July Updates

Greetings everyone!

July has certainly been an action-packed month for the State Council. On July 11-17, we attended the State Conference at New Mexico State University in Las Cruces. We met the NM State 4-H Leadership Team members. We also helped set up the team’s fundraiser, a carnival. The proceeds went toward the University of New Mexico’s cancer research efforts. As a council, we taught public speaking and people skills workshops to the delegates. We were inspired by the Leadership Team’s use of technology at their opening ceremonies. We also observed differences in the events, such as in the State Conference we attended. It is essentially Leadership Conference and State Days combined. In addition to spending time with the NM Team, we toured the Farm and Ranch Heritage museum and the NASA facilities.

A week after the New Mexico expedition, we attended the Summer Leadership Institute from July 26-28. We participated in conflict management and positive attitude workshops. We also toured the Pasquerilla center on the Penn State campus. The 2009 PA State 4-H Achievement Days was held at Penn State University July 28-30. The theme for State Days was “Rev Up”. For the Opening Ceremonies, the council wrote a script and filmed a movie showing the 4-Hs, Head, Heart, Hands, and Health competing for the title of the “Clover Cup”. The overall message reflected in the skit was that head, heart, hands, and health work together. We also had speakers Dean of the College of Agricultural Sciences Bruce McPheron, Christy Bartley, State 4-H Program Leader, and Ms. Laurie Stewart, our keynote. We also emceed the 4-H Talent Show and Awards Ceremony in addition to introducing the commentators of the State Fashion Revue.

The next event that we will be attending is Ag Progress Days in the Penn State area August 18-20. See you there!

Alex Stepnoski
2009 Council VP Conference