-8813 (library) 584-2073 (home). I welcome inquiries about the program or my personal availability as a chess teacher.

Father/Daughter Dances

Know of a dance? Send an email to dlbeth@yahoo.com with the info and we'll post it here. 

Journalism

The Ambassador News

Consider writing for the Ambassador - a 100% home-school-student-produced online newspaper. The Ambassador is aimed toward achieving community among home school students so we would love for you to be involved. If you are a home school student in Tennessee, 8th grade or higher, you are welcome to email comments or questions as well as poetry, information about sports, or even letters to the editor. For more information or to get involved, contact staff.

Outdoor Activities

Scouts

For more information on Cub Scouts (boys in 1st through 5th grades), Boy Scouts (boys in 6th grade through age 18), Venturing, Exploring or Sea Scouts (boys AND girls ages 14 to 21)  in East Tennessee, contact the Council Service Center at 865-588-6514. The Service Center can direct you to units in your area and answer any questions you have.

Cub Scouts

Pack 16

Boys ages 1st grade through 5th grade.
Meeting Time: Mondays from 6:30-7:30 p.m.
Meeting Place: Concord United Methodist Church, Farragut (near Concord Road and Kingston Pike)
Description of Activities: Age groups are broken down into dens. Tiger Den-1st graders. Wolf Den - 2nd graders. Bear Den - 3rd graders. Webelos I - 4th graders. Webelos II - 5th graders. Pack meetings are generally the first Monday of each month; dens meet 1 to 3 Mondays a month (depending on the age). Contact: Tony Reso, Cubmaster.

Pack 59

Boys grades 1 - 5.
Meeting Time: First Tuesday night of the month, 6:30 p.m.
Meeting Place: First Baptist Concord on Kingston Pike
A variety of activities are planned for the year including a Raingutter Regatta, Pinewood Derby, Bingo Night, Skits night, Cake Bake and Auction, Blue and Gold Banquet and a Crossover Picnic.
Contact: LaQuita Misner, Committee Chairman

Pack 352

Boys ages 1st grade through 5th grade. (most of the members are CAK students, but there are also home school students and members from other schools)
Pack Meeting Time/Place: Generally, the last Monday of each month from 6:30-7:30 p.m. From September thru May at Christian Academy of Knoxville, HS Music Room
Den Meeting Time and location: Varies from den to
Division of Groups: Tiger Den-1st graders. Wolf Den - 2nd graders. Bear Den - 3rd graders. Webelos I - 4th graders. Webelos II - 5th graders.
Activities: We have guest speakers, a Blue and Gold Banquet, Pinewood Derby, Raingutter Regatta, Father/Son Cake Bake, and Pack hikes.
Contact: Eric Manneschmidt, Cubmaster

Pack 442

Meets 2nd and 4th Thursday of each month from 3:30-5:00 at the First Christian Church in Maryville. Any boy in grades 1-5 can be in Cub Scouts. Pack 442 is one of the only all-homeschooled packs in the area. (You must be a member of Blount Home Education Association in order to be in Pack 442). For more information, contact Randy Small, Cubmaster.

Boy Scouts

Troop 15

Meeting Time: Tuesday nights at 7:00 p.m.
Meeting Location: Troop 15 Meets on Tuesday Nights at 7:00 PM at The Shed behind Two Rivers Church. We follow Knox County's School Schedule for fall, winter and spring breaks. We meet every other week during summer.
Description of Activities: The troop camps at least once a month . They have several home school families involved and are home school friendly. Troop website

Troop 45
An active troop chartered with Christian Academy of Knoxville meeting on Tuesday nights at 6:45. Has a mix of CAK students, public schoolers, and home schoolers attending. Contact: Eric Manneschmidt, assistant Scoutmaster manofhg@gmail.com 

Troop 179

Meets on Mondays at 7:00 at Central Baptist Church in Bearden. A small troup of about a dozen boys, half of whom are home schooled. Very active and oriented toward earning badges. Outdoor activities are scheduled once a month. The troop attends summer camp at Camp Buck Toms and do service projects several times a year. For more information, contact Assistant Scoutmaster Adrian Carr.

