4 H Achievement Banquet

Every year, our county 4 H holds an Achievement Banquet to recognize those who turn in 4 H journals and have a lot of 4 H participation.  Those who are new to 4 H can also be invited to the banquet if they write a 4 H story telling what they have learned and hope to learn while being in 4 H.  This year's theme was The Many Faces of 4 H.  The Teen Leaders (which Chelsea is a member of) plan the banquet.  They decide on the theme, decorations, plan the menu, and the program.  They did an awesome job this year!  The decorations were beautiful and the banquet was really nice.

Writing a 4 H journal is not an easy thing, and it does take a lot of work, but it is a great record of what the children have done not only this year but in all of their 4 H careers.  They can earn awards at the county, district, ans state levels.  As they get older the journals also determine 4 H college scholarships.  The cloverbud (5-8 year old) journal is the easiest to write. 

This is the 4th year that Alex has turned in a cloverbud journal.  Every other year though, he has dictated what he wanted to say to me and I have written it down for him.  This year, he wanted to do it all by himself.  That may not seem like a big deal to some, but when reading and writing is difficult, for him to even want to do it was a big deal.  He worked very hard and wrote it all himself (I just spelled all of his words) and even put his own pictures in.  I was so proud of him! 

(I had  to black out some names on the certificate to post this pic)

This was Nick's 1st year completing a beginner journal.  The beginner journal is a lot more complicated than the cloverbud journal.  Nick worked hard on his journal but it still required a lot of help from mom.  His main project area is Animal Science/Poultry and other projects were Foods and Nutrition and Science and Technology.  He was really nervous last night at the banquet because they handed out all of the beginner awards and moved on to the intermediate and did not call his name.  They finished the intermediate and moved on to the advanced and still did not call his name.  He was getting really upset and was convinced they had forgotten him (especially when Chelsea  who was giving out the awards said his name was not on the list.)  I told him to settle down it was going to be fine.  They were finishing the advanced journal winners and were also giving out the County Champion awards for the most 4 H participation, and Nick's name was called!  He was County Champion and got a 4 H duffle bag with his name on it and a pin for Poultry  for being a county journal winner.

Chelsea is getting to be a pro at journal writing.  The first couple of years we did 4 H it was like pulling teeth to get her to do a journal, but like most things it gets easier the more you do it, and this year not only did she do hers without complaining, she also helped me with Nick's, and she has already started writing things down for next year's journal.  Chelsea is in the intermediate category and her main project is Home Environment with other projects in Animal Science, Foods and Nutrition, and Human Growth and Development.  Chelsea was a district journal winner so she got a 4 H bear and will get a trophy at the district o' rama.  She also received a certificate for being an Emerald Award Winner for her participation in 4 H.

Very proud of my children and all there hard work in 4 H this year!  Anthony did not want to do a journal this year, but he already is talking about doing one next year, and now Christian is old enough for 4 H too.  We will be very busy writing journals next year!