Leadership In Action Winter 2012 - 4-H Ontario

winter
2012
LEADERSHIP
volume 12 / issue 04
official publication of 4-H ontarioIn Action
Through The Lens
feature photos from the 2012 Cover photo Contest
& a profile of our winning photographer
pages 12–14
p.18
RESULTS FROM
THE 90th ROYAL
AGRICULTURAL
WINTER FAIR

“If my daughter was interested in farming,
I couldn’t imagine
abetterlifeforher.
I mean, what could be better than farming”
– Lisa Jenereaux, Nova Scotia
POWERED BY FARM CREDIT CANADA
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Sure, agriculture is challenging. It’s hard work. It’s stressful. There’s so much to do and a lot to learn. But
could you imagine yourself doing anything else Canadian agriculture is full of hard-working, business-savvy
people like you who love what they do, challenges and all; people who see a future in ag and can’t wait to be
a part of it.
But for Canadian agriculture to reach its full potential, this has to be better understood by the public and our
own industry. The story of Canadian agriculture is one of success, promise, challenge and determination.
And the greatest storytellers are the 2.2 million Canadians who live it every day.
Be proud. Champion our industry.
Share your story, hear others and
learn more at AgricultureMoreThanEver.ca

LEADERSHIP
In Action
leadership in action is the official publication
of 4-H ontario, and is distributed four times a
year in January (special edition), may (spring),
august (fall) and December (Winter).
copy deadlines:
December 10, april 10, July 10, november 10.
Reproduction in whole or in part is forbidden
without the written permission of 4-H Ontario.
Editor & Graphic Designer: Marshal McLernon
Writer & Copy-Editor: Nikki Kross
Cover Photo: Jordanna Kalis
Winter 2012 / volume 12 / issue 04
contEntS
FEAtuRES
5 4-h Youth eXChange
South Simcoe members meet
their peers from Alberta
8-9 volunteer profiles
Up close and in depth with two
amazing 4-H volunteers
9.
for editorial correspondence & subscription
information:
LeaderSHip in aCtiOn
c/o 4-H OntariO
5653 Hwy 6 north rr5, Guelph, on n1H 6J2
p: 1-877-410-6748 | f: 519-824-8759
e: communications@4-hontario.ca
W: 4-Hontario.ca
publication mail agreement #40022887
4-H OntariO Staff
LeaderSHip
executive director •Wraychel Horne
10 sisters salute 4-h
Alumni sisters talk about the value
of their 4-H fundamentals
13 go for the golD
The 2012 provincial champions
share their winning strategies
16 roYal rounD-up
Four pages of results from the
90th Royal Agricultural Winter Fair
14.
COmmuniCatiOnS
Sr. manager, Communications • marshal mclernon
Coordinator, Communications • nikki Kross
Coordinator, alumni Services • lois James
COmmunity engagement & deveLOpment
Sr. manager, volunteer & Community engagement•
Debra brown
Coordinators, volunteer Support
region 1 & first nations Outreach • matt Hill
region 2 • cam crogie
region 3 • megan burnside
region 4 • faith Kirk
regions 5 & 6 • Diane peckitt
Coordinator, database • charlotte palmer
finanCe
Sr. manager, advancement & development •
andrew moore
Sr. manager, Human resources & finance •
Doris curran
Coordinator, finance • trisha lefler
administrative assistant • becky robinson
prOgramming
Sr. manager, programming • marianne fallis
Coordinator, programming & events • Hanica van looyen
Coordinator, programming & resources• elizabeth
Johnston
Coordinator, Sen$e programs • andrew campbell
SuppOrt
executive assistant • patricia Hass
Office assistant • cindy byers
We gratefully acknowledge the support of
toward the leadership in action
magazine annual communication series.
In EvERy ISSuE
4 Ask A Volunteer
4 Ask A 4-H Ontario Ambassador
5 In Brief • Local Stories
7 In Brief • Provincial Stories
20 Scrapbook
21 In Action Activity: Gingerbread!
22 President’s Message
23 Chair’s Message
EDItoRIAL notE
20.
as one of the newer additions to the 4-H ontario team, i am admittedly on a steep
learning curve. each step of the way, i find myself impressed anew by the scope of
work, the dedication and the enthusiasm of 4-H members, volunteers, alumni and
staff. it is an honour to join an organization that has so storied a history and so strong
a membership. this was further underlined by the interactions i had and witnessed
at the royal agricultural Winter fair, where potential members, alumni, volunteers,
members and 4-H parents alike approached our booths and events. seeing our
team’s equally enthusiastic responses to these interactions drove home to me that
4-H ontario is driven as much by passion as it is anything else—a passion to learn, to
teach, to lead, and to engage. there could be no better an affirmation that this is an
organization to which a person can be completely and undeniably connected for life.
— Marshal McLernon
3

ASK A voLuntEER
by Paulette Macdonald
How do you start a club in an
urban area” this has been a
hot topic among volunteers
over the last six months.
What a great question! i’m glad you are
starting a city club because urban members
love this program! my husband and i started
an urban club in 2002 and we engage
approximately 25 youth annually.
to get started, contact 4-H ontario. You will
need a minimum of two screened, trained
volunteers and six active 4-H members.
once you have applied, begin planning the
following: where will you meet, and how
often Which project will you start with
first, find a location. We use our local community centre. parents might
feel more comfortable using a public facility because unlike some rural
communities, they may not know you well enough to bring their son and/or
daughter to your home. a centre can also offer a larger space and there is
the opportunity to build mututally beneficial relationships. for example, in
our case the centre’s volunteer board understood that 4-H would enhance
the community. not only did they agree to provide free space but they
also donated start-up money! consider church halls, community kitchens
at grocery stores and meeting rooms at businesses. think of a win-win
scenario before asking for space. for instance, your club might commit to
buying some food and supplies at their store if the room is free.
second, how often will you meet a project consists of 12 hours, with no
less than four meetings. We meet weekly for six weeks. We break between
projects and complete at least one every season. for example, you could
meet on weekends for 3 hours x 4 meetings. it’s up to you!
third, i highly recommend that you start off with the project explore 4-H.
it is a 4-H sampler that you can adapt to meet the members’ abilities. We
also like to book community guests and take urban field trips.
finally, consider these additional ideas:
• Your club can partner with another youth group to share space
and field trips.
• city councillors like to engage youth and may support basic costs.
think ‘win-win’; how can you support them
• ask friends to share their knowledge. even if you cannot bake, a
neighbour probably can. Have different guests teach at each meeting!
• call local groups like the Hiking club, the Walking club, the master
Gardeners, the Weavers’ Guild, etc and get them involved in your club.
overall, the possibilities are endless. once the club is green-lighted by 4-H
ontario and you have a meeting place, the sky’s the limit!
leadership in action • Winter fall 2012 2012
i’ve been thinking
i might apply to
become a 4-h ontario
ambassador, but i’m not sure.
what did you get out of the
program — Anonymous
the 4-H ambassador program is one
of the best 4-H opportunities out there!
the 4-H ambassador program is very
flexible and you get a lot more out of it
than you could ever imagine.
some of the greatest gifts for being
a 4-H ontario ambassador are those
that are not tangible, such as the
development of public speaking skills,
confidence and networking. these
skills and qualities may sound a little
scary, and not as exciting as touring
across the province, but they enhance
you as a person.
of course there is much fun had while
meeting new people and travelling to
new places as an ambassador! some
highlights for me were meeting and
getting emerson Drive’s autograph at
the upi rendezvous, receiving 4-H
ambassador swag, meeting some
amazing people, and learning more
about our program sponsors.
the 4-H ambassador program is
an opportunity you do not want to
miss!
Read more about Samantha’s Ambassador
experience on 4-H Folklore, the official
blog of 4-H Ontario – blog.4-hontario.ca.
The 4-H Ontario Ambassador program is
proudly sponsored by GROWMARK, Inc.
and UPI Energy LP.

