• By Dave Caldwell
• Posted Tuesday, August 2, 2011

Forsyth 4-H’ers Honored at 4-H Congress

Three Forsyth County 4-H’ers received one of the highest honors a 4-H’er can achieve while four others were named winners during the annual 4-H Congress in Raleigh.

Congress is the high point of the 4-H year, bringing young people from across the state to the North Carolina State University campus and Raleigh for four days of activity. This year’s congress was July 18-21.

Brothers Seth Barrick, 18, and Nathan Barrick, 16, sons of Michael and Melinda Barrick of Winston-Salem, and Brandon Joyce, 18, son of Michael and Mae Lynn Joyce of Kernersville, were inducted into the 4-H Honor Club, one of the highest honors a 4-H’er can achieve. New Honor Club members were tapped during a candlelight ceremony Monday night, July 18. Membership in the Honor Club is based on service to the 4-H program, leadership, moral standards, 4-H activities and project achievement. Less than one-half of 1 percent of North Carolina 4-H’ers are selected for membership each year. Members must be at least 16 years old and have a minimum of three years 4-H experience.

The Barricks and Joyce also participated in the Application, Interview, Resume and Essay contest (AIRE) designed to help young people learn valuable skills that will help them apply for jobs in the future. Nathan Barrick and Brandon Joyce were both awarded trips to National 4-H Congress to be held in Atlanta, Georgia in November.

The Barricks and Joyce are all members of the Trailblazer Teens 4-H Club. Seth Barrick also won one of a number of contests designed to test 4-H’ers’ knowledge of a variety of subjects. 4-H’ers give presentations on different subjects and are judged on their knowledge and presentation. Seth won the 14- to 18-year-old division of the science and technology competition with a presentation on sound systems.

Brandon Joyce teamed with his brother Justyn, 15, to win the 14- to 18-year-old division of the citizenship and civic responsibility competition with a presentation on parliamentary procedure.

In addition, three other Forsyth 4-H’ers were gold winners.

Brian Phagan, 16, son of Tim and Leanne Phagan of Winston-Salem, won the 14- to 18-year-old division of the soil, water and the environment competition with a presentation on composting.

Alex Arrowood, 10, son of Carla and Mark Arrowood of Lexington, gave a presentation titled “The Eight Powers of the Octopus” to win the 9- and 10-year-old division of the fisheries and aquatic resources competition.

Emily Bohanon, 10, daughter of Jennifer and David Bohanon of Kernersville, won the 9- and 10-year-old division of the peanut foods competition with a recipe for fluffy peanut butter dip.

Other 4-H’ers earning silver medals include: Daniel, 13, and Isaac Hanna, 10, sons of Terry and Maria Hanna of Kernersville. Samuel Barrick, 13, also the son of Michael and Melinda Barrick of Walkertown and Lindsey Hooker, 15, daughter of David and Gwenda Hooker of Walkertown.

Bronze winners are Brandon Phagan, 13, son of Tim and Leanne Phagan of Winston-Salem, David Allen Pledger, 13, son of Walter and Melanie Pledger of Winston-Salem, and Hosanna Gourley, 17, daughter of Tim and Leslieann Gourley of Walnut Cove.

Other 4-H members giving presentations included: Sidney Hooker, 12, daughter of David and Gwenda Hooker of Walkertown, and Andrew Pledger, 10, son of Walter and Melanie Pledger of Winston-Salem.

Approximately 500 4-H’ers, volunteer leaders and North Carolina Cooperative Extension agents attended 4-H Congress. The 4-H program is the youth education program of North Carolina Cooperative Extension, based at North Carolina State and North Carolina A&T State universities. More than 218,000 young people between the ages of 5 and 19 participate in North Carolina 4-H activities each year with the help of 21,400 adult and youth volunteers.