Thirteen Mitchell County 4-H’ers stepped up to the plate with competitive presentations this past May.
However, they had a bigger challenge in 2020 because of COVID-19. 4-H Presentations had to be researched and developed as usual, but this year’s youth were handed an added twist of having to submit their presentations virtually.
Judging was also done by reviewing the presentations online.
In the Cloverbud age group, Craig Young, a two-year presenter, chose the topic “DaVinci Aerial Screw.” Cloverbuds can go to district presentations to practice their presentations so that they are more ready to showcase their speaking skills when they reach the age of eight-years. Craig is the son of Aaron and Crystal Young, of Bakersville, and a member of the Creative Clovers Cloverbud Club.
Several 4-H’ers were winners in the 8-to-10-year-old group and will go on to district competition in the same virtual format.
Winner Mylee Chapman, a first-year presenter, selected Egg Cookery as her category and demonstrated how to make an “Egg-mazing Sandwich.” She is the daughter of Randall and Kellie Chapman, of Spruce Pine, and a member of the Creative Clovers Junior 4-H Club.
Another winner and first-year presenter was Gracelyn Harrison, daughter of Steve and Alicia Harrison, of Spruce Pine. She chose to discuss “Tiny Spring Wings” in the Entomology category. Gracelyn is a member at-large.
Winner Owen Young, a third-year presenter, chose Electricity as his topic. He demonstrated “Sound to Electricity.” Owen is the son of Aaron and Crystal Young, of Bakersville, and a member of the Mega-Bytes Club.
Presenters in the 9-to-11-year-old category were:
Kendal Parker, a first-year presenter, in Egg Cookery. She selected “A+ Omelet Muffins” as her recipe. Kendal is the daughter of Shane and Jennifer Parker, of Bakersville, and is a member at-large.
Emma Cook, a four-year presenter, selected Peanut Foods and chose the topic “Nuts About Peanuts.” She made gluten-free peanut bites. Emma is the daughter of Josh and Jennifer Cook, of Bakersville. She is a member of the Creative Clovers Junior 4-H Club.
Alli McClellan and Emma Holden, second-year presenters, decided to put together a team presentation about Dairy Foods. They made “Picnic Pimento Salad” and accepted the challenge of putting their presentation together while they worked online. Alli is the daughter of Shane and Stephanie McClellan, and Emma is the daughter of Josh and Carol Holden. Both are from Spruce Pine and currently serve as Creative Clovers Junior 4-H Club co-presidents.
The fourth Creative Clovers Junior 4-H member who prepared a foods presentation was Waverly Revels. She turned into a “Fruit Ninja” and demonstrated how to make fruit salsa in the Fruits and Vegetables Use category. Waverly is the daughter of Jennifer Revels, of Bakersville.
Marena Presnell competed in the Foods and Nutrition category and talked about how to make sourdough breads. Her title was “Rising to the Occasion.” She is the daughter of Mark and Deena Presnell, of Spruce Pine, and First Vice President of the Creative Clovers Junior 4-H Club.
Showcasing her love for her nephew, Auggie, was Shauna English, who selected the title “All About Child Development: Starring Auggie.” She competed in the Family and Consumer Sciences category. Shauna is the daughter of Alan and Bette English, of Spruce Pine. She is a member of the Creative Clovers Junior Club.
The final member of the Creative Clovers Juniors to win county was Alli Pittman, daughter of Renae Pittman, from Spruce Pine. She chose a current-interest topic of COVID-19 in Health Care and entered the Safety category. Her title was “Running Into the Crisis: Well Protected.”
A second Megabytes 4-H Electric Club member chose Science and Technology as his category. Luke Smith wanted to make and test a Tesla Coil and decided on the topic “Tesla: The Character, The Coil and The Car.” Luke is the son of Aaron and Cari Smith, of Bakersville.
Mitchell County 4-H’ers have improved and re-taped their presentations for District Competition. They will be judged as part of the West District that includes 22 counties and the Qualla Boundary.
Winners are announced in early July so the top two competitors in each category can prepare for state competition.