In BRIEF
local stories
a Once-in-a-Lifetime
experience for South Simcoe
4-H members
by Kaleigh Kneeshaw, Simcoe South
ten members in several different 4-H
groups from south simcoe recently
embarked on an eight day exchange
to red Deer alberta.
the 4-H Youth exchanges canada
program gives groups of 4-H’rs the
opportunity to travel to other areas of
canada, experience different cultures,
histories, and geographies. but most
of all, this experience allows 4-H’rs
to make lasting friendships with one
another.
the ontarians were chaperoned by
south simcoe 4-H volunteer Juanita
borland. members boarded their flight
to alberta on July 4, 2012. everyone
was all smiles heading into this
once in a life time experience. the
delegates had been in touch weeks
before the trip was due to take place
through email, texting etc. the group
expressed their excitement rather than
their nerves for the most part.
While in alberta, everyone was
kept very busy, with group activities
planned almost every day. the group
took many different day trips, some of
these locations included: royal tyrrell
museum, the Hoodoos, the benalto
rodeo, banff, ice fields, lake louise
and the rcmp police Dog service
training centre.
the delegates also participated in
the provincial beef Heifer show in
olds. Here they took part in judging,
marketing and team grooming.
one of the most enjoyed experiences
of their time in alberta was said to be
South Simcoe 4-H Members and their counterparts from Red Deer, Alberta
participated in the 4-H Alberta Provincial Beef Heifer show, thanks to the 4-H
Youth Exchanges Canada program.
the day of white water rafting down
red Deer river.
Delegates were sad to leave beautiful
alberta and their new found friends,
but counting down the days until they
would see each other again. July 23,
2012 came very fast and the group
was re-united again. the ontario
group worked hard and planned plenty
of fun activities for the group to do
upon their arrival. their time here was
well spent participating in different
farm tours; Dingo farms and sheldon
creek Dairy etc, as well as visiting
niagara falls, canada’s Wonderland,
the cn tower and much more.
the ontario group worked hard to
fundraise enough money to partake in
these fun activities. they held a “trivia
night” where they sold refreshments,
50/50 tickets, and they received
donations.
a few members also sold raffle tickets
around school to help raise enough
money to do all the fun outings
while the delegates were here. they
also helped in the grand opening of
sheldon creek Dairy, at which the
owners, the den Haan’s then donated
money toward the exchange. all of the
4-H’rs hard work had them excited for
these upcoming planned events.
their time together went by very
fast, and before everyone knew it,
it was time for the final goodbye.
although this was a hard one we must
remember “together forever, never
apart. maybe in distance, but never
at heart”.
More information on the 4-H Youth
Exchanges Canada Program is available
on the 4-H Canada website at:
www.4-h-canada.ca/core/programs
5

4-H – What it means to me
by mattison innis, peel 4-H
Did you know 4-H is in about 80
countries or that it has been around
for almost 100 years
no, well neither did i, until one day
when my mom asked me if i wanted
to join. i signed up for a club and i was
scared to go to my first club meeting,
because i didn’t know anyone. then
that day came for me to go to my
first club meeting. i met my club
leader; she was nice, welcoming and
answered all my questions about 4-H.
after i got used to 4-H i enjoyed it a
lot more because i wasn’t so nervous,
and i was wanting to join all the clubs
possible because i was making new
friends and learning life skills and other
things. best of all, membership is for a
whole year and you can join as many
clubs as you want during that year.
at the end of the year, there is an
achievement program or awards
night. During that, you get awards and
Showing 4-H Pride
plaques to show the clubs you have
joined and what you have learned.
some things you do in 4-H can be
entered in fairs and you can win
ribbons.
4-H teaches life skills, like cooking.
it taught me how to make a meal
from scratch. How about the Quilting
club sounds funny, but trust me
it’s awesome. there is also a tractor
pulling club which you can build your
own pulling tractor with help from the
leaders. i learned how to harvest sap
from a maple tree and how to make
maple syrup, i even learned how to
decorate a cupcake with different
designs. i made a stuffed teddy bear,
grew a giant pumpkin, and learned how
to square Dance. Well i could go on
and on, but i think you all get the hint.
i should take some time to mention
a little something about the leaders.
they volunteer their free time to teach
us about the club topics, and some
volunteers have been leaders for over
20 years! a lot of volunteers were
4-H members like me. the leaders
are one of the most important things
about 4-H. Without them we wouldn’t
have any clubs. my grandpa, uncle
and dad were all 4-H members. my
uncle was a leader for 8 to 10 years,
and my grandpa was a leader for
almost 25 years.
most people think that you have to
live on a farm to be in 4-H, but that’s
not true, it’s open to both rural and
urban communities. i don’t plan on
leaving 4-H until i am 21, when i am
considered too old. i think that is
when i will try to become a leader and
give back to the organization that has,
and is teaching me, all the life skills i
can learn.
i think back to my first club and how
scared i was, funny because now i
couldn’t imagine life without it.
manitoulin 4-H Has fun While
Learning about farm Safety
by Christian young, manitoulin 4-H
We started a spring bay 4-H club in
June. We had a group of six boys. our
first session was on farm safety.
We followed the 4-H motto of “learn to
Do by Doing”. for example, we walked
around the farm yard and read warning
signs and labels on equipment. We
talked about what all the symbols
meant and how they keep us safe.
one week, we went to steve orford’s
to learn about hay baling machines
and hay gathering. We actually helped
put square hay bales in the barn.
pHoto: Kim HooeY
November 7 was “Show Your 4-H Colours Day” and some students at the
University of Guelph did just that. The Branion Plaza cannon at the university
is frequently painted by students to promote events and causes—and in this
case, served as a canvas for 4-H green.
one of the important safety features
we talked about was to never work
alone, or at least have someone
know where you are and to check
on you every couple of hours. that
person checking on you can bring you
water because it is important to stay
hydrated.
in conclusion, we had fun while
learning about safety. We look forward
to our next session on the harvest
season.
leadership in action • Winter 2012

