Spring 2012 - 4-H Ontario

SPRING 

2012 

LEADERSHIP 

In Action 

volume 12 / issue 02 

official publication of 4-H Ontario 

The Future is BriGHT 

Region 2 Hosts the Conference & Annual Meeting 

+ 

Club 

REPORTS

Proud to be 

4 H Alumni 

4 - 

H Alumni 

Reconnect • Share Your Opinion • Grow 4-H History 

In preparation for 4-H Ontario’s centennial year, 4-H Ontario staff are developing services 

and activities to help reconnect 4-H Alumni in communities and across the province. But first, 

your input is needed on what those Alumni activities and services should be. Now is the time 

to let us know. Share your ideas by filling out the online survey at the url below: 

https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/4h-alumni-survey 

4-H Ontario’s Alumni program is funded through a Promotional Partnership with 

Hyland TM Seeds, including the staff position of 4-H Ontario’s Coordinator, Alumni 

Services. Hyland Seeds is passionate about agriculture and believes in supporting 

the people who are deeply rooted in the agricultural industry, and dedication to 

4-H Alumni is proof of this commitment. 

Thank you Hyland Seeds. 

Hyland and the Hyland Seeds logo are registered trademarks of Dow AgroSciences LLC.

LEADERSHIP 

In Action 


Leadership In Action is distributed 

four times a year by 4-H Ontario. 

Issue dates are January (Special 

Edition), May (Spring), August (Fall) 

and December (Winter). 

Reproduction in whole, or in part, 

is forbidden without the written 

permission of 4-H Ontario. 

Copy deadlines: 

Dec. 10, Apr. 10, Jul. 10, Nov. 10 

Editor: Stephanie Craig 

Copy-editor: Nikki Kross 

Cover photo: Region 2 CAM 

Planning Committee Members 

wrap up on Saturday night. 

Editorial correspondence 

and subscription information: 

4-H Ontario 

5653 Hwy 6 North, RR5, 

Guelph | ON N1H 6J2 

ph: 1-877-410-6748 | fx: 519-824-8759 

communications@4-hontario.ca 

4-HOntario.ca 

Publication Mail Agreement #40022887 

4-H Ontario Staff 

Leadership 

Executive Director •Wraychel Horne 

Communications 

Sr. Mgr., Communications •Stephanie Craig 

Coordinator, Communications • Nikki Kross 

Coordinator, Alumni Services • Lois James 

Community Engagement & Development 

Sr. Manager, Volunteer & Community Engagement• 

Debra Brown 

Coordinators, Volunteer Support 

Region 1 & First Nations Outreach • Matt Hill 

Region 2 • position open 

Region 3 • Megan Burnside 

Region 4 • Faith Kirk 

Region 5 & 6 • Kathryn Lambert 

Coordinator, Database • Charlotte Palmer 

Finance 

Sr. Mgr., Advancement & Development • Andrew Moore 

Sr. Mgr., Human Resources & Finance • Doris Curran 

Coordinator, Finance • Trisha Lefler 

Programming 

Sr. Mgr., Programming • Marianne Fallis 

Coordinator, Programming & Events • Hanica Van 

Looyen 

Coordinator, Programming & Resources• Elizabeth 

Johnston 

Coordinator, Sen$e Programs • Andrew Campbel 

SUPPORT 

Executive Assistant •Patricia Hass 

Office Assistant • Cindy Byers 

We gratefully acknowledge the support of 

spring 2012 / volume 12 / issue 02 

contents 

Features 

11 Life Changing Leadership 

Senior 4-H Member receives one of 

Canada’s top scholarships 

12 Shining A Light on Region 2 at CAM 

Region 2 Planning Committee 

members recap their Conference & 

Annual Meeting experience 

14 On the Road to the Olympics 

4-H Alumnus, Cristy, takes on the 

2012 Summer Olympic selections 

16 Lifeskill Lessons 

The 2012 Syngenta 4-H Ontario Arbor 

Award Recipients share their 4-H tips, 

tricks and talents 

In Every Issue 

4 Ask A Volunteer 

4 Ask A 4-H Ontario Ambassador 

5 What’s Up • Across the Province 

6 In Brief • Local Stories 

9 In Brief • Provincial Stories 

20 Scrapbook 

21 In Action Activity 

22 President’s Message 

23 Chair’s Message 

Editorial 

Contribution has many forms. Being an active contributor to organizations, 

communities, Clubs and our country is often what 4-H is about. The Volunteers on 

page 20 have contributed decades of time to the 4-H program. Tristan Emiry, featured 

on page 11, is a major contributor in his community, especially his school. Cristy 

Nurse, a 4-H Alumnus featured on page 14, contributes every day to her rowing team, 

hoping to be a contributing member of Canada’s Olympic team this summer. The three 

fantastic 4-H Volunteers, who received the 2012 Syngenta 4-H Ontario Arbor Award, 

which recognizes their outstanding volunteer contributions, are featured on page 16. 

Finally, many Club Press Reporters have contributed to this magazine by submitting 

their reports on 4-HOntario.ca/club-reports. Read their contributions on pages 6 - 9. 

7. 

16. 

14. 

toward the Leadership In Action 

magazine annual communication series. 

Remember, contributions come in all forms and sizes. Just by being involved in 4-H 

you are contributing to a movement of youth and Volunteers working together to learn 

by doing. Each time you say the Pledge, you are remembering the importance of 

contribution; to your Club, community and country. 

Leadership In Action • Spring 2012 3

ASK A VOLUNTEER 

by Paulette Macdonald 

How do I encourage 

my 4-H Members to 

stop using their cell 

phones during club meetings - 

Region 2 Volunteers discussed this hot 

topic question at the Region 2 Volunteer 

Symposium. 

Dear Region 2 Volunteers, 

Ah, the blessings and challenges of 

technology today! The question of cell 

phone use amongst 4-H Members is a 

good one. Volunteers from across the 

province have come up with these great 

ideas: 

• Design cell phone rules with the Members’ input. How would they 

handle certain situations You’d be surprised how innovative they are! 

• Inform the parents of the Club’s rules. 

• Have a basket at the meeting; drop their cell phones in at the beginning 

and pick them up at the end. 

• They can check their messages at break time (if they are mature 

enough). 

• Have Members tell friends ahead of time that they will not available 

during Club meeting times. 

Our own attitudes play a big part in the success of this “technology 

intervention”. If we, as Volunteers, think that this is an insurmountable force 

to overcome, it will be an uphill battle. Here’s the thing, cell phones aren’t 

going away anytime soon. As much as some of us want to control the cell 

phone and its user, I suggest that acceptance is far more productive. 

How about looking at cell phone use in the same way that we regard 

manners We know it’s important to persist because the young person will 

benefit in life. Learning to say “please” and “thank you” at an early age is 

effective. Likewise, cell phone etiquette is essential. 

So, let’s take the time to patiently teach Members how new habits will serve 

them better. Not only will the people in their lives appreciate their good 

manners, but they will impress future employers in a world where, sometimes 

we forget, manners count! 

Paulette Macdonald is the contributing Volunteer writer for this column and has been a Sudbury 

4-H Volunteer for 13 years. Got a question! Submit it to communications@4-hontario.ca 

I’m a Youth Leader 

and I’m wondering 

how to make 

activities interesting for all 

the kids in my Club. They’re 

of all different ages. Any 

suggestions” - Anonymous 

I am constantly thinking of ways 

to present a topic, or modify ideas 

from other organizations I am 

involved in. I always have some 

games “in my back pocket” for time 

fillers or when my fellow Members 

become restless. I try to switch up 

the way I present topics and ideas 

to my Club as the same way, all the 

time, gets old fast. It’s important 

to understand and realize that 

your Club includes Members of all 

ages and backgrounds. Keeping it 

simple is always effective because 

regardless of age, more information 

can be retained. I like to ask the Club 

questions. Keeping them involved 

and interacting results in some 

good discussions and ideas. Where 

appropriate I plan field trips, book 

guest speakers and pick things that 

easily relate to everyone in the Club. 

If a topic includes a lot of information, 

one way to present it is through 

a game like jeopardy. Using your 

creative abilities and imagination will 

go a long way and will make activities 

much more effective and interesting 

for everyone, regardless of age. 

The 4-H Ontario Ambassador program 

is proudly sponsored by 

GROWMARK, Inc. and UPI Energy LP. 

Leadership In Action • Spring 2012

WHAT'S UP 

across the province 

May 22 

Association Membership 

Coordinator Teleconference 

Noon and 8 p.m. (EDT) 

Visit 4-HOntario.ca/events-calendar 

May 26 

Discovery Days - Belleville 

Registration deadline: May 11 

This day long event, sponsored by 

Ontario Cattlemen’s Association*, is all 

about introducing you to the 4-H program. 

