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Saskatoon, SK - The 2021 4-H Saskatchewan Provincial Public Speaking Competition was held virtually on May 15-16, 2021. Thirty-two 4-H members from across the province participated in the event, with the Cloverbud and Junior members presenting their speeches in the morning, and the Intermediate and Senior competitors presenting their speeches in the afternoon. This was a unique event for 4-H Saskatchewan, with the organization facing the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic head on and moving the event to the Zoom platform instead of in-person. To make the event special for the 4-H members, each competitor was mailed out a care package, complete with local goodies from different parts of the province. “I’m always so impressed with the quality of speeches, and the presence our speakers have, even from a young age, and this year was no different,” said Cera Youngson, executive director of 4-H Saskatchewan. “Our members rose to the challenge of presenting their speeches in a new way this year in a virtual live format. Each member should be proud of advancing to this prestigious “stage” through their club, district, and regional competitions.” After much deliberation, the panel of judges determined the results to be: Cloverbud Results 1st Place - Claire Galli, Melville Town ‘N Country 4-H Club (Yorkton) - “A Job Involving My Furry Friends” 2nd Place - Kendele Noble, Durness Multi 4-H Club (Lloydminster) - “Don’t Eat Out of the Cheeto Bowl” 3rd Place - Teslyn Kajner, Meskanaw-Ethelton 4-H Beef Club (St. Brieux) - “Brothers” Junior Results 1st Place - Mara Ward, Elcapo Lighthorse 4-H Club (Broadview) - “Coyote Hunting” 2nd Place - Hannah Hougham, Hillmond 4-H Beef Club (Frenchman Butte) - “Cattle, Carbon, & Climate” 3rd Place - Kain Fidelack, Kelvington 4-H Grain Club (Margo) - “Fake It Til You Make It” Intermediate 1st Place - Olivia Keslick, Maple Creek Multiple 4-H Club (Maple Creek) - “Technology” 2nd Place - Marleigh Mann, Northminster 4-H Beef Club (Lloydminster) - “The Future of Sustainable Ag” 3rd Place - Isabelle Erickson, Elcapo Lighthorse 4-H Club (Wolseley) - “West Nile in Horses” Senior 1st Place - Emma Bonk, Candiac 4-H Beef Club (Wolseley) - “Silence” 2nd Place - Codee Kopelchuk, Good Spirit 4-H Club (Canora) - “In the Ring” 3rd Place - Makenna Heidecker, Three Lakes 4-H Beef Club (Middle Lake) - “Learn to Do by Doing” Thank you to our judges Patti Durand, Glenn Lapointe, Marlene Tymiak, Erin Toner, Alicia Sopatyk, Chloe Sprecker, Angela Letendre, Neil Billinger, and Blain Hjertaas for volunteering your time with us today. It was greatly appreciated! Thank you to our prize sponsors Yvette Moore and Sheppard Realty for sponsoring the event. “I’d like to thank our dedicated volunteers and hosting committees who went above and beyond to host their club and district events in a new and modified ways during COVID, and my hardworking staff team for hosting the regional and provincial events this year,” Youngson said. “We’re optimistic for provincial public speaking to return to an in person format in Middle Lake, Saskatchewan in 2022.” -30- Please contact:
Jodi Schellenberg Program and Communications Specialist 306-933-6961 communications@4-h.sk.ca
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Saskatoon, SK - 4-H Saskatchewan and the Saskatchewan Cattlemen’s Association are proud to announce their renewed partnership, designed to support future generations of the beef industry and promote the great work beef producers are doing across Saskatchewan. The two organizations will be working together during the next three years, with the Saskatchewan Cattlemen’s Association contributing a total of $60,000 towards scholarships, industry events and educational resources for young producers within the 4-H program. Through this partnership, 4-H Saskatchewan will be able to provide the resources, training, and support to enhance the knowledge of its young producers and empower them to become the future leaders of the beef industry. “SCA’s role is to promote and develop the cattle industry in Saskatchewan. 4-H develops many of the leaders of tomorrow,” said Arnold Balicki, SCA Board Chair. “This partnership has both organizations aligning to ensure Beef Symposium and other beef events contribute to improving the skills, knowledge and abilities of tomorrow’s beef producers.” The partnership encompasses many aspects of the beef industry, encouraging youth to expand their knowledge by gaining confidence in their beef projects and learning communication regarding their projects. Further to this, the 4-H program focuses on hands-on learning, through events such as Beef Symposium, and encouraging young producers to utilize the tools available through industry groups, such as Canada Beef, in an effort to support future beef producers. “4-H Saskatchewan recognizes the importance of beef production to our province and our