In BRIEF
provincial stories
Hamilton-Wentworth 4-H member Wins the grOWmarK 4-H Ontario essay Contest
4-H member Deanna ringelberg has
been named the provincial winner of
the first GroWmarK essay contest
for ontario high school students who
are 4-H ontario members.
the theme of this year’s essay
contest was “co-operatives in a
Global environment”, in honour of the
united nations declaring 2012 the
international Year of co-operatives.
Deanna is a student at Hamilton
District christian High school,
and a member of the
Hamilton-Wentworth 4-H
association. Deanna has
been a 4-H member for
six years, completing over
30 projects including sew
What, pizza, farm safety
and Dairy.
as the contest winner,
Deanna will receive a
$500 scholarship from GroWmarK.
the Hamilton-Wentworth 4-H
association will also receive a $300
award in honour of her
accomplishment, to help
future students.
four provincial runnersup
were also selected.
these 4-H members
each received a $125
scholarship. the runners-up
and their 4-H associations
are: vicki brisson, russell
4-H; matthew Gerrits, middlesex 4-H;
Kate Johnson, Durham West 4-H; and
sabrina van schyndel, lanark 4-H.
Beef Sen$e Continues to impress; two new Sen$e Conferences are ready to pilot
this year marks the second year of
piloting for beef sen$e. this innovative
program, developed to fill a much
needed gap in business management
education for young farmers, has
gained a substantial amount of
momentum over the past two years.
a benefit for many of the conference
delegates was the creation of valuable
connections. Delegates were able to
network with one another, as well as
presenters and facilitators, to develop
relationships that will be advantageous
for their futures as agriculture business
professionals.
the beef sen$e conference helped
delegate ryan Garner fill a demand
for livestock on his family farm. “one
Leadership In Action Correction:
of my main draws to beef sen$e was
the networking opportunities. after the
conference, i bought livestock off of
other people that were in the group.”
industry tours continue to be a huge
draw for delegates. this year’s beef
sen$e tour roster included pallister
farms, mike swidersky farms and
cargill meat.
“it’s really nice to be able to talk to
people who are in the industry. it’s
great to be able to go out somewhere,
see their operation, and interact with
them while you are there. it provides
a different perspective,” shares beef
sen$e delegate Jessie Hubbs.
this year’s sen$e suite was wrapped
our fall 2012 feature on the north perth Digital photography and
scrapbooking club omitted mention of leader leasa skinner. in the text of
the same article, member Jordyn steckly was mis-identified. We sincerely
regret the inconvenience and confusion these errors may have caused!
up with a focus group evaluation
session led by 4-H ontario’s external
researcher, Dr. cameron norman, with
Youth voices research Group. With
the success the sen$e conferences
have had so far, there is significant
excitement building for the future of
these innovative programs.
in 2013, two new sen$e programs will
be piloting. both equine sen$e and
sheep & Goat sen$e will offer exciting
new opportunities for delegates.
This project is funded in part through the
Agricultural Management Institute (AMI).
The AMI is part of the Best Practices Suite
of programs for Growing Forward, a federalprovincial-territorial
initiative.
Beef Sen$e is also sponsored and
supported by the following: The Ontario
Cattleman’s Association; Beef Improvement
Ontario; Dufferin Vet Services; Farm Credit
Canada; Gilbrea Farm; JSE Farms; Ontario
Farm Animal Council; Ontario Ministry of
Agriculture, Food & Rural Affairs; Ontario Soil
& Crop Improvement Association; Milt Carr
& Associates; Parrish & Heimbecker; Pletch
Farms; Sharpe Farms; TD Canada Trust; Van
Mar Farms Ltd/Buis Beef.
7

FEAtuRES
Lynda McCuaig
rewarDing
profounD
DeDiCation
By Nikki Kross
Shonna Ward (right) makes
a presentation to Lynda
McCuaig in 2011 in honour of
her 40 years of volunteerism
with 4-H Ontario.
I“i just do it. i really don’t know what
it is. i just volunteer. that’s just my
make-up,” demurs lynda mccuaig
when asked what drives her to
dedicate her time to volunteering.
mccuaig, a long-time 4-H volunteer,
was recently awarded the Queen
elizabeth ii Diamond Jubilee medal
in honour of the contributions and
achievements she has made to her
community.
“i didn’t know that i was even being
nominated, but i had seen others get
the award and was familiar with it,”
shares lynda. “When Debra [brown]
called [from 4-H ontario] and told
me i received it, i was very honoured
and pleased to see that i was being
recognized with these other people
who i had held in honour and esteem.”
like many 4-H’rs, lynda eagerly
began the 4-H program as soon as
she turned 12. “at that time there
wasn’t much to do and 4-H was your
social aspect and the way you learned
life skills. for me, it was the family
thing to do. You just joined 4-H when
you were eligible.”
after completing 26 life skills and
eight livestock clubs, she joined the
ranks of 4-H volunteers by leading
a livestock club that was otherwise
going to be short one volunteer. 4-H
gave a lot to lynda, and she wanted
to instill the skills and core values of
the program in others.
“i did have a lot of opportunities
through 4-H that i did not have
otherwise. i believe in the program
and it has the core things that make a
person contribute to their community
and country,” she says.
since her first livestock club, lynda
has been heavily involved in the
carleton 4-H association, taking on
numerous roles at the association
level. “i did all the executive positions,
including being president at one point
for six years. i’ve always been with
4-H in some aspect, whether it be
leading or at the association level.”
lynda’s work in her association is
invaluable. “she is the cornerstone
for our association—and actually
the whole region—from the years
of experience she has with 4-H and
running the original shows,” shares
Kelly barclay, carleton 4-H president.
“not only is she a major asset for
carleton, she is a major asset for the
entirety of region 2.”
4-H is not the only organization lynda
contributes to. she maintains a full
schedule volunteering for her church,
local fair boards, the canadian 4-H
council and the metcalfe agricultural
society. these are only a few of the
organizations lynda has impacted
over her lifetime.
“i don’t think you meet many more
people who are as giving as she is,”
says Kelly. “the time commitment is
phenomenal. she’s very humble about
what it is that she does. i don’t know
anyone who is more deserving of this
honour than lynda.”
in addition to receiving the Queen
elizabeth ii Diamond Jubilee medal
this year, lynda has also been
honoured with the syngenta 4-H
ontario arbor award, canadian
association of fairs and exhibitions
Distinguished service award, and the
canada 125 commemorative medal,
just to name a few.
4-H is fortunate to benefit from the
talents of this caring and ever-giving
volunteer. thank you, lynda for all
you do for 4-H—and congratulations
on receiving this honour.
more about the
Queen elizabeth ii
Diamond Jubilee medal
leadership in action • Winter 2012

FEAtuRES
Giles Hume
a lifetime of
Devotion to
agriCulture
& CommunitY
By Nikki Kross
GGiles Hume has been a volunteer
with 4-H ontario for an astonishing
57 years. His dedication to youth,
agriculture and the elgin county
community is evidenced by the many
organizations he assists.
With his extensive volunteer resume,
it is little wonder Giles was nominated
by 4-H ontario for this year’s Queen
elizabeth ii Diamond Jubilee medal.
“Giles is really looked up to. a lot
of people look up to him for the
many things he’s done.” shares 4-H
volunteer Henry Helder. “He’s given
his time to many organizations and
has made a great impact on our
community,” continues Helder, who
has volunteered alongside Giles for
decades.
in elgin county, Giles is well known
for his volunteer work with the board
of education, meals on Wheels, the
library board, Historical society,
scouts, the aylmer fair, springfield
lions club and 4-H ontario.
The Queen Elizabeth II Diamond
Jubilee medal is administered by
the office of the Governor General,
recognizing the contributions and
achievements made by Canadians in
their province, territory or region. About
60,000 Canadians will receive this
award, commemorating their positive
impact on their community and their
distinguishing leadership.
“every place i saw that could use a
helping hand, i just did it,” states Giles.
“i don’t even really think about what it
does for me. it’s just something i do.
being involved is all part of my life and
i don’t give it a second thought.”
Giles worked as an insurance agent,
but farming and agriculture have
always been very close to his heart.
as a 4-H volunteer, Giles spent many
years leading the east elgin 4-H Dairy
calf club. He served as a positive role
model for hundreds of young 4-H’rs
while teaching them showmanship and
judging skills.
“there is something about working
with calves that i love. it becomes a
part of you. it’s two beings working
together and there is a certain feeling
in that. the feeling it gives you is hard
to describe,” Giles explains.
of course, it is not only the calves
that bring Giles back to the east
elgin 4-H Dairy calf club each year.
Giles is a natural born leader and
his love of teaching and seeing the
positive impact the 4-H clubs have
on members are also driving forces
behind his volunteer work.
“i think there is a certain satisfaction
out of watching these young people
train their calves and bring them to
achievement Day,” he explains. “You
see these 4-H kids do their thing,
get their calves trained, bring them
to the fair with the calves looking the
best they can be, and then they show
them in the ring. it’s a really great
experience for them.”
Giles taught some of today’s best
showmen. “every member of the east
elgin Dairy calf club always had
good showmanship,” shares Henry.
“He really gave good training to the
kids...they have always been a very
competitive club.”
many members of the east elgin 4-H
Dairy calf club had been decorated as
top showman while competing at the
royal agricultural Winter fair.
4-H ontario is not the only entity on
which Giles has left his mark. He
has had an impact on each entity to
which he has devoted his time. Giles
was formally recognized by many of
these organizations, receiving the
syngenta 4-H ontario arbor award,
catfish creek conservation award,
aylmer senior citizen of the Year,
and induction into the elgin county
agricultural Hall of fame.
4-H ontario is grateful to have Giles as
a volunteer. congratulations to Giles
on receiving the Queen elizabeth
ii Diamond Jubilee medal—a most
deserved honour.
9

