The club would meet in a school or church kitchen and spend the day baking.

“We had so much fun making rolls that we would end up with 1,000 rolls at a time,” said club adult leader Linda Cline.

But when COVID-19 forced the two organizations to cancel their meals, the Douglas Dreamers found another way to keep the tradition alive.

“I told the girls who were in charge that we were going to do it by Zoom,” Cline said. “I think a couple of them looked at me kind of funny like ‘How are we going to make rolls via Zoom?’ But we got together a couple of times and figured it out.”

-Submitted photo Max Johnson, a fifth-grader with the Douglas Dreamers 4-H Club, stands proudly next to his freshly-baked dinner rolls he made during a Zoom workshop with his club in November.

The baking party each year has been a big leadership opportunity for the older club members, Cline said. It gives them an opportunity to show by example and to keep everyone engaged and working on the same page.

Student leaders Alexa McHone, Kara McGonegle and Morgan Border led the younger 4-H’ers in the virtual baking session as they all baked rolls at their own homes for their families.

“We had probably about 10 of our families involved,” Cline said. “I know some of the kids gave their rolls to their neighbors for Thanksgiving and I know Morgan Border made a bunch and took them to AFES for their dinner.”

Overall, Cline said the virtual baking worked out well, even if one batch turned out a little hard.

The 18-year tradition has even expanded outside the Douglas Dreamers club. Kelsey Urlis, a former student member, who is now an adult leader as well, was a student leader in 2010, Cline said.

“Now for Thanksgiving, it’s her family tradition that she makes the rolls,” she said.