It is fitting that for my 300th post I get to talk about something that is very dear to me, 4-H. Last night we hosted our regular Wagner Farm volunteer meeting and instead of having a lecture or event preparation we got treated to a preview of the projects that will be going to the Lake County Fair at the end of this month. Last night was an example of what makes this program great. Each of the members had the chance to stand before the audience and introduce themselves and tell something of interest about their animal. Some of the kids talked about how to show their animal while other explained what the judges would be looking for. A couple of the swine showmen told about the efforts they were putting forth to help their pigs gain extra weight so they would make the entry requirements. From top to bottom the kids displayed a lot of courage to stand front and center with a microphone and express themselves. There are a lot of adults out there that turn white from the prospect of public speaking. The other thing that was neat about last night was how the families turned out to show support for their kid's efforts. When the evening was over and everything was put away I saw many of the moms and dads putting their arms around their kids and telling them how proud they were of them or what a good job they had done. Too often we only read about how kids are getting in trouble or are sitting in front of a TV/computer screen all day. It is refreshing to see so many of our kids who know how to work hard and take the roll of animal caregiver seriously. I encourage you to come to the county fair and meet the kids of the Glenview Clovers
4-H club. The fair is July 27th through August 1st in Grayslake, Illinois