FEAtuRES
Marion & Doris
Swackhamer
the things
You neeD
to know
By Nikki Kross
Marion (left) and Doris Swackhamer
place a premium on the skills and
experience 4-H membership provided.
like many 4-H’rs, Doris and marion
swackhamer joined 4-H as soon as
they were eligible. in fact, one of them
might have jumped in a bit early.
“i was 11, and you had to be 12 to
join,” says marion with a wink. “but the
leader of the club lived across the road
and she said it was okay.”
When the swackhamer sisters were
growing up in rural Wellington county,
4-H provided them with opportunities
to connect with the youth in their
community and acquire valuable life
skills by following the “learn to Do by
Doing” philosophy.
“an important part of 4-H was
establishing friendships,” shares
marion. “because we were out in the
country we were not close enough to
anyone.” attending 4-H clubs gave the
sisters time with their community, as
well as time away from their brothers.
“boys and girls were completely
separate back then,” states Doris.
the sisters were active members
in many of the homemaking and
life skills clubs. “[4-H] didn’t have
nearly the variety they have right
now. it was mostly sewing, cooking
and gardening,” says marion. the
swackhamer family included Doris
and marion’s four brothers, who were
also 4-H members.
marion and Doris each completed 12
clubs during their 4-H tenure, which
included sewing, baking, cooking,
etiquette and gardening. “our mother
was the leader of the sewing club,”
relates marion. the sisters suspect
that because of this maternal link, they
were held to a very high standard in
their sewing projects. “it had to be
absolutely perfect,” laughs Doris.
the judging process of 4-H projects
had a lingering effect for both sisters.
“i remember doing the Gardening club
and you had to have someone come
out and inspect the garden. it was so
nerve-wracking! i was thinking oh my
gosh, what if something dies before
they get here!” Doris says with a laugh.
“they weren’t our leaders, they were
official inspectors that you didn’t even
know,” she adds.
4-H taught Doris and marion many of
the fundamentals that are the basis for
the home making and life skills they
use today – skills they think they might
not otherwise have acquired to quite
the same degree.
“there was no Home ec class in
school, so 4-H taught us all the basics
of cooking and sewing,” notes Doris.
these two sisters continue to pass
on the 4-H techniques they learned,
shares marion.
“even my grandkids now, when they
come over to bake, i always teach
them the 4-H way”, says marion.
for Doris and marion, their learning
in 4-H went above and beyond
tangible skills. “4-H taught me to be
disciplined,” shares marion. “You had
to complete your project and it had to
meet certain standards. it taught you
leadership skills because someone
was always chosen to present
something at achievement Day and
we didn’t always get that experience
in school.” the sisters maintain that
learning to have a critical eye in peerjudging
on club projects contributed
heavily to their growth.
in addition to providing her a strong
foundation of life skills, a 4-H initiative
led to Doris’ career. upon completing
high school, Doris applied for a 4-H
scholarship to mothercraft. Doris was
accepted in to the program, where
she learned how to educate mothers
about taking care of their newborn
babies. this was the start of a long
and fulfilling career for Doris.
the sisters are no longer active in
4-H, but they recognize that 4-H is still
very much a part of their lives. some
of the swackhamer kids became 4-H
members themselves. and, Doris and
marion say, both the experiences and
the skills they learned in their years
in 4-H have played a role in shaping
them into the people they are today.
these skills provided them with the
building blocks for day to day activities,
work ethic, and leadership.
“it taught you the things you need to
know,” concludes Doris.
leadership in action • Winter 2012

FEAtuRES
more than Just a Competition
Behind the scenes with the 2012 provincial go for the gold champs
By Nikki Kross
in stories about Go for the Gold
(GftG), the provincial championship
and the end result are often the focus.
in all of this excitement, people can
neglect to think about the hours of
hard work and dedication that go into
this final day of competition.
GftG is a trivia competition that
focuses on content covered in 4-H
projects, and current 4-H trivia.
teams comprised of four players, an
alternate, and one coach compete
against one another at the local,
regional, and provincial level.
Durham east 4-H, this year’s GftG
champs, provided some insight into
what it takes to bring home this title.
the provincial competition happens
every year at the royal agricultural
Winter fair, where the six regions
compete against one another to crown
one GftG champion.
for Durham east, GftG is more than
just a competition. “Durham east has
quite the history for Go for the Gold,”
shares brad found, Durham east’s
GftG coach. “our county is very
strong in GftG. it’s practically a right
of passage in Durham east.”
GftG teams train for months to
prepare for the local, regional and
provincial competitions. Durham east
team members andrew louws, Kate
louws, Katie mcrae, carol morton,
and Doug skinner each studied the 80
project manuals that are available in
4-H. reviewing the project material is
an important factor in GftG success,
and Durham east came up with a
creative way to benefit junior 4-H
members while studying material.
“We wrote and designed a junior Go
for the Gold game for 9 to 12 year
olds,” shares carol. “the end result
was a junior GftG competition.”
the team members agreed that writing
out the questions and teaching the
material to someone else makes you
think about the subject matter in a
different way. this approach gave
the material more staying power in
their minds.
While studying the manuals and
creating the junior GftG game
were effective tactics, what Durham
east found to be most helpful for the
competition was their 4-H background.
“We’ve all been in 4-H for a number
of years and have been in a lot of 4-H
clubs—50 or more—so we already
knew a lot of the information,” Doug
notes.
because each team member brought
a different 4-H background, Durham
east also spent time developing a
strategy to incorporate these varied
backgrounds. “When i coach a team
i know what their strengths are and
i look for that and work with it,” says
brad. the strategy they developed
was to play up each other’s strengths
and always put the team before the
individual.
“You have to work as a team and don’t
try to compete to hit the buzzer first,”
shares andrew.
“You know what areas people have
strengths in and will leave those
questions to others,” Doug adds.
it was this combination of varied study
tactics and team strategy that was the
winning formula for this year’s GftG
champs. the final provincial game
is definitely a culmination of hours of
hard work, dedication, and of course,
fun along the way.
in fact, the best word of advice this
year’s GftG champions would like to
leave with GftG hopefuls is to have
fun with it and enjoy the entire process
from local to provincial competitions.
congratulations to each and every
team who participated in GftG at
every level.
The Go For The Gold competition is
sponsored by Ontario Mutuals.
11

