“See What Our 4-H Volunteers are Cooking Up.” That was the theme for the 2012 Lincoln County 4-H Leaders’ Association, Inc. Annual Recognition Banquet. Over 80 Lincoln County 4-H volunteers, members, friends and community supporters attended the banquet, hosted by members of the Merrill Busy Bees 4-H Club.
4-H is a community of young people across Lincoln County who are learning leadership, citizenship and life skills. Youth in grades Kindergarten through 13 (one year after high school graduation) can join 4-H, regardless of where you live. If you are interested in learning more about 4-H or how to getting involved in Lincoln County 4-H, please feel free to contact Debbie or Amanda at the UW-Extension office at 715- 539-1072 or visit our website at http://lincoln.uwex.edu/ or subscribe to the Lincoln County 4-H Blog http://fyi.uwex.edu/lincolncounty4h/ for up to the minute 4-H news. Wisconsin 4-H Youth Development is a program of the University of Wisconsin-Extension, Cooperative Extension in partnership with local, state and federal government in each Wisconsin county.
Volunteer Years of Service awards
There are 169 4-H Volunteer Leaders in Lincoln County who have given 1,648 years of service to the 4-H program. During the banquet we honored all of our 4-H Volunteers; project leaders, general leaders and board members for their commitment to the program. Those leaders, who have been involved for 1, 5 10, 15, and 20 years, received a years of service pin and certificate at the banquet. This year’s recipients are as follows: First Year Leaders – Barnes Creek Buccaneers, Joshua Kildahl; Merrill Busy Bees, Karissa Gipple; Pesobic Pathfinders, John Hagemeister, Michelle Hagemeister, Hayley Schoeppler; Prairie River Eagles, Heather Klimek, Ashley Ronis; Resource Leader, Christopher Marion. Fifth Year Leaders – Bits ‘n Bridles, Shannon Radtke; Corning All Stars, Heidi Jo Gronna; Hamburg Hawks, Erica Thurs; Hi-Los, Kim Brixius; Merrill Busy Bees, Pat Chieves, Yvette Chieves, Beth Krueger, Sharon Riddle, Lynn Simon, James Weiland, Susan Weiland; Pine River Pioneer/Sunrise, Brad Hartwig; Resource Leader, Cyndi Timm, Dennis Timm. Ten Year Leaders – Hamburg Hawks, Violet Volz; Hi-Los, Connie McPherson; Merrill Busy Bees, William Kunkel; Pesobic Pathfinders, Holly Schoeppler; Pine River Pioneer/Sunrise, Heidi Sturzenegger; Resource Leader, David Buck. Fifteen Year Leaders – Corning All Stars, Lynette Lassa, Barry Schleif; Hi-Los, Judy Koshak; Merrill Busy Bees, Donna Barkley, Dawn Hojan, Gloria Lukes, Tammy Thistle; Pine River Peppers, Desmond Schmidt; Pine River Pioneer/Sunrise, Jessica Gruetzmacher; Resource, Lloyd Buck, Jr. Twenty Year Leaders – Merrill Busy Bees, Totsy Kleinschmidt, Kay Simon, Scott Vandergeest; Resource, Roxie Hoffman.
Outstanding 4-H Volunteer Leader awards
In 1988, the 4-H Leaders’ Association initiated the annual recognition of two outstanding 4-H leaders. Beginning in 2001, the Wisconsin 4-H Foundation and the 4-H Leaders’ Association jointly partnered to recognize two outstanding leaders in Lincoln County. This year’s recipients were Mike Kunkel from the Merrill Busy Bees 4-H Club and Violet Volz from the Hamburg Hawks 4-H Club.
Mike Kunkel has been a 4-H volunteer leader for 21 years. Throughout that time, Mike is active in helping with club activities and served as the coordinator of the Lincoln County 4-H Auction for several years raising funds to support the countywide 4-H program. Mike is also very involved in volunteering each year at the Lincoln County Fair.
Violet Volz has been a 4-H volunteer leader for 10 years. She serves as a co-leader for the Hamburg Hawks 4-H Club with her daughter and granddaughter. She took on that role so the club would stay together so her grandchildren could continue to be involved in 4-H. Violet also helps out in many ways at the Lincoln County Fair by working in the Dairyland stand, helping in the poultry barn or wherever she is needed.
