4-H Public Speaking is an annual event that all 4-H members must complete to be successful each year. Although it can be very scary going up in front of other 4-H members, parents and judges, it can also be very rewarding. It seems each year it gets easier to speak but sometimes it is very difficult to chose a topic. One thing about public speaking I have learned as a 4-H member is to make it fun and be passionate about my topic. There are only a few guidelines to follow for 4-H public speaking. It must be self authored and fall within the allowed time limit for each age group with a leeway of 30 sections over/under the defined time.
Sunday, February 16, 2014, our club held our annual public speaking competition. It was a highly entertaining afternoon as we listened to each member complete a speech on a topic of their choosing. The judges had a very difficult decision in each of the age categories but in the end, very worthy winners were chosen and earned the right to represent our club at the District 12 public speaking competition.
Winners were: Alia O'Neill - Cloverbud; Jace Hansen - Junior; Dale Weinbender - Intermediate.
Right after the dust settled from our club competition, our members and parents got busy as our club was responsible for hosting the District #12 - 4H public speaking competition on March 9, 2014. Winners from each of the clubs in our district met at the Springside Legion to compete for the right to attend the South East Regional 4H public speaking event in Whitewood, SK. The six 4H clubs in District 12 are: Yorkton Creators 4-H, Otthon Outlaws 4-H, Yorkton 4-H Light Horse, Happy Center 4-H, Rhein 4-H Beef & Activities Club and of course the Springside 4-H Beef Club. The judges and audience were entertained as the young orators performed their speeches trying to earn the right to go on and compete at Whitewood.
Winners were: Alia O'Neill (Springside Beef Club) - Cloverbud; Jace Hansen (Happy Center Light Horse & Springside Beef) - Junior; Delaney Depape (Yorkton Light Horse) - Intermediate; Shawna Turner (Yorkton Light Horse) - Senior.
We would like to send out a big thank Yorkton New Holland who sponsored the lunch for this event and the Springside Lions for sponsoring the medals.
On April 12, 2014, after much hard work by our members competing for the right to compete at this event as well as a committee made up of 4H members and their leaders from the 6 clubs in District 12 hosted the Saskatchewan 4H Provincial Public Speaking competition at the Yorkton Royal Canadian Legion Branch # 77. It was a very successful event even with the threat of 6 inches of snow that morning. The 4H members who competed at this level, definitely deserved to be there by the quality of their speeches and the confidence in which they gave them. These are definitely future leaders in Saskatchewan. There were 32 youth from across the province competing in four age categories: Cloverbud, Junior, Intermediate & Senior. They were representing the four regions in the province: South East, South West, North East & North West.
We would like to give a shout out to the following people and businesses as without their support, an event this large would not be possible.
Platinum Sponsor: Regional Kids First
Gold Sponsors: Farm Credit Canada & Rocky Mountain Equipment
Silver Sponsors: Louis Dreyfus Commodities & Melville Chevrolet Buick GMC
Bronze Sponsors: Canadian Tire - Yorkton, Canterra Seeds, Companion Animal Hospital, Cornerstone Credit Union, Maple Farm Equipment, Peavey Mart, Saskatchewan Roughriders, The Rock 98.5 FM, Yorkton New Holland, Happy Center 4-H Club, Otthon Outlaws 4-H Club, Rhein 4-H Beef & Activities Club, Springside 4-H Beef Club, Yorkton Creators 4-H Club & Yorkton 4-H Light Horse Club.
Also to Peter Wyatt and the staff of the Royal Canadian Legion Branch #77 for assisting in putting on this event and Lois Trowell - past leader of the Wooly Wonders 4-H Club for all her wisdom and guidance.
