ROLLING PRAIRIE, Ind. — Jeremy Smith spent 10 years in 4-H growing up in northern Indiana but never received an award so prestigious as the one he now holds for his efforts as an adult 4-H volunteer.

Smith, 41, was selected from candidates from a dozen states for the 2015 Salute to Excellence Volunteer of the Year Award for the North Central District of the National 4-H Council.

“The Salute to Excellence is the greatest honor that 4-H gives to our volunteers in the field and no one in this region was more deserving this year,” said Jennifer Sirangelo, CEO and president of the National 4-H Council.

Smith and three other candidates from across the country are now finalists for the Salute to Excellence National Volunteer Award, which will be announced in early April.

Once or twice per week, Smith is in Michigan City and the surrounding area near Lake Michigan helping instruct children in grades 3 to 12 on target shooting with a gun and crossbow.

His efforts are paying off with membership in the La Porte County 4-H shooting sports program. In his seven years or so as coordinator of the program, membership has increased from 43 to 296.

“I’m honored,” said Smith, who began to see numbers increase after expanding the program to include the use of shotguns and pistols along with outdoor pursuit.

With help from Facebook and word of mouth, news of the revamped program quickly spread. Now he hardly has to go out and recruit.

Smith hopes to add muzzle-loading rifles with black powder in a year or two.

His wife, Lynnette, also a target shooting enthusiast, is the program’s head rifle and pistol instructor.

Smith of Rolling Prairie was also instrumental in starting the Junior Mentor Program where older children in shooting sports provide instruction to the younger particpants.

He’s also raised $20,000 through grants and other donations to help families offset program costs. Each member pays $10 per year to attend. All of the equipment and ammunition is provided free of charge.

Smith said he did not set out to earn any accolades when he and his wife decided to get involved in some way as 4-H volunteers. It wasn’t until then that they discovered 4-H had a shooting program. Smith wanted to give back with a skill he started developing when he was 18 and since has become good enough to take part in some national competitions.

“I started shooting cans in my backyard,” said Smith.

He makes sure the youth in his program stay busy with nearly 90 separate gun and crossbow target shooting events planned the first six months of this year.

Those activities occur at the Michigan City Rifle Club, Camp Topenebee near Otis, the Stillwell Rod and Gun Club and the La Porte County Fairgrounds.

Smith said the focus is strictly on marksmanship and safe handling of the devices, but along the way children learn responsibility, leadership and how to be good citizens – something that is, perhaps, the most rewarding.

“Just to see these kids going out and having fun, smiling and being happy it’s worth it. It’s something that they enjoy,” said Smith, who somehow finds time for the program despite holding down a job in the heating and cooling business and attending full-time classes at Purdue North Central near Westville.

While growing up in 4-H, Smith dabbled in a lot of activities but most of his time was spent raising goats, a dairy cow, gardening and photography.

He encourages any child to join 4-H; not only to have fun and acquire life skills, but involvement in a program so positive helps to stay out of trouble.

“We’ve got several major problems with kids and drugs and things like that. Kids need people who care about them and give them direction,” said Smith, who will receive a customized plaque and donation in his name to the 4-H club of his choice for the North Central Region winner.

Whoever wins the national award will receive a trophy and have their name added to the National 4-H Salute to Excellence wall in the lobby of the National 4-H Youth Conference Center in Chevy Chase, Md. along with another cash prize to give to the 4-H club of his choosing and be honored at a reception in Washington D.C.

“It’s not anything I expected. I’m surprised, and it’s nice to know people think that well of me,” said Smith, whose sons ages 9 and 11 take part in their father’s program in both shooting and archery.