4-H Speak Out Night

4-H Speak Out Night

Did you know that 74% of people have a fear of public speaking?  In fact, public speaking or Glossophobia is the number one fear among people, but for a small group of people who gathered from a tri-county area including Dauphin, Perry, and Cumberland counties, 4-H’ers had a chance to conquer that fear! 

Participants could choose their poison – prepared speeches, demonstrations, impromptu speeches, radio spot, pledge presentations, and PowerPoint presentations.  I personally decided to do a demonstration on back-yard gardening.  My younger sister Madison decided to throw her hat into the ring with a demonstration on rabbit showmanship.  We watched a variety of speeches on varying topics including the Civil War, Triple Crown winning horses, Man’s Best Friend – the dog, Pink Slime, GMO’s, Solar Power, and more.  One by one, each participant took the floor, collected their nerves, and delivered their speech.  The world didn’t end and they all were awarded a blue merit for their participation.

It just went to show how 4-H offers so much to so many.  It offers life skills beyond measure.  It isn’t just about the project or the blue ribbon they are receiving, it’s about much more than that.  Its helping them prepare for the future, giving them that confidence to rise above the fear, and providing them with a tool that over 74% of the population is lacking; pretty impressive if you ask me!

Dauphin County Participants

 

The curtains fall, but it's not over!

Finally, after a rather hectic month, our well rehearsed play brought in a great audience, the ranch is getting back to it's accustomed time, school is going well, and further plans are being made!  Soon, our 4-H kickoff with an Earth Day theme will be around and I expect a lot of fun and people interested in the 4-H program as we show off what we've got!  The combined help of the Teen Club and any willing in our county will be sure to have the greatest county kick-off leaving new shoes in my path and in those tracks of other club members I've grown to see as family as many of us age this and next year, and we'll be sure to leave with a blast!
But for now, we're focusing on what's just ahead!  Barbecues, Earth Day, fair, and Achievement Days!!  I'm looking forward to the rest of this spring and summer as 4-H, sports, and prom come around the corner!

As a very important person once said to me, "One foot up, one foot down!"

Have an awesome spring~

Stephanie McFall

Thoroughly Modern…Student Director?

This past winter, aside from State Leadership Conference, Capital Days, and local 4-H clubs and events I dedicated time to, I spent many evenings at my high school as a student director of the musical, “Thoroughly Modern Millie.” Filled with talented leads, scary stenographers, intense tap numbers, possible white slavery, crazy Chinese people, speakeasies, attractive male singing, and elegant jazz singers, the production of Millie was quite exhilarating.

Keeping with my eventful senior year, becoming a student director was yet another new position that I found myself in this year. Though I was in two musicals when I was in junior high school, high school level musicals are naturally a much higher caliber of production. With shows that are compared to the quality of a Broadway musical, it is safe to say that my high school is well known for their musicals. Hence, becoming a student director taught me a great deal about musical theater.

Being a student director simply meant I was there to be the right hand woman when our director needed something done or when there were stage directions, blocking, and other notes to be made. When show week rolled around, I was back stage helping the costume moms with the final alterations. It was a great feeling knowing that I was putting to use the sewing skills 4-H taught me when I sewed hem after hem after hem! Of course a show is not compete without numerous quick costume changes backstage and who better to help the actresses out than a fellow cast mate? Prior to the shows, it was a hoot trying to help the boys put on their makeup to make them pop on stage. I even got to experiment with my own ridiculous stage makeup because I had a special cameo role in the last scene being the new girl in town or the “new Millie.”  

With the last four performances at my high school being extremely popular shows such as Beauty and the Beast (2007), Les Miserables (2008), West Side Story (2010) and Phantom of the Opera (2011), the cast members and I found it difficult to market the musical to the community and our class mates. Many people questioned how those performances would be topped with a musical that nearly no one had heard of. Our director set a goal for us: to encourage our classmates to attend and our support hard work. He felt that only the older members of the community and veterans of BASH musical productions were patronizing the musicals yearly and he wanted to see younger generations supporting the productions. I can confidently say that we achieved that goal because we had great crowds filled with supportive fellow classmates and friends. Word got out that our show was thoroughly impressive and each night the auditorium got progressively fuller. By our fourth and final performance, the auditorium was nearly sold out!

I am grateful I had the opportunity to share my time and talents with my school musical and that I was a part of something that is so huge in my school and community. I had a blast getting to know a talented cast and a remarkable director in the four short months the show came together. The excitement of show week and the bonding with my fellow cast mates are moments I live for and I will cherish the unforgettable experience I had with Boyertown High School’s production of, “Thoroughly Modern Millie.”

Sincerely,

Cecilia Stuetz

Pennsylvania State 4-H Council Secretary 

"Individual commitment to a group effort, that is what makes a team work, a company work, a society work, a civilization work." - Vince Lombardi

Ice Cream at the Capitol Building

March has been an exciting month for 4-H.  One of the interesting events I got to attend was the Extension Capitol Day. 

 

I arrived with members of my county delegation which were all part of the Extension Agency.  I got the chance to talk to several Senators and Representatives about the importance of the Extension Program.  I believe it was good for many to recognize the impact the extension agency has on youth.  All of the 4-H Programs that Pennsylvania has, are created through the Extension Research, so trying to get support for the agency that helps run 4-H was a worthwhile experience. 

After talking with several senators and representatives I had the exciting opportunity of scoping ice cream.  That’s right scooping ice cream, who said being a state officer was all about being serious.  I had the pleasure of dishing out mint chocolatechip with fellow state officer Tyler Shaw and officer alumni Liz McAndrew.  We served ice cream to Senators, Representatives, and to their Aids.  At events like these, getting a chance to have some good laughs after a long day of advocacy is just what a youth needs.  I also learned something that day:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Leadership is also scooping ice cream! 

 

George Dietrich, Historian and Reporter

 

 

 

Where did the School Year Go?

Hello everyone,

I don't know if anyone feels the same way I do, but I can't believe that the school year is almost over! For some of us this is an amazing accomplishment because you finally get to graduate and it's the start of a new beginning; but for some of us, we are not yet able to close the book of high school. Even though I am only a junior in high school, I am already looking into the future and checking out colleges and universities. Everyone always says to not wish time to go any faster because someday you'll want the lost time back and I am now starting to believe it. I just turned 17 this month and I feel like I haven't been greatful enough for some of the amazing things and oppurtunities in my life. Sometimes, I think that everyone just rushes around to much with everything that is going on and they don't focus enough on what really matters and what is really important. Even though I truly do believe that time flies when you're having fun, I think that it is better to slow down sometimes and enjoy the little things.

I myself need to focus more on this as well. Sometimes I feel like I am involved in way too many things, even though I like to keep myself busy. Being so involved sometimes causes me to miss minor things but I get to enjoy even better things instead. I am the head of the prom and graduation committees at my school at I cannot believe how fast these events are happening. I feel like everytime we plan something that we're not going to have enough time to get it accomplished, but like always, it will all work out.

I also cannot believe that we only have one more BIG statewide council event left together. So far it has been one of the greatest experiences that I've ever had and I know that the end will only be better! I have come to have another family known as the 2012-2013 PS4-HC. I will forever hold amazing memories with the other seven council members and my wonderful advisors.

I can't wait for the end of the school year and for State Achievement Days!! I hope that everyone plans to be there and I hope that everyone enjoyed Capital Days!

Until next time,
Dawn Craft
2012-2013 Pennsylvania State 4-H Counicl; Vice President of Operations