country,” said Cera Youngson, Executive Director of 4-H Saskatchewan. “We know the care our beef producers take in raising their animals while supporting sustainable grassland ecosystems, which is why we are proud to partner with the Saskatchewan Cattlemen’s Association to support the next generation of sustainable beef producers. “We look forward to working with the SCA to empower our future leaders through the 4-H program. This partnership will ensure our membership continues to learn the skills and knowledge to raise quality beef while caring for their livestock and their environment.” To kick off the partnership, 4-H Saskatchewan is launching their annual Online Beef Trivia Challenge, which can be found on at www.4-h.sk.ca/contests . The Trivia Challenge is open to all 4-H’ers, regardless of involvement in the beef industry. - 30 - For more information, please contact:
Saskatoon, Sask.- The 2021 Annual General Meeting was held on March 20. This year, due to gathering size limits, it was a hybrid in-person and virtual event. Four locations – North Battleford, Melfort, Regina and Swift Current – joined together the 107 attendees through Zoom. It was an exciting challenge to figure out how to safely put on an in-person event during a global pandemic. Each location was not allowed more than 30 people in the room, with each attendee having to go through screening questions and be signed in and out for contact tracing. In addition, there were sanitation stations available, all participants were required to wear masks and no food and drink was allowed in the meeting space. To help participants sit through a full day of meetings without food under these restrictions, there was an extended lunch period, to give them enough time to leave the facility to eat. The theme of this year's meeting “STEMming to the Beyond”, under the Science & Technology development pillar. The leaders and members were given a sealed pulse snack (which they could not open) from Three Farmers. They used the code on the package to participate in a game, learning more about pulses and where their product was grown, before answering a few questions through Mentimeter about agriculture. During the day, member and leader voting delegates were asked to vote for the Board of Directors, Advisory Council and Ambassador Representatives, as well as to vote on one resolution which would require clubs that do not reorganize to put their funds in trust with 4-H Saskatchewan for two years. If the club does not reorganize in two years, the funds would support either the district the club belongs to or a club start up fund, which would supply a grant to new clubs. After a few amendments, the resolution was carried. Since the event was mostly virtual, members were encouraged to have some fun through an online trivia game and watched a “Parade of Regions” video, with appearances from some staff, board, advisory council and ambassadors. There was a special Clover Draw, where participants put a toonie into a tin to have their name put on a numbered clover. There was then draws throughout the day, where if your number was pulled, you would be able to pick up a prize when you left the meeting. Between the Clover Draw and donations from district 4-H councils, $1,500 for the Saskatchewan 4-H Foundation was raised. After the business portion of the meeting concluded, there were a few special announcements. The most impactful announcement was the $250,000 gift from Mr. Brian Hesje to 4-H Saskatchewan. His gift will go towards improving technology and to the creation of an alumni program. The attendees enjoyed a short video, where Mr. Hesje explained his donation in his own words. Another exciting announcement was the creation of the Exploring 4-H At Home Kits, which were made possible through the Emergency Community Support Fund. These kits will help clubs in rural areas, who may not have advanced technology, connect with their members through fun activities. There are nine kits available and each fits under at least one of the 4-H Canada Leadership Development pillars. They include worksheets, some supplies and instructions for each kit. The business meeting was adjourned and everyone was free to go home. Overall, it was a very successful AGM! Our Board of Directors for the 2021-22 year are Cameron Choquette, Becky Huber and Louise Sroka for the North West; Mike Kirzinger, Michell Heidecker, Trena Hoffus-Preston representing the North East; Alvin Pawlitza, Kylie Mackie and Stan Figley as South West leaders; Glenn Gress, Brittany Stepp and Jason Frey rounding out the South East; Dylan Watt and Brooklyn Trask as the Member Delegates, and Leah Clark as our Ag Representative. The Board of Directors held their first reorganizational meeting a few days after AGM, where they elected the 2021-22 Executive and special positions. Congratulations to:
Our 2021-22 Advisory Council members are Grace Christensen (SE), Shayla Preston (NE), Kennedy MacNeil (SW) and Amanda Kaminski (NW). The AC will be completing online training within the next couple months and planning their first in-person meeting. The 2021-22 Ambassadors are:
4-H Saskatchewan is looking forward to the 2021-22 year and is excited to welcome the new Board, Advisory Council and Ambassadors to their roles within the organization. - 30 - Please contact:
Jodi Schellenberg Program and Communications Specialist 306-933-6961 communications@4-h.sk.ca Saskatoon, Sask.- The Saskatchewan 4-H Foundation has been celebrating 60 years during 2020 and wrapped up celebrations on January 30, with a 4-H takeover of the CJWW Old Tyme Dance Party. The 60th Anniversary year of the Foundation has definitely been something worth celebrating – 2020 has shown the resilience and dedication of 4-H supporters coming together to ensure the long-term sustainability of the 4-H program, helping to empower youth for generations to come, through both good and challenging times. “Things may have not gone as originally planned, but 2020 really exemplified just why the 60th Anniversary truly is something worth celebrating,” Development Officer Shelby Corey said. “We are celebrating the generosity of our supporters over the past 60 years, and the way the 4-H family has stepped up during this anniversary year, during 2020, has been absolutely amazing. We are incredibly thankful for this support, which will allow us to meet the needs of 4-H youth both now and for future generations.” Anniversary celebrations started on March 10, 2020, at the Saskatchewan Association of Rural Municipalities Annual Convention, connecting with many alumni and enjoying anniversary cake alongside some 4-H Saskatchewan history and an announcement by MLA Lyle Stewart at the Saskatchewan Legislature. During these initial celebrations, a goal of $60,000 for 60 years was set. This was a large goal, but one which will have a lasting impact on youth for generations to come. Thanks to the many supporters who have stepped up throughout 2020, not only was this goal achieved, but more than quadrupled this goal. Part of the campaign was an online Diamond Discovery campaign, where 4-H members, alumni, and supporters could share their Diamond Discovery Stories to showcase how 4-H has helped them and/or others to discover their inner diamond, because the 60th Anniversary is also known as the Diamond Anniversary. The Saskatchewan 4-H Foundation is thankful to the support of everyone who donated throughout the year, to make the 4-H program continue to be strong for future generation. Although the organization was unable to host many of its usual events during the pandemic, everyone still supported it through new initiatives, such as an online auction and the Going Green campaign, where Saskatchewan 4-H Council Board President Glenn Gress stepped up to raise funds to support the program, by vowing to dye his hair green if enough donations were received. In addition to exciting celebrations, the Foundation also received support from new and existing donors. Long-time 4-H supporter, Bill Cooper, helped deliver two $3,000 scholarships for 4-H members or alumni who had shown leadership during the pandemic. There was also a new major gift donated during 2020, from Brian Hesje, in the amount of $250,000. The funds will be used to help 4-H Saskatchewan modernize service delivery through technology and operational efficiency, allowing more time and resources to go directly to supporting youth. A second portion of the gift will be used to support the development of an alumni strategy and programs for the continued development of 4-H alumni and volunteers. - 30 - Background: 4-H Saskatchewan is made up of the Saskatchewan 4-H Council, a non-profit organization, and the Saskatchewan 4-H Foundation, a charitable organization. The Council was formed in 1917 and the Foundation was created through an act of Legislature in 1960. 2020 was the 60th anniversary of the Saskatchewan 4-H Foundation.
For more information or to set up an interview, please contact: Jodi Schellenberg Program and Communications Specialist 4-H Saskatchewan 306-933-6961 communications@4-h.sk.ca The 4-H Saskatchewan Communications Competition was held during the summer and fall months for all ages of 4-H’ers – from Cloverbuds to Adults! In this competition, participants were to create a piece based on the topic, “Head, Heart, Hands and Health in Action.” This competition had three categories: Video: Participants could film a demonstration/presentation or a performance art piece Written: Participants could write either an essay/news article or a fictional short story/poem Visual: Participants could create an art piece using digital technology or hand drawn There were some great submissions sent in by all ages! Here are the first place winners in each category:
Thank you to everyone who submitted their art, writing and videos. Thank you to Bev Graham from Plains Midstream Canada for being our judge!
