Special Edition • Morrow County Fair and Rodeo • Heppner Gazette-Times. Wednesday, August 6, 2014 - Page 27
4-H: A Year in Review
4-H is much more
than just the county fair,
4-H is a year round positive
youth development program
that offers learning and
leadership opportunities to
youth and adults of all ages.
For example, before the fair
even begins in August, many
4-H events and activities
take place once the doors are
closed on the Sunday morning
after the fair.
After the county fair,
exhibits and contestants are
sent to the Oregon State Fair
in Salem to compete at the
State level for various projects
and contests. Morrow County _
usually sends youth exhibitors
to compete in cooking
contests,
presentations,
fashion revue, along with the
many exhibits that are sent to
be judged. And believe it or
not, when items and results
are returned from State Fair
in September, we start the
planning process over again
for the following year’s fair.
October is National
4-H Month, and National
4-H Week is held during this
month as well. This past
year, Morrow County 4-H
Ambassadors attended local
elementary schools during
National 4-H week to speak
to fourth through sixth grade
classrooms to share the
opportunities and excitement
that abound within the 4-H
program.
Achievement night is
also held in the fall. There
was a full house again this
year as many parents, leaders,
members and supporters of
4-H came out to honor the
achievements within the
program. Fair awards and
other special 4-H awards are
handed out during this event.
It is fantastic way to cap off
another great year in 4-H.
Enrollments for the new 4-H
year also take place in the fall,
as do many planning activities
to begin preparing for the
coming year’s events.
Older youth in the
4-H program have the
opportunities to attend many
leadership conferences across
the region and across the state.
This year, Morrow
County 4-H’ers attended
various
leadership
conferences:
the Eastern
Oregon Leadership Retreat
held at Grant Union High
School, and OSU Summer
Conference held at the
beautiful OSU campus in
Corvallis. These overnight
events
have jam-packed
schedules that keep our
youth
entertained
and
involved during their entire
stay. Different classes are
offered including specific
leadership skill courses, life
skills learning, as well as
some educational tours and
of course plenty of fun. Each
conference also holds various
community service activities
for our youth to give back to
the communities where they
live and venture for their
conferences.
Participation
in these events has increased
dramatically this past year,
in part thanks to generous
funding and scholarships
made
available
through
private donors, 4-H Leaders
Council scholarships, and
grants. We look forward to
having even more Morrow
County youth attend these
opportunities and more in the
future.
The Tri-County 4-H
camp is held every year in
partnership with Morrow,
Gilliam and Wheeler county
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4-H programs. This year 65
campers and 26 counselors
made up another outstanding
year of outdoor education,
friendship building, and more
positive youth development.
Traditions of dream boats,
hiking Mt. Baldy, and of
course campfires with tent
skits are still alive at 4-H
camp held at Cutsforth Park
every June. Camp serves as
the first experience of the 4-H
program for a great number
of our youth and it opens the
doors to interest and intrigue
into what else the program
has to offer. Camp is a time
honored tradition and one that
we are ecstatic to be able to
offer to our youth year after
year. Camp of course is not
possible without the help
of our dedicated counselor
group,
and
the
many
volunteers that attend to help
make everything work like a
well-oiled machine.
Next
up,
pre-fair
workshops and contests are
held prior to the week of the
county fair. In July the 4-H
Horse Show is held at the
Morrow County Fairgrounds.
During this event, 4-H horse
project members display
their horsemanship skills
in a variety of equitation,
showmanship,
and
trail
classes. The group breaks
for a potluck lunch every
year, and we conclude the
event outdoors for the gaming
events.
The Presentation,
Quick & Easy Ground Beef,
and Measuring contests also
take place before the fair on
July 30. Presentations are
open to any 4-H member
interested in exhibiting their
public speaking skills, topics
are up to the member to decide
unless of course they are in the
impromptu speaking contest.
The Quick & Easy Ground
Beef contest is open to all
junior 4-H members (grades
four-six).
The contestants
have one hour to cook,
prepare, plate, and serve a
ground beef dish to the judge.
Hamburger for this contest
is donated by the Morrow
County Livestock Growers.
And the measuring contest
gives our junior members the
opportunity to exhibit their
precise measuring skills to a
judge.
As always, there is
a wide array of activities
that take place during the
fair week including but not
limited to: the 4-H Fashion
Revue
Contest
where
members sew and model their
own garments. Home Ec and
Livestock Judging Contests, a
possible “fantastic” rocketry
demonstration by the South
Morrow Rocketry
Club,
lots of exhibits in the 4-H
Annex ranging from cooking
& sewing, to photography,
horticulture and science, and
of course our many livestock
projects on display in multiple
bams. Read more about these
traditional 4-H projects and
program throughout
this
section or contact your local
4-H office at: 541-676-9642.
As you can see, 4-H is a
year round program. So please
come take part in another great
year at the Morrow County
Fair & Rodeo and support our
youth and leaders who have
put in many hours of time and
dedication to make the fair
all that it is. We hope to see
you there to help us celebrate
“Living the Dream in 2014” at
the Morrow County Fair.
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Fair dance hall newly redone
The fair dance hall was redone to make the floor easier to
maintain, so fair-goers are asked to please not drag any chairs,
tables, etc., on the new floor.