Friend of 4-H awards
Since 1963, the 4-H Leaders’ Association, Inc. has been recognizing two people, committees or organizations as “Friends of 4-H.” One of this year’s awards went to John Kromm, owner of Tomahawk Ben Franklin. John was nominated for his generosity and support of 4-H. Whether he’s offering his parking lot or storefront for brat fry or bake sale fundraisers or donating supplies for club projects or merchandise for the 4-H raffle, John is always willing to help out and to promote what a good organization 4-H is for young people to be involved in.
“Friend of 4-H” Award Presented
The second Friend of 4-H award was presented during the Lincoln County Annual 4-H Leaders’ Association meeting on Nov. 8 to Bill Hanson. Bill was nominated for the many hours he spends each year preparing the milk house for use during the annual county fair. He makes sure everything is working properly before the fair, comes the first night to be sure everything is working properly and is available as needed during the fair. Since 1963, the 4-H Leaders’ Association, Inc. has been recognizing two people, committees or organizations as “Friends of
4-H.”
Key Awards
RaeAnn Brixius, a member of the Hi-Lo’s 4-H Club; Brenda Krueger, a member of the Merrill Busy Bees 4-H Club and Kelsey Schoeppler, a member of the Pesobic Pathfinders 4-H Club were the recipients of the 4-H Key Award. The award was presented by Mark Duley, representing Lincoln County Farm Bureau. The prestigious Key Award, one of the highest honors a 4-H member can receive, honors a select group of 4-H participants annually. The youth receiving this award are ones who have demonstrated consistent growth in their 4-H involvement, developed and applied their leadership skills, and actively participated in the functions of their club and their community. For the 37th consecutive year the Key awards are being sponsored by the Wisconsin Farm Bureau Foundation and Rural Insurance Companies.
RaeAnn Brixius RaeAnn has been a member of 4-H for 8 years, most recently with the Hi-Lo’s in Tomahawk. Although her interest began when she became involved in the Bits & Bridles horse project, 4-H has broadened her interests to also enjoy photography, foods, sewing, small animals, jewelry, and one of her favorites, the dog project. Six years ago, with encouragement from her parents Kim & Gary Brixius, she took a big step and applied to become a 4-H Ambassador. The thought of speaking and actually leading groups and activities in the community was a scary thought for her but if you ask her today, it was one of the best decisions she ever made and it has opened many doors and provided many opportunities for her. She now is actually comfortable speaking in front of people and has even taken many leadership roles. Other interests, positions, and accomplishments include 2009 Lincoln County Fair Royalty, participation in the American Spirit Trip in 2009, Horse Project Secretary, Chair of 4-H State Conference Planning Committee, four years on the Leader’s Association Board of Directors, two years as a 4-H camp counselor, three years on the State Youth Leaders Council with serving as Vice President this past year, serving for five years as a panel member on Teen Court. She was also able to participate in the State Horse Show and the State Dog Show!
Brenda Krueger Brenda has been a member of the Merrill Busy Bees for 7 years. She has participated in the Music Festival, Drama and Communication contests, 4H Bowling, parades, June Dairy Breakfasts, volunteering/visiting at Pine Crest and Bell Tower. She has also performed at the State Fair for the communication and music contests. Her projects for the fair include: Rabbits, Clothing, Photography, Foods and Preservation, Nature, Flowers, Woodworking, Arts & Crafts. This last summer she had the opportunity to go to Washington DC, where they met with our State Representatives and learned about the history of our nation. She also got the chance to take a tour of the Pentagon and visit the New Zealand Assembly. Brenda is also part of the Church Youth Group, Special Olympics and dance. She is the daughter of Kevin and Beth Krueger
Kelsey Schoeppler Kelsey has been in 4-H for the past 10 years and her favorite projects are photography and youth leadership. She was a member of the Lincoln County Avian Bowl team for 3 years, and they won twice at the state level. She and her family have hosted 12 students and chaperones through the international project, and she’s thankful for the opportunity to meet people from all over the world. In addition to serving as a youth leader in her club, the Pesobic Pathfinders, Kelsey has served as a Lincoln County ambassador for the past 2 years, and she is also a youth director on the Lincoln County 4-H Leaders’ Association. In 2009, she was a recipient of the I Dare You award. Kelsey was a member of the Wisconsin 4-H Youth Leader Council for the past two years. Her highlights of being on the council were helping organize the annual youth conference held in Madison and interacting with other youth serving on the Wisconsin 4-H state teams. Kelsey is the daughter of Tim and Holly Schoeppler. She plans on attending Boyce College, in Louisville, KY, next fall.
