HOT PURSUIT

During my younger years as a 4-H member, I always enjoyed getting my exhibits ready for the county fair with hopes of winning a trip to the state fair.

Conference judging has always been a staple in the 4-H program where judges meet individually with 4-Hers to gain a better understanding of their projects and what they know about their food item, photograph, vegetable, clothing or whatever they are exhibiting.

For me, one of the challenges was trying to figure out what the judges would be looking for in those projects as well as what knowledge I needed to convey to them. I usually practiced at home with my parents quizzing me about potential things the judge would ask. Sometimes I got stumped at the fair, but generally I was prepared enough.

Long gone are my days of exhibiting projects in 4-H. But last week I had a first of its kind experience where the roles got reversed from when I showed in 4-H. I served as a judge for the creative writing division in Steele County. While most projects are judged at the fair, this particular division is done ahead of the fair at St. John Lutheran Church in Owatonna.

I judged about a dozen junior and senior 4-H members who brought a variety of writing samples. Some wrote poems about Harry Potter while others shared fictional writings about various topics. There was even one about the Civil War. It was definitely different than the journalistic writing I’m used to in my role with the newspaper, but it broadened my horizons to encompass other ways to express yourself.

I found myself not focusing so much on the writing display itself, but the overall mechanics of the interview I had with the 4-Her.

What impressed me the most about this unique experience was the level of maturity displayed by the 4-H members which ranged from grades 5-12. They provided above average communication skills through their verbal presentation of the project.

As I told one of the 4-H leaders organizing the judging, some of the physical writings may have been on the fence between a red and blue ribbon, but the 4-H members talked themselves into getting blue ribbons just based on the shear knowledge they shared with me in their interviews and how they communicated.

All the 4-Hers I interviewed were poised and articulate in sharing why they like to write and what purpose it provides to their overall well-being. They understood the importance of writing beyond scribbling a bunch of words on paper. They had well thought answers to questions they likely had no idea I would be asking.

One 4-Her blew me away when she told me how she does not utilize Google to aide in any sort of assistance for writing but instead relies on a physical dictionary, if needed. What, did she say dictionary? I didn’t think teenagers had any clue what a dictionary is.

Another one used their writing as a call for action for others to help serve in the community.

The writer that I picked for champion aspires to be an author and is headed to a college in Illinois to major in writing.

I’ll admit that at times I question the direction our youth in general are headed in life. But my experience last week with the 12 young 4-Hers in Steele County changed my perspective and made me realize our future is in better shape than I thought.

It’s reassuring to see there are kids striving and going in hot pursuit to make the right choices and make the world a better place.