All youth ages 9–12 are invited! $10/ 

person. Pre-registration required. Visit 

4-HOntario.ca/dicovery-days 

May 31 

Ontario 4-H Foundation Golf-West 

Tournament Victoria Park East Golf 

Club, Guelph • Title Sponsor: Genuity® 

Visit 4-HOntario.ca/golf 

June 2 

Discovery Days - Hanover* 


This day long event is all about introducing 

you to the 4-H program. All youth ages 

9 –12 are invited! $10/person. Preregistration 

required. Visit 4-HOntario.ca/ 

dicovery-days 

June 8 

Volunteer Orientation 

These events, for Volunteer applicants 

and Youth Leaders, begin at 7 p.m. and 

end around 10 p.m. Visit 4-HOntario.ca/ 

volunteer-orientation 

• Athens United Church, Athens 

• Baseline Community Centre, Bowmanville 

• Cayuga Mutual Insurance, Cayuga 

• Elgin Federation of Agriculture, St. Thomas 

June 9 

Discovery Days - Chatham* 




9–12 are invited! $10/person. Preregistration 


dicovery-days 

June 8–10 

Canada’s Outdoor Equine Expo 

Burlington • Visit www.equineexpo.ca 

Leadership In Action • Spring 2012 

June 12–14 

Region 1 Volunteer Orientation 





• Rosslyn Community Centre, Thunder Bay 

• Morley Municipal Office, Stratton 

• Dryden & District Agricultural Complex 

June 14 

Ontario 4-H Foundation 

Golf-East Tournament Anderson 

Links Golf & Country Club, Ottawa • Title 

Sponsor: Genuity® Visit 4-HOntario.ca/golf 

June 16 

Discovery Days - Orangeville* 

Registration deadline: June 1 





dicovery-days 

June 21–23 

Market Sen$e 


Kemptville Campus, U of G, Kemptville. 

Visit 4-HOntario.ca/market-sense 

June 23 

Discovery Days - Perth* 






dicovery-days 

July 12–14 

Canada’s Fruit 

& Veg Tech X-Change 

St. Williams 

Visit www.fruitvegtechxchange.com 

July 13 






• Adamston-Bromley Twp Office, Renfrew 

• Quinte Sprots and Wellness Centre, Belleville 

• Brampton Fairgrounds, Caledon 

• Walkerton Agricultural Society 

July 23–27 

Career Sen$e 


University of Guelph, Guelph 

Visit 4-HOntario.ca/career-sense 

July 31 & August 2 

Association Representative 

Teleconference 

Noon and 8 p.m. (EDT) 


August 9–11 

Beef Sen$e 


University of Guelph, Guelph • Sponsored 

by Ontario Cattlemen’s Association. 

Visit 4-HOntario.ca/beef-sense 

August 10 






• Ontrac Employment Resource Services, 

Smith Falls 

• Douro Parish Hall, Douro 

• EastGen Boardroom, Guelph 

• Ridgetown College, Ridgetown 

August 13–16 

Youth Adventure Camp 

Registration deadline: July 2 

Ganaraska Forest Centre, Campbellcroft. 

This three day camp is for all youth ages 

12–15. Hands-on activities and games 

will develop your skills in teamwork, 

leadership, goal setting, communication 

and confidence. YAC is sponsored by 

Monsanto Canada, Inc. and Turkey 

Farmers of Ontario. For more info visit 

4-HOntario.ca/yac 

August 23–25 

Crop Sen$e 

Registration deadline: July 12 

Ridgetown Campus, U of G, Ridgetown • 

Sponsored by Pioneer Hi-Bred Limited. 

Visit 4-HOntario.ca/crop-sense 

August 29 

Association Membership 

Coordinator Teleconference 

Noon and 8 p.m. (EST) 


5

IN BRIEF 

local stories 

Peel 4-H Volunteers 

Recognized by Ministry of 

Citizenship and Immigration 

Submitted by Carol Williams 

Each year the Peel 4-H Association 

nominates a select group of their 

Volunteers for the Ministry of 

Citizenship and Immigration Ontario 

Volunteer Service Awards. The 

Ontario Volunteer Service Award 

recognizes individuals for five to 60+ 

years of continuous service in a given 

organization. This award celebrates 

the people who make Ontario a 

better place to live and recognizes 

the contributions of volunteers of 

all ages from seniors to youth. The 

ceremony held in Mississauga on 

April 2 recognized Betty Brander, 

Bob Early, Brenda Bebbington, 

Tim Boughen, Ashley Brander, and 

Deborah Judge. Congratulations! 

Betty, of Caledon, was recognized as 

a Leader of 4-H youth for 20 years. 

She is active in the Association as an 

organizer for fundraising, provincial 

opportunities and she is also a Peel 

4-H Association Director. Bob, of 

Caledon East, was recognized for 

being the Livestock Coordinator for 

15 years. He is also a Director of 

the Peel 4-H Association. Brenda, of 

Caledon, and Ashley, of Caledon, were 

recognized for being 4-H Leaders 

for five years. They are both also 

Peel 4-H Association Directors. Tim, 

of Bolton, and Deborah, of Caledon 

East, were recognized for being 4-H 

Leaders for five years. 

Thank you to Peel 4-H Association for 

recognizing their Volunteers in such a 

special way! 

Carol Williams has been a Peel 4-H Volunteer 

for 20+ years and is the current Vice President 

of the Association. 

Thimblina Quilters “Tie It Up” 

Submitted by Jane Buchanan, North 

Perth Thumblina’s Club 

On Saturday March 3, the North Perth 

Thimblina’s met again at the North 

Mornington Presbyterian Church. 

We began with some organizational 

details and received some extra 

information for our Achievement 

Books. President Tracy Stark opened 

the meeting with the 4-H pledge. 

Members shared how they were 

progressing with their individual 

‘quillow projects’ for the roll call. 

Secretary Emily Skinner shared the 

minutes from the last meeting. Leader 

Joanne Elg led the Members in a 

discussion about the progress of our 

quilting projects, and we talked about 

any problems or areas we needed 

some help. Members were then given 

some time to work on their quillows. 

After awhile, some Members were 

able to go and work on tying on the 

large quilt. 

Yummy snacks were enjoyed by 

Members thanks to Emily MacKay. 

All Members then were given the 

opportunity to judge five different 

pieced quilts. We learned about 

ranking them, and giving good 

supporting reasons for our decision 

to place them. Some factors that 

we talked about in our ranking were 

the colour coordination and design 

combinations. 

A big thank you to our wonderful 

Leaders, Joanne Elg, Carolyn 

VanderHeiden, and Nancy Rothwell 

for continuing to teach us more about 

how to tie, stitch, and judge quilts. We 

look forward to our next meeting on 

Saturday March 10, at 6:30. (Posted on 

4-HOntario.ca on March 4, 2012) 

Grenville Pizza Club 

Submitted by Connor Halpenny, Grenville 

4-H Dough Heads 

This is the first time the Pizza Project 

has been run in Grenville County. 

Our Club, The Dough Heads, has 

31 Members who love all kinds of 

pizza, from pepperoni to meat lovers 

and everything in between. We have 

had pizza for every meal, even four 

different breakfast pizzas and dessert 

pizzas with fruit and pudding on top! 

Next meeting we’re off to a local 

restaurant to learn how they make 

their pizza and to get to use a real 

pizza oven! The best part of each 

meeting–eating the pizza we make! 

(Posted on 4-HOntario.ca March 17, 2012) 

Wrap of Potato Club 

Submitted by Mitchell Drysdale, Carleton 

4-H Fallowfield Mashers 

My name is Mitchell Drysale, I am 

a Member of Carleton County 4-H 

Clubs. There are many Clubs you can 

join when you’re a Member and one 

of the Clubs I am in now is a Potato 

Club. We’ve made up a name for our 

Club... “The Fallowfield Mashers”. 

In the Club we are learning all about 

potatoes. Did you know that PEI is 

Canada’s leading potato province 

Every meeting we are split into groups 

and we are given a recipe to make. All 

the recipes use potatoes in different 

ways like potato pizza which uses 

grated potatoes and potato chocolate 

cake which uses mashed potatoes, my 

favorite was scalloped potatoes which 

uses sliced potatoes. Each Member is 

asked to make potato recipes at home 

for their families too. Older members 

are suppose to make six recipes and 

younger members are supposed to 

make three. When we get together for 

our meetings we have a final project 

which is to make a recipe at home and 

bring it to the meeting for everyone to 


try. At this meeting (Achievement Day) 

our parents can stay and try some too. 

