4-H names outstanding boy, girl

Copyright © 2009
Gallup Independent
By Jim Tiffin
Cibola County Bureau

GRANTS — Delaney Gonzales of Grants sold $700 worth of fruit in October 2008 to earn the Super Booster award at Friday night’s Cibola County 4-H Awards Banquet.

Boosters are youth who are preparing to join 4-H when they turn 9. The fruit sales were a fundraiser for the 4-H Council.

Gonzales said now that she is 9, she will be in the Horseshoes 4-H Club. She is in the third grade at St. Teresa’s Elementary School.

She told the Independent she will be a novice, or first level, and plans to take rabbits, chickens and a goat to her first Bi-County Fair as a 4-H member, on Labor Day weekend in Prewitt.

“I love 4-H, it’s fun,” she said.

Denton Scarbro and Ashley Stauffer were named the outstanding senior boy and girl, respectively.

Stauffer is now 19 and no longer a member of a 4-H club.

The top age a teen can be a member is 18.

“I’m a leader now for my 4-H club (Ridegrunners),” she said.

During the banquet, a vote was taken to dispense with regular meeting agenda so awards could be presented.

After the entire room full of 75 adults and youth voted “aye,” to do away with the agenda an then became silent as Alexia Rougmont, the council’s president this year, called for the “nay” vote.

A single, clear, loud child’s voice piped up “nay,” causing the room to erupt in laughter.

It was 3-year-old Larry Meader, who was attending the banquet with his family.

Penny McDougale was presented a 25 year leadership pin, with an emerald, by Cooperative Extension Agent Patricia Strange.

“Last year she was given a 20 year pin, but I came here 24 years ago and she was already a leader then,” Strange said. Strange said she also found McDougale’s original first-year pin as a 4-H leader and presented her with that as well.

Other awards were given to:

• Achievement — Denton Scarbro
• Citizenship — Payden Scarbro
• Leadership — Alexia Rougmont
• Outstanding Novice Girl — Chali Simpson
• Outstanding Novice Boy — Payden Scarbro
• Outstanding Junior Girl — Alexia Rougmont

No junior level boys turned in completed project this past year, so no Outstanding Junior Boy award was presented.

The 4-H Council is composed of club members, who conduct meetings for the business of 4-H.

This year’s new officers, who were announced to the public at the banquet, are:

• President — Alexia Rougmont
• Vice President — Payden Scarbro
• Secretary — Tracy Carroll
• Treasurer — Danny Gordon
• Song and Recreation Leader — Nick Rivera
• Reporter — Mickey Williams
• Parliamentarian — Denton Scarbro.