FEAtuRES
2012 Cover
Photo Contest
the 2012 Cover photo Contest
generated some strong results as
4-H Ontario members sent in their
best shots for consideration.
Here are the top submissions, as
determined by the 4-H Ontario
Communications team.
thank you to all entrants!
On the Cover:
Winning photo by Jordanna Kalis
first runner-up: Bruce Sargent, durham east
stunning composition and dramatic light made this a
clear choice. the agricultural theme is subtle but
undeniable—providing further incentive for the choice
of this image as our winner.
See page 14 for a profile of our contest winner along
with some more examples of her photography.
Jordanna Kalis, Brant
leadership in action • Winter 2012

Second Runner Up: Sarah Mount, York
Megan Thompson, Elgin
Kimberly Bickell, Oxford
13

FEAtuRES
WWhat is most striking in speaking to Jordanna
Kalis, the winner of the 2012 4-H ontario cover
photo contest, is her modesty.
“i can’t believe there is going to be an article
written about me,” she states, still in disbelief
that she has won the contest.
looking at the photographs she submitted,
however, it’s evident that Jordanna has a lot
of talent. Her winning shot is one of ten that
she submitted, and her skill with the camera is
evident in all of them.
photography has long been an interest of
Jordanna’s and her advice to young photography
enthusiasts is simple: “don’t over-think it. snap
anything that catches your eye a few times from
a couple angles and you’re bound to come out
with some great shots.”
a Waterford native, Jordanna graduated in
2010 from the environmental management
program at the ridgetown campus of the
university of Guelph. afterwards, she worked
seasonally as a crop scout while studying to
become a personal support Worker. she now
works at a nursing home in simcoe, does
photography recreationally, and is involved in a
4-H Dairy club.
Through The Lens
a focus on
Jordanna kalis,
winner of the
2012 Cover
photo Contest
By Robyn Cox
at 22, this is Jordanna’s first and last year as
a 4-H member. this fact surprises even her as
she’s been in the 4-H folds for a long time and
always felt like she was part of 4-H. “my brother
is a member so i’ve been going to dairy shows
all my life.”
this year Jordanna’s schedule opened up enough
that she could join a Dairy club of her own.
in addition to having fun and meeting new
people, Jordanna is excited about the skills she
honed in 4-H. time management, organization,
presentation preparation, and interpersonal skills
are just some of the abilities she’s perfected while
also learning about the ins and outs of the dairy
industry. she hopes to stay involved with the 4-H
community by being available to her fellow club
members to help out with their future projects.
the most important advice she can give to
people who are considering getting involved
with a 4-H club is, “it’s never too late. nothing
bad will come of it. Don’t let age or anything
deter you because it gives you the opportunity
to learn, meet new people, and become a more
well-rounded person, in general.”
leadership in action • Winter 2012

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15
©2012 GROWMARK, Inc. M54140

2012 RoyAL AGRIcuLtuRAL WIntER FAIR RESuLtS
4-H members and volunteers put in
their best efforts at the 90th royal
agricultural Winter fair in toronto.
Here are summary results from
youth events at the 2012 royal.
Congratulations to all!
natiOnaL JuniOr Beef
Heifer SHOW
GranD cHampion sHoWperson:
aubrey mowat, carleton county
reserve GranD cHampion
sHoWperson:
Jack oattes, renfrew county
cHampion Junior sHoWperson:
Jamie lea-Wade, Kawartha lakes-
Haliburton
reserve cHampion Junior
sHoWperson:
morgan macintyre, carleton county
cHampion intermeDiate
sHoWperson:
Jack oattes, renfrew county
reserve cHampion intermeDiate
sHoWperson:
Jordan cavanagh, peterborough county
cHampion senior sHoWperson:
aubrey mowat, carleton county
reserve cHampion senior
sHoWperson:
erin briggs, north simcoe county
GranD cHampion Heifer:
tmf lilly 11Y, melissa macintyre, Huron
county
reserve cHampion Heifer:
Hpf cream soda Y010, Jack oattes,
renfrew county
cHampion maine anJou Heifer:
mel-mat miss Zahvana 4Z, brittany Weber,
brice county
reserve cHampion maine anJou
Heifer:
bnWZ miss 58Y, alicia fugard, lambton
county
cHampion sHortHorn Heifer:
lilacview Yesterday Girl 1Y
reserve cHampion sHortHorn
Heifer:
Hill Haven breathtaker 35Y, sam buschbeck,
Grey county
cHampion simmental Heifer:
Hpf cream soda Y010, Jack oattes,
renfrew county
reserve cHampion simmental
Heifer:
Jf ebony’s Joy 1217Y, Kaylea Donovan,
carleton county
cHampion anY otHer purebreD
Heifer:
crystal’s Zoey 297Z, ashley mcnevan,
peterborough county
reserve anY otHer purebreD
Heifer:
Jes Y-puddy 11W, carol morton, Durham
east county
cHampion anGus Heifer:
Drm miss morgan, brad macintyre, Huron
county
reserve cHampion anGus Heifer:
champion Hill Georgina, lauren enright,
renfrew county
cHampion cHarolais Heifer:
aGa Yummy Girl 67Y, Jamie lea Wade,
Kawartha lakes- Haliburton
reserve cHampion cHarolais
Heifer:
baker farms Zagucci, ashley baker,
Hastings county
cHampion commercial Heifer:
lazy-b sure thing, michael stubbs, brant
county
reserve cHampion commercial
Heifer:
Kohler’s country Girl, sarah Height,
Wellington county
cHampion HereforD Heifer:
thunderbrook shenanigans 4Y, meghan
black, nova scotia
reserve cHampion HereforD
Heifer:
Gro-JDl temptation, Josh lasby, Dufferin
county
cHampion limousin Heifer:
tmf lilly 11Y, melissa macintyre, Huron
county
reserve cHampion limousin Heifer:
Dra Yes i Will 813Y, melanie Gollinger, Grey
county
cHarles J. Watson memorial aWarD:
Harprey barbara mcHenry, Jarret Hargrave,
Grey county
JoHn slaGHt aWarD – best exHibit:
bruce county
leadership in action • Winter 2012

