The Ashcroft 4-H Club held its Communication Day event on March 15, with 22 club members presenting demonstrations, prepared speeches, speak and shows, and impromptu speeches to an appreciative audience.
Communication Day is an event that helps 4-H members improve their communication skills, both written and verbal, through various activities. By participating in the event, members gain valuable experience and build confidence in their ability to communicate effectively.
Members can participate by presenting prepared or impromptu speeches, or deliver researched presentations on a chosen topic, followed by a question-and-answer session. Another option is to demonstrate or showcase a skill or process while explaining it to the audience.
Several of the presentations were made by younger members of the club (Cloverbuds) aged between 6 and 8, but the judges (Marilyn Campbell, Paul Ford, Barbara Roden, and Jackie Tegart) were only there to score the presentations made by senior members (aged 9 to 14). Topics ranged from narwhals, penguins, and flowers to the Northern Lights, how books are published, and corn silage.
Mathias Mayden (Cloverbud) spoke about his Lavendar Orpington, Vanilla, who was there as a visual aid, while Hazel Krause — also a Cloverbud — demonstrated how to bottle feed her calf. Oliver Schalles and Paxton Mayden demonstrated how to make chocolate chip cookies, with the audience (and judges) able to sample a batch that had been made earlier.
When the scores were tallied, Jackson Hunter (who spoke about World War II) was the Senior speech winner, while Reed Woodman — who spoke about the cartoon character Garfield — was the Junior Speech winner. Both will take part in the district 4-H speech finals coming up in Kamloops on April 12.
Presli Schalles and Bailey Krause, who showed how to make cream cheese frosting, were the Senior Demonstration winners, while Oliver and Paxton (and their cookies) were the Junior Demonstration winners. Jacob Krause, who showed how to do maintenance on a dirt bike, was the Senior Speak and Show winner. Three members — Presli Schalles, Jacob Krause, and Jackson Hunter — stepped up to do impromptu speeches, earning warm applause.
Congratulations to all the Ashcroft 4-H Club members who took part! If you have a child aged 6 to 14 who might be interested in being a part of 4-H, visit the Ashcroft 4-H Club Facebook page.
