Communication skills were on full display Saturday at the 2018 Red River Area 4H Council Communications Championships in Morden. Members from 16 clubs from around the region offered speech and visual presentations on topics ranging from sports to current world events.
4H Manitoba Executive Director, Clayton Robins, said the kids are given the freedom to create their speech and visual presentations on any topic they choose.
"That's the beauty of leaving it wide-open. The speech topics are really unique, it's something that the member is very passionate about," he explained. "
Robins added that the title of the presentations can also sometimes be deceiving, which can make for a fun day.
Meantime, Robins explained that the skills learned through this 4H program become essential as the youth get older and enter the workforce. He said being able to communicate well is a crucial skill to develop when it comes to everything from a job interview to making presentations.
"It's something I didn't give a lot of attention to when I was younger, speech was something I did with 4H and that was it. Now I go around the world giving speeches for a living...and looking back it is the time when I was a young individual in 4H that helps me to stand in front of that crowd and push the butterflies away, and stand up and deliver with all the confidence I can."
The winners from each category and age group from Saturday's event will advance to the provincial finals happening April 22 in Brandon. See below for the full list of winners.
Cloverbud Speeches
1st - Marshall Thiessen from Elm Creek Beef Club
2nd - Ethan Mosset from Starbuck Combined
3rd - Hayden Manness from La Salle
Junior Speeches
1st - Graham Thiessen from Winkler Beef Club
2nd - Brianna Bruce from Miami Activity Club
Intermediate Speeches
1st - Alyssa Bruce from Miami Activity Club
2nd - Yulin Harley from Headingley Club
3rd - Emma Nickel from Winkler Beef Club
Senior Speeches
1st - Tessa Warkentine from Winkler Trailblazers
2nd - Julia Prondzinski from Miami Activity
3rd - Stephane LeHeiget from Graysville LH & P
Adult Speeches
1st - Christopher Jermey from UofM Future Leaders
Cloverbud One Person Visual
1st - Rose Uhres-Todd from Headingley
2nd - Sadie Spicer from La Salle
3rd - Paisley Kehler
Junior One Person Visual
1st - Zenith Vanstone from Miami Activity
2nd - Sarah Seniuk from Starbuck Combined
3rd - Danika Giesbrecht from La Salle
Junior Two Person Visual
1st - Casey Dyck and McKenna Lippens from La Salle
2nd - Malcolm and Victor Janz from Roland Home Ec
3rd - Daisy Uhres-Todd and Kendall Baron from Headingley
Intermediate One Person Visual
1st - Hailey Klassen from Winkler Trailblazers
2nd - Aidan Tully from Headingley
3rd - Harleigh Carlson from Elm Creek Beef Club
Senior One Person Visual
1st - Shavaughn Jochum from Headingley
2nd - Taryn Fenez from La Salle
3rd - Tayler Carlson from Elm Creek Beef Club
Senior Two Person Visual
1st - Tayah Vanstone and Phoebe Riddell from Miami Activity
2nd - Sydney and September Bisschop from Morden Achievers
Adult One Person Visusal
1st - Katelyn Dyck from Morden Achievers
2nd - Brendan Doan from UofM Future Leaders