OntariO JuniOr BarrOW
GranD cHampion sHoWperson:
Katie vander Deen, elgin county
reserve GranD cHampion
sHoWperson:
David van Dyk, oxford county
cHampion senior sHoWperson:
David van Dyk, oxford county
reserve senior sHoWperson:
sarah seroski, chatham-Kent
cHampion Junior sHoWperson:
Katie vander Deen, elgin county
reserve Junior sHoWperson:
brandon schertzer, essex county
ontario Junior barroW barn
competition:
1. leanne Dieleman
2. laura Dieleman
3. courtney Krakar
4. Kaitlyn Krakar
5. emma Krakar
best DresseD piG picture:
1. laura Dieleman, chatham-Kent county
2. leanne Dieleman, chatham-Kent county
3. Grace robinson, Huron county
stocKmansHip aWarD –
J. HarolD craiG tropHY:
benjamin vander Deen, elgin county
GranD cHampion marKet piG:
benjamin vander Deen, elgin county
intermeDiate sHoWmansHip:
1. randy bloetjes, middlesex
2. nathan aitken, middlesex
3. stuart may, middlesex
Junior sHoWmansHip:
1. bryce shaw, Grey
2. Kyla ness, renfrew
3. Kade earley, middlesex
novice sHoWmansHip:
1. nicholas rombouts, middlesex
2. sarah Weatherhead, Grey
3. Jaden nesbitt, elgin
anY otHer breeD sHortWool
1. Holly taylor, Dundas
2. olivia schlosser, Grey
3. matthew noxon, carleton
cHampion novice sHoWperson:
benjamin vander Deen, elgin county
reserve novice sHoWperson:
marcus Dieleman, middlesex
inter-countY Group of tHree:
1. elgin county: benjamin vander Deen,
emily vander Deen, randy vander Deen
2. essex county: Kaitlyn schertzer, rebecca
schertzer, mallory Gasparovic
3. oxford county: catherine Ypma, brandon
Ypma, andrea Ypma
4. middlesex county: marcus Dieleman,
emma Dieleman, alia Dieleman
5. norfolk county: Kaitlyn Krakar, courtney
Krakar, emma Krakar
pfiZer QuiZ aWarDs
senior:
1. randy vander Deen, elgin county
2. sara boersma, chatham-Kent county
3. Kaitlyn schertzer, essex county
Junior:
1. courtney Krakar, norfolk county
2. matthew Gerrits, lambton county
3. Kaitlyn Krakar, norfolk county
novice:
1. benjamin vander Deen, elgin county
2. emma Krakar, norfolk county
3. marcus Dieleman, middlesex county
reserve cHampion marKet piG:
rebecca schertzer, essex county
cHampion marKet Gilt:
benjamin vander Deen, elgin county
cHampion Group of tHree:
elgin county: benjamin vander Deen, emily
vander Deen, and randy vander Deen
top lanDrace marKet HoG:
David van Dyk, oxford county
td JuniOr SHeep SHOW
GranD cHampion sHoWperson:
matthew noxon, carleton county
reserve GranD cHampion
sHoWperson:
randy bloetjes, middlesex county
GranD cHampion lamb:
randy bloetjes, middlesex county
reserve GranD cHampion lamb:
Kyla ness, renfrew county
senior sHoWmansHip:
1. matthew noxon, carleton
2. Zachary bennett, Grenville
3. shea o’neill, Grey
anY otHer breeD lonGWool:
1. John Hambly, south simcoe
2. lesleigh elgie, brant
3. nicole shelley, Grey
commercial:
1. leslie unruh, Grey
2. Kade earley, middlesex
3. nicholas rombouts, middlesex
Dorset:
1. randy blotjes, middlesex
2. emily lemon, Grey
3. adrienne robson, peterborough
oxforD:
1. emily may, middlesex
2. Jocelyn stewart, lambton
3. shawn feenstra, middlesex
soutHDoWn:
1. Kyla ness, renfrew
2. bryce shaw, Grey
3. rebecca aitken, middlesex
suffolK:
1. Jamie callaghan, lambton
2. abram randeraad, Dufferin
3. Zachary bennett, Grenville
17

2012 RoyAL AGRIcuLtuRAL WIntER FAIR RESuLtS contInuED...
td dairy gOat yOutH SHOW
GranD cHampion sHoWperson:
adrian franken, Huron county
reserve GranD cHampion
sHoWperson:
Karen cavanagh, leeds county
GranD cHampion Doe:
Kassidy cavanagh, leeds county
reserve GranD cHampion Doe:
tyler Hansford, middlesex county
YoutH pee-Wee sHoWmansHip:
1. taylor penny, Kawartha lakes-
Haliburton county
2. caroline brady, Durham county
3. brooke Hansford, middlesex county
Junior sHoWmansHip:
1. Kassidy cavanagh, leeds county
2. tyler Hansford, middlesex county
3. Devon vaneyk, Kawartha lakes-
Haliburton county
intermeDiate sHoWmansHip:
1. Karen cavanagh, leeds county
2. faith Kozak, niagara county
3. olivier marquis, Quebec
senior sHoWmansHip:
1. adrian franken, Huron county
2. emma tenbrinke, nova scotia
3. alexandra labraque, Quebec
alpine:
1. tyler Hansford, middlesex county
2. Karen cavanagh, leeds county
3. brooke Hansford, middlesex county
la mancHa:
1. adrian franken, Huron county
2. Jordan Hansford, middlesex county
3. connor Hansford, middlesex county
niGerian DWarf:
1. aalia Gade, Wellington county
nubian:
1. Jonathan Dugdale, niagara county
2. alexandra labraque, Quebec
3. olivier marquis, Quebec
oberHasli:
1. taylor penny, Kawartha lakes-
Haliburton county
saanen:
1. Kassidy cavanagh, leeds county
2. alyssa Johnston, norfolk county
3. Kayla bishop, norfolk county
toGGenburG:
1. alex Hubinger, norfolk county
2. caitlyn van Zoom, norfolk county
3. bridget sackrider, norfolk county
laDies leaD anD Wool:
1. Heidi Kristufek, north simcoe
2. nadine smith, chatham-Kent
3. Karen lemon, Grey county
Queen’S guineaS
GranD cHampion sHoWperson:
tyler macpherson, Huron county
reserve cHampion sHoWperson:
brad regts, chatham-Kent
GranD cHampion animal:
exhibited by Johnathon mcneil, middlesex
county
reserve cHampion animal:
exhibited by sylvia megens, York county
Heifers, all colours:
champion & 15th overall: ashton colvin,
bruce county
reserve champion &16th overall: mark
mcewan, lambton county
3rd: Jackie Wismer, essex county
steers – all colours, Hip HeiGHt
47” to 53”:
champion & 4th overall: andrew barfett,
elgin county
reserve champion &12th overall: ryan
scott, brant county
3rd: Josephine verhallen, chatham-Kent
county
steers – all colours, Hip HeiGHt
53½” to 58½”:
champion & 7th overall: Jackson rose,
elgin county
reserve champion & 14th overall: Kelly
verstraete, chatham-Kent county
3rd: Holly cavanaugh, middlesex county
steers – blacK & WHite, Hip HeiGHt
48½” to 50”:
champion & 9th overall: ashley mcconnell,
bruce county
reserve champion &13th overall: Kole
Keating, lambton county
3rd: brad regts, chatham-Kent county
steers – blacK & WHite, Hip HeiGHt
50½” to 53”:
champion & 5th overall: lana shapton,
Huron county reserve champion &11th
overall: Jackie Henderson, Huron county
3rd: Kenzie regts, chatham-Kent county
steers – blacK, Hip HeiGHt 48½”
to 50”:
champion & 8th overall: Kyler Keating,
lambton county
reserve champion & 10th overall: cole
macpherson, Huron county
3rd: Jarrett scott, brant county
steers – blacK, Hip HeiGHt 51”:
champion & Grand champion overall:
Johnathan mcneil, middlesex county
reserve champion & 6th overall: tyler
mctavish, elgin county
3rd: amber mclachlan, lambton county
steers – blacK, Hip HeiGHt 51½”
to 59”:
champion & reserve Grand champion
overall: sylvia megens, York county
reserve champion & 3rd overall: samantha
mcneil, middlesex county
3rd: Krista mcewen, lambton county
td dairy CLaSSiC reSuLtS
GranD cHampion sHoWperson:
Dan Werry, Durham West
reserve GranD cHampion
sHoWperson:
natasha tripp, niagra north
Junior sHoWmansHip:
1. connor mann, pei
2. matt lange, south simcoe
3. cally finley, Durham West
intermeDiate sHoWmansHip:
1. peter leach, Kawartha lakes
2. alana mcKinven, Quebec south east
3. travis canning, Wellington
senior sHoWmansHip:
1. Dan Werry, Durham West
2. natasha tripp, niagara north
3. patrick baird, Durham West
GranD cHampion calf:
alana mcKinven, Quebec south east
m-signature verbatim tia marie
reserve GranD cHampion calf:
ronald Werry, Durham West,
sharp acres st Jessy
Holstein Junior calf:
1. iris Wolfensberger, stormont
Guyview lauthority lizanne
2. caitlin Jampen, Dundas
cherry crest lavanguard roZ
3. mauranne Hébert, Quebec east
rotaly Windbrook Hilda
Holstein intermeDiate Heifer:
1. natasha tripp, niagara north
sunspark Windbrook extra
leadership in action • Winter 2012

