The Prairieland Youth Leadership Conference was held over the weekend in Saskatoon.
The event attracted nearly 40 4-H members from across the province. As the title suggests, the focus is on developing leadership skills. Before coming to Saskatoon, each participant was asked to interview someone who they viewed as a leader in their community. They also produced a video or wrote an article about that leader.
"Business owners who are offering their services to their community members. We had politicians, mayors, coaches and everybody under the sun that these members looked at as role models and people that they can learn something from." said Kody Farrow, the Chair of the Prairieland Youth Leadership Committee.
Evan Shout is the President and CEO at Hebert Group and is the co-host of the popular "The Truth About Ag Podcast." He worked with the participants on Saturday and was the guest speaker at the Banquet Sunday. He says the 4-H'ers are off to a great start when it comes to leadership skills.
"Looking at a program like this and seeing how the kids yesterday interacted and networked and even went up on stage and did it their own way, that's promising because that's something I'd never got to do when I was younger and obviously that's a skill I use quite a bit now. So, if I had an extra ten years with it I think I'd be in a better place." Shout said.
First place and a $4,500 scholarship was presented to Madison Ley of the Kerrobert Multiple 4-H Club.
Second place went to Owen Guest of the Blazing Saddles 4-H Club in Nipawin. He received a $3,000 dollar scholarship. Third place and a $2,500 scholarship went to Ken Hougham of the Hillmond 4-H Club in the Lloydminster area.
The fourth and fifth place participants each received $1,000 scholarships — Jory Labatte of the 4-H Sask Next Step Club and Vanessa Charko with the Carrot River Light Horse/Moose Range Beef Club.
(With files from Neil Billinger, CJWW)