This Club was a lot of fun just like all 

the 4-H Clubs. I learned a lot about 

cooking and I met new people too. 

(Posted on 4-HOntario.ca on March 28, 2012) 

1st Dufferin Dairy 4-H Club 

Meeting 

Submitted by Charlie Illick, Dufferin Dairy 

Club 

We opened the meeting by judging 

November Jersey heifer calves 

followed by five-year-old Jersey 

milking cows. George VanKampen 

then placed the cows and gave his 

reasons. Following the judging, we 

convened in the VanKampen’s house 

to hold the annual elections for the 

2012 Club positions. 

This year our Club plans to go on a 

farm tour either to a unique dairy farm 

or a dairy processing plant. Dawn 

VanKampen distributed PAI Forms 

and the Leadership in Action. The 

PAI forms are due before the end 

of May. We hope to hold our next 

meeting on May 9th at 7:30 p.m. at 

the McCannell’s farm (Orangeview). 

Jessica thanked the VanKampen’s for 

holding the first dairy meeting of 2012. 

Alicia closed the meeting with the 4-H 

pledge. (Posted on 4-HOntario.ca on March 

31, 2012) 

Power Tool Knowledge 

Submitted by Caitlin Gaudet, Durham 

East 4-H Woodworking South Club 

measurements in an inch. Most 

Members chose their projects as well. 

The options are a round end table or a 

bread box. Some Members found their 

own plans for a different project. At the 

end we ate chocalate chip oatmeal 

cookies:) Tee-Hee. (Posted on 4-HOntario. 

ca/club-reports on April 12, 2012) 

My first ever 4-H meeting... 

and it was GREAT! 

Submitted by Lauren Churchill, Essex 

4-H Vet Wild Mustangs Club 

As I approached the Wild Mustangs 

(AKA the 4-H Vet Club) on April 

3 rd at the Essex Civic Center, I was 

warmly welcomed by the Club Leaders 

Susan and Anne. Since it was my very 

first time in 4-H and since this was 

the Club’s first meeting of the year, 

we played a game to get to know 

each other. In the game one of the 

Leaders would stick a Disney animal 

character’s name on your back, and 

then you had to go around to other 

Members and ask them three “yes 

or no” questions to help you figure 

out what your character’s name was. 

Once you figured out which character 

you were you had to find someone 

else from the same movie (i.e. Belle 

and the Beast, Woody and Buzz, Pooh 

and Piglet). 

When everyone had paired up we 

sat down and started to get to the 

serious business of nominations. 

Once the ballots were all counted 

and we had the positions for our Club 

executive filled the results were as 

follows: President - Emma, Secretary/ 

Treasurer- Nic, Press Reportermyself, 

Photographers - Darin and 

Alexandra. When we got all the politics 

out of the way we were informed that 

our wonderful and brilliant Leaders 

Susan and Anne had booked us an 

exciting and informative trip to visit the 

University of Guelph Animal Hospital 

in July. 

With how much fun we had at 

the meeting and with all the great 

participants in the Club I am excited 

about the new experiences I will have 

through this club and through being 

involved in 4-H. (Posted on 4-HOntario.ca 

on April 15, 2012) 

New Verner 4-H Goat Club 

Submitted by Jessica Leonard, Sudbury 

4-H New Verner Goat Club 

The first meeting of the Verner 4-H 

Goat Club took place on April 22nd, 

2012 at the Emiry Farm in Verner. 

Twelve of the thirteen participants 

are new 4-H Members and were 

eager to start the meeting. We began 

with presenting our homework on 

researching different breeds of goats. 

Then we introduced our guest speaker 

We had a great 4-H woodworking 

meeting on April 10th. This year 20 

kids joined. First we had elections for 

President, Vice President, Secretary, 

and News Reporter. Then we made 

our Judging and Go For The Gold 

teams and decided who will make 

the project board to show at the fair. 

Everyone had fun looking at some of 

the power tools such as a drill press, 

jointer, chopsaw, tablesaw, sander, 

and routers. We also talked about 

some safety when woodworking. Our 

Leader showed us all the different 


The New Verner 4-H Goat Club Members and Volunteers. 

7

Dr. Tracy Pecoskie (DVM). She 

taught us about keeping care of our 

Saanen dairy goats and taking their 

temperature to see if they are sick. Did 

you know that a goat’s temperature 

should be about 39.5 degrees Celsius 

which is two degrees higher than 

humans Then we gave them vitamin 

E with selenium injections. It was my 

first time giving a needle and it was 

scary at first but I got the hang of it. 

Nathan Leonard then got to thank 

our guest speaker and present her 

with a card. Next we took our first 

group photo with all Club Members 

and screened Volunteers. Then we 

did a judging class for Basset Hound 

puppies and they were all very cute so 

it was hard to pick a winner. After that 

we went inside to wash our hands and 

had donuts and juice for a snack. 

I can’t wait for our next meeting where 

we will visit a farm that has Boer goats 

that are used for meat. I hope I can 

think of a good question to ask! (Posted 

on 4-HOntario.ca on April 22, 2012) 

10km MS WALK with the 4-H 

Fitness 4-Health Team 

Submitted by Rachel Balkwill, Essex 4-H 

Fitness Club 

Well we did it! After a few months of 

training and lots of determination, the 

Essex County Fitness 4-Health Club 

completed and went beyond achieving 

their goal of walking in the 5km MS 

Walk on Sunday, April 22nd at 10 a.m. 

5km option or, if we dared, continuing 

on Robson Road towards to The Erie 

Shores Golf Club marking the half 

point of the 10km walk. 

Well we dared and we paid (ouch)! 

Going for it and doing the 10km 

instead of the 5km wasn’t a difficult 

choice for our 4-H team, we have 

been known to push through the pain 

with our fitness pro Jen Moore of the 

BeachWalk Family Fitness Centre; in 

fact most of us had only just gotten 

over the aching muscles from our 

second fitness test with Jen that past 

Thursday. Back to the walk, we were 

use to the idea of working hard and 

were rewarded with a wonderful lunch 

back at the Kinsmen Complex and 

accomplishment in our hearts. 

Sure there was some pain, sweat and 

tears but in the end we all crossed the 

finish line and it was all for the good 

cause, helping to raise money for the 

MS Society. I don’t think our Leaders 

could have been more proud of us. 

Our trainer Jen Moore would also 

be proud to know how well we did – 

thanks to her limit pushing training we 

had the courage to complete this walk. 

We were lucky to have gotten in some 

extra practice on April 12th, walking/ 

jogging nearly 4km from Leader 

D-Anne Peters and daughter Maddie’s 

house to their grandmothers home 

and back again in Harrow. 

A lot of thanks goes out to all of the 

people who helped us in raising our 

funds for the MS Walk. We hope to 

keep beating our goals in fitness and 

also advise others to do likewise. This 

experience has been overwhelming 

with wonderful results. More meetings 

are due to be planned soon and other 

goals to be completed as well, our 

next goal “Try-a-Tri” Triathlon. See you 

there! (Posted on 4-HOntario.ca on April 23, 

2012) 

Doing the 10km 

instead of the 5km 

wasn’t a difficult 

choice for our 4-H team, 

we have been known to 

push through the pain with 

our fitness pro Jen Moore 

of the BeachWalk Family 

Fitness Centre. We were 

use to the idea of working 

hard and were rewarded 

with a wonderful lunch back 

at the Kinsmen Complex 

and accomplishment in our 

hearts.” 

Actually we are proud to announce 

that all Members completed well over 

5km that morning. At first we thought 

only of completing our goal of 5km 

but all or most Members ended up 

completing the full 10km course! 

Our long walk began at the 

Leamington Kinsmen Complex; it led 

us along Erie Street all the way down 

to the water front and the Leamington 

Marina to check-point #1. From this 

point we had the choice of either 

taking the shorter route via Cherry 

Lane back and completing just the 

The Essex Fitness 4-Health Team celebrates their successful 10km walk. 


IN BRIEF 

provincial stories 

Amber Underwood Memorial 

News Competition 

This annual competition gives young 

4-H writers a chance to practise and 

demonstrate their writing skills. The 

competition asks 4-H Members, split 

into two categories, to submit a 500 

word report on (1) 4-H program, event 

or success story, (2) a review of a 

current agricultural or rural community 

concern, or (3) an interview with a 

community leader. The competition is 

supported by the Amber Underwood 

Memorial Endowment Fund. Congrats 

to the 2011 winners Makenzie Dickie 

and Nicole Shelley. Their winning 

entries are featured below. 