I Dare You Leadership awards
Rebecca Barkholz, a member of the Hi-Lo’s 4-H Club, received the American Youth Foundation’s National Leadership Award, in recognition of personal integrity, balanced living and potential leadership. The National Leadership Award is presented each year by the American Youth Foundation (AYF) in cooperation with principals, counselors, county 4-H programs, and other organizations across the country. The award was first offered in 1941 by the late William H. Danforth, founder of the Ralston Purina Company in St. Louis, who challenged young people to achieve their highest potential and to influence others through lives of service. The award takes its name from the book, I Dare You, written by Danforth, in which he commends the balanced life of mental, physical, social and spiritual development as the backbone of leadership. In addition to a certificate of recognition each recipient received a copy of Danforth’s inspirational book, I Dare You, and an opportunity to apply for the “I Dare You” scholarship, which can be applied to the cost of the AYF’s Leadership Conference located in Michigan.
Rebecca Barkholz is the daughter of Al and Dawn Barkholz. She is the second oldest of four children and a sophomore at Tomahawk High School. She has been a member of the Hi-Lo’s 4-H Club for seven years. Rebecca is currently the club president. The opportunities through 4-H have resulted in skills that she will be able to use in college and the workplace. Previously she attended Space Camp and went to UW Madison. She was selected to participate in the American Spirit Trip this summer. She has performed at the State Fair for dance. After attending camp for several summers, as a camper, she became a counselor. Her favorite part of 4-H is the opportunity for travel. In the future, she plans to apply for the remaining trips in Lincoln County.
Club Dairy award
The Merrill Busy Bees 4-H club was recognized for their efforts in promoting Wisconsin’s Dairy Industry. The Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board awards 4-H clubs around the state for their efforts in promoting and celebrating June Dairy Month. A Certificate of Achievement was presented to club members during the banquet for outstanding accomplishments in promoting Wisconsin Dairy Industry in Lincoln County.
Memory Book awards
Seven youth who did an outstanding job on their 4-H Memory Books were recognized at this year’s banquet. The Memory Book is a fantastic way for youth to make a learning record of their year in the 4-H program and takes a considerable amount of time and effort on the part of the 4-H member. Each of them received a first place award for their book with Heidi Massa receiving a Merit award. Awards were presented to: Hi-Lo’s – Austin Leinen and Heidi Massa; Merrill Busy Bees – Joseph Barkley, Shelby Fehlberg, Steven Fehlberg, Abbigail Krueger, Zachariah Krueger.
Graduating 4-H Member awards
4-H Board of Directors President Cindi Christiansen presented our graduating 4-H members with their certificate and alumni pin during the annual recognition banquet. This year’s graduating 4-H members are:
Erica Busche- Erica was a member in the Hi-Los 4-H Club. Some of her projects included art, drawing & painting, child development, fishing, health, hunting and recycling. Erica has been a member of the Lincoln County 4-H Program for 15 years.
Douglas Davis- Douglas was a member in the Rockfalls Rascals 4-H Club. Douglas enjoyed small engines, scale models and sheep as projects Douglas has been a member of the Lincoln County 4-H program for 4 years.
Myria Kludy- Myria was a member in the Barnes Creek Buccaneers 4-H Club. Some of Myria’s projects were in art & crafts, entrepreneurship, photography, vegetables and youth leadership. Myria has been a member of the Lincoln County 4-H program for 7 years. Myria also serves as a Youth Director for the 4-H Board of Directors and has served as a 4-H Ambassador for several years.
Alexandria Kreie- Alexandria was a member in the Corning Yankees 4-H Club. Some of Alexandria’s project interests were in art, shooting sports, photography, veterinary science and youth leadership. Alexandria has been a member of the Lincoln County 4-H program for 14 years. Alexandria served as a 4-H Ambassador.
Katie Maule- Katie was a member in the Merrill Busy Bees 4-H Club. Katie’s project interests included creative writing, foods and nutrition and photography. Katie has been a member of the Lincoln County 4-H program for 12 years.
