Time to Start 4-H Speaking Plans

Now is the time to start planning with your 4-H member(s) for the Burt County

4-H Public Speaking Contest. This is a highlight activity that reaps benefits for participating 4-H members now and in the future. Everyone wishes they felt more comfortable speaking in front of a group, but the only way to make that a reality is by doing it! And the younger they start the better they’ll be!

4-H members will need good speaking skills in school, work and throughout their lives, so do them a favor and do whatever it takes to encourage (push, bribe, etc.) them to take part in the 4-H Public Speaking Contest!

Mary Loftis

We’ve made the contests as “kid-friendly” as we can especially with the Public Service Announcement (PSA) Contest. The 4-H speaker reads a 60 second PSA (no memorization needed) into a microphone from the back of the room with the audience and judge facing the opposite direction. They can add sound effects or music to complement their PSA. If they use music it should be in the Public Domain (non-copy write). You can go to the internet and look up music in the Public Domain…but don’t expect anything too new there…sorry!  Additional details and information on the PSA Contest were in the March 4-H Newsletter so check it out or give us a call at 402-374-2929 and we’ll get you a copy.

When you give a 4-H speech, it is given from the front of the room and you are encouraged to use as few notes as possible, but to use gestures to make your message more interesting. Just like you don’t like to watch a speaker stand behind a table and look down the whole time to read a speech…no one else does either! Topics for the contest must be 4-H related and I always tell 4-H members when something goes really well, or really badly…it would make a GREAT speech because you’ve learned something in both situations. Speech length depends on your age, so call or check the newsletter for those details…or better yet, come to one of the Burt County 4-H Speech Workshops!

I will be offering assistance to our Burt County 4-H members to get them started on their speeches and PSA’s two evenings. These Speech and P.S.A. workshop sessions will be held in Tekamah in the courthouse meeting room on Monday, March 31 and in Lyons in the First National Bank, NE basement meeting room on Tuesday, April 1. Both sessions will begin at 6:30 p.m. but I would appreciate you letting me know you can attend by noon the day of the workshop so I don’t waste my time and mileage if no one plans to come. If these times or locations don’t work for you or your family please give me (Mary) a call at 402-374-2929 and we can make other arrangements.

The Burt County 4-H Public Speaking Contest is set for Monday, April 21 (the day after Easter) in the Presbyterian Church in Tekamah beginning at 6:30 p.m. Entry deadline is at NOON the day of the contest so a program for the evening can be made.

Use your Easter (Spring) Vacation to greatest benefit…become a Burt County

4-H Speech and/or PSA Contest speaker!

Last Call for 4-H Leader Banquet & Training

Did you forget? We want you to BEE sure to attend the 4-H Leader Event!

The Burt County 4-H Leader Banquet & Training will be held next Sunday, March 23 in the Bill Larson Building on the Fairgrounds in Oakland starting at 6:30 p.m. We REALLY want every Burt County 4-H Leader and 4-H Council member to attend for the fun, the food and the information.

Please call in your reservation by Thursday, March 20 so our caterer and guest speaker can make plans. Remember, you are encouraged to bring a guest and if you bring a potential new 4-H leader we’ll have a special prize for both of you!

Please call the UNL Extension Office at 402-374-2929, day or night and let us know you can make it! If it goes to voicemail just dial in 214 when it first comes on and you’ll get my voice mail!  Thanks and hope to hear from you soon!

Mary Loftis,

Extension Assistant
UNL Extension – Burt County
111 North 13th Street, Suite 6
Tekamah, NE 68061
Phone: (402) 374-2929

Fax: (402) 374-2930

Internet: mloftis2@unl.edu