4-H Rabbit Club Essay 

By Makenzie Dickie: Junior Category 

Many people enjoy rabbits but some 

don’t know how to care for them. 

There are a lot of people in the 

Haldimand County Rabbit Club. 

Most people enjoy learning about 

their rabbits in every meeting there 

is something new to discover about 

them. Most people in the club breed 

and raise rabbits, so if you are looking 

for one, you can buy from them. Our 

club has noticed from the different 

outings and inter-county rabbit shows 

that the popular breeds of rabbits are 

Mini Rex, Holland Lop, and there is 

a wide variety of meat and Flemish 

Giants. 

Rabbits come in different colours, 

shapes and sizes. As well as different 

features rabbits fit into different 

classes such as fancy and meat. 

When showing and looking at how 

well the rabbits fit into their described 

breed types they would be sorted 

into those categories. There are 

very many breeds of rabbits, some 


are pure bred and some are mixed. 

The only difference is that pure 

bred is supposed to have only that 

one breed of rabbit all throughout 

it’s background, while mixed would 

have different breeds or breed in 

the background of the rabbit. There 

are many breeds of rabbits that are 

probably unknown at the moment. 

When looking after a rabbit there 

are a lot of things that are very 

important. Rabbits can have a lot of 

health problems if you don’t look after 

them properly. An important part of 

the rabbits health is to monitor their 

feeding habits. You have to know what 

to feed them and how much because 

they can get a very bad stomach 

sickness. A symptom that normally 

comes with this is a bloated stomach. 

This occurs because rabbits can’t 

throw up. Ways to prevent this from 

happening would be to five the rabbit 

plenty of hay. Some things that are 

not good for a rabbits stomach would 

be a lot of fruit and even vegetables. 

The reason vegetables are bad for 

a rabbit’s stomach is because too 

many of them can give them diarrhea. 

Looking after rabbits is a very big 

responsibility. 

Things that the rabbit club do are 

going on different outings. This year 

they went to a rabbit meat plant. They 

learned different ways and strategies 

of caring for meat rabbits. The rabbit 

club also hold and inter-county rabbit 

show. This happens at the end of 

the year when all the fair showing is 

over. All the clubs around the area 

come to where the show is being 

hosted. Normally Haldimand hosts it. 

The rabbit club also has a barbeque 

before the Caledonia fair to practice 

showing their rabbit and getting 

together for the last time before the 

fair. 

Everyone in the club would agree that 

they like the club because of all the 

fun they have together. They show 

rabbits, go on trips, learn about rabbit 

hopping and meet new friends. They 

also learn how to look after rabbits 

by identifying the breed, showing and 

caring for them. 

Makenzie, a Haldimand 4-H Member, 

submitted the winning entry in the Junior 

Category of the 2011 Amber Underwood 

Memorial News Competition. Makenzie 

has completed six 4-H projects. 

How To Judge: Bubbles 

By Nicole Shelley: Senior Category 

The Hanover 4-H Judging Club has 

been running for three years, but in 

2011 it got a fresh new makeover. 

Now, the new and improved judging 

club has 8 members this year who 

have learned that judging goes above 

and beyond simply judging animals, 

fruits and vegetables, and sewing. 

From the first meeting in June to the 

achievement day at the Grey Bruce 

Judging Competition in August, the 

9

members have been taught that they 

judge everything from the moment 

they wake up in the morning to the 

second they go to sleep at night. And 

the skills the learned will last them a 

lifetime. 

When the members walked onto 

our farm for the first meeting of the 

year, the look on their faces told a 

truer story than words could have, 

describing how they felt about judging. 

As leader and youth leader, my mom 

and I could easily read their minds. 

“Yup, it’s just another 4-H credit. Same 

old thing.” But when my mom told the 

kids that their first task was to judge 

bubbles, their eyes went as big as 

saucers. “How in the world do you 

judge bubbles” was the unanimous 

questions. It was explained that each 

of them had to blow bubbles, and then 

judge who blew the most, the biggest, 

and the longest. From that moment, 

the standard was set. Following the 

bubbles, the members had to judge 

water pails fro a fair (the criteria was 

a one day fair where they had to carry 

the pail a long distance), as well as 

hats, flowers, gum and pens. 

Excitement spread as they anxiously 

waited for the next meeting. And what 

met them the following week were 

beach balls, chairs, candy, water guns, 

horses, and marshmallow sticks. They 

worked their way through the judging 

of the items, as well as reasoning out 

why they placed each item where they 

did. The members established that 

even if their placements were wrong 

according to the official placing, if well 

done, their reasons could still raise 

their score. Their memories of the 

previous week’s fun were refreshed 

as they used the marshmallow sticks 

to make and judge smores, judging 

who’s was the best. They learned that 

you need to judge fairly, even when 

you have something of your own in the 

competition. 

The weeks flew by as the members 

went from easily distinguished classes 

and placings to harder classes 

and reasons. But in every case, 

the class was always well enjoyed 

and the judging went hand in hand 

with fun. Finally, six weeks after the 

club started, it was the day all the 

kids had been waiting for. The Grey 

Bruce Judging Competition was the 

achievement day, and the kids were 

full of adrenaline as they got ready to 

compete with their judging skills. The 

classes were hard and some were 

unexpected, but afterward the club felt 

enthusiastic. When the winners were 

announced, 4 out of 8 of our club’s 

members placed, with our youngest 

member winning three awards! 

This year has been an experience 

with the new and improved judging 

club. With the crazy classes, eye 

opening ideas, water fights, and a 

whole lot of fun, I can’t wait for next 

year. There will be more members 

because the news of fun we have had 

has spread to many others. But with 

more members in the club, it means 

more opportunities for excitement and 

learning, and more ideas for things to 

judge. And to think it all started with 

judging bubbles! 

Nicole, a Grey 4-H Member, submitted the 

winning entry in the Senior Category of the 

2011 Amber Underwood Memorial News 

Competition. Nicole has completed 24 4-H 

projects. 

Essex 4-H Member Awarded 

CIBC 4-H Scholarship 

In mid January the Canadian 4-H 

Council and CIBC announced the 

recipients of the 2012 CIBC 4-H 

Scholarship. Each of the three 

recipients is in their last year of 

study in secondary school and were 

each awarded $2,500 toward postsecondary 

education. One of the 

recipients was Leah Meanwell, a 

Senior Essex 4-H Member. 

Leah plans on attending the University 

of British Columbia, Vancouver 

campus, this fall where she has been 

accepted for Kinesiology with hopes 

of becoming a physiotherapist. At first, 

she couldn’t believe she was one of 

three Members selected from the pool 

off 99 applicants. “I found out I won 

the scholarship through email and I 

thought it was a joke, that one of my 

friends had somehow forged it, or that 

it was spam. When I realized that 

neither of those were very probable 

and that the news was real, I was 

ecstatic,” Leah explained. 

Applicants must submit their 

2010/2011 grade average, a 500-word 

essay on what 4-H has done for them, 

what they hope to achieve through 

higher education, and three reference 

letters. 

Leah’s favourite 4-H projects have 

been Printmaking and Dark-Room 

Photography. Her Club Leaders 

for both were Kimmy and Marshall 

Heaton, who also gave her a reference 

for this scholarship. 

Danica Jensen, a 4-H Member 

in British Columbia, and Jessica 

Overmars, a Nova Scotia 4-H 

Member, were the other 2012 

scholarship recipients. “We continue to 

be impressed by the exceptional work 

and community contributions of 4-H 

youth right across Canada,” said Steve 

Meston, Senior Vice-President, CIBC 

Commercial Banking. Congratulations 

Leah, and good luck in the fall! 


FEATURES 

LIFE CHANGING LEADERSHIP 

This 4-H Member’s volunteerism expands across the world 

By Nikki Kross 

4-H’r Tristan Emiry was recently selected as a recipient 

of one of Canada’s top scholarships, the Loran Award. 

The Loran Award is more than just a scholarship; it’s a 

leadership development program. Loran Award recipients 

are given $80,000 in funding over the course of their four 

year undergraduate degree as well as some amazing 

leadership development opportunities including mentoring 

and a summer internship program. 

This unique scholarship is awarded to only 30 Canadian 

youth each year. What separates the Loran Award from 

other Canadian scholarships is its focus on character, 

service and leadership potential, rather than solely 

academics. It was this focus that lead Tristan to apply for 

this scholarship over others. “I decided to apply for the 

Loran Award because I knew I had attributes that could 

match up to most of the candidates, and I really liked that 

it was a leadership development program,” explains Tristan. 

