ESTEVAN - Young people from throughout southeast Saskatchewan were in Estevan on Saturday for the 2024 South East Regional 4-H Public Speaking Contest at the Estevan Church of God.
A total of 36 speakers were entered, with nine in each of the cloverbud (ages six to eight), junior (nine to 12), intermediate (13-15) and senior (16-21 age groups. The length of the speeches ranged from one to three minutes for cloverbuds, to four to eight minutes for seniors. More than 20 different clubs were represented.
Judges determined the results. The top-two finishers in each age group advanced to provincials in Melville on April 20.
In the cloverbud age group, Reed Vandenhurk from the Cymri 4-H Beef Club was first with his speech titled I Love Lego, and Mara Forden from the Serath Multiple 4-H Club was second with Part-Time Chore Girl.
The junior division's winner was Darian Beattie of the Melville Town 'N Country 4-H Clubs for The Right Decision, while Luke Vandenhurk of the Cymri 4-H Beef Club was second for his speech Pheasant Hunting.
In the intermediate division, Gage Goetz of the Outram-Madigan Beef 4-H Club was first for discussing Slingshot Racing, and Amy Fradette of the Pangman-Ogema 4-H Beef Club was second for her speech Heidi Fradette 2.0 – a reference to her older sister.
As for the senior division, Ava Loveridge of the Goodeve Multiple 4-H Club was first for her Vertically Challenged speech, while Cailey Haus of the Candiac 4-H Beef Club was second for Small-Town Life.
Prior to announcing the winners, the judges were highly complimentary of the speakers. They praised the youths for their topics, information, preparation, delivery, introductions, confidence on stage and minimal use of cue cards. They also offered advice on how to improve in the future.
Each of the judges who addressed the kids said they had a hard time deciding the winners.
Glenn Gress of the Browning 4-H Club, who is a former provincial 4-H president, said he understands why it was difficult for the judges.
"They asked if we could have more than one winner, and we said 'No, it has to be first, second and third,'" said Gress.
He also had great things to say about the kids and their efforts.
"Like all 4-H speeches, they were a really good calibre. All of the kids did excellent jobs," said Gress.
The topics were appropriate for the age groups, he said. The audience members were entertained and the kids often incorporated humour into their speeches.
The first-place finishers were presented with a plaque, the second and third-place speakers received medals, and the other kids went home with certificates.
The region extends from Radville to the west, Lumsden and Yorkton to the north, the Saskatchewan-Manitoba border to the east and the Canada-U.S. border to the south. There are nine districts in the region, and the speaking competition alternates between them. The clubs in the Estevan area are in District 1, and Gress said it was their turn to host the competition this year.
"If you ever want to see 4-H speeches, please come out. It's a great enjoyment for the afternoon, and you're just supporting a great organization," said Gress.
