“4-H should mean something different to each of us; 4-H should change for us as we make the journey from fourth grade and on. That is what makes it a club like no other!” This was a quote from Clay Prater’s speech that sums up the reason why he is involved with 4-H.
Along with Prater, 13 other 4-H members in grades 7-12 recently competed in the Warren County 4-H Senior Level Public Speaking Contest held Jan. 13. During this contest, members competed against others in their grade level to advance to the regional contest.
Junior high members competed with a three to five minute speech over the topic of their choosing, while senior high members presented a three to seven minute speech. Members were judged on organization of their speech, body action/movement, voice, and general awareness of the audience.
Junior high members included Caroline Brooks, Emily Pennington, Ethan Hitchcock, Katie Marissa Pack, Meghan Madewell, Brianna Kalista-Cooney and Gracie Hubbard. Senior high members included Haile Adams, Clay Prater, Ian Pursley, Austin Barry, Brett Winfree, Grant Hitchcock and Blake Waldron.
In the seventh-grade division, Ethan Hitchcock took first; Pack, second; Hubbard, third; and Kalista-Conney, fourth. In the eighth-grade division, Brooks took first; Pennington, second; and Madewell, third.
In the ninth-grade division, Grant Hitchcock took first, Pursley placed second, and Waldron placed third. In the 10th-grade division, Winfree took first. In the 11th-grade division, Adams took first and Barry took second. In the 12th-grade division, Prater earned the first-place ribbon.
The top two from the seventh- and eighth-grade divisions will continue onto the sub-regional contest at Motlow State Community College on February 19. The first-place winner in the ninth- through twelfth-grade division will continue onto the central regional contest on February 7 at Middle Tennessee State University.
The members will present their prepared speeches and immediately following will be led to the extemporaneous area. This portion of their contest will be the test of all tests.
Members will be given one minute to prepare a one to two-minute speech over the topic given to them. This topic could involve 4-H or current events.