Tompkins County 4-H’ers Earn Recognition

Over fifty 4-H members and 4-H volunteers, parents, friends and family gathered at 4-H Acres on November 6 to recognize the accomplishments of Tompkins County 4-H members. Opening and closing remarks were given by Joann Gruttadaurio, chair of the Tompkins County 4-H Program Committee. Megan Tifft, 4-H Issue Leader and Brenda Carpenter, 4-H Community Educator were on hand to emcee the ceremony.

• Eight 4-H Clubs were recognized for the following awards:
• Little Bunny Foo-Foo’s Early Enrollment
• Fur’n Feathers Early Enrollment
• 4-H Exchange Club Early Enrollment
• Hill and Dale Early Enrollment and Seal of Achievement
• Newfield Trailblazers Early Enrollment and Seal of Achievement
• Jr. Tailwaggers Early Enrollment and Seal of Achievement
• Nightmares Early Enrollment and Seal of Achievement
• Finger Lakes Livestock League Early Enrollment and Seal of Achievement

Recognition is an acknowledgement and affirmation of the personal growth in an individual and is a significant incentive to further learning. To qualify for county level awards, 4-H members are required to document their 4-H achievements and successes in a record book, scrap book, portfolio or another creative way of telling their 4-H story. Record keeping is an important life skill that even the youngest 4-H member can achieve. The Emerald Energizer Award recognizes members who are 8 – 11 years old. The following members received a certificate and invitation to a pizza party and celebration in their honor:

• Sam Pabody, Ithaca
• Nathan Collinsworth, Freeville
• Hannah Collinsworth, Freeville
• Jeffery Lantz, Ithaca
• Daniel Fisher, Ithaca
• Ben Caveney, Lansing
• Jesse Larson, Ithaca
• Alden Delaney, Alpine
• Hana Haley, Freeville

The Movers and Doers Award recognizes 4-H’ers 11 – 13 years of age with a certificate and invitation to a movie night. The following 4-H members earned the Movers and Doers Award:

• Siera Haley, Freeville
• Dina Rigas, Ithaca
• Daniel Barden, Ithaca
• Hannah Barden, Ithaca
• Emily Fisher, Ithaca
• Nathan Fisher, Ithaca
• Elizabeth Jesch, Brooktondale
• Avery Higgins-Lopez, Ithaca

Christina Constas, Brooktondale and Alex Higgins-Lopez, Ithaca received the opportunity to participate in the Career Exploration Trip to Vermont. Historically, the trip has included stops at the Vermont Teddy Bear Factory, King Arthur Flour, the Fat Hat Factory and Ben & Jerry’s. The trip is sponsored by the South Central 4-H District Educators and will take place in the spring of 2012.

Tompkins County delegates to the 4-H Capital Days program are Christina Constas and Hannah Shea of Freeville. Christina and Hannah will travel to Albany for the 2 ½ day program where they will join with over 90 delegates from all corners of NY State. Delegates will tour the Capitol, hear from several different legislators about the process of government, learn proper etiquette when talking with legislators, meet with their local representatives, and tour a variety of state departments.

The highest form of recognition at the county level is County Medals. This award is reserved for teen members who have excelled in their 4-H work. The following 4-H members earned county medals this year:

• Arin Hallett, Newfield Rabbit
• Christina Constas, Brooktondale Teen Leadership
• Katie Pabody, Ithaca Sheep, and Community Service
• Alex Higgins-Lopez, Ithaca Healthy Lifestyles and Citizenship
• Kyler Delaney, Alpine Plant Science, and Personal Growth and Development
• Emma Jesch, Brooktondale Journalism and Reporting, Heritage Arts
• And Crafts, and Achievement
• Rebekah Stauffer, Ithaca Public Presentations and Heritage Arts and

Crafts
Tompkins County is extremely proud to have one member competing at the national level this fall. Erik Jorgensen, Ithaca, recently returned from the national Rabbit Show in Indianapolis, Indiana. There were over 23,000 rabbits in the show! Erik competed in the Senior Team Breed Identification and Rabbit Team Judging. The NY State team placed third in the senior division – the first time New York has ever placed at national level.

Congratulations to all of the 4-H members receiving recognition at the 4-H Achievement Night program. The Tompkins County 4-H club program is a Cornell Cooperative Extension of Tompkins County program. For more information on 4-H club opportunities in your area, please contact Brenda Carpenter, 272-2292, btc6@cornell.edu.