The application process for the Loran Award is quite 

rigorous. “First you submit a written application with 

three reference letters, and you then go on to regional 

interviews and finally national interviews,” explains Tristan. 

Throughout each stage, the applicants must clearly 

demonstrate independence, a commitment to character, 

service, and leadership, as well as strong academics and 

extra curricular involvement. 

With a resume like Tristan’s, it’s no wonder he received this 

scholarship. Tristan has been the student parliment Prime 

Minister for the past two years where he started multiple 

school groups including the arts council and athletics 

council. He is an excellent athlete; he’s been on his school 

soccer, track, curling, basketball and cross-country teams. 

Of course Tristan’s resume also includes a 4-H section. He 

is a Sudbury 4-H Member, who has completed 25 Clubs. 


Provincially, he has attended Youth Adventure Camp, 

Leadership Camp and, most recently, Future Leaders In 

Action. Tristan was also one of the seven 4-H Members 

who worked together to create four 4-H public safety 

announcements on farm safety in 2010. 

For the past two years, Tristan also spearheaded the 

Spread the Net campaign at his high school. Spread the 

Net provides bed nets for children and families in Africa to 

prevent the spread of malaria. In 2010, Tristan managed 

his school’s campaign, which raised $13,307.91, making 

them the top Spread the Net fundraising school in Canada. 

The 2011 campaign raised an astonishing $31,752. 

Tristan’s outstanding efforts earned him the position of 

the first ever youth ambassador for Spread the Net. This 

gives him the chance to travel to various communities and 

promote the program. Tristan also hopes to complete an 

internship with the organization. 

Tristan is looking forward to the upcoming opportunities 

he has just over the horizon. He plans on attending 

the University of Guelph in the fall for either agriculture 

economics or animal science. Of course, the Loran Award 

leadership development opportunities are also a cause 

for excitement. “I’m really looking forward to having a 

mentor, and for the summer internship,” says Tristan. “The 

opportunity to network with people will be huge.” 

Tristan understands the value in programs that focus on 

leadership skills. His many volunteer opportunities have 

helped shape him into the exceptional leader he is today. 

Tristan is thrilled to take his next leadership step. “This is 

the kind of thing that can change your life,” Tristan says. 

“I’m extremely happy and excited to be given this great 

opportunity.” Congratulations Tristan for winning this 

prestigious award. 

11

FEATURES 

Shining a Light on Region 2 at CAM 

Record Number of Attendees at this year’s Conference & Annual Meeting 

By Sharon Halpenny and Barb Scott Cole 

The 4-H Ontario Conference and Annual Meeting (CAM) 

is a collaborative learning experience for each and every 

4-H Ontario Volunteer who wishes to attend. This three day 

long conference has a focus on celebrating 4-H Volunteers 

and arming them with tools and contacts to take on the 4-H 

year ahead. There were an amazing 206 attendees this 

year from 46 different 4-H Associations! 

Workshops, Jam Sessions, and fun social recreation 

activities give Volunteers a great chance to connect with 

each other and participate in a little “Learn To Do By 

Doing”. CAM also hosts some of the year’s biggest 4-H 

Volunteer events including the Syngenta 4-H Ontario 

Arbor Award Banquet and the Monsanto Volunteer 

Recognition lunch. These events celebrate outstanding and 

longstanding 4-H Volunteers. They’re full of food, fun, and 

4-H recognition. 

This year, Region 2 had the exciting challenge of 

organizing CAM 2012. We gathered a group of dedicated 

4-H Volunteers who had a knack for event planning and 

tackled the event head on. CAM 2012 was a labour of love 

for the entire Region 2 CAM Planning Committee. We set 

out a year ago to plan and execute a weekend that shone 

a bright light on all the positive aspects of our region, 

our Volunteers, and our passion for the 4-H program. 

Positive energy was the cornerstone of everything we did. 

From choosing our theme, “The Future Looks Bright”, to 

decorating, suggestions for workshops, and collecting 

items for the silent and live auctions, we tried to highlight 

the things that make 4-H and Region 2 unique. This was a 

great opportunity for us to reveal our favourite things and 

best kept secrets in Eastern Ontario. From our favourite 

maple syrup recipes from Lanark County, to white water 

rafting in Renfrew, and the unique artisans and merchants 

in many of our smaller villages along the Ottawa, Rideau 

and St. Lawrence rivers, we tried to find a way to share our 

treasures with the rest of 4-H. 

This year, CAM introduced some new features. The 

addition of an Association Representatives networking 

session and the new schedule for the Regional Jam 

Sessions were well received by CAM attendees. Both of 

these sessions were a great opportunity to connect with 

Volunteers from within and outside each attendees region. 

Making connections between Volunteers from across your 

region or across the province is the best part of attending 

CAM. It’s an opportunity to reflect, re-connect, and 

revitalize yourself as a 4-H Volunteer. 

We were excited to be a part of the many memorable 

highlights that occurred during the CAM weekend. The 

record breaking number of delegates who attended this 

year was truly impressive and we thank everyone for 

their support. We were so proud to have Region 2’s own 

Deborah Brown named a Syngenta 4-H Ontario Arbor 

Award recipient. Also, an amazing $16,000 was raised from 

the silent and live auctions. Ultimately, the biggest highlight 

of our CAM experience was the close bond we formed as 

a group, which will foster a greater connection between our 

Associations and across our Region. We’re already talking 

about some fun region-wide events, such as a 4-H Day at 

Calypso Water Park, so our Members can get to know one 

another better just as we have been able to do. 

Even though planning CAM was a year long endeavour, 

everyone had a fantastic time sharing Region 2 with the 

delegates, and learning and growing together as a group. 

We believe we succeeded in letting everyone know that 

“The Future Looks Bright” for 4-H and Region 2! 

Thank you to the following businesses, organizations, companies, individuals, and government agencies for 

supporting the 2012 4-H Ontario Conference and Annual Meeting: Bayer CropScience Inc., Brandon Ryan, Dairy 

Farmers of Ontario, Gay Lea Foods Co-operative Limited, the Government of Canada, the Government of Ontario, Lillies 

Holsteins (Sam and Brenda Dunster & family), Ontario Mutuals, Ottawa Valley Seed Growers, Monsanto Canada, Inc., 

Ray’s Relief Milking (Raymond Dunster), Scotiabank, Syngenta Canada Inc, and Thompsons Limited. 


2. 

1. 

3. 4. 

The record 

breaking 

number 

of delegates who 

attended this year was 

truly impressive and 

we thank everyone 

for their support.” - 

Sharon & Barb 

5. 

6. 

7. 

1. Volunteers Joanne, Katherine and Karen catch up on Sunday morning. 2. Ontario 

4-H Council Past-President Shonna Ward hands incoming President John den Haan the 

President’s gavel. 3. Volunteers Debbie, Karen and John are all smiles. 4. Alice Jones, 

Conference Coordinator, is presented with a parting gift from the Region 2 CAM Planning 

Committee, as well as her 10 year 4-H Ontario Volunteer pin. 5. Some of the Region 5 

CAM Planning Committee members, Jennifer, Erica, Ben, Darrell, Sharon and Grace, 

pose while launching the theme of the 2013 conference: Back to the Future! 6. Caitlin, 

from Quebec 4-H, and Emily, from PEI 4-H, draw the Dream Dinner Lottery’s First Early 

Bird prize winner’s name: Catherine Agar & Arjan Kouwenberg of Salford, Ontario (ticket 

#17). 7. Volunteers “Learn To Do By Doing” in the Square Dancing workshops. 


FEATURES 

Cristy, bottom row and second from the left, and her teammates celebrate their silver medal win at the 2011 World Championships in Bled, Slovenia. 

on the Road to the Olympics 

A Halton 4-H Alumni Story 

By Lois James 

When people think 4-H they don’t usually think of rowing 

but, in the case of Alumnus Cristy Nurse, it all ties together. 

Cristy is an elite athlete who is vying for a position on 

Canada’s Olympic women’s 8 rowing team, which is 

the team that will compete at the Olympics in London, 

England this summer. Cristy believes there is a strong link 

between her 4-H experience and her athletic success. 4-H 

competitions taught her many valuable skills and lessons 

that have had a big impact on her athletic career including 

self motivation, sportsmanship and a drive to succeed. 

“Through 4-H and working on my family dairy farm, I 

developed strong work ethics, dedication and learned 

that you get out of something what you put into it,” Cristy 

says. “Because 4-H was part of our family life, the safety 

of competing in the family with my sister and brothers 

helped me, although it was a big adjustment to move 

from 4-H competitions to national and international rowing 

competitions.” 

