|
Palace"
of the state, with Caleb Elrod winning Champion and Amie Hill winning
Reserve Champion Steer (both of Cullman) at the Southeastern Livestock
Expo. The Alabama Bred and Raised went to Champion Katie Kimbrell
(Tuscaloosa) with Jamie Heflin (Chilton) taking Reserve. The top Carcass
Steer in the state came from Montgomery County and Carla Weissend while
Randa Owens proved her Showmanship Skills again this year winning for
the third straight year. Mobile County won the Senior Beef Quiz Bowl and
Tuscaloosa County won the Junior Beef Quiz Bowl. Calhoun County won the
Goat/Sheep Quiz Bowl. Other winners will be listed next month. For a
complete list of EXPO placings and more info on the South Alabama Junior
Market Hog Show go to www.aces.edu/~rebert.
I
want to say that every child that brought an animal to the Alabama Expo
was a winner. You did not have to walk out first to have a successful
project. It was nice to see all of the Volunteers and Parents that
lifted up the youth as they walked out of the ring. Realizing that youth
development happens at many levels, it was refreshing to see all the
youth as they learn more about their projects and the business of
Agriculture.
Thanks
again to those that are an ENCOURAGEMENT to the YOUTH of Alabama.
February
was busy with a great Teen Winter Retreat for 4-Hers and a Volunteer
Retreat for Adult 4-H Volunteers, both being held at the 4-H Center.
Plans are now being made for our second Golf Tournament. If you or your
company would like to play the awesome Farm Links course please contact
me for more details. We will have several celebrities and money will go
toward the Environmental Building, soon to be under construction, and
toward Regional Programming. We would love to have you be a part of this
great event.
I
would like to spend the next few months writing about the four Hs in
4-H.
The
4-H Youth Development
Ideals
4-H
Youth Development creates opportunities for youth:
1.
To experience
INDEPENDENCE clearer
thinking…
Youth
need to know that they are able to influence people and events through
decision-making and action. By exercising independence through 4-H
leadership opportunities, youth mature in self-discipline and
responsibility, learn to better understand themselves and become
independent thinkers.
Youth
need to learn that decisions they make need to be considered carefully
and acted upon only after the implications of those decisions are
explored and weighed. 4-H club projects allow members to make choices
about such things as design and coordinating materials not to mention
selection of topics that are valuable to them. This gives youth a base
of experience on how to make decisions and enables them to face the more
important choices that must be made later in life.
Youth
are given leadership positions in 4-H clubs that allow them to work with
other members and take responsibility for some or many of the decisions
and/or actions that were once solely those of adults. Organizational
skills, patience and group dynamics are key traits learned here that
become priceless assets to youth as they mature into contributing adults
in society. Many of these same traits are taught to members as they
participate as followers or team participants in group settings. Young
people are not just the leaders of tomorrow—they have great untapped
potential for responsible leadership today.
2.
To experience
BELONGING greater
loyalty…
3.
To experience
GENEROSITY
I pledge my hands to larger
service…
4.
To experience
MASTERY
I pledge my health to better
living…
The
Philosophical and Academic Basis of 4-H January 2005 II.
Until
next time, God Bless!
James
Shropshire is the Alabama 4-H Regional Extension Agent for the Central
Alabama Region. E-mail him at shropja@auburn.edu. |