2. Darcie Wilson, nova scotia
Wilsonburg sanchez marley
3. matthew forestall, northumberland
Kingsway lauthority all in
Holstein senior Heifer calf:
1. emma farlinger, Dundas
signature fevered pitch
2. fabienne Kagi, stormont
redlodge Dempsey avatar
3. marie-pier G. vincent, Quebec south
D-ray Dempsey summit
aYrsHire, GuernseY & broWn sWiss:
1. ashleigh benedict, nova scotia
musqie calimero chikeela
2. marshall ellis, nova scotia
eloc Wonderment rebeldoodle
3. carrie simpson, Quebec sW
lashburn Kellybuck britney
JerseY Heifer calves:
1. martha mackinnon, Quebec south east
Gladale sweet baby G
2. brooke mcKinven, Quebec south east
Homeridge b.Honey
3. David leach, Kawartha lakes
leachland Kit Kat K
JerseY YearlinG Heifers:
1. alana mcKinven,Quebec south east
m-signature verbatim tia marie
2. alisha burgess, middlesex
Golden Grandprix miracle
3. colton oughtred , brant
bridgeview money impala
Holstein summer YearlinG Heifers:
1. véronique brisson, Quebec south West
brismer Damion Jasmine
2. alex chabot, russell
belfast Goldwyn lasenza
3. Kyle bouma, pei
red oak sanchez odyssey
Holstein Junior YearlinG Heifers:
1. ronald Werry, Durham West
sharp acres st Jessy
2. Daniel martin, bruce
morsan atwood burka
3. ava Doner, Durham east
Donelea alex ballerina
HerDsman exHibit:
1. brant
2. Durham West
3. russel
premier countY:
1. Durham West
2. northumberland
3. Wellington
Group of tHree:
1. Quebec southeast
2. Durham West
3. pei
4-H fieLd CrOpS
WHeat, anY varietY:
1. michael cousens, carleton
2. brent cranston, Hamilton-Wentworth
3. Joshua Jansen, Haldimand
oats, anY varietY:
1. matt smith, Hamilton-Wentworth
2. brendan murphy, Haldimand
3. emma long, Haldimand
barleY, 6 roWeD:
1. matt smith, Hamilton-Wentworth
2 nicole Young, Hamilton-Wentworth
3. brooke Young, Hamilton-Wentworth
barleY, 2 roWeD:
1. andrea smith, Hamilton-Wentworth
2. matt smith, Hamilton- Wentworth
3. brent cranston, Hamilton-
Wentworth
corn, ear, Dent:
1. aiden long, Haldimand
2. emma long, Haldimand
3. sarah long, Haldimand
corn, sHelleD, Dent:
1. Joshua Jansen, Haldimand
2. sarah long, Haldimand
3. brent cranston, Hamilton-Wentworth
soYbeans, anY varietY:
1. amanda craven, chatham-Kent
2. eric prelaz, chatham-Kent
3. rena lugtigheid, chatham-Kent
beans, WHite or coloureD:
1. amanda craven, chatham-Kent
2. shawn sullivan, chatham-Kent
HaY, first cut:
1. nicole Young, Hamilton-Wentworth
2. brooke Young, Hamilton-Wentworth
3. Keturah breckon, Hamillton-Wentworth
HaY, seconD cut:
1. Jennifer charlton, brant
2. sarah long, Haldimand
3. brendan murphy, Haldimand
oat sHeaf:
1. Duncan mcmillan, Haldimand
2. morgan barnes Haldimand
3. andrea smith, Hamilton-Wentworth
WHeat sHeaf:
1. sarah ellis, Haldimand
2. morgan barnes, Haldimand
3. christine armstrong, Haldimand
barleY sHeaf:
1. Duncan mcmillan, Haldimand
2. christine armstrong, Haldimand
artistic DisplaY:
1. morgan barnes, Haldimand
2. andrea smith, Hamilton-Wentworth
3. christine armstrong, Haldimand
Canadian yOung SpeaKerS
in agriCuLture
senior Division:
1. lydia Harrison, Durham, ontario
2. elizabeth schouten, Kanata, ontario
3. victoria blakely, riverview, new brunswick
Junior Division:
1. Dasha metropolitansky, oakville, ontario
2. maxwell archer, mount pleasant, ontario
3. Zachary Walker, thomasburg, ontario
19

ScRAPBooK
2.
1.
4.
3.
leadership in action • fall 2012
5.
1. West Carleton 4-H dairy Club member mary
Ziebarth catches a rest at the almonte fair.
2. 4-H members take a moment to catch up at the
Campbellford fair. pictured are Carissa Chrysler,
taylor vandermeulen, megan macKinnon, ryan
godden and madison Hay.
3. the erin 4-H Cloverbuds Club pose with their
entry in the sign contest at the 2012 erin fair.
4. Ben Linder from perth 4-H association enjoys
a complimentary coffee from 4-H Ontario while
touring the 2012 Outdoor farm Show.
5. nature’s splendor, captured on a hike by the
South Simcoe 4-H Hiking Club.

In ActIon
Make a Gingerbread House
the holiday season is here and with that comes a wide array of festive
activities. recently, the Haldimand 4-H christmas club tackled the challenge
of making and decorating gingerbread houses and sugar cookies. over the
course of two meetings members learned different techniques for baking and
participated in some creative decorating.
this group had a great time creating their very own holiday baked goods and
you can too. below are the recipes the Haldimand 4-H christmas club used
during their meetings. Don’t forget to find some templates for the shapes of
your gingerbread house before you start!
gingerBread HOuSe reCipe:
1 cup butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
¾ cup fancy molasses
½ cup blackstrap molasses
6 cups all purpose flour
2 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 tsp ground cloves
1 tsp cinnamon
in a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat shortening
with sugar until light; beat in eggs, fancy molasses and
blackstrap molasses.
stir together flour, ginger, baking soda, salt, cloves and
cinnamon; using a wooden spoon, gradually stir into
molasses mixture. mix well, using hands if necessary.
Divide dough into four discs; wrap each in plastic wrap and
refrigerate for at least 2 hours or until firm. Dough can be
refrigerated for up to one week.
between sheets of waxed paper, roll out one disc at a
time to ¼ inch (5mm) thickness. remove top sheet of
paper; arrange pattern pieces of dough. using the tip of a
knife, trace and cut out shapes. freeze waxed paper-lined
baking sheet for 20 minutes, or until hard. at this time,
preheat oven to 325ºf (160ºc).
place cutouts on parchment paper-lined or lightly greased
baking sheets, reserving dough scraps for re-rolling. bake
in oven for 12 to 15 minutes or until golden brown and firm
to the touch. transfer gingerbread to cooling racks and let
cool completely.
rOyaL iCing reCipe:
3 tbsp meringue powder
4 cups sifted confectioners sugar
6 tbsp water
beat all ingredients at low speed for 7 to 10 minutes, or
until icing forms peaks. tip: Keep icing covered with a wet
kitchen towel at all times, as the icing can dry out quickly.
aSSemBLy and deCOratiOn:
Join one side wall to one peaked wall. pipe icing along the
bottom of the side wall and along the bottom and inside
of the peaked wall. Join the panels so that the side wall is
positioned on the inside edge of the peaked wall. press
the sides together and attach to the base. Hold in place for
several minutes until the icing begins to set.
attach the other side wall and peaked wall in the same
way. press together, and let dry before taking the next
step.
pipe the icing along the roof angle of both peaked wall
panels and along the top side walls. pipe icing along one
long side of one roof panel. (this will be the peak of the
roof.) position one roof section, so it meets the peaked wall
and side wall edges. Hold this half in place while you add
the other roof section.
adjust so that each side is evenly pitched and the center
seam meets. press and hold in place several minutes to
allow the icing to set. let your house dry before decorating.
use royal icing as glue for all candy decorations. cover
roof with icing and decorate with shreddies, mini Wheats
or candy of your choice. pipe on doors and windows as
desired. be creative!
21

