LAC LA BICHE - The Lac La Biche 4-H Club is hosting its annual district communications competition on March 3 and the Northeast Regional Communications Competition on March 23.
The local district contest will be held at Craigend Hall at 12:30 p.m. while the regionals are set to take place at Portage College, also at 12:30 p.m. These events are not open to the public, and are only for members who are participating.
Club reporter Jackson Cull, who will be participating in the March 3 event, said the competition is important because it teaches 4-H members how to speak in front of people without being fearful. Last year, Cull placed third in the Junior category for his presentation on Beyblades, which is a type of spinning top toy.
“It teaches us public speaking, how to present an idea, and research something you’re interested in,” he explained. “I like that each member gets to share a unique idea.”
This is a public speaking event, and each participant can decide to do either a speech or presentation on a topic of their choosing. Each age category – junior (9 -11), intermediate (12-14), and seniors (15-20) has different time requirements that they must reach.
There is a judging panel of three that judge each competitor on speaking, appearance, eye contact, etc.
Amanda Cull, club leader of the Lac La Biche 4-H Club, said this is a yearly event for the club and all of its members participate, even the youngest members, called cleavers, who are aged 6-8.
“It’s a great opportunity for them to learn public speaking and for us to learn something about their interests,” she stated.
The district contest is a way for members of the Lac La Biche 4-H Club to prepare for the Northeast Region Communications Competition. Only those who place first in the local speaking contest are eligible for the regionals, which are hosted by a different 4-H district every year.
“There will be 4-H members from each of our 16 districts coming here to compete,” said Jackson Cull.