Troop 442

Meeting Time: 2nd and 4th Fridays of the month at 7:00 p.m.
Meeting Location: Home of Lori Wade (near Alcoa/McGhee-Tyson Airport)
Description of Activities: Boys must be at least 11 years old or in the 5th grade, homeschooled, and members of BHEA. Camping trips and outdoor activities are regular events.
Contact: Bill Wade, Scoutmaster, 865-984-3693

Troop 770

Activities: Boy Scout Troop 770 is a growing young troop. The Scouts are very active in a wide variety of regularly scheduled outdoor activities; camping, canoeing, backpacking, etc. as well as performing service projects for the community. Contact: Scoutmaster Joel Patten, jhpatten@charter.net or 865-414-2571

Meeting Time: Mondays at 6:45 p.m. 
Meeting Location: St. Thomas of the Apostle Catholic Church
1580 St. Thomas Way
Lenoir City, TN 37772

All boys ages 11-18 are welcome

Sea Scouts

A sea scout ship is sort of like a scout troop. Our unit has a fleet of fourteen boats all kept in working order.

Sea Scouts are boys and girls, ages 14 to 21. No prior scouting experience or sailing experience is necessary.

We meet at the Concord Yacht Club, 11600 Northshore Drive "where the sailboats are." In addition to our regular meetings, I would be pleased to meet with a group of interested youth most anytime to discuss the opportunities in Sea Scouting.

We do not have facility to handle special needs youth.

As with any scout unit, we require two adults present at all activities. Membership fee is $15 individual membership in the BSA, $1 individual accident insurance premium, and a donation to the ship maintenance fund generally $100 or more per family.

More can be learned at:

www.tnship300.org (website for the ship)

www.seascout.org  (national website of sea scouting)

www.concordyachtclub.org scroll down to "Luff Letter" and click. Then click on the "April" edition which has an article about Ship 300 and Sea Scouts.

You can also email.

Venturing Crews

Venturing Crew 15 
A small co-ed group of public schoolers and home schoolers meeting first and third Thursdays at Gander Mountain from 5:15 to 6:15 and chartered with Two Rivers Church. Planning to attend national Venturers meeting in August, service projects over the summer as well as hiking and other activities. Venturing is a youth development program of the Boy Scouts of America for young men and women who are 14 (and have completed the eighth grade) through 20 years of age. Venturing's purpose is to provide positive experiences to help young people mature and to prepare them to become responsible and caring adults. Contact: Tamara Sammons, advisor tsammons42@gmail.com 

American Heritage Girls

Troop 131

Meeting Time: 2nd and 4th Thursdays of each month, 3:30-5:00 p.m.
Meeting Location: First Christian Church of Maryville
Description of Activities: Open to girls K-9th grade. American Heritage Girls is an alternative scouting program for girls. The mission of AHG is to build women of integrity through service to God, family, community, and country. We earn badges, do service projects, and focus on building relationships among girls and families. Troop 131 was chartered in 2003, the very first troop in the state of Tennessee. The troop consists of 95% home schooled girls.
Contact: Sarah Small at 865-681-8423 or via email or Caroline Milne at 865-856-2193 or via email.

Troop 215
Meets at: All Saints Parish Hall Cedar Bluff Road,
Knoxville 2nd & 4th Fridays from 1:30 - 3:00 pm
Co-Coordinators: Kim McCready (690-8841) & Lydia Donahue (288-0528)
AHGtroopTN215@ gmail.com
www.ahgtn0215. org
* Home school-only troop

Troop 413
Meets at Knoxville Christian School, a half mile from Campbell Station Road
Currently meeting 1st and 3rd Tuesdays from 6:30 to 8:00
www.AHGTN0413.org
If you would like to register, please call Amy Hamby-Scott at 207-3833.

Contenders of the Faith

I am considering organizing a Contenders of the Faith group in Blount county. This is the boys side of Keepers at home. It is a great program for young men to grow in character as well as skills. this group would be for boys between ages 4yrs and 10yrs, and meet probably every other week on Tuesday afternoons. If you would be interested in such a group please email me. The cost would be minimal, just a t-shirt, book and sash and then we would split the cost of any supplies. Jodie Moore

Daisy Girl Scout Troop

My name is Andrea Reynolds, I am forming a new Daisy Scouts Troop located at North Acres Baptist Church (on Millertown Pike) during our Funtastic Friday Co-op. Daisy Scouts are for girls in K and 1st grade. We are meeting at 10am. If you or your daughter are interested we would love to have you. I can be reached through e-mail pasrey3@hotmail.com or at 637-7449. We have lots of fun ideas and there is so much to do. Please join us!