[ May 05, 2022 ] On April 20, 2022, Pickens County 4-Hers, their families, and honored guests gathered at the 4-H office for a pinning ceremony and scholarship presentation.
The ceremony began with Agent Justin Fellenbaum welcoming the families and recognizing special guests. Fourth grader Sophie Morgan stood before the crowd as she spoke of the freedom we have in this county to be a part of organizations like 4-H which was followed by the Pledge of Allegiance led by Senior 4-Her Molly Hooker.
Before the pinning could officially begin, those 4-Hers who had completed their certified teen leader training were presented with their badges. After receiving extensive leadership training, certified teen leaders are called upon to teach workshops at local 4-H events like county council and summer day camps, as well as district events like Cloverleaf Conference. They are also needed to assist with younger 4-hers as they prepare for competitions and while on trips such as district competition and reward trips. The 4-Hers who completed that training were Reese Davis, Sarahi Flores, Sheila Flores, Molly Hooker, Ryan Johnson, Dylan Lo, Micah Newton and Sophia Scott.
After badges had been given to everyone, it was time recognizing 4-hers who participated in the different events during this school year. The first group that was recognized was those who had competed in Consumer Judging back in the fall. This competition is made up of two competition areas: Judging classes and Commercials.
In the judging classes, 4-hers have to compare items or services and decide which is best according to an accompanying situation statement. The statement describes a consumer and gives the needs to be considered when he/she makes a decision to purchase the item. Factors influencing these needs may include the person's age, gender, available money, lifestyle, school or job status and any other requirements. This is where 4-hers gain skills in making rational decisions when purchasing goods and services while maximizing resources. 4-Hers were also asked to learn about cotton as an agricultural commodity in our state and promote cotton through a video commercial.
The students who received pins from their coach Melvina Carlan were: Natasha Flores, Sarahi Flores, Sheila Flores, Amelia Hooker, Molly Hooker, Ryan Johnson, Dylan Lo, Luke Mason, Jonah Newton, Micah Newton, and Beau Tate.
The next pin to be awarded was to Cloverleaf 4-Hers who participated in District Project Achievement (DPA) this spring. At the cloverleaf level (4th-6th grade), 4-Hers are asked to do an oral presentation of 3-5 minutes in front of a classroom of their peers from all over the district. This year's groups all placed either first or second in the district.
These 4-Hers received a trophy, t-shirt and a pin for their hard work: Otoniel Bautista, Natasha Flores, Amelia Hooker, Karina Mendez, Sophie Morgan, Beau Tate, Siobhan Towers, and Viridiana Valdovinos.
The final pin to be awarded was to Junior and Senior 4-Hers who participated in District Project Achievement earlier this year. At this level (7th-12th grade), the bar is raised with speeches increasing in length and preparing a portfolio of work that reflects what they did in their specific area of study. All of this group placed first in the district.
These 4-hers were presented with a pin representing their project area, a certificate, a t-shirt, and a scholarship sponsored by Shottenkirk Ford of Jasper. The 4-hers who were recognized for this accomplishment were: Reese Davis, Sarahi Flores, Sheila Flores, Molly Hooker, Ryan Johnson, Dylan Lo, and Micah Newton.
The night concluded with special area scholarships being given in Leadership to Molly Hooker, Volunteerism to Ryan Johnson, Dedication to 4-H to Sarahi and Sheila Flores, and the Melvina Carlan Perseverance Scholarships.
Our donors for all the scholarships were recognized that night as well: Community Bank of Pickens County, Jasper Lions Club, Shottenkirk Ford of Jasper, Master Gardeners, and Renasant Bank.
Donors for t-shirts and other things that night were: Louise Fox, Eve Sauer, Outdoor Solutions, and Luella Ledford.
Special thanks went to the Jasper Optimist Club for letting us borrow their decorations to make the night extra special. We were honored to have Leslie Miller of the Jasper Lions Club, Mila Lane of Renasant Bank, and Mr. Charlie of the Master Gardeners there as our special guests.
