Clarendon 4-H Parish Achievement Day a Success

The Clarendon 4-H Club is reporting success with its annual achievement day, which was held yesterday (March 15) at the Knox Community College in May Pen.”We’re very pleased with the outcome of the day,” said Ron Blake, field services co-ordinator for the Jamaica 4-H central region. He pointed out that the turnout was beyond expectation and highlighted the reach of the 4-H’s activities.
“Achievement day is really about showcasing the talent and work of clubbites throughout the year and to showcase the work of the organization to the rest of Jamaica and these were achieved,” he told JIS News.
More than 3,000 clubbities from some 50 school, church and community clubs participated in the day’s activities, vying for top prizes in 21 competitive areas such as art and craft, culinary art and agro-processing, and the care and management of cattle and poultry.
Winners in the various categories will represent the parish at the national achievement day, which is slated for March 28 at the Denbigh Agricultural Showground.
According to Mr. Blake, the events were keenly contested and reflected a high standard of preparation on the part of clubbites. He noted that the criterion for selection varied from category to category, with judging done by experts in the various areas.
He thanked the government and private sector sponsors for their support of the event and the work of the 4-H movement in general.
“We are fortunate that the government of Jamaica puts in the lion’s share, which takes care of training in the 4-H and that’s what makes these events possible,” Mr. Blake said, noting that, “capital support from the private sector served to complement the government’s input as well as play a major role in the running of the event.”
4-H recruiting officer, Shian Christie, told JIS News that a key objective of the annual achievement day was to increase club membership. He said that at the registration desk, which was set up, young people were encouraged to get involved in an existing group or assisted to form new clubs.
Meanwhile, Constable D. Cover of the Four Paths Police Station congratulated the organisers of the event, noting that he was pleased to see young people engaged in a wholesome, violence-free activity. The achievement day culminated with the presentation of trophies for boy and girl of the year, best public speaker and the agro processing and environmental challenge awards.