Pinellas Shines at 4-H District IX Events

4-H members can participate at the club, county, district, state, and national levels. Recently there were two district level events – District IX Events and District Congress. Hillsborough, Manatee, Pasco, Polk, Sarasota, and Pinellas all belong to 4-H District IX.

• District IX Events has two basic parts. The first is the competition of the blue ribbon demonstration and talent winners from all six district counties. The second is the District Council meeting and election of District Council Officers.
• On May 8, thirty-two Pinellas County 4-H’ers competed at Riverview High School in Hillsborough County. Of these thirty-two, twenty-five received blue ribbons and 18 received the medal for highest point in the category. Senior Pinellas winners receive a scholarship to attend and compete at 4-H State Congress in Gainesville. Intermediate Pinellas winners receive a scholarship to attend 4-H Camp Ocala.
• Competing at Congress will be: Beverly and Teressa Strautmann, Rebecca Morris, and Evan Julian.
• Receiving camp scholarships are: Lydia Kutz, Abby Vines, Emily Plaisance, Kristen Venable, Kaymie Van Benthuysen, Emily Vines, Jack Polmann, Nicole Sieling, Tanner Dickson, Kyle Walker, and Sarah Head .
• The District IX Council voted in their 2010/2011 officers. From Pinellas County, Emily Vines is the new Parliamentarian and J.D. Willett is the Historian.
• District IX Congress is a day of workshops and fun for 4-H Junior and Intermediates. Members of the Average Joe’s and 4-H2O 4-H clubs from Pinellas attended. Melissa Sharp of the Teen Council taught a workshop on 4-H S.E.T. Participants learned about scientific inquiry, created a wind turbine, learned about hexagons in nature and made a candle of beekeeping foundation. Drama, the aquifer, water conservation, and interactive games filled the schedule of a very engaging day.
• District IX Congress is organized and taught by the District IX Council under the guidance of the District Council Advisor who is usually the 4-H Agent of the District Council President.
  
  These two District level events take place every year. The locations of these events change each year as the responsibilities rotate throughout the district. Check the Pinellas 4-H calendar regularly for upcoming events.