Five outstanding 4-H members were selected to attend the 97th annual National 4-H Congress held in Atlanta, Georgia. The members were Alex Enos, Nick Ryan, Elina Barrows, Lily Raposa and Jessica Carter. They attended with chaperone Meg Riley, 4-H leader in Plymouth County. Over 900 delegates from across the United States and Puerto Rico gathered to participate in this years, " Be True to You" conference.
Delegates heard from inspirational speakers each day of the conference. They included Dr. Eugene Schoenfield, speaking on his experiences as a holocaust survivor. Workshop topics ranged from healthy gourmet eating, global citizenship and stem cells to agri-science. Exciting tours were part of the experience as well. Locations included CNN, Atlanta Aquarium, Atlanta Zoo, Coca Cola and the Jimmy Carter Presidential Museum. All Congress delegates participated in community service projects conducted throughout the Atlanta area.
Elegant evening galas and semi-formal dances gave the delegates yet another important opportunity to gain a better appreciation of the diversity of delegates, to watch talented 4-H'ers from thoughout the country perform and to develop networking skills to enable members to bring home new knowledge and awareness.
To be selected the Massachusetts 4-H members had to submit a resume packet and essay on their 4-H careers including their leadership experience, community service, public speaking and project skill development.
The five delegates expressed their appreciation of the leadership and community service experiences they have had in 4-H. They also thanked the Massachusetts 4-H Foundation for providing the funding for this experience.