Cristy was an avid 4-H Member in Halton, completing 45 

livestock and life skills Clubs, and winning many awards for 

her contributions to 4-H. Her 4-H accomplishments include 

winning the Provincial Go For The Gold competition, being 

a member of the Ontario Judging Team at the World Dairy 

Expo, exhibiting the Grand Champion calf at the Gencor 

Challenge, and winning the President’s Cup showmanship 

competition at the Royal Agricultural Winter Fair. 

“My favourite 4-H memories involve the competitions and 

the good times and many friends I made in 4-H travelling 

to shows, working as a county team member at the 

Scotiabank Classic and the week spent in Madison with 

4-H Members from across North America. Many of my 

friends are still those I formed through 4-H and continued at 

university,” says Cristy. 

Her experience at 4-H competitions taught Cristy the 

importance of winning and losing. “I know what it’s like to 


Because 4-H was 

part of our family 

life, the safety of 

competing in the family 

with my sister and brothers 

helped me” 

be left standing in the outer ring of a 

4-H showmanship calf class waiting for 

the judge to pick you,” Cristy explains. 

Although being the first person the 

judge picks is always a great feeling, 

competitions also show you areas for 

improvement. Cristy’s parents, Halton 

4-H Leaders Jeff and Kenda Nurse, 

also stressed the importance of good 

sportsmanship. Losing sometimes is 

part of the learning process and they 

would not accept complaints about 

competition results from her or her 

siblings. “They told us if we don’t like 

being at the bottom of the class, then 

we should work harder to improve,” 

explains Cristy. 

Cristy’s competitive spirit was also 

well utilized outside of 4-H on various 

sports teams. As a talented athlete, 

Cristy was recruited to play basketball 

at the University of Guelph on the 

varsity team. In 2008 she graduated 

with a B.A. and then entered law 

school at the University of Ottawa 

where she is presently enrolled. It was 

during university that Cristy had her 

first experience with rowing. 

“I actually only started rowing in the 

summer of 2006,” says Cristy. “I 

wanted to move from basketball into 

a new sport and had always been a 

fan of rowing during the Olympics.” A 

job interning at a Mississauga law firm 

close to the Don Rowing Club gave 

her the opportunity to give rowing a try. 

Although she had never rowed before, 

her height and athleticism earned 

her a position in a formed crew. Two 

weeks later she competed in her 

first regatta. A former New Zealand 

national team coach spotted her 

potential and encouraged her to make 

the sport her new pursuit. “I worked 

with him for the next two years, and 

in 2008 I won the under 23 women’s 

pair event at the Canadian Rowing 

Championships,” Cristy explains. 

After the Canadian Rowing 

Champions, Christy was encouraged 

to move to the National Training 

Centre in London. She decided 

to make this move in 2010 after 

completing her second year of law 

school. “My improvement really 

accelerated and that year I made the 

Canadian women’s 8 rowing team 

and won silver at the World Rowing 

Championships in New Zealand. I 

elected to defer my studies to focus 

on rowing full-time and in the spring 

of 2011, I was again selected to the 

women’s 8 team,” Cristy shares. 

Last August, Cristy and the women’s 

8 rowing team won silver at the World 

Championships in Bled, Slovenia. 

Since then, Cristy has been a member 

of the Olympic selection camp, which 

is the group of athletes in contention 

for spots on the Olympic team. Final 

Olympic team selections will be made 

in June. 

The women’s 8 rowing team has 

historically been Canada’s most 

successful event for medals at the 

Summer Olympics, making the 

pressure for the final selection and 

the Games quite high. “There are 

high expectations by Canada for the 

team to do well, although we put even 

more pressure on ourselves as we 

want to pay back to Canadians for 

their support to the Own the Podium 

program,” explains Cristy. 

No matter the outcome of the 

Olympic team selections, all 4-H’rs 

can be proud of Cristy’s amazing 

accomplishments. The skills she 

developed through 4-H competitions 

and her athletic career, including her 

positive attitude, dedication, hard 

work and sportsmanship are all truly 

outstanding. That being said, it sure 

would be nice to see Cristy have a 

seat in the boat and wear an Olympic 

medal around her neck! 

Lois James is 4-H Ontario’s Coordinator, 

Alumni Services, a position 100% funded by a 

Promotional Partnership with Hyland TM Seeds. 

Hyland Seeds is passionate about agriculture 

and believes in supporting the people who are 

deeply rooted in the agricultural industry, and 

dedication to 4-H is proof of this commitment. 

Cristy competing as a Senior 4-H Member at one of many 4-H shows she 

attended throughout her 4-H career. Photo by: Anne Howden Thompson 

Cristy, second from the end, and her teammates on the water. 


FEATURES 

LiFE SKILL 

LESSONS 

From Deborah, Brian, & Anne Marie 

Taking Notes from the 2012 Syngenta 4-H Ontario Arbor Award Recipients 

By Nikki Kross 

Introducing the recipients of this year’s Syngenta 4-H 

Ontario Arbor Award: Deborah Brown, Brian O’Neill and 

Anne Marie Werry. 

The Syngenta 4-H Arbor Award is 4-H Ontario’s most 

distinguished Volunteer award. It recognizes the hard work, 

dedication, talent, significant leadership and initiative that 

Volunteers bring to the program. Volunteers are the heart 

of 4-H and their service is instrumental in 4-H Ontario’s 

continued success. 

Volunteers who receive this award have served the 

organization for over ten years and have positively 

impacted 4-H at various levels. This award also celebrates 

their involvement in other community activities and 

organizations. Syngenta 4-H Ontario Arbor Award 

applicants are nominated by their local 4-H Associations. 

Deborah, Brian and Anne Marie are all outstanding 4-H 

Volunteers. They have dedicated countless hours to 

pledging their head, heart, hands and health to ensure 4-H 

Members have an amazing Club experience. 

Each one of these Syngenta 4-H Ontario Arbor Award 

recipients brings their own unique flavour and expertise to 

the 4-H program. Among friends, Members and fellow 4-H 

Volunteers, Deborah is well known for her ability to create 

the ultimate 4-H Club experience, Brian is recognized for 

his ability to motivate people to step outside their comfort 

zone, and Anne Marie is famous for her organization and 

time management skills. The skills and dedication they 

bring to the 4-H program are second to none. 

Exceptional Club delivery, quality organization skills and 

persuading people to step outside their comfort zone are 

hot topics in the 4-H Volunteer world. Because Deborah, 

Brian and Anne Marie have impressive Volunteer rosters 

and years of 4-H experience, what better way to learn 

about these popular topics than from the “experts” 

themselves These skills are not only beneficial for 

4-H Club Leaders, but, like many 4-H skills, they are 

transferable and helpful in a variety of situations. 

Thanks goes to Deborah, Brian and Anne Marie for sharing 

their experience, tips and techniques! 


Deborah Brown 

The 4-H Motto Master 

I try to match 

timid Members, or 

beginner Members 

with outgoing people to 

encourage them to let loose,” 

says Deborah. 

DWhen 4-H Volunteers have a question about creating a 

fun and exciting Club in the Grenville 4-H Association, 

Deborah Brown is the go to person for advice. Deborah 

has been a 4-H Volunteer for over 40 years and she’s led 

an impressive 100 projects on a variety of different topics 

including horticulture, agriculture, life skills and outdoors. 

During her time with 4-H, she’s learned a thing or two about 

creating a great 4-H Club experience. 

Deborah’s secret recipe for creating amazing Clubs is a 

combination of hands on involvement, fostering an open 

Club atmosphere, and channeling the “Learn To Do By 

Doing” motto in all aspects of her Club activities. 

Deborah is a big advocate for experiential learning. “I have 

a very hands on approach and I approach every Club with 

a “Learn to Do By Doing” attitude,” explains Deborah. She 

encourages her Members to get in and get their hands 

dirty, which always results in a Club experience packed 

full of fun and learning. Because school environments 

don’t always foster hands on learning and focus more on 

visual and auditory learning styles, Deborah thinks that 

incorporating the “Learn To Do By Doing” approach really 

helps keep youth engaged and entertained. 

To compliment her hands on learning style, Deborah also 

ensures her Club atmosphere is open, inviting, and free of 


judgment. Because hands on participatory learning styles 

can be intimidating for certain personality types, Deborah 

tries to match up Members to bring each individual out 

of their shell. “I try to match timid Members, or beginner 

Members, with outgoing people to encourage them to let 

loose,” says Deborah. Deborah will also play goofy games 

with her Members to help them unwind and be themselves. 

