After a terrific 2015 season, the Nicola Valley 4-H Club is gearing up for another great year. The club has begun its regular meetings (on the first Thursday of every month from 6:30 to 8 p.m. at MSS), and has its initial activity scheduled for next week.
On Tuesday, March 1, the local 4-H Club will be hosting its second annual public speaking competition for existing members. It will take place at the MSS drama room starting at 6 p.m. and is open to the general public.
Last year’s speaking event saw nine youngsters participate. Each spoke for three to five minutes on topics as wide-ranging as kittens to cholic, and wood tics to horse tack. The winner, Niah Prowal, went on to participate in the district 4-H public speaking finals in Kamloops.
4-H is an organization dedicated to youth. The purpose of 4-H is to prepare young boys and girls for the future. The program’s motto is Learn by Doing. The objectives are knowledge, leadership, citizenship and personal development. 4-H stands for head, heart, hands and health. Today, 4-H exists in over 80 countries around the world.
The local Nicola Valley 4-H Club had close to 20 members last year, ranging in age from five to 13. Senior members can be as old as 18. Youngsters under the age of nine are known as cloverbuds.
“You have to be at least nine to be a full 4-H member,” spokesperson Tanya Starrs explained. “If you’re under nine, you’re still part of the club, but you don’t have to do all the book activities. You can still raise and show an animal at the fairs. Getting the kid’s involved at a young age is a great idea. They grow up with it.”
Last year, the Nicola Valley 4-H Club offered horse and sheep divisions. Youngsters don’t have to have their own animal to be involved in the club. Other 4-H clubs in the Thompson-Okanagan region offer programs as diverse as beef, rabbit, dog and photography. It all has to do with the interest shown by a club’s membership and the available leadership in the community.
Nicola Valley 4-H member Megan Dunsmore reported that last year the club carried out a number of activities. In addition to holding regular meetings, youngsters attended several workshops and clinics related to the raising of their animals and judging them in competitions. Several members took part in a summer camp in the Shuswap in July, as well as the Provincial Winter Fair, a major three-day event held in Barriere in September.
Local 4-H members participated in the Fall Fair parade, took part in Nicola Valley Riding Club events, and volunteered at the BC Cattlemen’s Association AGM held in Merritt in May. One of the club’s major service projects was the repainting of the riding arena at the rodeo/fair grounds in Collettville.
“I think it’s a great experience to be part of a club like this,” Dunsmore said. “We learn a lot about our projects, about public speaking and how to run meetings. You can also earn credits and volunteer hours towards high school graduation.”
For more information on the Nicola Valley 4-H Club and its activities, contact leaders Allison Guichon (378- 9734, [email protected]) or Hope Thomas (378-7901, [email protected]).
