Forty-seven 4-H members and volunteer leaders from New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island converged on the Debert Hospitality Centre in Debert, Nova Scotia for the Atlantic 4-H Senior Members Conference from March 26-28.
The weekend saw a variety of fun and informative workshops and activities for those in attendance as 4-H went “Go For The Green in 2010”.
Friday started off with registration and get acquainted games and then the “Amazing Ag Race” where participants completed a series of activities with teammates that dare you to examine Agriculture in a way that you may not have experienced before. 4-H members worked together and solved some great challenges while building skills to enhance their 4-H Clubs and the communities that they live in such as: building barns and communities, creating a product and a marketing plan to sell it, harvesting apples, making ice-cream for the group, maneuvering through an explosive corn maze, examining the labeling of food products to determine if it is local or not, creating a display and judging which items will clean a toilet bowl the best! The evening wound up with a pizza party and social time.
Saturday started off bright and early after breakfast with a presentation of “Water For The World” by the Engineers Without Borders from Dalhousie University. This was a hands-on activity where groups made their own water filters out of recycled water bottles and multiple layers of sand and gravel. Members were grouped into different countries, and were provided with different levels of information and amounts of play money, depending on their country’s literacy rate and wealth. Members were challenged to think critically and creatively, while working with their peers and realizing how they as youth can address the drinkable water global needs.
This was followed by a presentation by Carl Duirvenvoorden of “An Inconvenient Truth”. Carl is one of the first Canadians selected to be trained by Al Gore, and gave an updated presentation on the threats of global warming and explaining what each of us can do to prevent a climate crisis.
After lunch members boarded a bus and headed to the Nova Scotia Agricultural College for a tour. There they visited the renewable energy lab, greenhouse and aquaculture labs and had an information session on the college.
Then it was off to a tour of MacLeod’s Farm Machinery and a horse ride to a camp for supper “In The Woods”. This was followed with some “Cosmic Bowling” an ice cream social, snacks and fun activities to round out the evening.
Sunday after breakfast the group got moving with “The Power To Believe” and Gordon McNeilly of UFit. Gordon shared his zest for life and motivated the group to eat healthier, get more energetic and give yourself time to live your life to the fullest.
After a quick nutrition break members learned how to “Live Life Large” with speaker Tyler Hayden. Tyler had the group rolling on the floor with laughter as he spoke of the simple changes they could make in their lives that would create a balanced lifestyle for them.
Members heard about the opportunities they have in the 4-H Program by the Executive Director of the PEI 4-H Program, Emily Brown and then it was off to pack up, fill out evaluations, have a quick lunch before heading for home. It was an informative and fun filled weekend and organizers look forward to planning another one in the near future.
The success of any 4-H activity is due largely to the generous support of its sponsors and the Atlantic 4-H Committee would like to thank the following for their support of this conference: Agrium, CARD, Dairy Farmers of PEI, Farm Credit Canada, Nova Scotia Agricultural College, PEI Egg Marketing Board, Syngenta and the 4-H Councils of New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island.