MESSAGES
ontario 4-h Council
i’d like to extend
thanks to all the
volunteers, parents,
members, sponsors and
staff for the part that
you play in the 4-h
program. it is through
your commitment that
4-h is able to deliver the
programs that we offer.”
marking keY aCComplishments of the Year
by John den Haan, ontario 4-H council president
november was national 4-H month. in light of this, i’d like
to extend thanks to all the volunteers, parents, members,
sponsors, and staff for the part that you play in the 4-H
program. it is through your commitment that 4-H is able to
deliver the programs we offer. as 2013 approaches, i’d like
to share some of this year’s updates so far.
as a governance board, protecting the 4-H organization
is one of the priorities of your 4-H council, including the
safety of all those involved with 4-H. this past January
the accessibility for ontarians with Disabilities act (aoDa)
came into play. one of the requirements is that 4-H needs
to be physically accessible. council is developing a plan
to meet these requirements, which includes the training for
volunteers that is required in order to be compliant.
4-H has also worked together with industry partners
over the past two years to develop a protocol for healthy
calves—and all livestock. this protocol started being
implemented this past year. in the spirit of 4-H, it is
important to display a positive image at all times. this
includes showing healthy animals and knowing what to do
when an issue arises.
this past year has seen the beginning of the ontario 4-H
council and ontario 4-H foundation working together for
the betterment of 4-H. this has included representation
of the foundation on the past president & vice president
teleconferences and at face-to-face meetings with each
other. Working together, we will build a stronger 4-H.
fiscal accountability is also a priority of council. as of the
close of the third quarter, our income is at 80% of projected
revenue, and we are at 73% of projected expenses. thanks
to 4-H ontario staff for your due diligence.
Directing is another duty of a governance board. in march
2013, a revised policy manual will be released at the
volunteer conference and annual meeting (cam). after
several years of updating our current manual, the policies
of 4-H ontario, as well as the information required by
volunteers, has been reorganized to make the policy
manual more user friendly.
the council is always open to any questions about governance
that you may have. as the 4-H year winds down, i
wish everyone all the best during the holiday season.
Ontario 4-H Council directors
beverly agar • cassandra chornoboy, Director-Youth • anne conrad • John den Haan, president • Kim mccaw • marie mcnabb • Dave mcnichols •
brian o’neill, vice president • tammy oswick-Kearney • valerie stone, ontario Youth representative, canadian 4-H council • shirley tomlinson • anne
verhallen, Director at large • shonna Ward, past president
leadership in action • Winter 2012

ontario 4-h foundation
it is important to
remember that your
local association
has a fund within the
ontario 4-h foundation.
these funds are for use by
your local association for
4-h activities”
founDation suCCesses of note for 2012
by Peter Brown, ontario 4-H foundation chair
the ontario 4-H foundation has had a successful year to
date in moving its objectives forward.
one of these objectives was to put in place a rigorous
new set of guidelines for gift agreements. this allows both
the foundation and the donor to clearly understand each
party’s objectives and commitments. many of the existing
donors of named funds within 4-H ontario’s endowment
will be contacted over the next few months to make sure
such an agreement is in place. this will ensure donor
interests are met.
taking the agreement concept one step further, let’s examine
4-H ontario associations. since each local 4-H association
has a named fund with the ontario 4-H endowment, it is
also valuable to have an agreement in place for proper
administration of those funds. We are receiving an increased
number of questions from local associations about their fund
and how it can be used. that’s great!
We are also getting many “what if” questions about
making contributions and getting the funds back. many of
these questions can be answered, or clarified, through an
agreement for each association’s fund. this is something
we plan to put in place soon.
for now, it is important to remember that your local
association has a fund within the ontario 4-H foundation.
these funds are for use by your local association for 4-H
activities. it is beneficial to contribute to your association
fund for several reasons:
• it keeps those dollars safe during succession of
local executive;
• it provides a good return over the medium- to
long-term;
• it is managed professionally at a very reasonable cost;
• it meets canada revenue agency requirements for
investing charitable funds;
• it’s yours when you want it.
contact the ontario 4-H foundation or the 4-H ontario
office if you have questions about your local association’s
fund, or about any of the activities of the ontario 4-H
foundation.
Ontario 4-H foundation trustees
ron bolton • bryan boyle • peter brown, chair • nancy brown andison • peter cameron • Joanne currie • ralph Dietrich • steve Dolson • paul
Henderson • susan Humphries • robert larmer • Dr. rob mclaughlin, vice chair • edward Y. morwick • David rose • tim ross • bert stewart • rod
stork, past chair • Hon. lyle vanclief, ambassador
23

Be in the know:
publication mail agreement #40022887
LEADERSHIP
In Action
official publication of 4-H ontario
Provincial 4-H Leadership Camp
provincial 4-H leadership camp will run march 9-14 2013.
registration deadline is January 31st – visit 4-HOntario.ca/
leadership-camp for details. be sure to register early as spaces
fill quickly! buses will be provided from two central pick up
locations to assist in getting participants to camp. more information
about buses will be provided to registered delegates in their
registration packages. this camp is open to 4-H members only.
CAM 2013
the 2013 4-H ontario volunteer conference & annual meeting
will take place on march 22–24 in Waterloo, ontario. registration
forms have been mailed to 4-H ontario volunteers, and are also
available on the 4-H ontario website: 4-HOntario.ca. Don’t miss
the registration deadline of february 15th!
New 2013 Programs for Members!
4-H ontario is working on some new provincial opportunities for
members in 2013. included in this will be a new senior member
program in the spring called ignite leadership, for those between
the ages of 17–21. also, watch for two new sen$e programs –
equine and sheep & Goat. more details about these opportunities
will be released in the 2013 special edition/resource Guide and
will be posted to our website.
Livestock Project Animal
Identification Forms
reminder for volunteers and members in livestock clubs that
project animal identification forms (paif) for the 2013 season
must be submitted by June 1st, 2013. be sure to have your
paif completed in full and submitted by the deadline, in order
to ensure a successful season showing at out-of-county events.
Volunteer Screening
volunteer screening is a crucial component
of the 4-H process. it’s for everyone’s safety!
You must have an up-to-date screening, for
the best interests of yourself, other volunteers,
and members. see our website for more
information: 4-HOntario.ca/volunteers.
In Our Next Issue:
the next issue of leadership in action
is our annual special edition—the all-in-one
4-H ontario resource guide. it promises to
be chock full of projects, programming notes,
event & camp details, and more. Look for
it early in 2013!
Stay up to date!
4-hontario.ca
facebook.com/4hontario
twitter.com/4hontario
blog.4-hontario.ca
return undeliverable addresses to:
4-H ontario
5653 Hwy 6 north, rr5
Guelph | on n1H 6J2
financecoord@4-hontario.ca