The Land Of Enchantment

Greetings from New Mexico!

At this year's State 4-H Leadership Conference, the New Mexico State 4-H Officer team visited Pennsylvania. We then had the opportunity to exchange and fly to the "Land of Enchantment" for the New Mexico State 4-H Conference. After three flights and an a brief car ride we arrived at The New Mexico State University! That evening we were welcomed by the New Mexico State 4-H Leadership Team over authentic Mexican cuisine at Si Senor's where we got to try green and red chili...delicious! Our first day was busy; helping to run a carnival and welcoming the New Mexico participants. The carnival consisted of an array of activities including pie throwing and a dunk booth which benefited cancer research. During the evening we participated in opening ceremonies. Speakers included Dr. Frank E. Hodnett and Rhett Laubach. Mr. Laubach motivated the crowd through his use of humor and experiences as a former 4-H member. Afterwards a themed dance sponsored by the State Officer took place.

This morning we participated in a New Mexico State University Campus scavenger hunt. This event was a challenge for us because we were very unfamiliar with the landmarks of the facility. The scavenger hunt turned out to me a lovely fast-paced tour of the scenery. Afterward we continued preparations for our Public Speaking workshop which we presented this afternoon. We provided information and educational activities for the participants to take back to their 33 counties and 7,000 4-H members. Currently we are waiting for the campaign speeches of the 2009-2010 Leadership Team to commence.

We look forward to enjoying the rest of our week here in New Mexico and we hope to see you at State Days in 2 weeks!

Sincerely,
The PA State 4-H Council