CREMONA - The Cremona 4-H Club had its year-end banquet on June 16, wrapping up the 2016-17 4-H year in style at Cremona Hall. We scrubbed the livestock dirt off us for our final event. This was a year filled with many activities and events, with May and June the final project achievement days. There were 39 members strong this year so our multi club was fun.
May 6 was a tiring day, but still fun and rewarding for the club members from all projects, since the highway cleanup was done. Everyone contributed to picking up trash and made that stretch of road cleaner. During the year we also collected tires, batteries and bottles for recycling. Helping the community is a good part of what we do.
On May 13 was the mock show for the Lamb and Beef members and experienced past 4-H members came and showed us some tips and tricks about clipping and showing our animals in the ring. After some practice and photos we had a delicious lunch...that is a big part of any 4-H event.
The members in Beef and Lamb showed their sparkly groomed projects on May 23, with the Carstairs 4-H Club who were celebrating 75 years of 4-H! There were some tears especially since these kids had to sell their projects down the road to a steak or lamb chop factory, after they put in all their hard work every morning and night to feed and care for them. Thank you buyers for the support of our work.
The Magic and Welding members also had their Achievement Day on May 23 at the Show and Sale in Carstairs. The 4-H-ers in magic demonstrated unbelievable tricks like the vanishing rabbit and tons of amazing tricks with cards! All the creative welding projects were on display, with some selling in a silent auction that day as well.
The Horse members had their Achievement Day on June 4 showing what they learned in their meetings and riding time together within the year, including young horse projects at the Dogpound Rodeo grounds. The beauty of horse projects is the members get to continue to work with their equine and use skills picked up from this 4-H year.
At the banquet all the members looked snazzy. The boys wore their best and polished up cowboy boots and the girls wore their elegant dresses. Some members' outfits were grass-stained later as a football game was played after the banquet was over behind the hall. Members got awards of all sorts. Awards for public speaking, multi judging, project record books, and many individual project awards were handed out in all areas of Horse, Beef, Lamb, Welding, Magic and Creative Options. The Head, Heart, Health & Hands Award is given to the member that exemplifies what it means to be a 4-Her and is nominated by the members. Carson Griffin was chosen for this award for the 2016-17 year.
So this 4-H year may have come to an end, but these whippersnappers of 4-Hers will continue to use everything they learned in 4-H every day.
If you like to help your community, make friends, improve public speaking skills, enjoy working on a project and you are from ages 9 to 21-- then join the Cremona 4-H Club in October -- when the fun begins again. Hope to see you then. For more information visit www.cremona4H.com.
- Dusty Bennett, club reporter, Cremona 4-H Club