This year, instead of holding an in-person Leaderama event, a series of webinars was held during the first three weeks of December. The change in the program allowed 4-H’ers to enjoy the webinars in the comfort of their own home. In total, 25 people attended the webinars, with many attending more than one throughout the three weeks. Here is a quick run down of all of the webinars: Ag Awareness Champions - Dec. 1 Guest speaker Clinton Monchuk from Farm & Food Care - SK to the attendees about how to speak positively about agriculture, shared some statistics around what people think about ag, clarified what terms to use when talking to people who may not know much about agriculture, advised how to deal with difficult conversations and had some discussion around what they would do in certain situations. The 4-H’ers had some great conversations about how to speak positively about agriculture and were interested in hearing more from Monchuk in the future. Connecting Communities Through COVID-19 - Dec. 3 This presentation was presented by Shelby Longworth, the North East Regional 4-H Specialist. Shelby spoke about current COVID restrictions, what clubs can do, leading by example, technology in your club, community service, and fun ideas for clubs. There were good conversations and people enjoyed the positive outlook for the 4-H year. Mental Health In Rural Communities - Dec. 8 The Mental Health webinar, led by Kalynne Martin, the North West Regional 4-H Specialist, began with a bit of background in the differences of mental health and mental illness. The leaders learned a bit about the six major points of mental health and how to look for them in themselves and others. Then the session challenged participants with a list of trivia questions around the facts relating to mental health, prevalence of it in society, and the stigma that is still attached to it to this day. Lastly a list of resources was complied with a brief summary of what they offer and how to offer support to those around you. 4-H 101 - Dec. 9 This session was run by Melodi Hawkesford-Lee, the South East Regional 4-H Specialist. Participants learned the basics of running a 4-H club with Melodi Hawkesford-Lee, using 4-H’s Club Resource Guide as a reference tool. Topics in this session included: Motivating 4-H Factors; 4-H Club Personnel & Duties; Running the 4-H Club and Planning your Year; Event Planning; Finances; Club Autonomy; Risk Management; Successful Club Secrets; and Beyond the Club. Peer Mentoring - Dec. 10 This session, led by Kaitlyn Keller, talked about how peer and traditional mentors could be established, how to set guidelines and make sure both parties involved feel heard and understood with their desired goals of the relationship. This is something naturally built into the 4-H program, as older members are usually helping younger members and our leaders are teaching both their peers and the members. We worked through scenarios showing how to help each other in a positive way and teaching members how to return to their goals if the relationship were to get off track in a negative way. Another topic was how to establish boundaries within each relationship and how to have multiple mentors or peer mentoring relationships at the same time. Overall the webinar went smooth with all in attendance. Fundraising - Dec. 14 This session was hosted by Development Officer Shelby Corey. The webinar started off with a brainstorming exercise to help set goals and get clubs thinking about what they could accomplish through increased fundraising capacity. Next the group discussed different kinds of fundraisers and the different role fundraisers play in supporting clubs and communities. Lastly, the webinar talked about safe fundraising through COVID-19 and the different fundraising opportunities offered through the provincial office.