To further foster her open and fun Club atmosphere, 

Deborah also ensures she personally gets to know every 

Member to better understand what each individual needs 

to have a great Club experience. “I try to get to know all the 

Members to understand who they are and where they’re 

coming from in life,” explains Deborah. She will then build 

Club activities that work for the entire Club. 

Deborah’s recipe for success can be practiced in any 4-H 

Club. Her Clubs are a great example of how to channel 

the 4-H motto and core competencies into an interactive 

and fun learning experience for all. “Deborah lives and 

breathes 4-H,” shares fellow 4-H Volunteer, Arline Rutter, 

“and is the epitome of the 4-H motto, ‘Learn To Do By 

Doing’.” This “Motto Masters” leadership techniques are 

sure to help create an enriching, fun and inviting learning 

environment whether it’s on a sports team, in 4-H Clubs, 

the classroom, or workplace environment. 

17

FEATURES 

Brian o'Neill 

The Member Motivator 

You need to always 

make sure you 

keep open lines of 

communication and be there 

with an open ear to listen, 

and really listen to what the 

Members need,” says Brian. 

BBrian O’Neill is recognized in his 4-H community for his 

caring nature, team work and sportsmanship skills. He has 

developed a sound reputation for his ability to motivate 

Members to move outside their comfort zone and challenge 

themselves to reach their true potential. 

Brian recognizes that persuading people to step outside of 

their comfort zone can be a tricky feat to master. Luckily, 

he’s identified a few tips and tricks that have helped 

him overcome this challenge. Identifying himself as an 

approachable and supporting Leader, creating group 

involvement, and gradually pushing Members out of their 

comfort zone are Brian’s tried, tested and true leadership 

techniques. 

Brian notes that identifying yourself as a supportive and 

approachable Leader is one of the most important factors in 

being able to encourage Members to move outside of their 

comfort zone. “You need to always make sure you keep 

open lines of communication and be there with an open 

ear to listen, and really listen to what the Members need,” 

says Brian. According to Brian, when you demonstrate 

to Members that you are there for them, and genuinely 

care about their interests, it builds a level of trust between 

Leader and Member. Once this trust is established they are 

more willing to accept guidance and advice. 

Group involvement is another technique that Brian uses. If 

there is a Member who is hesitant to move outside of their 

comfort zone, Brian will get the Club Members involved to 

create group encouragement. When everyone is involved, 

this makes the hesitant Member feel supported and it gives 

that extra push they often need. Through leading various 

Clubs, Brian’s learned that sometimes Members are afraid 

to step outside of their comfort zone because they don’t 

want to make a mistake or be judged. Establishing this 

team environment eliminates these fears. 

The final word of advice from Brian addresses the speed 

at which Leaders should encourage Members to explore 

things beyond their norm. “You need to bring them in, 

and let them stay in their comfort zone to begin with and 

then slowly push them out,” says Brian. Taking baby steps 

can often be more effective than jumping with both feet 

into unknown territory because it helps to slowly build a 

Member’s confidence. 

Among Members and Volunteers alike, Brian is looked up 

to for his ability to provide leadership and direction that 

challenges individuals to be the best they can be. When 

encouraging your 4-H Members, friends or colleagues to 

try something they wouldn’t normally do remember Brian’s 

advice. In his 21 years of 4-H Volunteer service Brian’s had 

a lot of success practicing these techniques. 


Anne Marie WERRY 

The Multitasking Guru 

“You always have to 

be ready for hiccups,” 

explains Anne Marie. 

Anne Marie Werry is known among her friends and 

colleagues as the multi-tasking guru. She is an active 

member of the Brooklin Agriculture Society, the Catholic 

Women’s League, Kedron Park Association, the Lindsay 

Fair, the Canadian Cancer Society and 4-H Ontario, just to 

name a few. Although Anne Marie’s commitments are vast, 

she always manages to give her all to every organization 

she works with, including 4-H. She has dedicated hours 

of her time to running 4-H Clubs and she’s also taken on 

numerous executive Volunteer positions. 

The key lessons Anne Marie has learned through her 

volunteering efforts include: prioritizing, using time frames, 

becoming best friends with a planner and to-do list, and 

planning timelines efficiently. In terms of prioritizing, Anne 

Marie recommends focusing on what needs to be done and 

leaving tasks that are not as high of a priority to the end. 

In addition to this, Anne Marie suggests that each person 

needs to recognize what patterns work best for them and 

follow these to become more efficient. One example she 

provides is recognizing if you are a morning or night person 

and loading your heavy work into those time periods. 

One of Anne Marie’s biggest recommendations is to use 

a planner. Her planner has gotten her through some very 

hectic times! Using a planner and to-do lists to organize 

schedules is very beneficial to ensure everything can be 


completed. Once your planner has helped identify and 

prioritize items, setting aside time frames to complete each 

project will be helpful for staying on track, just be sure to 

leave a little wiggle room. “You always have to be ready for 

hiccups,” explains Anne Marie. 

Anne Marie recognizes that mastering time management 

and organization skills can seem a bit overwhelming at 

first. To become familiar with good time management 

techniques, she recommends surrounding yourself with 

Leaders who have skills you admire. “These are definitely 

skills you have to learn from others and they have to be 

practiced if you want to develop them,” says Anne Marie. 

Attending 4-H leadership workshops and surrounding 

herself with efficient individuals has been crucial for Anne 

Marie’s learning. “Working with great leaders and great 

organizers rubs off,” she shares. 

Anne Marie stresses the fact that efficient time 

management does not require a certain personality type 

and is rather a skill set that can be learned by all. These 

skills have helped her through many 4-H events, meetings 

and conferences, and they’re sure to benefit many 4-H’rs. 

With a little bit of learning and a lot of practise anyone can 

become a multitasking guru like Anne Marie. 

19

1. 

SCRAPBOOK 

1. 4-H Ontario Volunteers celebrating Milestone years of volunteer service were recognized at the 

Monsanto 4-H Ontario Volunteer Recognition Luncheon held in conjunction with CAM. Those in 

attendance were: Front Row (left to right): Laura Thorkildsen, Hamilton-Wentworth 4-H - 40 Years; 

Barbara McKenna, Hamilton-Wentworth 4-H - 40 Years; Deborah Brown, Grenville 4-H - 40 Years. 

Middle Row: Suzanne Barker, Kawartha Lakes Haliburton 4-H - 20 Years; Lynn Clelland, Renfrew 

4-H - 30 Years; Sharon Grubb, Bruce 4-H - 25 Years; Ann Marie Chechalk, Niagara 4-H - 25 

Years; Susan Brown, Essex 4-H - 20 Years. Back Row: John den Haan, South Simcoe 4-H - 25 

Years; Lynne Flewwelling, Wellington 4-H - 30 Years; Paul Coultes, Huron 4-H - 20 Years; Barb 

McIntosh, Oxford 4-H - 20 Years; Donna Bridge, Bruce 4-H - 20 Years. 

2. 

3. 

2. & 4. Future Leaders In 

Action participants took on 

the rope courses and had 

a fantastic time in March. 

3. Robert McKinlay and 

Abby Woodhouse make 

milkshakes at the Beaver 

Valley Milk Makes It Better 

Club achievement. 

Background Images courtesy of 

Marie Stones: http://www.freedigitalscrapbooking.com 

4. 


IN ACTION 

we all scream for icecream! 

This activity and recipe are from the newly updated Milk Makes It Better project resource. Thank you to the Dairy Farmers of 

Ontario for supporting this project resource update! A big thanks also goes to John Drummond for sharing these ice cream making 

techniques at the 2012 4-H Ontario Conference & Annual Meeting Milk Makes It Better workshop. 

The Melt Test Experiment 

How can you tell the quality of ice cream One way is the price. Premium (highest quality) ice cream is usually more expensive, partly 

because it contains less air. It therefore takes longer to melt. Check it out for yourself! 

• Place a small scoop of regular ice cream in one bowl and the same sized scoop of premium ice cream in another. 

• The one that contains the least amount of air will melt more slowly. 

• Using a stop watch, check the samples every 10 minutes. Observe the samples and write down your findings. 

Make Your Own Vanilla Ice Cream In Minutes 

Ingredients 

• ice 

• salt 

• 500mL (2 cups) whipping cream 

• 175mL (¾ cup) sugar 

• 0.5mL (1/8 tsp) salt 

• 500mL (2 cups) table cream 

• 7mL (1 tsp) vanilla 

Equipment 

Small can that will fit inside a coffee can OR small and large Ziploc bags, 

dry measures, liquid measures, and small measuring spoons. 