Rebecca Ryan- Rebecca was a member in the Corning All Stars 4-H Club. Some of Rebecca’s projects were in art, crops, beef, dairy, goats, pets, clothing, foods and photography. Rebecca has been a member of the Lincoln County 4-H program for 12 years.
Sara Schleif- Sara was a member in the Corning All Stars 4-H Club. Sara’s project interests included drawing/painting, flowers, food preservation, goods and nutrition, photography, sheep, swine and vegetables. Sara has been a member of the Lincoln County 4-H program for 13 years.
Mathew Thistle- Mathew was a member in the Merrill Busy Bees 4-H Club. Mathew’s project interests included art, drawing and painting, exotic animals, foods and nutrition, house plants, pets, photography and woodworking. Mathew has been a member of the Lincoln County 4-H program for 13 years.
Brandon Thurs- Brandon was a member in the Hamburg Hawks 4-H Club. Some of the favorite projects Brandon did were sheep, poultry, beef and woodworking. Brandon has been a member of the Lincoln County 4-H program for 14 years. He has signed up to be a 4-H leader this year.
Daniel Tiffany- Daniel was a member in the Pine River Pioneer/Sunrise 4-H Club. Daniel’s project interests included dairy, foods and nutrition, home environment and woodworking. Daniel has been a member of the Lincoln County 4-H program for 13 years.
2011-12 4-H Ambassador Awards
The 4-H Program in Lincoln County continues to grow and change each year. Many of these changes are made possible with the help of the Lincoln County 4-H Ambassadors. They contribute an incredible amount of time and energy to the program; fundraising, emceeing, promoting and planning activities and events. The 2011-2012 Ambassadors and Ambassador Advisors were recognized for their considerable contributions. A big 4-H thank you goes out to last year’s Ambassadors, RaeAnn Brixius, Myria Kludy, Steven Roets, Kelsey Schoeppler, Nathaniel Schoeppler and Megan Spreeman. 4-H Ambassador Advisors, Kim Brixius, Rebecca Kludy, Lori Lemke and Erin Riddle were also recognized for their leadership provided to this program.
State Recognition
Beth Krueger received a certificate from the Wisconsin 4-H Youth Development Program for serving as an adult chaperon2 for 2012 Citizenship Washington Focus. As an adult chaperone, Beth was responsible for working with other adults in leading a delegation from Wisconsin on this national trip.
International Program Recognitions
The Wisconsin 4-H International Programs provided recognition to the following for serving as an International Host Family during 2012:
•Hagemeister Family who hosted an young person through the Wisconsin 4-H Japan/Korea Exchange;
•Schoeppler Family who hosted two young people one through the Wisconsin 4-H Japan/Korea Exchange and one through the Wisconsin 4-H/Argentina Exchange; and
•Weiland Family who hosted a young person through the Wisconsin 4-H/LEX Mexico Exchange.
Holly Schoeppler was further recognized with a certificate of appreciation for serving as a County Coordinator for the 4-H/Japanese Exchange program. Wisconsin 4-H has participated in the National 4-H-Japanese Exchange since 1981. Area Coordinators and County Coordinators have been an integral part of the exchange by promoting the program, answering questions, assisting with orientations, coordinating midpoint meetings and assisting at the departure of the Japanese delegation.
Special Recognition Presented to Lincoln County Fair Association
During this year’s banquet, Cindi Christiansen, Sandy Thurs and Brandon Thurs presented members of the Lincoln County Fair Association with a plaque that Brandon created from a board of the former Grandstand.
Outstanding Fair Volunteer awards
In 1990, the Lincoln County Fair Board initiated the annual recognition of two Outstanding Fair volunteers. This year the Outstanding Fair Volunteer Award was presented to Susan Pfaff and Steven M. Roets.
Susan has volunteered at the Lincoln County Fair for over 25 years. She currently serves as the Co- Chairperson for the Jr. and Open Plant and Soil Sciences and Open Flowers and Houseplants departments. Susan tries each year to think of new ways to decorate her departments and is always there to help with any questions that exhibitors may have from the 4-H members to adult exhibitors.
Steven was nominated for his willingness to help wherever he is needed at the Lincoln County Fair. From his role as a youth member on the Junior and Open Poultry Department committee, to serving as a 4-H Ambassador to helping in the Fair office, Steven has a positive attitude and is always willing to help out serving as a role model for other youth involved.