2011 B.C. 4-H Provincial Communications Program

4-H members from across the province travelled to Abbotsford August 4 -7, 2011 for the B.C. 4-H Provincial Communications Finals. This action-packed weekend was a combination of Provincial Public Speaking and Provincial Demonstration, with representatives from throughout BC. The nine top speaking participants and seven demonstration teams competed at club, district, and regional levels to be awarded the opportunity to attend this provincial program.

The weekend started with the group coming together in some fun activities to get to know one another. Friday started bright and early with the delegates participating in three local agriculture tours. The first stop was Tanglebank Gardens, where the delegates learned about water wise plants and challenges faced in Fraser Valley cities with the lack of water. The delegates also learned about Farm Start BC, which offers young innovative farmers the opportunity to enter the agricultural industry by leasing land and growing crops for local consumers. The final stop for the day was Bakerview Ecodairy. Delegates gained knowledge about this innovative dairy using a robotic milker and byproducts from the herd for use on the farm. Grant Sigaty from Country 107.1 FM also spoke with the delegates about his experiences and opportunities as a journalist.

The Chilliwack Fair hosted the B.C. 4-H Provincial Communications competition on Saturday August 6th. Public Speaking Delegates were given their impromptu topic “Innovation in Agriculture”, and used information gathered from the previous day’s tours to prepare a 1-4 minute impromptu speech. The Demonstration teams presented in the afternoon for a great day of competition and entertainment at the fair. The topics ranged from changing your trucks oil to baking food products. We would like to congratulate all of the participants on their speeches and demonstrations, and announce the top 2011 presenters:

• Public Speaking
• 1st - Shannon– Vancouver Island Region
• 2nd - Megan – Kamloops/Okanagan Region
• 3rd - Alec – Kamloops/Okanagan Region

• Demonstrations
• 1st - Ashley and Sean– Fraser Valley Region – You Be the Judge
• 2nd - Charlotte and Juanita– Yellowhead West Region – Artificial Insemination
• 3rd - Dustin and Bryce– Central Interior Region – How to Pack a Horse

A special thank you to the program sponsors and local supporters whose generosity made this event possible: Agriculture and Agrifood Canada; The Mutual Fire Insurance Company of British Columbia; Federated Co-Operatives Limited; Armstrong Regional Cooperative; PrairieCoast Equipment; Westgen Endowment Fund; Canadian 4-H Council, B.C. 4-H Provincial Council; B.C. 4-H Foundation; and B.C. Ministry of Agriculture. B.C. 4-H would like to thank the judges, timekeepers for volunteering their time for this program and the B.C. 4-H Ambassadors for being the Masters of Ceremonies. B.C. 4-H would also like to thank the 4-H families and friends for their support and dedication to the 4-H program.

B.C. 4-H is a non-profit organization that is dedicated to youth development. The program provides over 2100 young people with an opportunity to learn how to become productive, self-assured adults who can make their community a good place in which to live. This is fostered through project and program work, experiences with other 4-H club members and leaders through participation in district, regional and provincial programs such as Provincial 4-H Communications Finals.