 Saskatoon, Sask.- The 24th annual 4-H Saskatchewan draw was held on December 17 at 1 p.m. at the Provincial 4-H Office in Saskatoon. “We appreciate all of our clubs who participated in selling tickets this year,” Executive Director Cera Youngson said. “There were a number of new challenges that were in place because of the COVID-19 pandemic. 4-H clubs embraced the changes to make sure they were selling the tickets in a safe manner." The 4-H Lottery is an annual fundraiser for the 4-H program in Saskatchewan, with all the proceeds directly supporting the 4-H movement in our province. This year, there were 4,308 individual tickets sold and 3,329 50/50 add-on tickets sold. The lottery raised $24,869, with $14,221.50 going directly back to the clubs and District 4-H Councils, which participated by selling the lottery tickets, and the remainder supporting the provincial organization. District #36 was the top seller with $4,661 in ticket sales. Our 50/50 winner took home $3,329. “Thank you to everyone who bought lottery tickets this year,” Youngson said. “We appreciate your support of 4-H and the future of the program in the province.” Congratulations to the Grand Prize winner Graeme Mark of Saskatoon, who won the garden shed, built by the woodworking students at A.E. Peacock Collegiate, with building supplies donated by Yara Belle Plaine Inc. Yara has been a proud supporter of 4-H Saskatchewan since the 4-H lottery was first started. Their generous support includes supplying all necessary building materials for the construction of the playhouse, as well as covering other associated lottery costs. Thank you to Yara for continuing to recognize the value and allowing A.E. students to "Learn to Do by Doing" while building the grand prize lottery items, which in the past have included gardening sheds, multiple playhouses and an ice-fishing shack. Thank you to Peavey Mart Moose Jaw for providing display space. Congratulations to all of our prize winners:
The winner of the $3,329 50/50 pot was Cody Somers of Battleford. 4-H Saskatchewan is grateful to have the support of all of our prize donors including: Yara Belle Plaine Inc., A.E. Peacock Collegiate, The Western Producer, Staples, CAA Saskatchewan, Lowe’s, Co-operative Hail Insurance and VIA Rail. Plans are already underway for the 25th Annual 4-H Saskatchewan Lottery. Tickets will be available in 2021. To support 4-H, contact your local 4-H club or the provincial office for tickets. -30- For more information, please contact: Jodi Schellenberg Program and Communications Specialist 4-H Saskatchewan 306-933-6961 communications@4-h.sk.ca Correction: This article was first published with District #10 announced as the top seller - it is actually District #36. Nineteen 4-H members and one leader took part in 4-H’s first-ever virtual Club Executive Training Webinar on November 28, 2020! Participants started with a learning session, led by South East Regional 4-H Specialist Melodi Hawkesford-Lee, about: parliamentary procedure basics; creating an agenda; using proper terminology; exploring motions; addressing meeting problems and an executive position study. We also had several “breakout room sessions” led by 4-H staff Kalynne Martin, Kaitlyn Keller, Shelby Longworth and Jodi Schellenberg, where members were divided into smaller groups and moved into a separate virtual “rooms” with other participants and two 4-H Specialists / Leaders. These “breakout” session topics included:
Our participants enjoyed the afternoon and learned more about how to run their 4-H Clubs! Thank you to Nora Schock for helping supervise a breakout room!
Science Day was held on October 10 through GoToMeeting and YouTube videos. There were a dozen people who attended this event. We had three live sessions, including a Science Scavenger Hunt, which taught members some science terms, Non-Newtonic liquid experiment with cornstarch and water and a paper airplanes session, which taught members about aerodynamics and some physics. There were also seven YouTube videos for the members. These included:
The members who attended all had a great time! They hope to share some of the videos with their 4-H clubs. We look forward to seeing more members attending some of our virtual events in the future! Twenty-four 4-H members took part in 4-H’s first-ever Virtual 4-H Judging Clinic, held on October 3-4, using virtual technologies. In Saturday’s morning session, participants worked through a judging workshop and learned what judging is all about. A highlight of the morning session was when members had to find an impromptu judging class in their own homes! Household items that were judged including blankets, paints, chocolate bars, mugs, magnets and more! In the afternoon, 13 competitive participants attended an information session where they learned how to use the online judging platforms, in order to judge the following online classes: Beef, Light Horse, Swine and Yellow Peas. Viterra representative Jeff Danielson gave a very informative in-person presentation about judging the Yellow Peas class. Other judges viewed the classes online and provided organizers with placings and cuts for their classes, though they did attend the virtual event. Class judges included: Carla Borsa (Beef); Emily Letendre (Light Horse) and Rebecca Longworth (Swine). On Sunday all competitive participants were given a timeslot to present their oral reasons virtually with Oral Reasons Judge Kim McLean, who then provided feedback to each of the members on how to improve their oral reasons presentation skills. OVERALL PLACINGS:
HIGH POINTS PER CLASS:
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