4-H’ers ride the waves of success at the 102nd Roundup

The Oklahoma State University campus typically boasts the familiar colors of orange and black, but it recently was bathed in clover green as more than 600 4-H Youth Development club members and adults gathered for the 102nd State 4-H Roundup. This year’s theme was Surf the Waves of Success in 4-H.

“State 4-H Roundup is a time-honored tradition going back more than a century,” said Steve Beck, state 4-H program leader. “We take time to recognize the achievements of our club members and the great things they are doing across the state. But we also hope to light a spark in our delegates so that they continue down the path of being positive role models who are engaged in their communities and helping others.”

Attending from Logan County were Audrey Allen, Luke Allen, Bridger Arrington, Lane Brown, Jada Cleek, Bobby Ferguson, Jimmy Ferguson, Leighton McNair Garrett Perrin, Jace Taylor, Bella White and Austin White. While at 4-H Roundup, club members had the opportunity to learn more about the OSU campus through a variety of tours, including the College of Veterinary Medicine, The Botanic Garden at OSU and more. Roundup delegates participated in fun and educational workshops on topics such as cooking, team building, STEM, community involvement, social media, virtual reality, career planning, recycling and geology, to name a few.

While learning new things in educational workshops is one of the main focuses of 4-H Roundup, recognizing the achievements of club members is a special time each year. Record book and scholarship winners were honored at the Masonic Charity Foundation of Oklahoma Honor Night Assembly for their exceptional 4-H activities and were awarded more than $146,000 in scholarships thanks to the generous donors and supporters of 4-H youth development.

Club members also participated in several contests and some of the winners will go on to represent Oklahoma in national competitions. Arrington, Brown, Perrin and Taylor placed 1st in the Livestock Quiz Bowl.

New officers were elected to the state leadership council during the closing assembly. Serving in these leadership roles are Jenessa Dugger, president, Pittsburg County; Shelby Kelsey, vice president, Grady County; Bridger Arrington, secretary, Logan County; Sam Patterson, reporter, Adair County; Riley Hill, Northeast District representative, Creek County; Kate Wardlaw, Northeast District representative, Payne County; Dylan Neely, Northeast District representative, Okfuskee County; Olivia Gayler, Southeast District representative, Pontotoc County; Hailey Haxton, Southeast District representative, McClain County; Solar Starr, Southeast District representative, Pittsburg County; Lily Nease, West District representative, Cotton County; Megan Mitchell, West District representative, Tillman County; and Shelbi Prince, West District representative, Garfield County.

“State 4-H Roundup is one of the biggest highlights of the year for club members. It’s a chance to meet new people, learn more about OSU and make memories and friends that will last a lifetime,” said Dawn Andrew, Logan County FCS/4-H educator.