Instructions 

1. Mix salt and ice together. The salt will make the ice even colder! 

Keep ice in the freezer or in a cooler. 

2. Combine whipping cream, sugar, salt, table cream and vanilla. Stir 

until sugar dissolves and refrigerate for a couple of hours to allow 

flavours to blend. 

3. Pour mixture into a small can, fix lid tightly and place inside a coffee 

can (or pour mixture into small Ziploc bag, seal bag and place inside 

larger Ziploc bag). 

4. Place ice (that has had salt added) to the large can (or put in the 

large Ziploc bag). 

5. Roll can around OR shake Ziploc bag for approximately 10 minutes. 

Mixture should start to solidify. 

6. Enjoy your ice cream! 

**Recipe Variation: Add 250mL (1 cup) crushed chocolate chips or crushed Oreo 

cookies to ice cream mixture just before churning. 


21

MESSAGES 

Ontario 4-H Council 

By using tools, such 

as surveys, your 

thoughts will be 

collected and heard by the 

Ontario 4-H Council Board of 

Directors.” 

4-H Is in Full Swing 

by John den Haan, Ontario 4-H Council President 

With spring in full swing, so is the 4-H 

season. There is excitement in the 

air with new 4-H Members signing 

up for their first Club and the more 

seasoned Members looking forward 

to re-acquainting with old friends. 

4-H Associations are full of activity 

with Volunteers organizing various 

Club events, and the 4-H staff is busy 

planning the many 4-H opportunities 

hosted throughout the summer. 

Through everyone’s participation and 

support, 4-H is able to deliver the best 

leadership program for youth. Thank 

you to everyone for the part you play 

on the 4-H team. 

Following the 2012 Conference 

and Annual Meeting (CAM), it was 

very clear that communication 

and transparency are extremely 

important to everyone involved in 

the 4-H program. This year, the first 

Association Representative networking 

session was held at CAM. Several 

comments, concerns and suggestions 

were brought forward and they are 

now being addressed and followed up. 

Through Association Representative, 

President and Vice-President 

participation in teleconferences, held 

two weeks prior to Ontario 4-H Council 

Board of Director meetings, your 

input is a valuable tool in directing 

the 4-H program. Correspondence on 

important issues will be sent out to 

everyone involved in 4-H, and it will be 

posted on the website. By using tools, 

such as surveys, your thoughts will be 

collected and heard by the Ontario 4-H 

Council Board of Directors. Everyone’s 

involvement is important to ensure 

successful communication. 

This year will see an increase in 

discussion between the Ontario 

4-H Council and the Ontario 4-H 

Foundation. Together we will work as 

one to develop common goals and 

then achieve them. 

In 2012, the Ontario 4-H Council 

looks forward to supporting you in 

developing the skills of leadership and 

self-confidence in 4-H Members and 

Volunteers alike. Thank you for your 

commitment to the 4-H program. 

Ontario 4-H Council Directors 

Beverly Agar • Cassandra Chornoboy, Director-Youth • Anne Conrad • John den Haan, President • Angie Fairfield • Kim McCaw • Marie McNabb • Dave 

McNichols • Brian O’Neill, Vice President • Tammy Oswick-Kearney • Valerie Stone, Ontario Youth Representative, Canadian 4-H Council • Shirley 

Tomlinson • Anne Verhallen, Director at Large • Shonna Ward, Past President 


Ontario 4-H Foundation 

As part of our 

outreach, we have 

sponsored the 2012 

4-H Participant Cards. It’s 

one more way for us to say, 

“We’re part of the 4-H family, 

get to know us better!” 

Part of the 4-H Family 

by Peter Brown, Ontario 4-H Foundation Chair 

The Ontario 4-H Foundation is 

increasingly active in working with 

groups and individuals in local 

communities. We would like 4-H 

families and Volunteers to know that 

the Foundation has a key role in the 

long-term sustainability of 4-H. As part 

of our outreach, we have sponsored 

the 2012 4-H Participant Cards. It’s 

one more way for us to say, “We’re 

part of the 4-H family, get to know us 

better!” 

One way to “get to know us better” is 

by using the Foundation to assist with 

local 4-H investments. Often there is 

uncertainty as to how much money 

to keep on hand, how safe it is, what 

to do if a large donation comes in, 

and how and when money should be 

invested to get the most from your 4-H 

dollars. It’s important to determine how 

your local Club/Association wants to 

manage funds. Get buy-in by making 

a clear written plan for all to approve. 

Get assistance to make the plan if 

necessary. These are your funds for 

the benefit of your local 4-H Clubs – 

that’s an important responsibility. 

Longer-term funds and donations are 

what the Foundation can help with. 

Within the Ontario 4-H Foundation 

Endowment Fund there is a named 

fund for each of the 4-H Associations. 

These remain your Association’s 

funds. They are simply held centrally 

to benefit from the safety, professional 

management and return that comes 

with being pooled with a larger 

fund. The focus of these dollars is 

“long-term”. The returns from your 

Association Fund go back to your 

Association or, with your direction, 

are re-invested for the future. That’s 

how you can make some of your 

local dollars work harder for 4-H in 

your communities. It is also a great 

place to consider putting a significant 

donation when the donor wants the 

impact to remain local. 

The 4-H Foundation exists to help with 

the long-term financial sustainability 

of 4-H. “Get to know us better” by 

inviting a Trustee to speak to your 

Club or Association about what we do. 

Have a great summer! 

Ontario 4-H Foundation Trustees 

Ron Bolton • Bryan Boyle • Peter Brown, Chair • Nancy Brown Andison • Peter Cameron • Joanne Currie • Ralph Dietrich • Steve Dolson • Paul 

Henderson • Susan Humphries • Robert Larmer • Dr. Rob McLaughlin, Vice Chair • Edward Y. Morwick • David Rose • Tim Ross • Bert Stewart • Rod 

Stork, Past Chair • Hon. Lyle Vanclief, Ambassador 


23

BE IN The know: 

Publication Mail Agreement #40022887 

LEADERSHIP 

In Action 


Embrace The Future 

The Canadian 4-H Council’s strategic plan has caused a 

great deal of conversation and feedback. THANK YOU to 

the over 700 individuals who answered the provincial survey. 

The Ontario 4-H Council Directors, Ontario 4-H Foundation 

Trustees, and staff look forward to presenting YOUR opinions 

at the June 1 st Canadian 4-H Council AGM. Watch the monthly 

E-Newsletter for further updates. 

Discover 4-H Fun in a new way! 

What do a hot chocolate river, burping cows and checkers 

have in common Discovery Days! You’ll get to make crafts, 

learn about livestock, and try your hand at trivia and judging. All 

youth ages 9–12 are invited. Remember, you don’t have to be a 

4-H Member to attend so bring a friend along! Check out all the 

dates and locations at 4-HOntario.ca/discovery-days 

Are you 12–15 Come to YAC! 

Want to go on a 4-H adventure Youth Adventure Camp (YAC) 

is the place to be. Make your summer camp experience a 4-H 

one! This camp is open to everyone ages 12–15. Date: August 

13–16 at the Ganaraska Forest Centre, Campbellcroft, ON 

More details at 4-HOntario.ca/yac 

4-H Folklore 

The official blog of 4-H Ontario has been launched! The blog 

is dedicated to sharing each 4-H’rs unique experience. From 

camps and conferences to favourite memories, this blog will 

reveal the happy, sad, challenging and hilarious stories that 

make 4-H, 4-H. Check it out at blog.4-HOntario.ca 

We’d also love to read your 4-H story on the pages of 4-H 

Folklore. Send an email to Nikki at nkross@4-hontario.ca and 

let us know your most favourite 4-H moment! 

Sen$e 

Three fantastic youth conferences are fast 

approaching, Career Sen$e, Crop Sen$e 

and Beef Sen$e. Be sure to check out all the 

conference details at 4-HOntario.ca/conferences 

GOT Photos 

The Leadership In Action magazine would 

love to feature some of your 4-H photos. 

To see yourself in the pages, send your 

photos to communications@4-hontario.ca 

ThanKS! 

4-H Ontario’s programming receives 

contributions from generous sponsors. The 

camps and conferences listed here receive 

funding to help supplement the cost of 

registration. Thank you to all 4-H Ontario 

sponsors! Visit 4-HOntario.ca/sponsors 

4-HOntario.ca 

facebook.com/4HOntario 

twitter.com/4HOntario 

blog.4-HOntario.ca 

Return undeliverable addresses to: 

4-H Ontario 

5653 Hwy 6 North, RR5, 

Guelph | ON N1H 6J2 

financecoord@4-hontario.ca

Spring 2012 - 4-H Ontario

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